“AN ORGANISATION STUDY CONDUCTED AT

THE TAJ GATEWAY HOTEL, ERNAKULAM - KERALA”

Submitted to the

MAHATMA GANDHI UNIVERSITY, KOTTAYAM

In partial fulfilment of the requirements for the award of the degree

Of

MASTER OF BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION

Submitted By

Ms. SIRIN SCARIA

Reg. No. 181223

Under the guidance of

Mr. SHINO GEORGE

Assistant Professor,

MARIAN INTERNATIONAL INSTITUTE OF MANAGEMENT, KUTTIKKANAM

2018-2020

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Certificate of the Organization

Certificate of the Institute

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 DECLARATION

I, Sirin Scaria, MBA student, Marian International Institute of Management,

Kuttikkanam, do hereby declare that this report entitled “AN ORGANISATION
STUDY AT THE TAJ GATEWAY HOTEL, ERNAKULAM” (Marine Drive) submitted
to Mahatma Gandhi University in the partial fulfilment of the requirement for the
award of degree in Masters of Business Administration (MBA) is a bonafide record
of the work done by me under the guidance of Mr. Shino George, Assistant
Professor, Department of Management Studies, Marian International Institute of
Management, Kuttikkanam during the year 2019. I further declare that this report
has not previously formed the basis for the award of any titles of recognition.

Place: Kuttikkanam Sirin Scaria

Date:

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 ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

First and foremost, I obliged to the Almighty who showered upon us with the
blessing and gave me health and knowledge to complete this organisation study
successfully.

I take this opportunity to express my gratitude and indebtedness to the Director,

Rev. Fr. P T Joseph, Marian International Institute of Management, Kuttikkanam
for providing guidance, help and suggestions for the successful completion of this
organization study.

My special acknowledgement and gratitude to Mrs. Cecelia Jennifer, Sales

Manager at the Taj Gateway Hotel, Ernakulam, for giving me the opportunity to do
my organization study in this Hotel.

I also express my gratitude to my faculty guide Mr. Shino George, Asst Prof.
Faculty, department of management studies, Marian International Institute of
Management, Kuttikkanam.

I also express my sincere thanks to my Organization guide Mr. Nirmal George,

Asst. Sales Manager, at the Taj Gateway Hotel, Ernakulam for this help and
support to complete this organisation study.

Last, but not the least I would like to thank our friends who were a source of support
and encouragement for successful completion of the project.

Place: Kuttikkanam Sirin Scaria

Date:

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 TABLE OF CONTENTS

Sl. No. CONTENTS Page No.

1. INTRODUCTION 8
2. OBJECTIVES 8
3. METHODOLOGY 9
4. LIMITATIONS 9
5. INDUSTRY PROFILE 10
6. ORGANIZATION PROFILE 19
7. COMPANY PROFILE 21
8. CORPORATE STRUCTURE 26
9. ORGANIZATION STRUCTURE 28
10. FUNCTIONAL DEPARTMENTS 29
11. FRONT OFFICE 30
12. HOUSEKEEPING 36
13. F&B 38
14. F & B PRODUCTION 43
15. SALES 50
16. PURCHASES 53
17. HUMAN RESOURCES 57
18. LEARNING & DEVELOPMENT 59
19. FINANCE & ACCOUNTING 61
20. ENGINEERING 63
21. INFORMATION SYSTEMS 68
22. SECURITY 70
23. INTERDEPENDENCE OF DEPARTMENTS 73
24. SWOT ANALYSIS 79
25. PORTER’S FIVE FORCE MODEL 83
26. CONCLUSION, FINDINGS & SUGGESTIONS 86
27. BIBLIOGRAPHY 90

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List of Tables, charts and Figures

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Abbreviations used

IHCL…………. …….. The Indian Hotels Company Limited

RM…………………… Restaurant Manager

GM …………….……. General Manager

BM…………………… Banquet Manager

AI ……………………. All Inclusive

IET……………...……. Industrial Exposure Trainees

KOT……………….…. Kitchen Ordering Ticket

F & B…………………. Food & Beverages

IS………………………Information Systems

FD……………………. Front Desk

CP …………………… Continental Plan

EP.………………….... European Plan

MAP …………………. Modified American Plan

AP…………….……… American Plan

OM ………...………… Operational Manager

ARA …………………. Area Materials Manager

FCUs ………………… Fan Coil Unit

AHUs ………………… Air Handler Unit

CDP …………………. Chef De Parties

SOP …………………. Standard Operating Procedure

TCS …………………. Temperature Control to maintain Safety

PHF …………………. Potentially Hazardous Foods

DM …………………… Duty Manager

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 INTRODUCTION

This is the organisational study about the Taj Gateway Hotel, Ernakulam. This hotel
is a TATA Enterprise and deals with the IHCL. The Indian Hotels Company Limited
(IHCL) and its subsidiaries are collectively known as Taj Hotels Resorts and
Palaces and is recognised as one of Asia’s largest and finest hotel company.
Incorporated by the founder of the Tata Group, Mr. Jamsetji N. Tata, the company
opened its first property, The Taj Mahal Palace Hotel, Bombay in 1903. The Taj, a
symbol of Indian hospitality, completed its centenary year in 2003.

Taj Hotels Resort and Palaces comprises more than 60 hotels in 45 locations
across India with an additional 15 international hotels in the Malaysia, United
Kingdom, United States of America, Bhutan, Sri Lanka, Africa, the Middle East and
Australia.

Spanning the length and breadth of the country, gracing important industrial towns
and cities, beaches, hill stations, historical and pilgrim centres and wildlife
destinations, each Taj hotel offers the luxury of service, the apogee of Indian
hospitality, vantage locations, modern amenities and business facilities.

IHCL- A Tata Enterprise

Founded by Jamsetji Tata in 1868, the Tata group is a global enterprise,

comprising over 100 independently operating companies. The group operates in
more than six continents with a mission to improve the quality of life of the
communities it serves globally. Through long-term stakeholder value creation
based on ‘Leadership with Trust', the Tata brand stands as a lasting promise
behind its businesses, many of which are industry leaders. IHCL is honoured to be
one of the first of those timeless and tireless initiatives.

OBJECTIVES OF STUDY

 To examine the developments of the Hotel

 To understand about the functional areas of the company.
 To understand the organizational structure of the Hotel.
 To understand the products and services of the Taj Gateway Hotel.
 To know the organisational aspects of five-star Hotel

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  To familiarise with the different departments and responsibilities of various
departments and department heads successfully.
 To analyse the strengths, opportunities, weakness and threats of the
organisation.
 To learn the promotional activities of the hotel industry
 To familiarise with the hospitality industry
 To understand the organizational hierarchy among departments.

METHODOLOGY

Data required for the study is obtained through primary and secondary sources.

Primary Data:

Primary Data is collected directly from the employees, department heads and the
organisation study guide in the company, it is collected through observation and
direct interview methods.

Secondary Data:

The secondary data is collected from company files, department manuals and
website of the company.

LIMITATION OF THE STUDY

 There were some difficulties in obtaining data from executives and

managers due to their busy work schedules.
 An in-depth study of the company could not be carried out due to the
shortage of time and limitation of report volume.
 The company has the limitation to disclose their financial details, so a
detailed analysis of the financial performance of the organisation is not
possible.
 Since this is not a training period for me, any actual work is not being done
much more in personally therefore the experience in working cannot be
attained.

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 CHAPTER 1

INDUSTRY PROFILE

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 1.1 EVOLUTION OF IHCL & TAJ HOTELS

Taj Hotels is a chain of luxury hotels and a subsidiary of the Indian Hotels
Companies Limited headquartered at Express Towers, Nariman Point in Mumbai.
Incorporated by the founder of the Tata Group, Jamshetji in 1903, the company is
a part of the Tata Group, one of India's largest business conglomerates. The
company employed over 13,000 people in the year 2010.

As of 2018, the company operates a total of 100 hotels and hotel-resorts, with 84
across India and 16 in other countries, including Bhutan, Malaysia, Maldives,
Nepal, South Africa, Sri Lanka, UAE, UK, USA and Zambia.

Jamshetji Nusserwani Tata, founder of the Tata Group, opened the Taj Mahal
Palace, a hotel in Mumbai (formerly called Bombay) overlooking the Arabian Sea,
on 16 December 1903. It was the first Taj property and the first Taj hotel. There
are several anecdotal stories about why Tata opened the Taj hotel. According to a
story, he decided to open the hotel after an incident involving racial discrimination
at the Watson’s Hotel in Mumbai, where he was refused entry as the hotel
permitted only Europeans. Hotels that accepted only European guests were very
common across British India, then. According to another story he opened the hotel
when one of his friends expressed disgust over the hotels that were present in
Bombay then. But a more plausible reason was advanced by Lovat Fraser, a close
friend of the Tata and one of the early directors of the IHCL group, that the idea
had long been in his mind and that he had made a study on the subject. He did not
have any desire to own a hotel but he wanted to attract people to India and to
improve Bombay. It is said that Jamsetji Tata had travelled to places like London,
Paris, Berlin and Düsseldorf to arrange for materials and pieces of art, furniture
and interior artefacts for his hotel. The Taj group has since then developed and
flourished, under the Tata Group.

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  In 1974, the group opened India's first international five-star deluxe beach
resort, the Fort Aguada Beach Resort in Goa.
 In 1970s, the Taj Group also began its business in metropolitan hotels,
opening the five-star deluxe hotel, Coromandel in Chennai.
 In 1974, acquiring an equity interest and operating contract for the Taj
President (now Vivanta by Taj - President)
 A business hotel in Mumbai, in 1977
 And also opening the Taj Mahal Hotel in Delhi in 1978.

The group has been converting royal palaces in India into luxury hotels,
since the 1970s.
The first palace to be converted into a Taj luxury hotel was the Lake
Palace in Udaipur, in 1971. Other examples include the Rambagh
Palace in Jaipur, Umaid Bhawan Palace in Jodhpur, Falaknuma
Palace in Hyderabad and Nadesar Palace in Varanasi.
In 1980, the Taj group opened its first hotel outside India, the Taj Sheba
Hotel in Sana'a, in Yemen and in the late 1980s, acquired interests in the St.
James' Court Hotel (now comprising Taj 51 Buckingham Gate Suites and
Residences and St. James' Court, A Taj Hotel) in London. In 1984, the Taj group
acquired, under a license agreement, each of the Taj West End in Bangalore, Taj
Connemara (now Vivanta by Taj - Connemara) in Chennai and Savoy Hotel in
Ooty. With the opening of the Taj West End in Bangalore, the Taj Group made its
foray into Bangalore. The five-star deluxe hotel, Taj Bengal in Kolkata, was
opened in the year 1989, and with this the Taj group became the only hotel chain
in India with a presence in the six major metropolitan cities of India, namely
Mumbai, Delhi, Kolkata, Bangalore, Hyderabad and Chennai.

Concurrently with the expansion of its luxury hotel chain in the major metropolitan
cities, the Taj Group also expanded its business hotels division in the major
metropolitan and large secondary cities in India. During the 1990s, the Taj Group
continued to expand its geographic and market coverage in India.

It developed specialized operations (such as wildlife lodges) and consolidated its

position in established markets through the upgrading of existing properties and
development of new properties. Taj also set up the Taj Kerala Hotels and Resorts

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Limited in the early 1990s along with the Kerala Tourism Development
Corporation. Ten hotels of the Taj group are members of the Leading Hotels
of the World.

1.2 MILESTONES IN THE IHCL:

1899
• The Indian Hotels Company Limited (IHCL) is
incorporated
1903
• Launches The Taj Mahal Palace In Mumbai, India

1979
• Forays Into Africa with Taj Pamodzi, Lusaka, Zambia

1982
• Acquires The St. James’ Court In London
• The Taj Palace, New Delhi, Is opened For The Asian Games

1998
• Opens Taj Exotica In Bentota, Sri Lanka

2000
• Establishes Taj Gvk Hotels And Resorts Limited In Hyderabad

2001
• Launches Taj Exotica Resort And Spa In Maldives
2004
• Launches Taj Wellington Mews Luxury Residences, Mumbai

2005
• Forays Into New York, Us, With A Management Contract To Operate The Pierre
• Restores Umaid Bhawan Palace In Jodhpur
2007
• Acquires Ritz-carlton in Boston, Us, later renamed The Taj Boston
• Launches Taj Campton Place in San Francisco

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 2008
• Launches The Gateway Hotels and Resorts
• South-west Coastal Indian Restaurant Quilon in London receives a Michelin-
star
2010
• Launches A New Brand, Vivanta By Taj
• Celebrates The Reopening Of The Taj Mahal Palace In Mumbai After The
Terrorist Attacks Of 2008

2012
• Launches A Free Twoyear Hospitality Trade Training Programme For Youth
From Below Poverty Line (Bpl) Families

2014
• Rebrands And Repositions Taj 51 Buckingham Gate Suites & Residences And
St. James’ Court, A Taj Hotel, London Under The Luxury Brand

2015
• Redesigns The Award-winning Programme, Taj Innercircle announces The
Opening Of Taj Dubai, Unveils ‘Tajness’

2018
• Unveils ‘Aspiration 2022’
• Taj Exotica Resort & Spa, Andamans, A Luxury Resort Offering, Commences
Operations In February

1.3 CONTRIBUTION OF THE ORGANIZATION TO THE INDUSTRY

As a part of Tatas; India’s premier business house; they at Taj Hotels,
have always believed in society and environment being integral stakeholders in our
business along with our shareholders, customers, vendors and others.

They promote corporate citizenship through our strategic public-private

partnerships which encourage building livelihoods of less-advantaged youth and
women. The causes we promote include reducing malnutrition, promoting
indigenous artisans and craftsmen and enhancing employability of identified target
groups by sharing our core competencies as a leading hospitality company. They
encourage training and development of differently able youth.

At Taj have the unique scope and opportunity to develop raw potential into a skilled
workforce that is immediately employable by various players in the industry. A

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majority of our community projects are focused around extending our key strengths
in food production, kitchen management, housekeeping, customer service and
spas to promote economic empowerment of candidates from vulnerable socio-
economic backgrounds. They are fully committed to the cause of building a
sustainable environment by reducing the impact of our daily operations on the
environment and improving operational efficiencies, resource conservation, reuse
and recycling of key resources.

Taj has been practicing good Corporate Governance even before Securities
Exchange Board of India (SEBI) made it a mandatory requirement from 2001.

Out of more than 5000 companies listed with the Bombay Stock Exchange the
Company is categorized as an “A Group” Company which group comprises only
200 companies and the criteria for selection is based on Market Capitalisation,
Liquidity, Industry Representation, Listed History and track record of Compliance.

Being a TATA group Company, the Company goes beyond the mandatory
requirements of Corporate Governance and conducts business in a fair and
transparent manner. It maintains good investor relationships and endeavours to
deliver to investor consistent quality services.

1.4 CUSTOMER FACILITIES

ROOM FACILITIES HOTEL FACILITIES

Air Conditioned Travel Desk
Satellite Television Doctor on Call
International Direct Dial Telephone Laundry Service
Private Bathroom Concierge Desk
Hairdryers Luggage Storage
Mini Bar 24 Hour Front Desk
Safe Deposit Box Postal/Parcel Service
24 Hour Room Service Currency Exchange Counter
Coffee/Tea Making Facilities Baby Sitting Service (On Request)
High Speed Internet Access Airport Shuttle Service (On Request)
Dining & Entertainment

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 24 Degrees
Equator Bar
In Villa Dining
The Deep End
Sports & Leisure
Spa
Water Sports
Fitness Centre
Billiards/Snooker Tables

1.5 Comparison of the Organization with similar Organization in

the industry

A Tata company shall fully strive for the establishment and support of a
competitive, open market economy in India and abroad, and shall cooperate in
efforts to promote the progressive and judicious liberalisation of trade and
investment by a country. Specifically, a Tata company shall not engage in activities
that generate or support the formation of monopolies, dominant market positions,
cartels and similar unfair trade practices.

Direct Competitors:

1. Oberoi Hotels

2. Oriental Hotels

3. ITC Welcome group

4. Hotel Leela etc.

1.5.1 Potential Target market:

The upper class of the society is targeted. i.e. the richer people in the
society. Their fares or tariffs are high as the luxuries provided by them are also
standard and 5-star. Thus, this is in context to the Indian branches of Taj Hotels.

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1.6 BRANDS

The Indian Hotels Company Limited is South Asia’s largest hospitality-focussed

enterprise with Indian origins, relentlessly redefining opportunities in the best
interest of all its stakeholders. With businesses ranging from iconic luxury to
upscale and budget stopovers as well as in-flight catering; IHCL’s pioneering
leadership is backed by a rich 115-year legacy. IHCL’s emerging initiatives in urban
leisure, service retail, and concept travel are a part of its evolution, one that is
continuously recrafted for future generations. IHCL through all its vivid brands -
Taj, SeleQtions, Vivanta, The Gateway, Ginger, Expressions, and TajSATS -
believes in adding passion to the process. And thus, crafting delight with people at
its heart.

1.7.1 TAJ

The hallmark of Indian hospitality, Taj personifies tradition and warmth. With
hotels ranging across iconic locations, living palaces, exotic resorts and scenic
safaris, Taj delivers unmatched experiences and lasting memories for guests
around the world.

1.7.2 SELEQTIONS
An ensemble of curated experiences, SeleQtions encapsulates an
inimitable collection of properties with a distinct character. With a strong story
beneath; either of its historic lineage, design principle or just the creative premise,
these spaces make for matchless experiences for the experiential traveller. The
theme, décor, service and even the cuisine is special and peculiar to its premise.

1.7.3 VIVANTA
A smart collective of business and leisure hotels, Vivanta celebrates the
uniqueness in one’s individuality. Disruptive in their purpose and persona, these
destinations hold inside them, many hints of surprises that make one feel special.

1.7.4 GINGER

As a chain of smartly designed staying spaces, Ginger offers seamless

switching between work and play. These stopovers are essentially for millennials
and centennials, getting them to explore and enrich their everyday.

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1.7.5 AMA PLANTATION TRAILS

Combining the grace and grandeur of the bygone era with contemporary
comforts and warm service, Ama Trails & Stays is India’s first branded product in
the homestay market, comprising of a group of heritage bungalows, guesthouses
and home-stays at unique locations across the country.

1.7.6 TajSATS
A collaborative venture of IHCL and SATS (formerly Singapore Airport
Terminal Services), TajSATS combines expertise and warmth that delights
customers through every interaction. Its state-of-the-art kitchens ensure hygienic
food production and handling, while meticulously serving an assortment of
cuisines. Living by its quality and delivery commitment, TajSATS is India’s leading
airline caterer and a leading institutional player.

TAJ KERALA HOTELS AND RESORTS LTD

Taj Kerala Hotels and Resorts Ltd is a Public incorporated on 07 May 1991. It is
classified as Non-govt company and is registered at Registrar of Companies,
Ernakulam. Its authorized share capital is Rs. 1,000,000,000 and its paid-up capital
is Rs. 500,000,000. It is involved in Hotels; camping sites and other provision of
short-stay accommodation.
Taj Kerala Hotels and Resorts Ltd.’s Annual General Meeting (AGM) was last held
on 29 June 2018 and as per records from Ministry of Corporate Affairs (MCA), its
balance sheet was last filed on 31 March 2018.

Directors of Taj Kerala Hotels and Resorts Ltd are Koottappura Gopinathan Nair
Mohanlal, Rani George, Joy Joseph, Visvanathan Mohan, Sudhir Choudhrie, Rita
Choudhrie, Prabhat Sahay Verma, Mohammed Saleem Yousuf, Cherian
Padinjarethalakal Thomas.

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 CHAPTER 2
ABOUT THE ORGANIZATION

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 THE GATEWAY HOTEL

Part of the Taj Group of Hotels, The Gateway Hotels & Resorts are full service
upscale hotels and resorts in the South Asia region. The company offers
consistent, quick and crisp service for smart travellers seeking hassle-free and
contemporary experiences.

The Gateway Hotels & Resorts are located in 21 cities and holiday destinations
with plans to open in many more. The company currently have 40 operating and
signed up hotels and plan to take this number to at least 50 over the next few years.

The Gateway Hotel (upscale/mid-market full-service hotels and resorts) is a pan-

India network of hotels and resorts that offers business and leisure travellers a
hotel designed, keeping the modern nomad in mind. Each of these brands has their
unique selling preposition and information system in narrow terms and analogous
and co-ordinated information system in broader sense.

Hierarchy

As hierarchy plays an important role in data flow or reporting systems, let us see
the hierarchy of The Gateway Hotel:

General Chief FO F&B Executive

Manager Engineer Manager Manager HK

Sales Purchase HR Chief

Ex. Chef
Manager. Manager Manager Accountant

Security Security Asst. Sr. Sous

I.T Mgr.
Mgr. Officer Managers Chef

Restaurant Duty Mgr. I.T Butlers Officers Supervisors

Mgr.

Chef-de- Commiss I,
Associates Capt. Stewards
partie II, III

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 THE GATEWAY HOTEL MARINE DRIVE, ERNAKULAM

Address: Marine Drive, Ernakulam, 682011

Contact: +91 484-6673300

E-mail: gateway.ernakulam@tajhotels.com

Located right at the centre of Ernakulam’s busiest commercial hub, The Gateway
Hotel Marine Drive offers rooms equipped with the best amenities in Ernakulam
along with 24/7 efficient service. You can enjoy access to the latest business
facilities along with the scenic view of the backwaters and the pristine Cochin
Harbour. One of the best 5-star hotels in Kerala, this is the place where business
meets pleasure.

2.1 HOTEL HIGHLIGHTS:

 Sunset cruise in the evening.

 Unique dining experience rooftop.
 Located Downtown.
 24hours Fitness.

2.2 HOTEL POLICIES

 Check-in from 2:00 PM

 Check-out till 12:00 PM
 Early check-in and late check-out on charge
 Accept American Express, Diner's Club, Master Card, Visa, JCB
International
 Pets are not allowed.

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2.3 GUEST ROOMS

2.3 (A) SUPERIOR ROOM CITY VIEW QUEEN BED

This is where elegance meets efficiency. With

chic modern interiors, these rooms are equipped with a 32” LCD television
with satellite channels and a bathroom with a shower cubicle.

2.3 (B) SUPERIOR ROOM CITY VIEW TWIN BED

This is where elegance meets efficiency.

With chic modern interiors, these rooms are equipped with a 32” LCD television
with satellite channels and a bathroom with a shower cubicle.

2.3.(C) SUPERIOR ROOM SEA VIEW QUEEN BED

One of the most comfortable

rooms in Ernakulam, the Superior Sea View rooms are highly recommended for
corporate executives. These rooms offer a soothing view of the backwater with
thoughtful amenities like a separate communication port, a workspace and a
comfortable bed.

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2.3.(D) SUPERIOR ROOM SEA VIEW TWIN BED

One of the most comfortable rooms in

Ernakulam, the Superior Sea View rooms are highly recommended for corporate
executives. These rooms offer a soothing view of the backwater with thoughtful
amenities like a separate communication port, a workspace and a comfortable bed.

2.3.(E) EXECUTIVE ROOM SEA VIEW QUEEN BED

Designed to inspire you, these rooms offer a well-

appointed workspace along with a breath-taking view of the sea. Perfect for
business and leisure travellers alike.

2.3.(F) EXECUTIVE ROOM SEA VIEW TWIN BED

Designed to inspire you, these rooms offer a well-

appointed workspace along with a breath-taking view of the sea. Perfect for
business and leisure travellers alike.

2.3.(G) EXECUTIVE SUITE 1 BEDROOM SEA VIEW

With a panoramic view of the Arabian sea and the

Cochin Harbour, the suites are perfect to stretch your legs and relax.

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2.4 EVENT SPACES

2.4 (A) THE GATEWAY HOTEL MARINE DRIVE-BEACON

Max Capacity: 25

2.4 (B) THE GATEWAY HOTEL MARINE DRIVE-MARINA

Max Capacity: 40. Overlooking the Cochin

Harbour, it seats around 40 people and is perfect for small meetings and
gatherings.

2.4.(D) THE GATEWAY HOTEL MARINE DRIVE-ANCHOR

Max Capacity: 60. Well suited for small

conferences, it accommodates up to 55 people, theatre-style.

2.4. (E) THE GATEWAY HOTEL MARINE DRIVE-WATERFRONT

Max Capacity: 800

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The largest hall in the city, it is perfect for social events, meetings and
conferences. The venue can be extended out onto the adjoining lawns. The
lawns can be used for hosting conference lunches, parties and cocktails.

2.5 VISION AND MISSION

2.5.(I) VISION

The Taj Group of Hotels commits itself to the overall improvement of the ecological
environment, which we are all a part of. We recognize that we are not owners but
caretakers of the Planet and owe it to our children and future generations of
humankind. It is our endeavour not only to conserve and protect but also to renew
and regenerate the environment in which we live and operate. Our commitment
encompasses all actions related to our products, services, associates, partners,
vendors and communities. We will partner and engage with our environment
through EARTH: Environmental Awareness and Renewal at Taj Hotels. For us
EARTH is not a program, nor a process; it is a way of life.

2.1.(ii) MISSION

ASPIRATION 2022

Our pivotal programme, Aspiration 2022, is based on the three-pronged strategy

of re-structuring, re-engineering and re-imagining the Company’s portfolio. The
strategy is aimed at margin enhancement and growth to fulfil our aspiration of
becoming the most iconic and profitable hospitality company in South Asia.
Therefore, it will focus on exploring new markets, expanding existing properties,
monetising non-core assets, optimising costs and simplifying the group structure
to grow the bottom line. The five-year programme will also include leveraging the
digital channel to strengthen the brand and generate more revenue.

2.6 HISTORY OF THE ORGANIZATION

The company has a state of art in-house share registry that is registered as a
Category ‘I’ Registrar with SEBI. The company has over 1,70,000 members. As on
date approximately 98% of the Equity Share Capital of the company has been
dematerialised. All correspondence and grievance received from shareholders are

25
responded to within stipulated time. All valid transfers are processed within a week
of receipt. All demat requests are processed within 15 days of receipt. All the
financial results are promptly reported to the Stock Exchange(s) and published in
leading newspapers. The results are also simultaneously uploaded on the
Company’s web.

2.7 CORPORATE STRUCTURE OF THE ORGANIZATION

CORPORATE HOLDING STRUCTURE

2.8 MILESTONES OF THE ORGANIZATION

 Gallup Great Workplace Award 7th Consecutive year

 67 Hotels Awarded with Gold Certification by Earthcheck
 Best Hospitality Governance Award 2018 by CFI.CO

2.9 PRODUCTS / SERVICES OF THE ORGANIZATION

Car parking Meeting rooms Banqueting facilities

Credit card payment Forex Doctor on Call

Especially abled room Spa - on charge Fitness Centre

Wi-Fi internet access throughout the hotel - on charge Wi Fi

26
 Audio-visual equipment - on charge In room Dining

Copier / Facsimile facilities - on charge 2 Restaurants

Sunset cruises – complimentary 2 treatment rooms

Active studio – complimentary 24-hour Express laundry/Dry cleaning

Swimming pool – complimentary 2 treatment rooms

Ayurvedic massages – on charge Laundry facilities

Postal and parcel services Steam room

Travel and tours desk Shoeshine

Valet to assist with packing and unpacking Walking track

Swimming pool Business centre

2.8 SPA CENTRE

A holistic Ayurveda centre has been designed to cater to all your needs. It is an
enriching experience that takes care of your physical, emotional and spiritual well-
being. Developed using the ancient Indian healing techniques.

ABHYANGAM

Including Snānā Duration - 90 Mins (Ayurvedic Full body Massage with Steam)
The medicated herbal oil application, Abhyanga is not only a massage; it is a
program where the oil is liberally applied using soft and gentle stro00kes in the
downward direction.

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2.9 ORGANIZATION STRUCTURE

Operational Food & Beverages,

Manager Engineering, Chef,
GENERAL Sales Manager Purchase, Security,
MANAGER Information System,
Finance Manager Learning &
Hr Manager Development, House
Keeping, Front Office

• General Manager: Mr. Prakash Nair

*

• Operational Manager: Mr. Prasenjith Basak

• Finance Manager: Mr. Chandrasekhar
• Sales Manager: Mrs. Cecilia Jennifer
* • Hr Manager: Mr. Pradeep Panicker

• Food & Beverages: Mr. Sreejesh E C

• Chief Engineer: Mr. Binu Kora
• Executive Chef: Mr. Salin Kumar
• Purchase Manager: Mr. Shiju M Plackal
• Security Manager: Mr. Amith K C
* • IS Manager: Mr. Sreejith R
• Learning & Development Manager: Mr. Jimshy John
• Executive Housekeeper: Mr. Gagan Nagpal
• Front Office Manager: Mr. Rupesh Sarode

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 CHAPTER 3

FUNCTIONAL DEPARTMENTS

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3.1 DEPARTMENTS IN TAJ GATEWAY HOTEL

Front Office Human Resources

House Keeping Learning & Development

Food & Beverages Engineering

Food & Beverages Production Information Systems

Sales Security
Purchases Finance & Accounting

3.2 DEPARTMENTS:
A. FRONT OFFICE
I. JOB DESCRIPTION:

Front office or front desk department, responsible for handling front office
reception and administration duties, including greeting guests and offering them a
beverage, answering phones, handling company inquiries, and sorting and
distributing mail. Mail also schedule meetings and travel for executives.
The term front desk is used in many hotels for an administrative department
where a receptionist's duties also may include room reservations and assignment,
guest registration, cashier work, credit checks, key control as well as mail and
message service. Such receptionists are often called front desk clerks.

The department is functioned by the eminent people like;

o Front Office Manager: Mr. Roopesh

o Duty Managers: Mr. Jobin, Mr. Nitin, Mr. Satheesh

Front office department includes:

a) Front desk
 Check-in counter
 Check-out counter
 Cashiers
b) Travel desk (1 staff)

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 c) Room service
d) Wi-Fi team (24*7)
e) Business centre
f) Board room
g) Left luggage room
h) Beller (3 staffs)

II. FUNCTION:
a) Front desk:

The front office is the heart of a hotel. It's the first and last areas guests see and
interact with. How well the front office operates can create repeat business or drive
customers away. The Front Office of a Hotel is to act as the public face of the hotel,
primarily by greeting hotel patrons and checking in guests. It also provides
assistance to guests during their stay, completes their accommodation, food and
beverage, accounts and receives payment from guests.

Reservation Department:

The reservations department is often the initial guest contact. Reservations are
made by the reservation desk and they may verify all the details & allocate
sufficient suitable rooms as per their needs and wants. They may assist with the
hotel’s various rates and charges applicable for the guests’ preferences.
Check-In and Check-Out

Procedures in place for guest check-in and check-out can create and maintain a
positive guest experience by making the process quick and easy. Check-in
procedures may dictate, all hotel employees will consistently smile and sustain eye
contact with guests, guiding them to their respective rooms, giving a comfortable
space over there, if they already reserved for the room; otherwise explain room
amenities and offer refreshments if there will be a wait for an available room as
they preferring after they came.

Check-in times will be: 2.00 PM, If there any lagging on arrivals or early arrivals
of guests happened, it may be treated as follows,

Between 9.00 AM to 12.00 PM: no extra charges

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 Between 6.00 AM to 9.00 AM: 50% additional on their fixed cost

Before 6.00 AM: 100% additional on their fixed cost

Check-out times will be: 12.00 PM,

Between 12.00 PM to 2.00 PM: no extra charges

Between 2.00 PM to 4.00 PM: 25% additional on their fixed cost

Between 4.00 PM to 6.00 PM: 50% additional on their fixed cost

Between 6.00 PM to 9.00 PM: 75% additional on their fixed cost

After 9.00 PM: 100% additional charges on their fixed cost

Taj InnerCircle
Our award-winning, signature loyalty program opens up a world of exclusive
benefits and privileges to travellers and connoisseurs who seek distinctive
experiences with unparalleled value. The programme offers delightful rewards
across our portfolio of 80+ hotels in India, 15+ hotels internationally, 350+
restaurants and bars and 65+ spas.

The Epicure Plan under the Taj InnerCircle umbrella offers a fresh round of
delectable perks, tailor-made for gourmands and connoisseurs.

Beyond bountiful rewards, members can experience specially curated “Circle

Series” events, including Comedy Nights, Live Music Nights and Pocket Movie
Nights. Taj InnerCircle ushers you into a rich spectrum of travel, luxury and lifestyle
that satiates the soul even as it indulges the senses.

Available in four tiers - Platinum, Gold, Silver and Copper, Platinum, our highest
tier offers members bespoke experiences, unlimited upgrades to eligible room
categories and more. All tiers offer members the ability to earn points on a wide
range of our services with the earn rate increasing as you move up the tiers. From
earning rewards on all your eligible spends, to room upgrades and bespoke
experiences, a world of privileges awaits you.

b) Travel desk

The hotel guests should have a grand experience every time they stay at your
hotel, to keep them coming back trip after trip.

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The travel desk emphasizes on creating a memorable and remarkable experience
for your hotel guests, bearing in mind their desires and specific expectations. They
also assisting the guests as they bring them to safaris, sight-seeing and the main
attractions near to the Taj Gateway Hotel Ernakulam are,

 Fort Cochin
 Mattaancherry
 Bolgatty Palace
 Harbours etc.

They have the travel facilities for the guest as in 6 cars and which are including
Ertiga and Innova.

c) Bellers

Bell desk is an extended arm of front desk. There are many activities at the time of
arrival, during stay and at the time of departure of guest which cannot be carried
out from the front desk but are to be carried out essentially, in order to provide
services to the guest. There were 3 staff in the bell desk supporting to the front
desk. The senior bell captain is the in-charge of bell desk and along with his staff
perform various duties from here. The various functions performed from here are
as follows.

1. Luggage handling
2. Mail and Message Handling
3. Delivery of Newspapers
4. Collection of Room Keys at Departure
5. Miscellaneous Jobs
6. Wake Call

d) Room service

Room Service Servers work in hotels and deliver orders to customers. Duties these
employees perform include maintaining supplies, taking orders, completing tasks
assigned by the manager, being polite to guests, collecting dirty dishes, reporting
all these to the respective duty persons and restocking minibars.

It's an important job duty of any room service employee to clear all hotel corridors
of food trays on a regular basis.

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 e) Left luggage room

The term 'Left Luggage' refers to luggage left by a guest who checks out of the
hotel but wishes to take his luggage later. The left luggage room has racks along
the wall where the luggage is deposited. The Bell Captain enters these details in
the Left Luggage Register. They have the facilities to keep the luggage for several
days to several weeks as per the convenience.

f) Business centre

The business centre is an area with some desks, computers and a printer. Often
there is a copier and fax device as well. We can access the internet, print
documents, scan receipts and so on. The facilities are in business class mode.
Often it is next to the hotel lobby, and not very private. Here it is on the ground floor
itself and near to the HR Department.
Usually the business centre is not very busy, because most business
travellers will have a laptop. There will be an assistance of Wi-Fi team always with
the guest if it is necessary and this facility is only applicable to the paid guest only.

g) Wi-Fi team (24*7)

Guest Wi-Fi is one of the most important amenities for the hospitality area. Majority
of the hotel guests may have the chance to review the rating for the Wi-Fi service
before booking the property online.

We offer a complete range of indoor and outdoor access points along with the
access controller and cloud solutions. There will be a team those who can be assist
the guest all the time even in the rooms by dialling them in the room itself.

Essential skills of front desk professionals:

 Neat and Professional Appearance

 Speak Multiple Languages
 Lift and Carry 30 To 50 Pounds
 Problem Solving Skills
 Stamina to Stand for Long Periods
 Organized and Detail Oriented
 Strong Interpersonal Skills

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  Able to Work Flexible Schedule
 Effective Written and Verbal Communication
 Computer Literacy

III. HIERARCHY
Front Desk Manager
Duty Managers
Front Office Executive
Cashiers (4 Staffs)
Associates
Travel Desk (1 staff)
Bellers (3 satffs)

IV. PROCESS

Guest Registration Card

ID Proof, Registration Form Filling

Refreshments, traditional welcoming

Check-in, Allocation of rooms

Check-out

Guest Registration Card is the one that may give to the guests while they coming
to the Hotel and they may treat in a traditional way. And they were welcomed and
assisted under the supervision of Guest Relations Executive. They may have to
submit their ID proof while they entered into the Hotel. All the ID Proofs other than
PAN Card may be acceptable. Then they may lead to the filling of the Registration
forms.

Check-in have specific timings and early arrivals may chargeable.

Check-out have specific timings and lagging in departures may chargeable.

While check-out happens or the guest informed to prepare bills, they may alert to
the room service department, and they got the details regarding the consumption

35
of mini-bar by guests’ and all to the cashier department or the front desk people to
insert it too to their bill.

B. HOUSEKEEPING
I. JOB DESCRIPTION

Cleaning and maintaining a private residence or commercial building to make sure

that it meets any housekeeping sanitation requirements (for commercial buildings,
such as healthcare facilities, restaurants, and government agencies) and provides
a comfortable space for residents or employees.
The Housekeeping department takes pride in keeping the hotel clean and
comfortable. The aim of all accommodation establishment is to provide their
customers with clean, attractive, comfortable and welcoming surrounding that offer
value for money. Housekeeping may be defined as the provision of a clean,
comfortable and safe environment, it’s not confined to the housekeeping
department as every member of staff in the establishment should be concerned
with the provision of these facilities in their own department. The Taj Gateway Hotel
provides housekeeping operation assistance to the guest by dialling Zero as their
needs. And this department headed by,

 Chief Executive Housekeeper: Mr. Gagan Nagpal

 Deputy Housekeeper: Mr. Krishna Kumar
 Executive Housekeepers: Mr. Ganesh
 Supervisors: Mr. Alikunju, Mr. Aneesh, Mr. George

II. FUNCTIONS
 Cleaning and sanitising toilets, showers/bathtubs, countertops, and sinks
 Maintaining a clean and sanitary kitchen area
 Making beds and changing linens
 Washing windows
 Vacuuming and cleaning carpets and rugs
 Sweeping/vacuuming, polishing, and mopping hard floors
 Sorting, washing, loading, and unloading laundry
 Ironing clothing items

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 Using any cleaning equipment such as vacuums, mops, and cleaning tools
 Keeping bathrooms stocked with clean linens, toiletries, and other supplies
 Cleaning mirrors and other glass surfaces
 Emptying trash receptacles and disposing of waste
 Tidying up rooms
 Monitoring cleaning supplies and ordering more as needed
 Reporting any necessary repairs or replacements
Garbage Segregation at Source:
Garbage has to be segregated at Source/Floor in the Colour Coded
Buckets are given as follows;
 Blue Bucket: All Bottles & Plastic Cans and Containers
 Yellow Bucket: Plastic Wrappers, Glass Bottles & Metal Cans
 Green Bucket: Newspapers, Magazines and other paper materials
 Red Bucket: All other Wet & Dry Garbage

Weekly Cleaning Schedule:

Sl no. Cleaning Tasks Days
1. Chrome/ Brass Polishing Sunday
2. Bath Room Deep Cleaning Monday
3. Fan & High-Level Cleaning Tuesday
4. Behind Furniture Cleaning Wednesday
5. Under Cot/ Switch Plate Cleaning Thursday
6. Sofa / Chair Spot Cleaning Friday
7. Balcony Cleaning Saturday

III. HIERARCHY

Chief Executive Housekeeper

Deputy Housekeeper
Executive Housekeeper
Supervisors
HOTs & FTCs

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 IV. PROCESS

Keep the Light Fixtures Clean

Floor and Building Maintenance

Upkeep the Tools and Equipment

Remove Clutter from Aisles and Stairways

Waste Disposal
Clean Storage Space

Poor housekeeping can be a cause of incidents, such as:

 tripping over loose objects on floors, stairs and platforms

 being hit by falling objects
 slipping on greasy, wet or dirty surfaces
 striking against projecting, poorly stacked items or
 misplaced material
 cutting, puncturing, or tearing the skin of hands or other parts of the body
on projecting nails, wire or steel strapping

C. FOOD & BEVERAGES

I. JOB DESCRIPTION

Food & Beverages is a service department. Food and Beverage Services is a

process of preparing, presenting and serving of food and beverages to the
customers through restaurants, food stalls etc The Food and Beverage Server is
the face of the restaurant and has considerable influence on its patrons’
experience. They must maintain a professional and friendly demeanour and offer
timely assistance to customers in order to ensure that their needs are met. If any
issues arise with throughout the customer’s dining experience, the Food and
Beverage Server is responsible for resolving it.
Presenting menu, answering questions and offering suggestions, the Food
and Beverage Server will guide patrons through the restaurant offerings and
eventually take down their chosen orders. It is often the duty of the Food and

38
Beverage Server to explain menu items, assist patrons with special dietary needs
and recommend menu items that the restaurant would like to sell more of.
Responsible for bringing orders from the kitchen to customers, Food and
Beverage Servers must remember where to bring each order or maintain an
organized record of order to which he or she can refer. They are also responsible
for keeping beverages filled, following up with tables to see if their needs are still
met and clearing plates as they’re finished. Should an order be filled incorrectly, it
is the Food and Beverage Server’s duty to fix the order and bring out a new one.

In order to ensure that tables are prepared for each party, the Food and Beverage
Server must clear tables of all plates, cups, and flatware after a party leaves, wipe
down tables and properly re-set them with clean tableware. Depending on the
establishment, the Food and Beverage Server may be solely responsible for this,
or he or she may have assistance from hosting and bussing staff members. The
Food and Beverage Server must ensure that the restaurant maintains proper
standards of cleanliness and sanitation. It includes:

RESTAURANT
BAR CAPTAINS CATERING PEOPLE
MANAGERS

VOCATIONAL
CAPTAINS WAITERS' IETs
TRAINEES

II. FUNCTIONS

Food and Beverage Servers are customer service professionals that work for
restaurants, cocktail bars and other establishments. In addition to serving food and
drinks, Food and beverage Servers perform tasks, such as setting up tables,
removing used dishes and preparing simple dishes. They serve as the main point
of contact for customers.

Functional areas:

 SWIRL:

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‘Swirl’, offers a fine selection of contemporary and extravagant drinks like
Whiskeys, Jamaican Rums, Vodka Shooters, Martinis, Wines and Cocktails. Apart
from the classics, it has its own signature line of drinks and a fine selection of
liquors including aged malts and cognacs. There are two distinct zones to unwind.

 SIAN: For Dinner

Chic hotel dining room with a teppanyaki counter and a menu of Japanese, Thai
and Chinese food.

 BUBBLE CAFÉ: For Breakfast & Lunch

The Bubble Café is an all-day Eatery serving International Cuisine, emphasizing

on South-West Coastal Cuisine. We have Mediterranean Selection, Regional
Specialty, Home Style Food, Comfort Western Food and Asian Food. The name
says it all, this fun café faces Kerala’s backwater in a see-through dome, offering
all-day casual dining and multiple cuisine options with emphasis on southwest
coastal cuisine. This restaurant promotes ethnic local cuisine mostly made by the
house wives’ recruited locally only to cook Kerala breakfast dishes from the spot
counter and home-made curries and other delicacies from the region.

 DELI (Pastry Shops)

 WATERFRONT (Banquet)
 ANCHOR (Banquet)
 MARINA (Banquet)
 BEACON (Banquet)

Duties & responsibilities:

 Provide Customer Service

 Take Orders
 Serve Food and Beverages
 Clean and Prepare Tables
 Process Payments

Skills and Knowledge needed:

 Being able to stand and walk for long periods of time

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  Having the capacity to lift heavy items on occasion
 Providing excellent customer service
 Obtaining appropriate food and beverage licenses
 Possessing general math skills
 Having some sales ability
 Previous serving experience
 Food preparation experience

III. PROCESS
 BUBBLE CAFÉ contains 17 staff including trainees.
 SWIRL the Bar Restaurant contains (4 staff at each shift)
 DELI the Pastry Shop contains (2 -3 staff at each shift)
 SIAN the Japanese Restaurant contains (4 staff at each shift)
And these all are controlled, managed, directed by the following Heads:

Mr. Sreejesh E S (Restaurant – Banquet manager)

Mr. Ajesh (Restaurant – Banquet manager) are the in- charge persons.
This department Food & Beverages were headed and followed by the
Operational Manager Mr. Prasenjit Basak

Entered and seated

Order can be in advance or not

Providing Water And Menu

Menu depends upon the food they prefer

Order Placed

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 IV. HIERARCHY

Restaurant Manager
Senior Catering Assistant
Captains
Senior Waiters'
Waiters'
Vocational Trainees
Trainees (IETs)

Order taking, assisting the guest, placing the order, providing sufficient needy
things all may include and act as the essential parts in process of food & beverage
department. And if they any faults or lagging happened in any of the section then
they would apologise and made enough remedial measures depends upon the
depth of the mistake happened. The frequent assistance and warm welcoming are
the one of the specialities of the Taj Gateway, Ernakulam.

Packages on foods:

1. Continental Plan (CP - Includes only Breakfast)

2. European Plan (EP – Includes no food)
3. Modified American Plan (MAP – either lunch or dinner)
4. American Plan (full complimentary)
These are all only applicable to the person those who are having
rooms in the Hotel.

Timings & Services they offer:

Normal days………

1. 6.30 AM to 10.30 AM (breakfast)……. BUBBLE CAFÉ… Rs. 600 AI

2. 12.30 PM to 3.30 PM (lunch time).…. BUBBLE CAFÉ …Rs. 1000 AI
3. 7.00 PM to 11.30 PM (dinner)………. SIAN …………….Rs. 1100 AI

Sundays ………….
1. 11.30 AM to 3.30 PM (brunch) ....…BUBBLE CAFÉ…. Rs. 1300 AI

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Brands they used in this department:

 Himalayas
 Aquafina
 Pepsi & Coke (for soft drinks)

The techniques and software they used in:

POS Gold System & KOT technique:

POS Gold System, it is the system that may help to record the orders and
requirements connecting to the kitchen and it provides KOT. With that they can
deal with the guests’ orders and treat them in a better way.

It may also deal with the inventory management and point of sale at the same time
as a whole.

Kitchen Order Ticket. The captain prepares the Kitchen Order Tickets (KOT)
using this form. The KOT is forwarded to the Kitchen, Billing division and one
copy is retained in the system for future references. The KOT contains details
such as table number, items ordered and its quantity. By using the particular
software, they may manage the orders and at the same time the billing system
too.

D. FOOD & BEVERAGES PRODUCTION

I. JOB DESCRIPTION & FUNCTIONS

Food and Beverage Service operations involve a multitude of activities which

engage the staff right from purchasing raw material, preparing food and beverage,
keeping the inventory of material, maintaining service quality continuously,
managing various catered events, and most importantly, analysing the business
outcomes to decide future policies.

The TAJ GATEWAY Hotel, Ernakulam contains 4 kitchens, It includes,

 Banquet Kitchen (main kitchen)

 BUBBLE Café Kitchen

 SWIRL Kitchen – Room Service

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  Pastry shop Kitchen
There are 42 staff and associates including Executive Chef and excluding 15+
trainees. There are 3 Sous Chefs. Sous Chefs are the chefs those who are the
section chefs in the kitchen department as per their work division.

All the Sous chefs and the associate chefs may report the necessary things to the
Executive Chef and Sous Chefs respectively. The department is headed by
the Executive Chef who is assisted by the Executive Sous Chef and all sub chefs.

1. Executive Chef: Mr. Salim Kumar

2. Sous Chef: Mr. Manoj Pandey
3. BUBBLE CAFÉ Restaurant: Chef Mr. Manoj Pandey
4. DELI Pastry shop: Chef Mr. Johnson
5. SIAN Japanese Restaurant: Chef Mr. Subhash Chhetri
6. Banquets: Chef Mr. Suresh
Executive Chef:

Position Title: Executive Chef

Reports To: General Manager / Food and Beverage Manager

Position:

Responsible for the consistent preparation of innovative and creative cuisine of the
highest quality, presentation and flavour for the dining rooms, banquets and other
food facilities, resulting in outstanding guest satisfaction. Additionally, responsible
for the smooth running of the kitchen and manage areas of profit, stock, wastage
control, hygiene practices and training within the kitchen.

Prerequisites:

Displays leadership in guest hospitality, exemplifies excellent customer service

and creates a positive atmosphere for guest relations. Having an eye for detail and
creativity to look at things differently will be a key to developing the Food and
Beverage Experience.

Executive Sous Chef:

Position Title: Executive Sous Chef / Chef de cuisine

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 Reports To: Executive Chef

Position:

The Executive Sous Chef is responsible to assist the Executive Chef for overall
kitchen operation as a successful independent profit centre ensuring maximum
guest satisfaction, through planning, organizing, directing, and controlling the
Kitchen operation and administration. Exhibits culinary talents by personally
performing tasks while assisting in leading the staff and managing all food related
functions. Also Assists in supervising all kitchen areas to ensure a consistent, high
quality product is produced.

Prerequisites:

 Fair and firm management abilities with high influencing skills.

 Strong administration skills.
 Creative and innovative.
 Strong knowledge of food and beverage.
 Hands-on approach to all operational aspects.
 Excellent communication skills and computer skills.
 Initiative and Self-motivated.
 Ideal training and coaching skills.

Banquets:

Position Title: Banquet Chef / Catering Chef

Reports To: Executive Chef / Sous Chef

Position:

As a banquet chef, they are primarily responsible for the planning, organising,
controlling and directing the work of employees in the Banquet Kitchen
Department. Overseeing the food preparation of all banquet and catering event
while ensuring superior quality and consistency at all times. Additionally,
responsible to develop new banquet menu with the authorities, prepare, test, taste
and control out new menu items. Maintain updated and accurate recipes and
costing of all dishes prepared for banquet functions. Also, review the following

45
day's menus and approves the store requisitions for food and supplies needed from
various kitchen storerooms.

Prerequisites:

 Very good knowledge of food safety, sanitation, food preparation

techniques.
 Able to work flexible hours and days.
 Knowledge of current and updated culinary trends.
 Ability to lead and mentor a large team of culinary professionals.

Pastry Chef:

Position Title: Pastry Chef / Head Baker

Reports To: Executive Chef / Sous Chef

Position:

As a Pastry Chef, they are responsible for operating the pastry section of the
kitchen / hotel while working closely with the Executive Chef and Sous Chef. A
Pastry Chef will also be required to plan production and develop seasonal
offerings and festival demands.

Responsible to create high quality pastry dishes with the standard recipes and
presentations in order to maintain quality standards and consistency of product
and at the same time the reputation of the hotel too. Also assist in production and
maintenance of par stocks of pastry and dessert with proper rotation of products
and maintain highest cleanliness and hygiene standard in the pastry and bakery
section.

Prerequisites:

 Good knowledge of different types of pastry, dessert, cake decorating.

 Possess professional disposition with good communication and
interpersonal skills.
 Ability to work a variety of shifts including weekends, days, afternoons and
evenings.
 Positive attitude and Good communication skills.

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 II. HIERARCHY

Executive Chef
Senior Sous Chef
Sous Chef
Senior Chef De Parties (CDP)
Chef De Parties
Commis III
Commis II

Commi I
Vocational Trainees
Industrial Exposure Trainees (IETs)

III. PROCESS

Product Cycle in F&B Service:

The purchasing department in F&B Services is responsible for purchasing,

storing, and issuing the supply of raw food items, canned/bottled beverages, and
equipment. The following is a typical product purchasing cycle –

SOPs

A Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) is a set of written instructions that

document a routine or repetitive activity followed by a Hotel. SOP helps in
maintaining quality and consistency of service and standard's in your hotel.

47
Food Safety and Hygiene measures practiced in hotel:

 Wear proper clothing and footwear including gloves.

 Keep hands clean
 Ensure that the tools and equipment are clean and sanitised
 Make use of food safety equipment and metal detectable equipment
 Cleanliness
 Controlling
 Time Control
 Temperature Control

Some foods require time and Temperature Control to maintain Safety (TCS
foods), also known as Potentially Hazardous Foods (PHF). Inadequate
time/temperature controls can allow for microbial growth. Examples include:

 Improper hot or cold holding

 Improper cooling
 Improper cooking
 Improper reheating
 Leaving food in the temperature danger zone (40-140°F) for more than 2
hours

These foods readily support the growth of microorganisms because they are high
in nutrients and available water, and the acidity (pH) of the food is neutral or
slightly acidic. To maintain the safety of TCS foods, follow the 4 simple steps:
clean, separate, cook, and chill to prevent of foodborne illness.

Coloured chopping boards: The recommended guidelines from the Food

Standards Agency suggest that you should use each colour of chopping board
with the following food groups:

 Red - Raw Meat.

 Blue - Raw Fish.
 Yellow - Cooked Meat.
 Green – Fruit & Veg
 Brown – Cooked Meat
 Colourless – Bakery & Dairy

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And for the quality ensuring of the products they may have to keep under enough
temperature and cold. They must treat as per the product they may deal with. Each
product needs its own temperature to be non- hazardous while having it. It will be
as follows:

Dairy
Meat Products 5*C
5*C

Frozen Foods
Poultry Less Than -18*C
5*C

Packaged,
Tinned, Canned
Food Dry And Cool Place
But No Longer Than
The Best Before Date

Audits and functions evaluation:

There will be an audit during every 6 months. And they may evaluate all the factors
affecting the food, workers, kitchen environment etc. The Hygiene Audit or
Technical Survey is designed to evaluate the hygiene, sanitation, food safety and
facilities in kitchens in the food service industry. The audits are performed for
clients in the hotel, gaming, restaurant, and catering industries, and are tailor made
to the unique needs of each client.

Audits assess the effectiveness of suppliers' food safety systems in providing safe
food or ingredients. Specifically, within the frame of a food safety audit, information
about a food business is gathered in order to identify areas of potential
improvement in the company's food safety processes and systems. Quality audit is

49
the process of systematic examination of a quality system carried out by an internal
or external quality auditor or an audit team. This can help determine if the
organization complies with the defined quality system processes and can involve
procedural or results-based assessment criteria.

IV. PROCESS:

Raw Material
coming

Vehicle
Serving Checking
the dishes

Quality
Preparing in Checking
quality

Recording Placing
Placements Materials

From the collecting of raw materials to the serving of dishes to the customers
may include many of the procedures including recording of data at each section
and person handled it.

Collecting the raw materials by the responsible person by entering the details to
the records handled by the keeper at the entrance and it may cross checked on
the basis of its quality and quantity. Then they may go to the stores and also
entered on the store manager records as it is placed. He may also record the
transactions happened in it.

E. SALES
I. JOB DESCRIPTION

The Director of Sales and Marketing is responsible for the daily sales efforts and
is responsible for the overall positioning of the hotel, brand communication and the
development of customers for the property including, Rooms, Dining Outlets, and
Events. Agreements with large groups allow for successful repeat business, which

50
generates sales for the entire company. A hotel sales manager also sells
prospective and current guests on the hotel's services, such as dining options,
swimming pools, and exercise rooms, and notifies them of room upgrades. The
hospitality industry is highly competitive and good marketing is vital to the
continued profitability of a hotel.

The Marketing and Sales Manager is the person who controls the marketing,
advertising, promoting and sales of the hotel's products in order to make financial
success a reality.

And this department is headed by the people,

Mrs. Cecilia Jennifer (Sales Manager)

Mr. Nirmal George (Assistant Manager of sales)

II. FUNCTIONS

A Sales and marketing manager in the hotel industry are responsible for
maximizing a hotel’s revenues by developing programmes to increase occupancy
and make profitable use of its accommodation, meeting and leisure facilities. The
manager must maintain awareness of the factors that influence the hotel industry
and gain a deep understanding of the needs and attitudes of a hotel’s customers.

A manager will be responsible for coordinating marketing and promotional activities

to meet customer needs, working closely with other hotel staff to ensure customers
are satisfied with the facilities and their time there. The Sales and marketing team
has a substantial influence on the profitability of the business. He or she have to
define roles that reflect the strengths of your products and assign responsibilities
for achieving the sales performance required by the company. When your
marketing strategy builds on the roles taken on by the members of your team, they
can set achievable targets and take responsibility for meeting their objectives.

Duties and Responsibilities:

Product, Pricing and Distribution Planning. Because sales and marketing

managers spend much of their time talking directly to customers, they guide the
development of products and services. They recommend modifying or dropping

51
products or services or adding new ones to the company's mix, based on what
customers want.

The Marketing and Sales department of the hotel manages

the marketing strategy, advertising, promoting and sales of a hospitality property's
products (e.g. rooms). They also manage the hotel as a brand, or makes sure
the hotel is a true representative of a brand.

Sales Calls:

Sales calls is the system that they may go to the clients and will describe all the
products like, rooms, banquets, restaurants, etc to them. And marketing the Hotel
in front of authorised people in the respective Hotels. This may helpful to The Taj
Gateway Hotel to get more clients and guests to the bookings of rooms and
functions.

III. HIERARCHY

Sales Manager
Assistant Sales Manager
Assistant Catering Manager
Banquet Sales
Banquet Sales Assistant
Banquet Coordinator
Reservation Assistants

IV. PROCESS

Hotel sales coordinators work within a hotel's marketing and events department,
supporting and coordinating the booking of hotel facilities. Typical job tasks may
include: Answering questions about a hotel's event options over the phone or via
email. Giving potential customers tours of the facilities.

Sales Department functions in mainly 2 sections. And they are,

 Banquets
 Guests may call for the auditoriums
 Sales banquet people will arrange suitable auditorium as per
needs and preferences

52
  All by considering, no. of people, mode of function etc.
 Then they will send all the requirements and budget or cost with
respect to the booking to the guest.
 Assistance throughout the function time and date
 Follow-up and taking reviews and feedback
 Reservation
 Guest may call for the rooms
 Rooms reservation people may attend the calls
 They may describe all room specifications to enquirer
 The guest will get convinced by any one of the rooms
 Reservation people may lock the room for the specified date
 Calling for the confirmation of the arrival of guests
 Check in check out time
 Getting reviews and feedback on room, services etc.

F. PURCHASES
I. JOB DESCRIPTION

The purchasing department, while actually a back of the house operation, is

included in this front of the house section since it performs a largely managerial
function. The acumen of the purchasing manager and the efficiency of the
purchasing department can make for the profitable operation of a hotel.

Duties of the purchasing department includes interviewing salespeople, placing

orders for goods needed by all hotel departments, keeping records of all purchases
and payments, drawing up and signing contacts and agreements for the purchase
of all goods, comprising price and quality on all bids received, receiving and
checking receipts, and shipping invoices against accounts payable and forwarding
such information to the accounting department, suggesting changes in the use of
certain goods where costs can be saved or quality improved, and suggesting new
products.

Typical roles in Materials Management include:

Materials Manager: Shiju M Plackal

53
Assistant Materials Manager: Mr. Jacob & Mr. Jibu

II. FUNCTIONS

Material management covers all aspects of material costs, supply and utilization.
The functional areas involved in material management usually include purchasing,
production control, shipping, receiving and stores. The following functions are
assigned for material management:

 Production and Material Control:

Production manager prepares schedules of production to be carried in future.

The requirements of parts and materials are determined as per production
schedules. Production schedules are prepared on the basis of orders received or
anticipated demand for goods. It is ensured that every type or part of material is
made available so that production is carried on smoothly.

The material control and inventory management of the Taj Gateway Hotel were
done by:

Daily Bazar: They are the products that they used to buy according to the kitchen
purposes. They mainly focused on the kitchen purchases and activities.

Stock on demand: the products that have demand and most wanted products.

Mini – Max products: The products that may using in rooms and guest
management. It is related with the room amenities.

Perishable products

Non–perishable products: Almost 200 products may comes under this.

Capital requirements: The major equipment that may using in the various
departments in the Hotel.

 Purchasing:

Purchasing department is authorized to make buying arrangements on the

basis of requisitions issued by other departments. This department keeps contracts
with suppliers and collects quotations etc. at regular intervals. The interval times
may vary to each product and they may be as follows: The Chef or the concerned

54
parties may submit the intended list about the necessary items and the head of the
department or the managers may crosscheck the list and finalise it and transfers
to the concerned vendors.

The intervals of buying products or having the tenders or quotations on the basis
of the products and its nature:

Perishable Goods: Yearly basis contracts and before signing to the contracts they
have to fulfil 3 rounds of tender valuation.

Non-perishable goods: Quarterly basis contracts and also, they have to fulfil 3
rounds of tender valuation then finalise it. The effort by this department is to
purchase proper quality goods at reasonable prices. Purchasing is a managerial
activity that goes beyond the simple act of buying and includes the planning and
policy activities covering a wide range of related and complementary activities.

 Transportation:

The transporting of materials from suppliers is an important function of

materials management.

 Materials Handling:

It is concerned with the movement of materials within a manufacturing

establishment and the cost of handling materials is kept under control. It is also
seen that there are no wastages or losses of materials during their movement.

 Receiving personnel:

The receiving department is responsible for the unloading of materials,

counting the units, determining their quality and sending them to stores etc. The
purchasing department is also informed about the receipt of various materials.
Purchasing managers plan, direct, and coordinate the buying of materials,
products, or services for wholesalers, retailers, or organizations. They oversee
the work of procurement-related occupations including buyers and purchasing
agents. Responsible for Materials Management function including planning,
procurement, storage, control and distribution of materials and products to meet
Company objectives and customer requirements.

55
 III. Hierarchy

In the materials department, we can see the people as,

Assistant Assistant
Materials
Materials Materials
Manager
Manager Manager

IV. Process

Board/Committee:

In the material management committee, we can see the people,

General
Materials Manager
Manager

Area
Executive
Material
Chef
Manager

Finiancial
Manager

They may group to take many relevant decisions regarding the materials
department in the respective hotel. And in the Taj Gateway Hotel I observed that
they may having the all decisions by the Taj Malabar Hotel together. All the
managers and executives above mentioned may appeared for the meetings
conducted.

Process for yearly based contracts:

department department wants

inviting tenders to the nearly placed minimum of 3 quotations
editions and sources on each item
3 months before the
ending of existing the vendors may collect after comparing and
contract materials from hotel analysing they fix

department may directly or indirectly they acepting the tender

advertise submit their tenders and they signing the
contract for 1 year

56
Process for yearly based contracts:

department may to the nearly department wants

panning to inviting placed editions minimum of 3
tenders weeks before and sources quotations on each item
inviting frequently the vendors may after comparing and
for the tenders and collect materials analysing they fixed
connecting them from hotel the rate
department may directly or indirectly acepting the tender
release enough they submit their and they signing the
advertisements tenders contract for 3 months

When contingencies happened:

If there is any contingencies happened in buying materials or anything they may

allow to skip all the procedures and should fulfil their needs as soon as possible.
But they must keep the documents regarding to the emergency occurred. Single
quotation is also applicable to this procedure.

Documents they have to keep:

 Tenders
 Quotations
 Agreements
 Negotiations
 Licences
 Contracts
 Invoices
 Logic notes

G. HUMAN RESOURCES
I. JOB DESCRIPTION

Hotel HR Manager responsibilities include recruiting and training new hires,

managing employee data and taking steps to retain our people. To be successful
in this role, you should have a good knowledge of labour legislation and experience
hiring employees for various roles and seniority levels. And this department

57
handled by, Mr. Pradeep Panicker (Manager on Duty) Mr. Nidhin (assistant HR
Manager)

II. FUNCTIONS

Hotel HR Manager responsibilities include:

 Designing hiring plans for all hotel departments based on seasonal needs
 Managing compensation and benefits plans
 Overseeing employee attendance and working schedules, paid time off,
overtime and breaks
 Design hiring plans for all hotel departments based on seasonal needs
 Interview and assess job candidate.
 Manage compensation and benefits plans
 Oversee employee attendance and working schedules, including paid time
off, overtime and breaks
 Onboard new hires
 Report on employee turnover rates
 Organize employee records, contracts
 Implement employee retention programs (like end-of-season bonuses)
 Coordinate accommodation, catering and transport for our staff
 Schedule trainings for all hotel employees
 Act as the point of contact when employees have queries, issues
 Ensure hotel staff complies with relevant health and safety regulations

III. HIERARCHY

HR Assistant
Associates Recruiters
Manager Manager

IV. PROCESS

Human Resource Planning: Generally, we consider Human Resource Planning

as the process of people forecasting. Right but incomplete! It also involves the
processes of Evaluation, Promotion and Layoff.

58
Recruitment: It aims at attracting applicants that match a certain Job criterion.

Selection: The next level of filtration. Aims at short listing candidates who are the
nearest match in terms qualifications, expertise and potential for a certain job.

Hiring: Deciding upon the final candidate who gets the job.

Training and Development: Those processes that work on an employee

onboard for his skills and abilities upgradation.

Employee Remuneration and Benefits Administration:

The process involves deciding upon salaries and wages, Incentives, Fringe
Benefits and Perquisites etc. Money is the prime motivator in any job and therefore
the importance of this process. Performing employees seek raises, better salaries
and bonuses.

Performance Management:

It is meant to help the organization train, motivate and reward workers. It is also
meant to ensure that the organizational goals are met with efficiency. The process
not only includes the employees but can also be for a department, product, service
or customer process; all towards enhancing or adding value to them.

Employee Relations:

Employee retention is a nuisance with organizations especially in industries that

are hugely competitive in nature. Though there are myriad factors that motivate an
individual to stick to or leave an organization, but certainly few are under our
control.

H. LEARNING & DEVELOPMENT

i. JOB DESCRIPTION

Learning and development, a subset of HR, aims to improve group and individual
performance by increasing and honing skills and knowledge. Learning and
development, often called training and development, forms part of an
organisation’s talent management strategy and is designed to align group and
individual goals and performance with the organisation’s overall vision and goals.
Employee orientation is the procedure by which new employees learn

59
important organizational process, qualities and standards, set up working
relationship and figure out how to work inside their employments. Skills and
technical training programmes are organized to teach the new employee a
particular skill or area of knowledge. One of the main objectives of training is to
provide learning in order to improve the performance on the present job i.e. how
skilfully the individual handles the job and the level of outcomes/ result achieved.

And this section is handled by, Mr. Jimshy John (L & D Manager)

ii. FUNCTIONS

a) Training needs assessment at organization level:

This type of assessment analyses the effectiveness of the organization as a

whole and identifies any discrepancies. It is used to uncover the competencies,
knowledge and skills that are needed by the company to bridge any gaps.

b) Training needs assessment at individual or employee level:

The individual assessment focuses on a particular employee to discover how well

they are performing. The individual assessment forms the basis for the creation
of a customized training and development plan for the employee.

c) Training needs assessment at department or functional level:

The task assessment gathers information about a particular job function or

occupational group. This analysis identifies the key tasks, competencies and
skills required to perform the job at the most efficient level. Using job
descriptions, skill analyses and job inventory questionnaires these assessments
are used to discover specific training needs.

Programme design:

a) Develop the program contents, training methods to be used, the speakers /

faculty/ subject experts to be involved, the mode of instruments to be used,
training aids to make the training programme more result oriented.

b) Identify all training aids which are required for the desired training technique

60
c) Prepare the background material like write up on case, role play, incident
method. Also ensure that qualitatively and quantitatively the background reading
material meets the norms of delivery of the training objective.

iii. PROCESS

There are four key levels within an L&D organization that must be in alignment
and optimized in order to make the critical linkage between business strategy and
outcomes:

 Organizational strategy
 Organizational capabilities
 People competencies
 Execution methods

They may do their & development programme or activities by monthly wise among
the employees. As per the improvement needs or the necessary training identifies
then they may provide sufficient assistance to the staff as well as trainees.

Programme Conduct the Evaluation

implement programme as and Follow
action planned & scheduled Up

Behaviour Reaction Assess programme

Results Learning success according

I. FINANCE & ACCOUNTING

i. JOB DESCRIPTION

The accounting department is responsible for recording and reporting the cash
flow transactions of a company. This department has some key roles and
responsibilities, including accounts receivable, accounts payable, payroll, financial
reporting, and maintaining financial controls.

As an Accounting Manager he / she should provide the Owners, General Manager,

and other management with accurate, timely, and relevant financial data.

61
Additionally, responsible for managing the audit function in hotel to deliver
outstanding guest service and financial profitability.

This department is headed by the people, Mr. Chandrashekhar (finance

manager), Mr. Pradeep (credit manager), Ms. Shari (hotel taxation)

ii. FUNCTIONS

Hotel accountants may work with different kinds of taxes and budgets depending
on the size of the hotel where they work, but they tend to perform the same duties
overall. The accounting department is responsible for recording and reporting the
cash flows, both in and out, of a company.

The part of an organization that manages its money. The business functions of a
finance department typically include planning, organizing, auditing, accounting for
and controlling its company's finances. The finance department also usually
produces the company's financial statements. There are five basic roles or
functions within the department:

 Manage the Budget

 Process Payroll
 Track Expenses
 Report Finances
 Financial Auditing

Skills and Qualifications

Strong verbal and written communications skills with strong accounting software
experience. Proficiency with MS Office (Excel / Word) and experience with PMS
like Opera, Room master, Protel, Visual One, Delphi, Sun Finance, Oracle
Finance, SAP etc. Employers also like potential candidates to have these skills:

 Accounting skills
 Financial data analytics
 Cashiering experience
 Attention to detail
 Ethical approach to work

62
 iii. HIERARCHY

A chief financial officer (CFO) is the senior executive responsible for managing the
financial actions of a company. The CFO's duties include tracking cash flow and
financial planning as well as analysing the company's financial strengths and
weaknesses and proposing corrective actions.

Financial Controller
Treasury Manager
Accounting Manager
Chief Accountant
Accounting Supervisor
Accountant
Bookkeepers

J. ENGINEERING
I. Job Description

Engineering Department is responsible for the maintenance and the operations of

all machinery and equipment including heating, air conditioning and lighting. It is
also responsible for carrying out all carpentry, upholstery and small building,
plumbing and other works, both inside and outside the hotel.

Hotel chief engineers supervise the operation, maintenance, and repair of hotel
equipment, tools, and facilities. They generally oversee the maintenance staff
and may work in both an office setting and, on the property, addressing HVAC
and other types of issues. In addition to maintenance duties, these professionals
may also work with contractors to coordinate renovations, remodelling projects
and new construction.

This department is headed by the people includes:

Chief Engineer: Mr. Binu Kora

Supervisors: (a) Mr. Bipin (b) Mr. Joseph (c) Mr. Shashi (d) Mr. Sudheer

63
 II. FUNCTIONS

Property Operations:

Includes running the utilities plant and machinery, water treatment and
distribution, boilers and water heating, sewage treatment, external and common
area lighting, fountains and water features etc. This is carried out by a dedicated
set of personnel working in shifts to cover 24 hours of the day as per a
predetermined time schedule. Operations will also include minor trouble shooting
and technical support required for guest room snags and banquet setup.

Planned Preventive Maintenance (PPM):

This is one of the most important functions of Engineering and often cited as the
most critical from long time building asset maintenance point of view. The
philosophy is to regularly carry out a set of preventive actions for every machine in
the building rather than allow it to run to failure and then tackle expensive
breakdown maintenance costs. A PMM schedule is drawn at the beginning of the
year and a team of dedicated persons execute it accordingly. In some cases, like
elevators and kitchen equipment, temporary downtime may be required which is
planned in coordination with the affected user departments.

Fire and Life safety:

Engineering is also responsible to ensure a safe building for its inhabitants. This
includes ensuring

 Fire pumps serving the sprinklers in every floor

 Hydrants around the building
 Fire Fighting System (under 6kg pressure)
 Fire Alarm system, UPS
 Smoke detectors, inverters
 Manual call points
 Alarm bells, public address system
 CCTV cameras, fire doors
 Pull bar System

64
They work hand in hand with security personnel in carrying out evacuation drills
and safety checks of the property. This department and functioned with Security
department together.

Desuperheater:

When steam is used for mechanical power, such as driving the turbine rotor by
expanding across turbine blades, it is most efficient when superheated. When
steam is used for heating or other heat transfer or industrial process purposes, it
is most efficient when saturated. A superheater is a device used to convert
saturated steam or wet steam into superheated steam or dry steam. Superheated
steam is used in steam turbines for electricity generation, steam engines, and in
processes such as steam reforming. Here it may contain the capacity of 1.5 KL.
And also, they have the underground water capacity.

FCUs:

A fan coil unit (FCU) is a simple device consisting of a heating and/or cooling
heat exchanger or 'coil' and fan. It is part of an HVAC system found in residential,
commercial, and industrial buildings. A fan coil unit (FCU) contains a fan which
draws the air in a space into the unit then blows it over a cooling or heating coil.

AHUs:

An air handler, or air handling unit (often abbreviated to AHU), is a device used
to regulate and circulate air as part of a heating, ventilating, and air-conditioning
(HVAC) system. An air handler is usually a large metal box containing a blower,
heating or cooling elements, filter racks or chambers, sound attenuators,
and dampers.

What is difference between AHU and FCU?

FCU is often observed to be noisier than the AHU. AHU v/s FCU AHU and
FCU are both included in the HVAC system. The latter is an acronym that
describes multiple systems of heating, ventilating and air conditioning. AHU,
completely known as air handling unit is different from FCU or the fan coil unit.

65
 III. HIERARCHY

Chief Engineer
Supervisors
Associates
Contract Labours

There are 22 employees in the engineering department of the Taj Gateway Hotel,
Ernakulam including 1 Chief Engineer, 4 Supervisors, 8 Associates, 9 Contract
Labours

IV. PROCESS

They are interlocked with various departments and people on various aspects
inside and outside for the better functioning of the Hotel. And they may be like as
follows:

DESUPERHEATER

In distributing electricity,

11000 volt from KSEB

convert to 440 volts

going through distribution panels to various sections

if there is no electricity

2 Generators can combinely produce 830 kvolt

66
They have done the various activities on the periodic basis. And the period will be
90 days scheduled one.

And the activities are,

Guest Mainteance

Quality Maintenance

Chemical Dosing

Room Temperature

Intensity Of Light

Water Flow And Temperature

Maintenance Assistance

GUEST STANDARDS

FCU air flow for 1Tr AC……………………...... 400 CFM (cubic feet/minute)
FCU air flow for 5Tr AC ………………………. 600 CFM
Room Temperature ……………………………. 21*C in Summer & 23*C in Winter
TFA air flow ……………………………………. 30-40 CFM
Flow of CHW through1Tr FCU ………………. 14-15 litres/ minute
The Draining of Water in the bath Tub ……… 4-5 minutes
The Draining of Water in the Wash Basin ...... 15-20 seconds
Water Pressure in Shower head ……………. 1 Bar to 3 Bar
Timing of Flushing in Water closet …………... 5-7 seconds
Hot Water Temperature ……………………… 49*C+ -1*C
Intensity of Light in Bed Room ………………. 100 LUX
Intensity of Light in Writing Table …………… 200 LUX
Intensity of Light in Bath Room ………………. 150 LUX

67
 K. INFORMATION SERVICES
I. Job Description

Information systems in the Hotel industry refer to computer systems in

a hotel that supply information about that hotel's business operations. Information
systems play a crucial role in the hotel industry as they facilitate planning,
management, overall operations of the hotels as well as policymaking.

Hotel administration includes several different responsibilities, from sales and

marketing to room rentals, housekeeping, food service maintenance and facilities
management. An information system can help companies track both financial and
operational information at one point, allowing managers to measure the hotel’s
effectiveness and efficiency. The headed persons are, Mr. Sreejith, Mr. Ajith,
Mr. Jobin

II. FUNCTIONS & PROCESS

Information systems in the Hotel industry refer to computer systems in a hotel

that supply information about that hotel’s business operations.

Information systems typically include all computerised systems which are used to
gather data continuously both for use internally and externally. Information
technology has influenced every sphere of human life in the last few decades in a
tremendous way. The tourism and hospitality sector have been a key beneficiary
as it has allowed the contemporary traveller to enjoy a plethora of options.
Information systems play a crucial role in the hotel industry as they facilitate
planning, management, overall operations of the hotels as well as policymaking.

The information systems used in hotels are much more advanced owing to the
latest technological innovations. One of our earlier posts covered a lot of Hotel
Management Software in detail. Information systems are an integral part of the
complete IT infrastructure used in the hotel industry. IT in the hotel industry is now
probably the most important tool for sustained competitive advantages. Information
systems play a crucial role in the same.

The Point of Sale (PoS) System used in the Taj Gateway Hotel:

68
PoS. is the most common form of information systems used in the Hotel industry.
This computerised system keeps track of merchandise sales such as those that
would occur in a hotel restaurant, bar, coffee or gift shop. There are various
versions that are also used by the Front office of the Hotel and the Housekeeping
department. These systems incorporate registers, computers and any peripheral
equipment that make be established on a computer network.

This system is important because it keeps track of payroll, labour, and sales, as
well as generates records which may be useful for accounting purposes. Micros
and version of Micros are commonly used by the Hotel restaurants, Fast food
restaurants and stand-alone restaurants.

Even security departments of the Hotel have their own PoS.

The systems that following in the Gateway Hotels:

Customer Feedback System (CFS)

Property Management System

Point of Sale, i.e.; Shaw Man

Orion Accounting Software

Central Server at Mumbai (HO)

Daily Business report (DBR)

Decision Making

In this information system of the Taj Gateway Hotel, there are mainly 2 applications
are following. They are OPERA, ORION, PAYROLL & PoS. and they may use for
as per the departments mentioning below:

 OPERA: for the front desk, sales etc.

 ORION: materials section, purchases etc. (These both can be found in
almost all departments)
 PAYROLL: deals with the HR section based on wages, salaries etc.
 PoS.: can be found in F&B, bars, all restaurants etc.

69
After all, entire TAJ HOTELS may follow these applications for their daily
operations in their all Hotels by assistance of TATA services.

These all applications are interfaces in all departments and can be found in all
transactions and procedures around Hotel.

E.g.in the case of F&B department, they were dealing with the ORION for the
purchasing of materials, OPERA for the number of guests arriving, PAYROLL for
the salaries and wages of the staffs over there. All other works may process by
the PoS.

III. Hierarchy

TCS Bombay, TATA Companies the all Taj Hotels reports about their information
system to the TCS Comapny by GMs

General Manager of Taj Gateway

all the personnel reported to the GM of the respective Hotels

personnels that may appointed to the Taj hotels from the TATA IT Companies

here there are 3 people from TCS & CMS

L. SECURITY
I. JOB DESCRIPTION

Protect the guests and staff of the hotel, including all of their property.
Secondarily the security departments role in a hotel is to secure the actual
premises, and the property of the Hotel itself in terms of safety.

Security Manager: Mr. Amith

Supervisors: Mr. Raj Mohan, Mr. Sunil, Mr. Shashi, Mr. Nikhil

II. FUNCTIONS & PROCESS

 Patrols

Security guard in hotels must move around to patrol the various parts of a
property. They check the doors and stairwells to make sure the locks are secure

70
and no danger is lurking. Guards must patrol outdoors as well as room hallways
and activity areas, such as the pool and spa. Hotel security officers respond to
complaints and calls for help.

 Response

It is typically the role of the security team to purchase, maintain and

monitor security cameras, alarm systems and other electronic surveillance
equipment.

 Surveillance

The security guard on duty often is called to escort unruly patrons from
the property. Hotel have bars and nightclubs located on the property and count
on the security guard to maintain order by directing drunks to taxis or friends for
transport out of the building.

 Escort

They must be available to work set shifts and cover alternate shifts when
necessary. After each shift, the security officer must fill in a report and
communicate all activity he encountered during his working time. A thorough
report can alert the next shift to areas that need extra attention.

 Administrative Duties:

Hiring the employees or the security people by the Purchase Manager, Finance
Controller, HR Manager, Security Manager. And they are functioning by dividing
their work to 4 main points. They are,

Main gate:

 Identifying the vehicles and people

 checking their papers
 assisting in their parking area

Time Office:

 Receiving materials
 Entry of employees

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  Entry of vendors and internal people

Boat Jetty:

 Deals with the people those who are in cruise

 Opens to the cruise area
 Safeguard the cruise premises

Main Porch:

 Checking the guests

 Profiling them in the main entrance

Hierarchy

Security Security Head

Guards
Manager Supervisor Guards

Under the Security Manager, there are, 4 Supervisors, 2 Head Guards, 11

Guards (including 2 ladies)

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 CHAPTER 4

INTERDEPENDENCE OF DEPARTMENTS

73
How each departmental works affects the other?????

Interdependence in the workplace is the way employees interact and relate with
each other, drawing from each person's contribution so that a greater goal is
reached.

FRONT OFFICE

The term front desk is used in many hotels for an administrative department
where a receptionist's duties also may include room reservations and assignment,
guest registration, cashier work, credit checks, key control as well as mail and
message service. It also provides assistance to guests during their stay, completes
their accommodation, food and beverage, accounts and receives payment from
guests. They may directly link with the departments like,

 Housekeeping
 Food & beverages
 Reservations
 Security
 Engineering
 Information Systems

HOUSEKEEPING

The Housekeeping department takes pride in keeping the hotel clean and
comfortable. The aim of all accommodation establishment is to provide their
customers with clean, attractive, comfortable and welcoming surrounding that offer
value for money. They may directly link with the departments like,

 Reservations
 Purchasing department
 Front office
 Engineering
 Information Systems

FOOD & BEVERAGES

Food & Beverages is a service department. Food and Beverage Services

74
is a process of preparing, presenting and serving of food and beverages to the
customers through restaurants, food stalls etc The Food and Beverage Server is
the face of the restaurant and has considerable influence on its patrons’
experience. They may directly link with the departments like,

 Sales
 Engineering
 Reservations
 Banquets
 Food & Beverages Production
 Information Systems

FOOD & BEVERAGES PRODUCTION

Food and Beverage Service operations involve a multitude of activities which

engage the staff right from purchasing raw material, preparing food and beverage,
keeping the inventory of material, maintaining service quality continuously,
managing various catered events, and most importantly, analysing the business
outcomes to decide future policies. They may directly link with the departments
like,

 Food & Beverages

 Engineering
 Reservations
 Banquets
 Purchases

SALES

The Director of Sales and Marketing is responsible for the daily sales efforts
and is responsible for the overall positioning of the hotel, brand communication and
the development of customers for the property including, Rooms, Dining Outlets,
and Events. They may directly link with the departments like,

 F&B
 Reservations
 Engineering

75
  Front office
 Finance & Accounting
 Information Systems

PURCHASES

Duties of the purchasing department includes interviewing salespeople, placing

orders for goods needed by all hotel departments, keeping records of all purchases
and payments, drawing up and signing contacts and agreements for the purchase
of all goods, comprising price and quality on all bids received, receiving and
checking receipts, and shipping invoices against accounts payable and forwarding
such information to the accounting department, suggesting changes in the use of
certain goods where costs can be saved or quality improved, and suggesting new
products. They may directly link with the departments like,

 HR
 F&B
 Sales
 Engineering
 Information Systems
 Housekeeping
 Finance & Accounting
 Security

HUMAN RESOURCES

Hotel HR Manager responsibilities include recruiting and training new hires,

managing employee data and taking steps to retain our people. To be successful
in this role, you should have a good knowledge of labour legislation and experience
hiring employees for various roles and seniority levels. They may directly link with
the departments like,

 Sales
 Purchases
 Security
 Front office

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  Information Systems

LEARNING & DEVELOPMENT

Employee orientation is the procedure by which new employees learn important

organizational process, qualities and standards, set up working relationship and
figure out how to work inside their employments. Skills and technical training
programmes are organized to teach the new employee a particular skill or area of
knowledge. They may directly link with the departments like,

 Sales
 Housekeeping
 Information system
 Front office
 Operations

FINANCE & ACCOUNTING

The accounting department is responsible for recording and reporting the cash
flow transactions of a company. This department has some key roles and
responsibilities, including accounts receivable, accounts payable, payroll, financial
reporting, and maintaining financial controls. They may directly link with the
departments like,

 Sales
 Purchases
 F&B

ENGINEERING

Engineering Department is responsible for the maintenance and the operations

of all machinery and equipment including heating, air conditioning and lighting. It
is also responsible for carrying out all carpentry, upholstery and small building,
plumbing and other works, both inside and outside the hotel. They may directly
link with the departments like,

 Operations
 Housekeeping

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  Human resources
 F&B
 F&B Production
 Front office

INFORMATION SERVICES

Hotel administration includes several different responsibilities, from sales and

marketing to room rentals, housekeeping, food service maintenance and facilities
management. An information system can help companies track both financial and
operational information at one point, allowing managers to measure the hotel’s
effectiveness and efficiency. They may directly link with the departments like,

 Sales
 Purchases
 Front office
 Finance & accounting
 Security
 Engineering
 F&B
 Human Resources
 Housekeeping

SECURITY

Protect the guests and staff of the hotel, including all of their property.
Secondarily the security departments role in a hotel is to secure the actual
premises, and the property of the Hotel itself in terms of safety. They may directly
link with the departments like,

 Front office
 Purchases
 F&B
 Engineering
 Housekeeping

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 CHAPTER 5:

ANALYSIS WITH SWOT

AND PORTERS FIVE FORCE MODEL

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 SWOT ANALYSIS OF

THE TAJ GATEWAY HOTEL, ERNAKULAM

Taj Gateway Hotel

Parent Company Indian Hotels Corporation Ltd.

Sector Tourism & Hospitality
Tagline / Slogan India’s leading hospitality chain
USP Extravagant Indian Interiors
Segment Leisure and business travellers
Target Group Upper class, business travellers
Positioning Prime location, luxury living with Indian values

SWOT ANALYSIS

SWOT (strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats) analysis

is a framework used to evaluate a company's competitive position and to develop
strategic planning. SWOT analysis assesses internal and external factors, as well
as current and future potential.

A SWOT analysis is designed to facilitate a realistic, fact-based, data-driven look

at the strengths and weaknesses of an organization, its initiatives, or an industry.
The organization needs to keep the analysis accurate by avoiding pre-conceived
beliefs or grey areas and instead focusing on real-life contexts. Companies
should use it as a guide and not necessarily as a prescription.

STRENGTHS

 The perfect experience of Indian luxury living

 Brand Loyalty, Credibility, Reputation
 Considered to be the most premium hotel chain in India
 Top-of-the-mind brand
 Business Philosophy
 Amenities & Ambience
 Customer Loyalty programs
 Focus on the business class

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 High brand image & Celebrity status
 Organisation mission and vision
 Good coordination and monitoring
 Strong relationships with partners and stakeholders
 Continuing evaluation of mechanisms
 Relation with external parties and government

WEAKNESSES

 Only business class & NRIs people interested in this hotel

 Lack of systematic operations
 High cost service
 High seasonal dependency

OPPORTUNITIES

 Introduce better membership plans

 Improve hygiene standards
 Rising income & Globalisation
 Upgrade to international methods of work
 Support from various agencies
 Good community response
 Favourable support from media

THREATS

 Terrorism and political unrest

 Fluctuations in travellers’ interests.
 Increasing competition among competitors in market
 Other heritage properties
 Lack of accessing the target people.
 Loosening our own existing guests.

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 MAIN COMPETITORS:

 Crown Plaza
 Le Meridian
 Holidays Inn
 Marriot
 Radisson Blue

PORTER’S FIVE FORCE MODEL

Porter's Five Forces is a business analysis model that helps to explain why
different industries are able to sustain different levels of profitability. The model
was published in Michael E. Porter's book, "Competitive Strategy: Techniques for
Analysing Industries and Competitors" in 1980.
The collective strength of these forces determines the ultimate profit
potential of an industry. Whatever their collective strength, the corporate
strategist’s goal is to find a position in the industry where his or her company can
best defend itself against these forces or can influence them in its favour. The
forces are frequently used to measure competition intensity, attractiveness, and
profitability of an industry or market. These forces are:

Competition in the industry:

The rivalry among competitors in the hotel industry is Fierce. When potential
customers learnt about hotel online, the internet reduces the differences among
the competitors. The internet covers wide geographical areas and can increase the
number of customers simultaneously and at the same time so the market is
widened increasing the number of competitors.

This force refers to the number of competitors and their ability to undercut a
company. The larger the number of competitors, along with the number of
equivalent products and services they offer, the lesser the power of a company.

Potential of new entrants into the industry:

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A company's power is also affected by the force of new entrants into its market.
The less time and money it cost for a competitor to enter a company's market and
be an effective competitor, the more a company's position may be significantly
weakened.

Barriers:

The initial investment in the hotel industry creates quite a barrier to entry but certain
barriers to entering the hotel market are reduced by the internet. A hotel can be
differentiated itself by location, service & amenities Another barrier would be
expertise to enter into it.

Power of suppliers

 Area of labour
 There are fewer people to fill service industry jobs
 This force addresses how easily suppliers can drive up the cost of
inputs. It is affected by the number of suppliers of key inputs of a
good or service, how unique these inputs are, and how much it would
cost a company to switch from one supplier to another.

Power of customers

Business persons choosing a hotel for business travel book a hotel online and no
longer use travel agents. They are finding internet businesses like

 Trivago.com
 Booking.com
 Make My Trip etc. which will negotiate or discover bargains for them.

This specifically deals with the ability that customers have to drive prices down.

It is affected by how many buyers or customers a company has, how significant

each customer is, and how much it would cost a company to find new customers
or markets for its output.

Threat of substitute products

New entrants to an industry bring new capacity, the desire to gain market share,
and often substantial sources. Companies diversifying through acquisition into the

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industry from other markets often leverage their resources to cause a shake-up.
The seriousness of the threat of entry depends on the barriers present and on the
reaction from existing competitors that the entrant can expect. There are six major
sources of barriers to entry. These are:

 Economies of scale
 Product differentiation
 Capital requirements
 Cost disadvantages Independent of size
 Access to distribution channels
 Government policy
 Customers need
 Good hospitality of others compared to us.
 Hygiene food and environment

In the case of Hotel Industry, there is usually another Hotel just around the corner
as the competitors. They may appear in all price ranges, with varying levels of
services and amenities. The constant challenge will always be to get the guest to
choose your hotel over the competitor.

Substitute goods or services that can be used in place of a company's products or

services pose a threat. Companies that produce goods or services for which there
are no close substitutes will have more power to increase prices and lock in
favourable terms. When close substitutes are available, customers will have the
option to forgo buying a company's product, and a company's power can be
weakened.

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CHAPTER 6

CONCLUSION

85
 CONCLUSION

The Taj Gateway Hotel has been running successfully over years. They have seen
many ups and downs in market still they have become running successfully. The
reason behind it is the management and the workers jointly work together for the
goodwill and for the reputation & profit of the company at times it needed most.
Most of all they have given only good quality products to the customers according
to the needs of the customers. Perhaps this is the real reason for the success of
the Hotel’s success.

A Hotel may be defined as per the British law as A place where a Bonafede
traveller can receive food and shelter provided he is a position to pay for it and is
in a fit condition to be received.
The Indian Hotels Company Limited (IHCL) and its subsidiaries are
collectively known as Taj Hotels Resorts and Palaces and is recognised as one
of Asia’s largest and finest hotel company. Incorporated by the founder of the
Tata Group, Mr. Jamsetji N. Tata, the company opened its first property, The Taj
Mahal Palace Hotel, Bombay in 1903. The Taj, a symbol of Indian hospitality,
completed its centenary year in 2003.

Taj Hotels Resort and Palaces comprises more than 60 hotels in 45 locations
across India with an additional 15 international hotels in the Malaysia, United
Kingdom, United States of America, Bhutan, Sri Lanka, Africa, the Middle East
and Australia.

SUCCESS FACTORS FOR TAJ HOTELS:

 Used of advance technology in hotel premises.

 High utilization of fixed assets.
 Quality control know-how.
 Serving customer according to their specification.
 Presence of hotel chain at various places.
 A strong network.
 Breadth of product line and product selection.
 Personalized customer services.
 A well-known and well-respected brand name.

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MARKETING MIX STRATEGY OF THE TAJ GATEWAY HOTEL:

Products:

 Room
 Restaurant and Bar.
 Meeting room and Banquet facility
 Amenities
 Travel desk

SERVICES LIKE ……….

 Safe deposit box

 Courier
 Child care
 Laundry
 Internet
 Babysitting
 Wake-up call

Price:

Taj Gateway hotel has set its price of the room on the basis of Business, Leisure
and Luxury class.

Place:

Location of the hotel is the most important business decision for the hotel. Here,
The Taj Gateway Hotel is situated in Marine Drive, Cochin. Surrounded by many
more sight-seeing areas that may also attracted by the local people and the
tourists at the same time.

Promotion strategy:

Promotional schemes are carried on regularly the hotel has many loyalty
programme, clubs, membership, privilege etc some of them are The Taj Inner
Circle, The Taj Epicure etc.

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FINDINGS

 People enjoying beachside vacations and sightseeing

 People value safety, clean rooms, excellent customer service, good
location and reasonable prices.
 People prefer to book hotels and flights separately.
 people conduct a lot of research before booking a hotel.
 People want to receive communications via email and text.
 Their product price s little higher but they still have demand because of its
supreme quality of those products.
 Company has always tried to maintain a good employer- employee
relation by providing good working condition.

SUGGESTIONS

 Implementing a Refer a friend program will continue to drive demand at an

extent. People who are referred by friends are 3 times likely to buy in than
others. Give loyalty points to the Referrer and Referee.

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Bibliography [In APA Format]

McKibben, B. (1992). The age of missing information. New York: Random House

Larson, G. W., Ellis, D. C. & Rivers, P. C. (1984). Essentials of chemical

dependency counselling. New York: Columbia University Press.

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