Rooms Division Operations Management

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Executive summaryHotel business bring success with the help of Room Division Operation Management. It covers

accommodation service, front office services. Some legal and statutory requirements on health

and safety, hazardous substances, protective clothing are important aspect. There needs planning

and management in the front of house area and issues of key operation that affect the

management and business performances. Technologies can improve operating system and

service provision. Design attracts customer to stay in a particular hotel and come back again

whenever he gets a chance. So hotel industry sees this design attribute very carefully. Yield

management activities maximize occupancy and room revenue. There are some sale techniques

that room division staff can use for promotion and maximizing revenue. Actually there are lots of

aspect in hotel business which impact on revenue formulation.

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Table of ContentsExecutive summary...................................................................................................................................2

Introduction...............................................................................................................................................4

Discussion of accommodation and front office services for different organizations. (1.1)......................5

Analyzing the roles and responsibilities of a range of accommodation and reception services staffs. (1.2).........................................................................................................................................................6

Stating the legal and statutory requirements that apply to rooms division operations. (1.3)....................8

Evaluating services provided by the Rooms Division in a range of hospitality businesses. (AC 1.4)......9

Assessing the importance of front of house area to effective management (AC 2.1).............................10

The key aspect of planning and management of the front of house area (AC 2.2).................................10

Discuss the main operational issues for effective management and business performance (AC 2.3).....11

Assess the importance of property interiors and design to effective management (AC 3.1)..................12

Discuss the critical aspects of planning and management of the accommodation service function for a given hospitality operation (AC 3.2).....................................................................................................12

Analyze the key operational issues affecting the effective management of accommodation service function. (AC 3.3)..................................................................................................................................13

Perform revenue/ yield management activities to maximize occupancy and rooms revenue. (AC 4.1). 14

Sales technique for room division of staff (AC 4.2)..............................................................................14

Discuss the purpose and use of forecasting and statistical data within the rooms division (AC 4.3).....15

Calculate room division performance indicators to measure the success of accommodation sales (AC 4.4)........................................................................................................................................................15

Conclusion................................................................................................................................................17

Bibliography............................................................................................................................................18

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IntroductionIn hotel business room division is a very much important issue that work in behind the success.

Due satisfaction of guests is possible if hotel can assure marvelous room division system for its

existing and new guest. Reputation deals with quality product and hotel business has to deal with

it. I have been asked to make a comparative research into the services provided by Room

Operation Management in Grange City Hotel, a 5-star hotel in United Kingdom and produce a

management summary. This hotel is luxury stands on the London near River Thames. The hotel

features 307 stunning guest bedrooms, several vibrant bars and restaurants, 25 swimming pool,

health and fitness club, private club for lounge offer refreshments. This hotel follows some

necessary rules and regulation in its revenue increment function. Besides this hotel always focus

on newer design of the whole interior which make them different from the rest of the other

hotels.

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Discussion of accommodation and front office services for different

organizations. (1.1)Departments and functions play essential roles in providing guests’ service during their stay at

the hotel and this consist the whole theme for room division. Room division contributes 70% or

more to the whole revenue of a hotel. It is called the heart of a hotel.

Proper accommodation service brings customer’s loyalty. It includes cleanliness of public areas,

guest rooms, maintenance and laundry works. The areas which are free to access by any guests

and visitors (such as public rest room, corridors, stairwells) are public areas. For achieving

success in hotel business, providing perfectly cleaned guest rooms is a must. Generally, the

housekeeping department are given the responsibility of guest room cleanliness. A hotel’s

laundry may vary in its size and product offerings. As Grange City Hotel is a 5-star hotel, it has

its own laundry for linen and uniforms. And its housekeeping department often proceeds for

three steps in maintenance function which are routine maintenance (the general preservation of

the assets), preventive maintenance (inspection, minor corrections and work-order initiation

jobs), and scheduled maintenance (further from minor correction).

Front office service includes several things like reception, reservation, bell desk, concierge, front

office cashier, night audit, guest relations. Grange City Hotel’s reservations are mainly

originated from telephone, fax, letter, through e-mail, hotel website, meeting planners, airlines

etc. While bell station helps guests in getting their luggage into their hotel and their room

reception upholds greeting the guest, confirming the information on the registration card,

securing payment segment, assigning room and issuing keys of that room. The caretaker holds

the concierge position of any hotel who is responsible for making dining reservation, sheltering

tickets for theatre and sporting occasions, arranging transportation for guests and giving hotel

related information.

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Analyzing the roles and responsibilities of a range of accommodation and

reception services staffs. (1.2) Show the organization chart of the Room Division Operation within the hospitality industry

(M1)

In a large hotel, accommodation and reception services staffs are generally front office manager,

assistant front office manager, supervisor, receptionist, reservation attendant, room attendant,

bell attendants, concierge. Some hotel provides turn-down service in the evening which are

provided by the room attendants. If any sort of article being left over by the guest, they should

handover them quickly.

Front office reception staffs take registration of guests and assign room. Besides this, they also

take preregistration and blocking of rooms for reservation if needed. Moreover, they make sure

credit, check-cashing handling policies and procedures. Safe deposit boxes are sometimes

needed to be issued or closed by guests but they do these through the hotel staff. On that time,

front receptionist staffs have to follow the procedures prescribed by the guest. After that, they

have to be aware of all the events taking place at the hotel. They co-ordinates guestroom

preservation work with the help of engineering and maintenance sector. Front office manager

partakes in the selection of front office employees. He not only trains but also schedules the front

office staff, maintains regular communication with other departments, solve guest problems

efficiently and rapidly. He also follows the allocated budget to make profit. He collects

information from past shift managers and then he provides them with pertinent details to the

ongoing manager.

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Figure: Organization chart for the Rooms Division within the hospitality industry.

Source: Adapted from Abbott & Lewry (Front Office, p 185)

Housekeeping manager organizes, supervises and coordinates the housekeeping personnel work

daily. Housekeeping manager draws duty rosters and make sure stable communication within all

department by the course of regular meetings. Housekeeping managers hire fresh employees,

counsel and motivate the existing employees regarding on work issues. They maintain standard

operating procedures to enhance the efficiency level of labor and product use. They organize

maintenance and refurbishment of guestroom. Moreover, they return articles that guest might

have left in the hotel. They maintain a time logbook for all employees throughout the

department.

Stating the legal and statutory requirements that apply to rooms division

operations. (1.3)There are some certain rules and statutory regulations that are needed to be followed. Certain

people i.e. minor, mentally sick, drunkard, company possess limited right to make a contact, so

they cannot sign any contact with hotel. For registration formalities, guest must have to write

down his/her full name and nationality. That information can be given by himself or another

person like leader. Overseas guests have to provide passport number and its place of issue. With

the expectation of diplomats, families and staff, the record of guests must be made to a police

officer on request. According to Tourism Sleeping Accommodation Price Display Order 1977

and Consumer Protection Act 1987 require hotels to publish and display their tariff at the

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reception desk. Except for natural calamity or negligence by guest, any type of liability

Figure: Employee responsibility

regarding the property of the guest while staying at the hotel goes to hotel authority (Act: 1956).

Then, hotel may demand full or part payment prior to the guest stay. Surplus amount after the

sale should be provided to the guest. The health and safety at work (HASAWA) 1974 brings

some universal duties that are followed by employers to employees and members of an

organization and employees to themselves.

HASAWA uses risk assessment procedures under the Management of Health and Safety at Work

Regulation (1990) to maintain a healthy and safe system of work. The HSE five step approaches

are:

Identify the hazard: Hazard may be of normal like breaking down, spillage, lubricating,

adjustment, overhaul, installation, dismantling, on the other hand plausible hazard may occur

from fall of a person from height, manual handling, use of machine, electricity, drowning.

Identify those who may be harmed: The work which are very much prone to occur any accidents

are needed to be listed and identify the employees to be aware of the accident.

Implement control measures: The Control of Substances Hazardous to health (COSHH Act

2002) generally take steps in minimizing emission, release or spread or hazardous substances. It

controls the exposure measures proportionate to the health risk.. Hotel must make sure the escape

route to be broaden and effective.

Then authority should record the findings review and revise.

Evaluating services provided by the Rooms Division in a range of hospitality

businesses. (AC 1.4)

Hospitality business covers services like hotels including 1 to 5 star, serviced cottages/ chalet or

time share (Hussain, H. 2012). It also covers fast food restaurants, café and coffee shops fine

dining restaurants, public house, bars, night club etc. except for these sectors, hospitality

business covers contract food service providers, events, university campus hostels, cruise ships,

ferries and trains, service of food and beverage, ski resorts and lodging, recreation, membership

clubs, services regarding travelling and tourism.

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The services provided by Grange City Hotel are very much in numbers. In restaurant and bar

service they include Forum Restaurant (a fine dining restaurant, one can have Mediterranean

cuisine for both lunch and dinner), Isis Bar and Lounge, Koto II (a Japanese restaurant,

renowned for sushi and traditional fare for lunch and dinner), Lutetia Bar and Brasserie (a French

restaurant having unique view onto the Roman Wall). In health club pool they provide

gymnasium, swimming pool, virtual golf, sauna and spa. (Grange Hotel website, 2016)

Assessing the importance of front of house area to effective management (AC

2.1)

Front of house is important in building ambience, guest relationship and security which

eventually pave the way to effective management. It is actually the expression of the hotel which

ensures all the guest needs and demands to be fulfilled carefully (Bardi, J, 2011). It requires best

possible level of soothing music, noise control mechanism, heating, cooling, filtering of air

facilities, track lighting, fluorescent, wall lights and odor elimination, air purification facilities.

Hotel authority needs to build up good relationship with guest. Guest are provided information

on various services like local light-seeing, shopping centers, book-a-ride, book-a-movie and

additional special supplies like cots and cribs, audio-visual supplies, high speed internet

connectors. In terms of guest complaint, hotel authority must tackle it through professionalism

because it links their goodwill and guest response. Hotel must listen their complaints, apologies

for this occurrence, solve the problem and thank the guest for the support. By improving services

provided by the front line employees, hotel can enhance guest satisfaction.

Security is an important factor of a hotel without which a hotel will not gather the sheer trust of

guest (Kasavana, M.L. and Brooks, R.M., 2014). Hotel must ensure security in guestroom,

control of suspicious individuals, protection of assets like safe deposits, lost property etc. it

should protect data of guest. Hotel must use password on computer entrance and network

security.

The key aspect of planning and management of the front of house area (AC

2.2)The use of technologies in improving operating system and service provision (M2)

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The main aspect of planning and management of front of house area covers the following issues:

Planning: Planning is the thinking process, the organized foresight, the vision based on fact and

experience that is required for intelligent action (Alford and Beatt, 2014). For hotel business,

departmental budgets and financial objectives for room revenues and expenses are needed to be

planned. Meeting the standards is primary goal. While performing task effectively, employees

must be provided necessary resources.

Organizing: it covers sequencing various task regarding front office jobs in a proper manner.

Launching completion deadline is necessary for this.

Coordinating: it covers assimilating and using assets to achieve goals by working with other

department. Coordination of strength on intra departmental employees to make sure proper

performance effectively and efficiently.

Staffing: it covers recruitment and selection of new front office worker which also covers

training program and employee incentive programs.

Leading and controlling: First an example needs to be settled for front office staff and then assist

the team during excess time work through arranging the necessary resources for well-

functioning. And controlling involves protection of departmental assets, guests’ assets ad guests’

details.

Evaluating: It involves evaluating regularly the overall performance of front office employees by

room performance against daily financial targets that complies with customer satisfaction.

Operating system become easier when we use technologies. In financing, marketing and human

resource there is a must need for technology now-a-days. Marketing can be possible with the

help of website, email. Quality maintain of hotel business can be implemented by proper

software control. the Without technology, it would be very time consuming and cumbersome. In

customer service website, email work well to reply their requirements. Moreover, these media do

the job properly with shortest possible time. Hotel with website entrance will grab customer and

their satisfaction. Hotel use customer relationship management software to manage customer

relationship well.

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Discuss the main operational issues for effective management and business

performance (AC 2.3)

There are several operational issues working behind the management of the effective form of

business and its performance as well. A 5-star hotel must possess good design, atmosphere,

cleanliness, products and services.

The hotel business need to focus on design tool to make it look attractive and up to the standard.

Without it, there lies a huge possibility that customer will not come back for later.

Hospitality make a good impression to the guest which bound them to take away a good feeling

afterwards. It is very important for the front office employees to show hospitality, welcome

warmly the new comers in order to success in this line of business.

Extra cost will occur if hotel cannot provide good design, image and cleanliness because if

customer don’t find them in a 5-star hotel, the organization will have to bear complains, refunds

and in some extent free treats to maintain the customer and make them come again.

Assess the importance of property interiors and design to effective

management (AC 3.1)

Evaluate the criteria for property design for a range of different service areas with a design

suggestion for a specific area (M3)

The inside part of a building, considered as a whole from the point of view of artistic design or

general effect is interior (Dictionary.com, 2013). Hotel’s image must be in line with that of

interior. Establishing same theme both in front office and in the bedroom is necessary.

Design is an art- based in colors, patterns and shapes (Locke,2013). For attracting customers and

to be different from others, many hotel focus on design of the room. Design itself is a good tool

that can add value immensely to the business. “We believe beauty, comfort, efficiency or

durability can also add value with the help of good design in our organization (Grange Hotel

website, 2014).

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Layout is an influential factor which is considered in choosing a hotel. To make customer feel

comfortable and give them the feeling of 5-star hotel, certain standards are needed to be fulfilled.

Design plays very important role in this kind of hotel arrangements. At the Grange City Hotel,

bedrooms and all other surroundings are luxurious, comfortable.

Discuss the critical aspects of planning and management of the

accommodation service function for a given hospitality operation (AC 3.2)There remains some planning and management of the accommodation and service function for

which guest are going to stay. 5-star organization always pays attention to quality maintenance.

Guest want to find beautiful, smooth and comfortable room and bedding in a luxury hotel. For

that Egyptian cotton, anti-allergy and organic bedding are used in hotel to bring extra appeal. In

Grange city hotel, bed linen, towel and bathrobes are white and the materials which are being

used very often are of high quality. Pillow covers are wash 2 times in a month and mattress

covers are changed 3-4 times in a year.

Cleanliness is very important for the triumph over other business in hospitality industry. The

hotels which maintain the standards of cleanliness of a 5-stars and service are up to the mark are

remembered by customer more and they come back to that place. Products are needed to be

environmental friendly and chemical free and it will maintain high standard which will fulfill the

issue of cleanliness. Communal area carpets are cleaned twice in a year by expert and window

cleaning is done once in a month.

Although each visitor is keyed to something different, each first impression is influenced by

maintenance management (Smith,2013). This maintenance can give a great impression to every

guest in each time entrance. It is done on daily basis, by housekeeping department and

maintenance personnel. If problem arises, housekeeper can inform the maintenance department.

Analyze the key operational issues affecting the effective management of

accommodation service function. (AC 3.3)

An eye-catching design, quality furniture can make a difference in the way a room is supposed to

a 5-star hotel. In spite of other areas being perfect condition, scarcity of developed design may

down hotel’s market value by losing its customers. As Grange City Hotel focuses more attributes

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than basic accommodation, they consider to all details and go for extra features to satisfy the

requirements of the clients. Stained carpets, leaking fixtures in the bathroom, smelly or rusting

furniture etc. can either negate a good impression or convince travelers they are going to have a

bad stay (Smith, 2013)

Cleanliness, maintenance and linen should always be up to the standards because they provide

the attribute of staying in a 5-star hotel. This is truly followed in the image of a hotel and if the

organization fail providing beautiful attributes it will have to consume complains, offer free

treats to them. It not only will lose money but also put a bad reputation.

Perform revenue/ yield management activities to maximize occupancy and

rooms revenue. (AC 4.1)

Yield management is a variable pricing strategy which is based on understanding, anticipating

and influencing consumer behavior to maximize revenue from a fixed perishable resource. This

is the selling the right room to the right client at the right moment at the right price on the right

distribution channel with the best commission efficiency (Landman,2011).

Hotel yield management is very difficult to apply overnight because there are many aspects to be

considered. This includes information about basic factors like: past occupancy rates, general

sales, company target groups, customer segmentation, market information, customer satisfaction

reports, past weather conditions, holiday and event information, competitor price information.

Over the years, more and more expanded Revenue Management System (RMS) were designed

with the objective of assisting this process. Hotels are using latest software to have decision on

whether their tariff are exceeding the general one set by the industry. Implementing policies is

another way to maximize room occupancy and revenue. Juggling is also a very good approach of

maximizing revenue. Lastly, overlooking is another approach which is done for the purpose of

maximizing revenue to attain full occupancy.

Sales technique for room division of staff (AC 4.2)There are a number of technique to develop the sale of the hotel. By making sure the functions of

grabbing the customers and increasing the facilities, this can be achieved. Hotel must focus on

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tariff structure and see whether they are taking less tariff from the guest or not. For fixing perfect

tariff, hotel should analyze market-based pricing.

Customer cannot cancel the charge of booking by the ‘No cancellation policy’. Another policy

basically used to avoid losing revenue is known as ‘No-show policy’ which is concerned with

the fees paid when making a booking are non-refundable. Through initiating customer loyalty

schemes hotel can grab customer which will increase their sales revenue.

Employees partaking in selling must have to know how to use sale techniques like bottom-up,

top-down, cross-selling, up-selling. Up-selling is a method followed by hoteliers and means

selling over the reservation of client. Keeping a client database will assist the hotel in identifying

repeat searches and help in retaining them through special offers, packages, discount rates. In

addition to the existing guest, hotel must have to take steps in attaining more new customer and

so for this reason they always have to channelize and implement good marketing strategy.

Clients’ database will be upgraded through media coverage and internet which will produce

more revenue.

Discuss the purpose and use of forecasting and statistical data within the

rooms division (AC 4.3)

Forecasting is the use of historic data to determine the direction of future trends allocating

budget for an upcoming period of time(Investopedia,2015). Forecasting is a tremendous tool for

managers in hospitality business to plan future actions based on past result. Each hotel must have

statistical data about past years and with using them they make marketing strategy.

The main purpose and use of forecasting and stati3stical data is to determine the report on trend

of success or failure of basing on last year activity. with the help of the forecast result, hotel

authority can take afterwards step on managerial decision regarding forthcoming marketing and

commercial strategy.

The data of the past year is the demonstrator of the future strategy. Organization will follow the

same and sound path if they find that data used in last year result sufficient success. But if the

result does not come out good, then they will focus on the deprived area to make positive

changes and thereby maximize revenue.

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Calculate room division performance indicators to measure the success of

accommodation sales (AC 4.4)Room Type No. of rooms Price Beds Occupancy

Single 105 £85 80 60 occupied

Twin 95 £110 90 65 occupied by 2

5 occupied by 1

Double 115 £110 139 40 occupied by 2

50 occupied by 1

Total 315 307 220 room left (280

guests)

1. Room Occupancy percentage = (Total room occupied ÷ Total hotel room) × 100

= (220 ÷ 315) × 100

= 69.84%

2. Sleeper Occupancy percentage = (Number of guests ÷maximum guest capacity) × 100

= (280 ÷ 307) × 100

= 91.20%

3. Average Room Rate = (Sum of room× rate ÷ Total Room Occupied)

= (26775÷ 220)

= £121.70

For twin and double room, the price which are charged is for a single, as it was hotel’s choice to

offer them those rooms.

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ConclusionIn terms of hotel business, sale of accommodation is the main key to income generating the

highest profit margin. Grange city hotel includes large number of employees who remain

responsible for various activities. Each and every should have the idea of their respective work

and the dealing of how to do those work and their fits to the activities of other departments of the

hotel. To attain success in the competitive market, a hotel organization must focus on standards

building. The importance of room division is certain. Front office and housekeeping are

important to the success of a business like hotel.

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