Fundamentals in Lodging Operations

Module 1 The Lodging Operations

The great advantage of a hotel is that it is a refuge from home life
– George Bernard Shaw
Learning Objectives:
1. Discuss the organizational structure of lodging operations.
2. Enumerate the roles and responsibilities of each member of the
organizational structure.
3. Understand the importance of each member of the organization to the
success of the lodging operations.
4. Differentiate the categories of hotels based on the following: size, location,
target market and star rating; and
5. Differentiate the types of rooms in a lodging establishment.
Contents:
1. The Organizational Structure of a Lodging Establishment
2. Members of the Executive Committee
3. Types of Hotels
4. Types of Hotel Rooms
Introduction
One of the five (5) main sectors of the travel and tourism industry is the lodging
operation. It is involved in providing guest with accommodations for a certain fee.
These guests are people who are temporarily away from their homes, who travel either
because of business or leisure.
Lodging operations do not only provide accommodation, but they also provide
almost services that the guest needs, so that they do not have to go out of the hotel
since everything is found inside the premise. Other than rooms, they also provide food
and beverage service and security and maintenance among others.
Lodging establishments today, have a wider array of facilities. These include
health services like gym, spa and massage, concierge, gaming facilities and
entertainment facilities.
Did you know?
By the end of 2016, there were 289,649 hotel rooms from 1,760 lodging
establishments accredited by the Department of Tourism (DOT). The region that has
the greatest number of accredited hotels is Region 4B (MIMAROPA) with 267
establishments or a total of 206,051 rooms. Region 4B was followed by NCR, region 7,
region 6 and region 4A for the top 5.
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The Organization of a Lodging Establishment
Organizing is the process of structuring human physical resources in order to
accomplish organizational objectives. It involves dividing tasks into jobs, specifying the
appropriate department for each job, determining the optimum number of jobs in each
department, and delegating authority within and among departments. Lodging
managers face a very challenging task of creating organizational structure that is
committed in providing quality service. It is very easy to draft a perfect organizational
chart but what is most important is how the members would participate to be able to
achieve the organization’s objectives. Jobs, members and the departments that make
up the organization must be aware of the company’s goals and objectives and must be
oriented that they have to help in achieving it.
Organizational structure depends on the size of the lodging establishments.
Lodging managers or the general managers are responsible in spearheading the
creation of departments as well as identifying the applicable designation of each
department available in the organization.

Division or Departments of a Hotel

Departments concerned with accommodation:
 1. Front Office – Sell and allocate rooms
2. Housekeeping – Provides and services the rooms
3. Maintenance – Ensures everything is working properly
Departments of a Hotel
1. Rooms Division/Room Department – sometimes called front office in a
limited hotel.
a. Front Office – one of the most important departments in a hotel, since they
often offer the only contact between the guest and the hotel.
b. Housekeeping – Keeps the hotel
and the areas clean, tidy, hygienic, and pleasant and performs the duties
pertaining to decoration of hotel premises.
c. Security – responsible in the property, it’s guest and employees safe and
secured from external hazards.
d. Engineering & Maintenance – ensures that everything in the hotel is
functioning. When the hotel is small, this works is contracted from outside agency.
2. Food and Beverage – responsible for preparing menu, foods, and
managing inventory of food and beverage items. It includes food and beverage
preparation and service for restaurant, lounge, coffee shops, bars, parties and
room service.
3. Sales and Marketing – responsible in selling and marketing the hotel
and its product.
4. Accounting – conduct all financial activities like producing bills and
receiving payments, computing employee’s compensations and delivering payments.
5. Information Technology – responsible for keeping all of its equipment
operational.
6. Human Resource Department – responsible for sourcing, interviewing
and recruiting qualified staff for different positions. Benefits administration, training and
promotion are some of their responsibilities.

Members of the Executive Committee

1. General Manager – Over all in charge of the entire hotel.
2. Resident Manager – acts as the GM in his absence and represents the
GM on interdepartmental hotel committees.
 3. Food and Beverage Director – directly reporting to the GM, the F&B
Director is responsible in coordinating all food and beverage activities on a daily basis.
4. Executive Housekeeper – responsible in overseeing the entire
housekeeping department to ensure delivery of quality service and exceptional guest
experience thru provision of clean guest rooms and facilities.
5. Director of Security – responsible in ensuring safety and security of the
guests, employees and the hotel property with the help of his team.
6. Director of Sales and Marketing – responsible in planning and
implementing sales, marketing and product development to ensure target sales are
achieved.
7. Director of Human Resources – is tasked in overseeing human
relations system, handling employee relations, ensuring compliance with regulations,
managing budgets, assessing staffing needs, hiring employees, designing training
programs and developing compensation and benefits plans.
8. Chief Accountant – leads the finance department and other related
operations to manage maximize the profitability of the property.
9. Chief Engineer – oversees issues such as repairs and renovations,
create budgets for the maintenance department and hires and train staff.
10. Information Technology Director – responsible in daily support of IT
systems, business systems, office systems, computer networks and telephone systems
of the entire hotel.

Types of Hotels
The type of hotel helps the management decide on the organizational and
departmental structures of an establishment. Hotels can be categorized based on their
size, location, and target market.
Hotel Types by Size
If the hotel management needs to compare different hotels within the
same size, knowing the number of available rooms of a hotel is an essential
requirement. Hotels are categorized by the number of rooms to which service is
provided.
a. Below 200 rooms – very small
b. Up to 200 rooms – small
c. 201 – 399 rooms - medium
 d. 400 – 700 rooms – Large
e. More than 701 rooms – Mega

Hotel Types by Location

Hotels may also be categorized based on their location. Some examples
are:
a. Airport Hotels – located near airports.
b. Boatels – boat with sleeping accommodations used as a hotel.
c. City Center – hotels that are located in the heart of the city, usually
commercial areas.
d. Motel – are small hotels usually located along highways that provide
lodging and parking.
e. Floating Hotels –cruise ships
f. Resorts - luxury facility that is intended primarily for vacationers.

Hotel Types by Target Market

Hotels may also be categorized based on their Target Market:
1. Airport Hotels - provide accommodation to airline passengers or any
guests with cancelled or delayed flights.
2. Business Hotels – caters to guests whose primary purpose of
travelling is business.
3. Bed and Breakfast - small hotels that provide breakfast meal in
addition to accommodation to transient guest.
4. Casino Hotels – Provides accommodation to guest interested in
gambling.
5. Resorts – accommodation that offers facilities such as spa, basketball
and tennis courts, golf course, etc.
6. Service Apartments – Normally acquired by residential guests.

Did You Know ?

 Airbnb is an online marketplace that connects people who want to rent out
their homes with people who are looking for accommodations in that locale (Airbnb :
Advantages and disadvantages by Jean Folger, Feb 13, 2019). Aside from being
cheaper than the regular guestroom, guests can experience a more relaxed
environment as they immersed themselves as if they are locals of the area. Hosts or
the owners rent out their spaces to those who are interested at a more reasonable cost.

Hotel Types by Star Rating

The star rating is a system use to classify hotels according to their quality.
This helps guests identify what type of hotels they will be visiting and what kind of
services and amenities are available. The greater number of stars, the higher the
quality of the service and more guest amenities and facilities are provided.
a. One star – this is sometimes a small to medium-sized hotel operated
and managed by the owner and the family.
b. Two star – often a 2 to 4 story bldg., with a more personal atmosphere.
It is usually located in an affordable attraction, major intersections and convenient to
public transportation. Furnishings and fixtures are clean but basic.
c. Three star – Typically these hotels offer more spacious
accommodations that include well-appointed rooms and well decorated lobbies.
d. Four star – This hotel would be large, often standing as a part of a
cluster of similar hotels with a formal appearance and very good services such as
reception, front desk, and bellhop.
e. Five star – the property offers a high degree of personal service. A
hotel of such caliber would be large and luxurious and offer the highest level of
accommodation.

Did you know?

Dubai’s Burj Al Arab made headlines as the world’s first seven-star hotel but
wasn’t rated such by an authorized body. In 2015, the first hotel to receive a seven-star
rating was Hotel Seven Stars Galleria in Milan’s 19th-century Vittorio Emanuele II
structure. (Milan: Inside the World’s only certified 7-star hotel by Declan Eytan, Aug 4,
2015)

Types of Hotel Rooms

Hotel rooms are classified based on the number of occupants it can
accommodate, it’s size and the furniture, fixtures and guest amenities available.
 1. Single room – a room with a single bed meant for a single occupant.
Basic facilities and amenities including bathroom, a small dressing table, a small
bedside table, a small writing table and a single chair.
2. Double room – a room good for two people. It is equipped with
adequate furniture such as dressing table and a writing table, a TV and a small fridge.
There are two (2) variants in this type depending upon the size of the bed :
a. King double room – with king size bed
b. Queen double room – with queen size double bed
3. Deluxe room – a well-furnished room with a dressing table, a bedside
table, a small writing table, a television, and a small refrigerator. It is available in single
deluxe and double deluxe variants. This is normally suitable for one small family.
4. Double double (twin double) room – a room with two double or two
queen beds that can be occupied by one or more people. This is ideal for a family with
two children below 12 years old.
5. Twin room – this room provides two single beds with separate
headboards. It is meant for two independent people. It also has a single bedside table
shared between two beds.
6. Hollywood twin room – this room provides two single beds with a
common headboard.
7. Cabana – this type of room faces water body, beach or a swimming
pool. It generally has a large balcony.
8. Studio - a room equipped with a studio bed – a couch that can be
converted into a bed. It is also equipped with a small kitchen corner and a dining area.
9. Lanai – this room faces a landscape, a waterfall and a garden.
10. Suite – a room composed of one or more bedrooms, a living room
and a dining area, sold at a higher price. It is excellent for the guests who prefer
more space, wish to entertain their guests without interruption and giving up
privacy. There are various types of suites:
a. Mini suite or junior suite – a single room with a bed and sitting area.
The sleeping area is in a bedroom separate from the living room.
b. Penthouse suite – a more luxurious suite than the junior suite. It is
provided with the access to the terrace space above the suite. It is located on the
topmost floor of the hotel giving the guest the utmost privacy he demands thus providing
a bird’s eye view of the city.
 c. Presidential suite - sometimes called the royal suite this is considered
as the best suite in the hotel offering all the best possible services the hotel can offer.
Its price is the most expensive of all the room rates.

Did you Know?

The most expensive suite in the world is the Royal Penthouse Suite of
Hotel President Wilson that can be found in Geneva, Switzerland. Once checked in the
guest will have the entire 8th floor of the hotel all by himself. The living room is filled
with a grand piano, billiards and rare book collection while the bathroom features are
HERMES toiletries and a jacuzzi overlooking Lake Geneva. The guest is secured with
bullet proof windows, state of the art security system and a panic button. The
amount??? A whooping $80,000.00 for an overnight accommodation. (The world’s 10
most expensive hotel suites by sarah schmalbruch, July 19, 2018.