Room Division Operations

 Week 4 (10/02/2025)

Update your wiki about the following departments and their functions: Front desk, reservation, cashier, concierge, housekeeping and laundry:

1.Front Desk

The Front Desk serves as the main point of contact for guests, handling various aspects of their stay.

• Check-In and Check-Out: Manage guest arrivals and departures, ensuring a seamless experience.
• Guest Assistance: Address inquiries, offer hotel and local attraction information.
• Room Assignments: Allocate rooms based on reservations and guest preferences.
• Billing and Payments: Handle guest accounts, process payments, and resolve billing issues.

 

2. Reservation

The Reservation department ensures efficient booking and room management.

· Booking Management: Process reservations via phone, email, and online platforms.

· Availability Checks: Monitor room availability and confirm bookings.

· Rate Management: Adjust room rates, promotions, and special offers.

· Cancellation and Modifications: Handle reservation changes or cancellations.

3. Cashier

The Cashier department manages financial transactions related to guest stays.

· Financial Transactions: Process payments, refunds, and other monetary transactions.

· Account Reconciliation: Maintain accurate daily revenue and cash flow records.

· Guest Billing: Prepare and present final bills during check-out.

· Currency Exchange: If applicable, facilitate foreign currency exchanges.

4. Concierge

- Guest Services: Cater guests' unique needs, such as asking for directions, event tickets, and restaurant reservations.

- Local Introduction: The concierge should obtain sufficient knowledge of the city and be able to provide information about local attractions, events and activities.

- Personalized Recommendations: Knowing to speak several languages can better offer personalized suggestions based on guests' needs and make them memorable.

- Enhancing Value: To elevate the market value of the property, the concierge ought to address issues or emergencies that guests may confront during the trip.

- Work with Other Departments: Coordinating with other departments is essential to fulfilling guest requests efficiently. For instance, if the guest required for anniversary decoration in the room, the concierge should work with the housekeeping department to complete the mission. 

 

5. Housekeeping

- Ensure cleanliness: The responsibility of housekeeping is to ensure cleanliness and service the guest rooms and public areas.

- Inventory Control: Cost control of supplies and equipment could be achieved by tracking housekeeping supplies and linens and requesting necessary replenishments since the operation needs to follow financial guidelines.

- Lost and Found: The housekeeping department owns the most people. They lead staff, supplies, and equipment. Therefore, they can manage lost and found items and return them to guests.

- Safety and Maintenance: Identify and report any repairs, maintenance issues, and safety concerns to the departments.

 

6. Laundry

- Laundry Services: Use appropriate washing techniques and detergents to clean linens, towels, uniforms, and other fabrics used in the hotel.

- Stain Removal: Treat stains with specialized techniques for protection and ensure items are returned in good condition to extend the usage year and reduce the purchasing budget.

- Inventory Management: Keep track of laundry supplies and equipment to prevent loss or mix-ups.

- Quality Control: Inspect items for damage or stains to maintain the hotel's high standards.

 

Discover more recent digital trends and development on operating hotel rooms division:

The hotel industry is rapidly evolving with digital innovations that enhance guest experiences and streamline operations. Below are some of the latest trends in the Rooms Division.

1. Contactless Technology

Hotels are increasingly adopting contactless solutions to improve convenience, efficiency, and safety.

· Mobile Check-In/Check-Out: 

o Guests can check in and out via mobile apps, avoiding front desk queues.

o Reduces physical contact and enhances convenience.

· Digital Room Keys: 

o Smartphones function as room keys, eliminating the need for physical key cards.

o Enhances security by minimizing lost or stolen key issues.

Choose one topic from today’s lecture that you’re interested in; do further research and provide real-life examples:

1. Energy Management Systems (EMS)

Features:

- a software to control and monitor electric utilities and devices

- customizable reporting and analytics tools give insight into energy usage to reduce consumption and utility costs

- maximizing functionality and comfort

Example Use: 

- Major hotel brands, e.g., Marriott, Hilton, and IHG use Verdant’s energy management system  (Hollander, 2024a).

- Thermostat: 

1) adjust heat or cool - interface 

2) measures temperature - sensor 

3) notify heater to turn on/off - controller 

4) actual heating/cooling element

Decreased energy use: EMS could minimize energy consumption. EMS could determine the best moment to set an automated shutdown. For instance, all electricity could be shut down when a guest room is unoccupied (Hollander, 2024b). 

Foster hotel image: Many guests are searching for eco-friendly options, and using less energy by EMS implies the hotel possesses a smaller environmental footprint, which could promote the hotel brand (Hollander, 2024a).

Decreased operating costs: When systems run more efficiently, they save money on bills, attain a longer usable life of the equipment and spend less on further maintenance and replacement costs (Hollander, 2024a).

References：

Hollander, J. (2024a, July 19). What is an energy management system?. Hotel Tech Report. https://hoteltechreport.com/news/energy-management-system 

Hollander, J. (2024b, December 12). Best 10 Energy Management Systems 2025: Find reviews, pricing, buying guide. HotelTechReport. https://hoteltechreport.com/operations/energy-management