Hotel Management free essay sample

Medium Size Hotel How is the front office important to a hotel? The front office of any sized hotel is the brain of the operation. The front office concludes of employees and departments that make the hotel functional. Front office employees, such as front desk employees, make reservations via phone, check-in/check-out guests, address all guest questions, and suggest activities to guests that are vacationing to the area. The front office also is home to the night auditor, a position within the hotel that is extremely important to successfully manage revenue from the previous day. The night auditor collects daily profits from the day before, plus through the night, and projects the data into spreadsheets that the front office manager and higher management can review and determine their financial goals (Axia College, 2010). Which department is most important to the success of the front office and why? I believe the front desk is the most crucial department located within the front office because of the constant interaction with guests and vendors. We will write a custom essay sample on Hotel Management or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page The front desk is the area in which guests arrive at when first coming to the hotel. The front desk employees greet the guests and ensure them a relaxing stay while located on the premise of the hotel. Although the front desk is an important department, I also believe that the night auditors position is fairly as important considering the financial means of the hotel rely on his or her work to be as accurate as possible for management to make timely and correct business decisions (Axia College, 2010). How might the front office in a small/medium size hotel differ from the front office in a large hotel? Hotels that are labeled small to medium size differ in front office size with those of large hotels mainly by employee-guest ratio, specific department, and various guest accommodations. Hotels that are large consist of supervisors underneath the front office manager that operate the different departments daily, while small to medium size hotels consist of one front office manager and a supervisor to oversee all the departments on the premise. Larger hotels provide more departments for guests located on premise than those of small to medium size because of the property size and employees employed within the company. Also, large hotels offer many more accommodations and amenities than that of a small/medium size hotel. Larger hotels offer an onsite spa, fitness room, valet parking, restaurant, and shops, while a small/medium size hotel may not feature a spa, valet parking, or onsite restaurant (Axia College, 2010). What front office functions do all three sized hotels share? All three of the hotel sizes consist of a Night Auditor, Front Desk Receptionist, Housekeeping department, and Maintenance employee. These four functions are used to accommodate the guests, maintain a safe and healthy atmosphere, and calculate financial profits and declines within a hospitality operation. A Night Auditor is used in all three sized properties to successfully determine how well the business is doing on a daily basis. The front desk clerks are used in guest relations when arriving, staying, and departing the hotel. Housekeeping is used to clean the rooms, provide a clean environment establishment, and attend to guests accommodations located within the rooms. Lastly, a maintenance employee is utilized to perform work around the hotel that is needed to be fixed to ensure guest safety and satisfaction (Axia College, 2010). Compare the duties of the front offices of a budget roadside hotel and a center city luxury hotel. The duties of a front office manager within a budget roadside hotel are basically to oversee and carry out required duties on the premise daily. The front office manager within a budget hotel may also be the front desk clerk and night auditor considering the size of the establishment and the employee’s employed by the specific small/medium hotel. The front office manager, during the night hours, is usually the housekeeping employee which entitles him or her to meet the accommodation needs of the guest utilizing the hotel for a place to stay. The front office manager of a large hotel usually only oversees the employee’s working in each department considering the size of the establishment and the employee’s employed within the company. The front office manager of a large hotel intervenes with guests if a situation occurs that requires a manager’s response (Axia College, 2010). Commonalities of a front office manager within a small/medium sized hotel and a large sized hotel? Front office managers within all three sized hotels supervise daily activities within the establishment and makes sure guests are satisfied with the accommodations they are receiving. The front office manager of all three sized hotels understands the financial income of the day, the work that needs to be addressed, and activities that occur on premise by employees and guests. What are the most obvious differences? When observing a small/medium sized hotel, the front manager is an employee that addresses every situation that occurs during his or her shift. He or she interacts with guest’s reservations, check-ins/check-outs, housekeeping, maintenance, and other accommodations located on site. Large hotel front office managers usually tend to supervise employees on a daily basis and interfere only when situations occur that guests get out of hand. The front office manager of a large hotel simply manages a group of employees located within all the departments on premise, while small/medium sized front office managers are the employee’s that take care of guest relations, guest issues, and establishment concerns.