BSC Accomodation

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ACCOMMODATION OPERATION
B.Sc.
(Catering Science and Hotel Management) First Year, Part III, Paper 3
School of Distance Education Bharathiar University, Coimbatore - 641046
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Copyright 2008, Bharathiar University All Rights Reserved Compiled and Printed by FRONTLINE INSTITUTE OF HOTEL MANAGEMENT STUDIES 14, Vallalar Salai, Pondicherry - 605011 for SCHOOL OF DISTANCE EDUCATION Bharathiar University Coimbatore - 641046
CONTENTS
Page Nos.
HOUSEKEEPING
UNIT - I
Lesson 1 Lesson 2 Lesson 3 Hotel Housekeeping Cleaning Agents and Equipments Cleaning a Guest Room 3 14 15 32 33 44
UNIT II
Lesson 4 Lesson 5 Lesson 6 Lesson 7 Lesson 8 Bed Making Linen and Uniform Rooms Laundry Pest Control Key and Key Control 47 54 55 70 71 92 93 110 111 118
UNIT III
Lesson 9 Organisational Structure of Housekeeping Department 121 132
FRONT OFFICE
UNIT IV
Lesson 10 Lesson 11 Lesson 12 Lesson 13 Lesson 14 Introduction to Hotels Classification of Hotels Front Office Department Reservation Registration 135 152 153 170 171 184 185 196 197 206
UNIT V
Lesson 15 Lesson 16 Guest Accounting Safety and Security 209 218 219 228
Year Part I
Subject and Paper
Theory 100
III ACCOMMODATION OPERATION
HOUSE KEEPING Unit I House keeping in hotels-Importance, functions, liaison with other departments Types of rooms-Classification, room supplies Cleaning agents and equipments-Classification, principles, selection and types of cleaning Unit II Bed making-Types of service, Laundry-Type & machines used, key and key control, pest control, Linen room-Classification & layout Unit III House keeping department-Hierarchy, duties & responsibilities of house keeping staff Lower arrangement-Types and principles FRONT OFFICE Unit IV Introduction to hotels-Classification of hotels, rates and meal plans, type of hotel guest. Front office department-Organization, equipments used, layout, duties and responsibilities of front office staff Reservation & registration-Types, functions, room assignments, checking methods of payment, types of guest folios Unit V Functions of front office-Accounting system, credit control, methods of account settlement, and types of folios, updating front office records, security functions, emergency functions, and safe deposit locker functions
UNIT I
UNIT II
UNIT III
UNIT IV
UNIT v
MODEL QUESTION PAPER

Bharathiar University, Coimbatore.
Course Subject Time Total Marks Direction : : : : : B.Sc. (Catering Science & Hotel Management) Accommodation Operation 3 hours 5 x 20 = 100 Answer any five questions only
1.
i) Write short notes about the importance of house keeping. ii) Enumerate the functions of housekeeping department. iii) List out various departments the housekeeping department co-ordinates with.
2.
i) Explain the complete procedure involved in cleaning an occupied room? ii) Why is it important to clean a vacant room? iii) Differentiate between evening service and turn down services
3.
i) What is the difference between an occupied bed and an unoccupied bed? ii) What are key points relating to bed making? iii) How do you make an occupied bed according to proper procedure?
4.
i) What factors affect the functionality of a uniform? ii) How can bath linen be recycled into makeovers? iii) Differentiate between: Repairs and Alteration Napery and Napperon Cushion Covers and Upholstery Bath Blanket and Bath Towel Percale and Muslin Standard sizes and Made-to-measure Uniforms
5. i)
Draw organizational chart of the large and medium size hotels.
ii) Enumerate the duties and responsibilities of the housekeeping staffs.
6. i)
Explain in your own words the need and importance of hotels.
ii) Give a brief description about the history of hotels. iii) Development and growth of hotel industry in India Explain. 7. i) Explain in your own words about the front office department and its functions. ii) Give a brief description about the duties and responsibilities of the front office staffs. iii) What are the equipments that you find in a front office department? 8. i) What is the need of having a security system in hotels? ii) What are the types of security? iii) What are the methods through which security threats can be handled?
LESSON 1 HOTEL HOUSEKEEPING

CONTENTS
1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 Aims and Objectives Introduction Housekeeping Importance of Housekeeping Functions of Housekeeping Relationship Between Housekeeping and Other Departments 1.6 Types of Rooms 1.7 Guest Room Supplies 1.8 Let Us Sum Up 1.9 Lesson End Activity 1.10 Key Words 1.11 Questions for Discussion 1.12 References
1.0 AIMS AND OBJECTIVES At the end of this lesson, students should be able to demonstrate appropriate skills, and show an understanding of the following: Housekeeping and its importance Functions of housekeeping Relationship of housekeeping with other departments Types of guest rooms and the amenities supplied.
1.1 INTRODUCTION Housekeeping is an important and integral part of the guest experience and satisfaction. Other things such as security are important, but what guests really want is to feel at home, to feel comfortable. Although the staff providing this service do not necessarily interact directly with the public, the quality of their work is critical in shaping guests pleasant memories of their stay. The impact of the housekeeping function on the success of a hotels operations cannot be underestimated, since large revenue for hotel industry is generated mainly from the sale of rooms. Good housekeeping is the foundation of good infection prevention. The general cleanliness and hygiene of a facility are vital to the health and safety of guests, staff, and visitors. Pleasant work environment contributes to staff members' satisfaction, making them to be more productive. A more pleasant environment improves guest
Accommodation Operation
satisfaction and can increase guests use of services and frequent visits. 1.2 HOUSEKEEPING The housekeeping is the department of a hotel charged with cleaning and maintaining rooms and public spaces. From the time a guest checks-in in a hotel till he checks out, it is the housekeeping department which takes care of the guest by making his / her stay pleasant and comfortable. In general, the housekeeping crew is responsible for the daily cleaning of public rooms (lobbies, corridors, meeting rooms), private bedrooms and public washrooms. In addition, it handles the laundering of linens and in some instances, guest laundry. Housekeeping also performs a minor security function by providing a first alert to potential guest problems while staff undertake daily guest bedroom cleaning. 1.3 IMPORTANCE OF HOUSEKEEPING 1. Comfort: Achieve the maximum efficiency possible in the care and comfort of the guests and in providing support services for the smooth running of the hotel. Every hotel spends a lot of effort in ensuring the quality of beds, mattresses, channel music, TV, air conditioner if applicable, attached bar etc. The comforts must be regularly maintained and should be properly functioning. It is the duty of the housekeeping department to ensure comfort and a welcoming atmosphere to the guests as well as strive to extend courteous, reliable and satisfactory service from staffs of all departments. Cleanliness and Hygiene: Ensure a high standard of cleanliness and general upkeep in all areas. Clean and well maintained areas and equipments create a favorable impression on the guest. Hygiene is maintained especially in the wash rooms, toilets, pool changing room, health club, etc. Privacy: The prime concern of any guest, irrespective of whether rich or poor, common man or celebrity, is privacy. Room windows are provided with curtains. Windows could normally overlook good scenic view, away from the prying eyes of others in the hotel or outside public. Housekeeping staffs ensure the privacy of the guests and they should be trained with proper procedures to enter the room. Safety and Security: Security is one of the prime concerns of a hotel guest. The housekeeping department staffs should ensure the safety and security of the guests with the help of security services. They should also make sure that fire fighting equipments and emergency alarms are functional at all times. They should also ensure peace, quiet and noise f r e e atmosphere in the area. Dcor: Creating a pleasant and classy ambience is also one of the major concerns for a guest. This is not easy and requires a
2.
3.
4.
5.
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good eye for detail. This work is an art and the housekeeping staff is mainly responsible for creating a pleasant atmosphere. 1.4 FUNCTIONS OF HOUSEKEEPING Housekeeping department holds the responsibility of cleaning, maintenance and admirable upkeep of the hotel. The main functions of housekeeping are overall cleanliness, bed making, ensuring maintenance of the building and its infrastructure, laundry, linen management, key control, pest control, safety and security of the guests as well as the infrastructure and interior decoration. All this ensure the ambience and promotes a congenial environment. The basic function of the housekeeping is explained briefly: 1. Cleaning Rooms And Public Areas Housekeeping department cleans the rooms and toilets and wash basins in the room. Apart from cleaning the guest rooms, housekeeping department is also responsible for cleaning floor, terraces, elevators, elevator lobbies, corridors of guest floors, floor linen closets, mop and janitors closets, service lobbies and service stairways, function rooms, shopping arcade, cabanas, bars, dining rooms, offices, uniform rooms, tailor rooms, upholstery, shops, store rooms and swimming pools. To be concise, the housekeeping department is responsible for the total cleanliness of a hotel. A guest requires a comfortable bed to take rest, relax a n d enjoy. A bed that is well- made will provide the required comfort. Bed making is a skill that requires to be developed by the housekeeper, as it not only provides comfort to the guest, but also adds to the pleasant ambience of a guests room. Guests should not be able to tell if anyone has slept in the room, so a clean environment and perfect bedmaking is major consideration of this department. One of the important jobs of the Housekeeping Department is clothes and linen management. This involves all functions from purchase of linen to laundering, storage, supplies and to condemnation. In a hotel different types of clothes and linen are used such as the bed sheets, pillow covers, napkins, towels, hand towels, table covers, curtains, cushion covers etc. All of these require regular maintenance. It is the job of the Housekeeping Department to ensure clean and hygienic washing of all the linen items, and then distributing them to different areas of the hotel. The relationship between the housekeeping and laundry is significant for the smooth functioning of
Hotel Housekeeping
2. Bed Making
3. Linen Management
4. Laundry Services
housekeeping services. One of the supporting roles of the laundry is to provide valet services to house guests. 5. Pest Control Pest Control is another major job of the Housekeeping Department. No matter how clean one keeps the surroundings, one cannot avoid the uninvited guests the pests. It is not only embarrassing but also speaks badly of a hotel where one sees rats, cockroaches, and lizards running around. Therefore, pest control is one of the primary responsibility of the housekeeping department. Key control is one of the major jobs of the housekeeping department. The room keys has to be handled efficiently and safely before and after letting the room. The Housekeeping Department is responsible for maintaining a peaceful atmosphere in the hotel. If the guests and staff always fear for their safety and the safety of their belongings, the atmosphere will be very tense. Hence the housekeeping department staff should be aware of ways to protect himself and others, especially the guests around him and the property of the hotel from accidents and theft. Several accidents could occur at the place of work. These include fire accidents, falls, wounds, injuries, negligence in handling electrical equipment e t c . It is important for all housekeeping personnel to know about first aid as they could be the first ones on the spot to give immediate attention to a guest and also an employee in trouble. Interior decoration is the art of creating a pleasant atmosphere in the living room with the addition of a complex of furnishings, art, and crafts, appropriately combined to achieve a planned result or design. These arts and crafts have to be well maintained by the housekeeping department. Decorating flowers is a creative and stimulating art which often carries a message or theme. Flowers and indoor plants add colour and beauty to a room. Good housekeeping department is just as responsible for the hotel's maintenance as an engineering department. In an ideal environment, t h e housekeeping staff and managers should act as the eyes and ears of the engineering department. If damaged or broken items are not reported, they can't be
6. Key Control
7. Safety and Security
8. Interior Decoration
9. Room Maintenance
fixed. Proper maintenance will make the perception of cleanliness easier to maintain and reduce guest complaints. 1.5 RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN HOUSEKEEPING AND OTHER DEPARTMENTS The Housekeeping Department should co-ordinate and ensure maximum co-operation with other departments to provide high quality service. To be successful, a well planned work schedule should be prepared so as to ensure minimum disruption to the guests and work flow of other departments. The senior housekeeper is responsible for ensuring this by supervising a group of staff or working closely with staff from other departments.
Hotel Housekeeping
Figure 1.1 Liaisoning of Housekeeping with Other Departments
1. Front Office Co-ordination with the Front Office is one of the crucial features of housekeeping operations. As soon as there are guest departures, t h e Front Office rings the Housekeeping Desk and reports the room numbers of vacated rooms so that Housekeeping can take them over to clean and prepare for sale. Once a room is clean, the Housekeeping Floor Supervisor rings the Front Office directly or through the Housekeeping Desk and hands over the room to front office for sale. Rooms received by Housekeeping for cleaning are called departure rooms while cleaned rooms handed over to the Front Office for sale are called Clear rooms. The promptness with which the above duty is performed enables the Front Office to have rooms ready to sell to a waiting customer. This is especially critical in hotels with high occupancies.
2. Personnel
Housekeeping co-ordinates with the Personnel Department for the recruitment of housekeeping staff, salary administration, indiscipline, grievance procedures, identity cards for staff, induction, transfers, promotions and exit formalities. The Purchase Department procures out-of-stock items for Housekeeping such as guest supplies kept in rooms, stationery, linen of various types, detergents, etc.
3. Purchase
4. Engineering The Housekeeping Department and the Engineering Department literally control about 90% of the energy consumed in a hotel. The two departments can create a synergetic effect to increase operational efficiency and better control of energy consumption. A close co-ordination is necessary with Engineering which actually carries out the task of fixing out-of-order furniture and fixtures. As Housekeeping personnel are constantly spread throughout the hotel, checking on various things, they originate maintenance orders for the Engineering Department to attend to. The maintenance orders could cover a number of duties such as fused bulbs, broken furniture, plumbing not functioning in guest rooms or public bathrooms, air-conditioning not working, broken fixtures, etc. To be able to clear a room for sale to the Front Office, it is necessary that all malfunctioning items in a guest room are attended to promptly by Engineering. Hence close co-ordination / co-operation is necessary. Housekeeping would also hand over rooms to Engineering for major repairs or renovation. The latest trend among both large and small hotels is to have one manager in charge of both engineering and housekeeping. 5. Laundry This is a department that can enhance the quality of housekeeping services. The responsibility of laundry to housekeeping is two-fold: To wash and dry clean linen and staff uniforms to a very high standard of cleanliness. To supply clean uniforms and linen to Housekeeping on time.
Housekeeping has to ensure that clean linen is issued to guest rooms, restaurants, health clubs, etc. as this directly reflects the quality and image of the establishment. If these are not received on time from the laundry, rooms would not be ready or restaurants would not open, etc. The co-
ordination becomes crucial in view of the large volume of linen and uniforms that is involved. 6. Food and Beverage The restaurants and banquets constantly require clean table clothes, napkins, etc. Their staff, as well as those in the kitchen, require clean uniforms- the former because they are in guest contact and the latter due to strict standards of hygiene required in the kitchens by most governments. The guest room is the most private place and a hotel goes to great lengths to ensure guest privacy and security. However, a guest can take advantage of this privacy by gambling, smuggling, etc. Housekeeping has to be alert to these goings-on, and seek the security departments intervention, if necessary. Larger hotels have a House-keeping Store that stocks housekeeping linen and supplies independently. Smaller hotels may stock them in the general store except for linen which should be issued to the housekeeping department. The co-ordination with the stores would ensure the availability of day-to-day requirements for housekeeping.
Hotel Housekeeping
7. Security
8. Stores
1.6 TYPES OF ROOMS The size and furnishing of a room solely depends on the type of the hotel and the classification of rooms. 1. Single Room A single room has a single bed for single occupancy. It is a standard room having a dressing-cum-writing table. It is a room with one double bed meant for two people. It is a standard room having a dressing-cum-writing table. This room is well furnished, carpeted a n d more suitable for single persons and small families. Deluxe Rooms are available with Single and Double beds. A room with two single beds meant for two people having only one bedside table between the two beds.
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2. Double Room
3. Deluxe Room
4. Twin Room
5. Hollywood Twin
It is a room with two single beds and one single headboard meant for two people. When need arises, the two beds can be bridged together to make it appear as a double room. The studio room is the room for the guest with option of self catering. It has a queen size bed, air conditioning, fan and screens. There is also a dining area and a seating area. A suite in a hotel mostly denotes a class of luxury rooms. Suites offer more space and furniture than a basic hotel room. In addition to the standard bed and bedroom fixtures, a suite will typically add a living room, usually with a couch that folds into a bed. Dining, office and kitchen facilities are also added in some suites. Many large hotels have one or more "honeymoon suites", and sometimes the best room is called the "presidential suite". Some hotels now offer only regular suites. Regular suites are particularly aimed at business travelers who would both appreciate additional space and may use it to host small meetings or entertain guests. A penthouse suite i s mostly on the highest f l o o r s o f hotel building. Penthouses are typically differentiated from other rooms b y luxury features. A penthouse suite may also provide occupants with private access to the roof space above the suit, instead of or in addition to terrace space created by an adjacent sitback. A parlour is a room equipped and furnished for a special function or business. It is generally a lavishly decorated room with more facilities like bar, pantry, massage. Usually the room is sold on hourly basis. It is larger bedroom with a sitting area provided with chairs and usually sofa. There is a dressing table as well as a writing table. A set of rooms not on the same level but it is connected by an internal staircase. Generally, the parlour is at the lower level and the bedrooms are at the upper level.
6. Studio
7. Suite
8. Penthouse Suite
9. Parlour
10. Executive Room 11. Duplex Room
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12. Interconnected Two rooms adjacent to each other having an Rooms interconnecting door allowing entry from one room to another, without having to go through the corridor. The interconnecting doors can be opened or locked as per the guests choice.
13. Efficiency Room 14. Cabana
It is a room with some kitchen facilities found in motels and residential hotels. Cabana is generally a shelter on a beach or at a swimming pool used as a bathhouse. But now some hotels provide cabana with contemporary beauty, comfort, protection and privacy with all basic facilities alongside the swimming pool, on the beach, in the garden and in any lounging area to individual guests for occupation. The rent for cabana is usually less as they would not have luxurious dcor. Sico room is a smart solution to space efficiency. Sico rooms usually have special beds which can be folded according to the guests need. Guests get a meeting room by day and a sleeping room by night, with the comfort of a real mattress. With most meetings today consisting of ten people or less, Sico rooms offer the flexibility to accommodate small meetings without tying up large meeting rooms.
Hotel Housekeeping
15. Sico
Figure 1.2 Types of Rooms
1.7 GUEST ROOM SUPPLIES Hotels provide guest with various amenities during their stay. The items supplied vary from hotel to hotel. It solely depends on the category of the hotel. The following are supplied to the guest for their pleasant stay:
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Bath towel Slippers Bath Gels Dental Kits Shoe Shines Cotton Balls Loofah Clothes Brushes Racks Shoe baskets Hangers Gargle Tumblers Water tumblers Do Not Disturb cards Breakfast knob cards Polish my shoe card
Face towel Soaps/ Soap dish Bath Lotions Shaving Kits Shoe Mitts Sanitary Bags Bathrobes Carry Bags Garbage Barrels Rattan Baskets Swizzle Sticks Toilet Rolls Service directory Bible / Gita Room service menu Room beverage menu
Hand towel Shampoos Shower Caps Sewing Kits Combs Cotton buds Nail files Shoe Horns Tissue Boxes Pallets Umbrellas Fruit Sticks Guest stationery Ash tray Match Box/ Lighter Guest house rules
Figure 1.3 Guest Room Supplies
CHECK YOUR PROGRESS 1. What is the role of housekeeping department? 2. List out the important functions of housekeeping. 3. Mention the names of the various types of rooms available in a hotel?
1.8 LET US SUM UP This lesson, gives a brief introduction to the housekeeping department in hotels. The housekeeping is the department of a hotel charged with cleaning and maintaining rooms and public spaces. The housekeeping department is responsible for the daily cleaning of public rooms (lobbies, corridors, meeting rooms), private bedrooms
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and public washrooms. In addition, it handles the laundering of linens and in some instances, guest laundry as well. For a pleasant stay, guest expects Comfort, Cleanliness and Hygiene, Privacy, Safety and Security and Dcor. Housekeeping department holds the responsibility of cleaning, maintenance and efficient upkeep of the hotel. The main functions of housekeeping is overall cleanliness, bed making, ensuring maintenance of the building and its infrastructure, laundry, linen management, key control, pest control, safety and security of the guests as well as the infrastructure and interior decoration. The housekeeping department sho u l d c o-ordinate and ensure maximum co-operation with other departments to provide high quality service. The various types of rooms, their classification and the guest room supplies are also discussed in this lesson. 1.9 LESSON END ACTIVITY 1. Visit two different categories of hotels and make a note of the following: Activity Number of rooms Types of rooms Guest room supplies 1.10 KEY WORDS Lobbies Dcor Upholstery Napkins A lobby is a room in a building which is used for entry from the outside. A stage setting; scenery. Fabric, stuffing, and other materials used in upholstering A piece of cloth or absorbent paper used at table to protect the clothes or wipe the lips and fingers. A cloth or towel. Working together toward a common end. Rooms vacated or checked out by guests Cleaned rooms by house keeping ready for sale. Shelter in the beach or swimming pool used as a bath house. Room with foldable bed which doubles as a meeting room in the day and bed room in the night. Economy Hotel Luxury Hotel
Hotel Housekeeping
Synergetic Departure rooms Clear rooms Cabana Sico room
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1.11 QUESTIONS FOR DISCUSSION 1. 2. 3. Write short notes about the importance of house keeping. Enumerate the functions of housekeeping department. List out various departments the housekeeping department coordinates with. CHECK YOUR PROGRESS - ANSWER 1. 2. The housekeeping department of a hotel is responsible for cleaning and maintaining rooms and public spaces. Cleaning rooms and public area bed making, linen management, laundry services, pest control, key control, safety and security, interior decoration and room maintenance. Single room, double room, deluxe room, twin room, Hollywood room, studio, suite, penthouse suite, parlour, duplex room, interconnected rooms, executive room, efficient room, cabana, sico, etc.
3.
1.12 REFERENCES 1. Martin Robert J (1998), Professional Management of Housekeeping Operations, John Wiley & Sons New York. 2. Andrews Sudhir (1985), Hotel Housekeeping Training Manual, Tata Mc Graw-Hill Publishing Co. Ltd. 3. Rosemary Hurst (1971), Housekeeping Management for Hotels and Residential Establishments, William Heinemann.
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LESSON 2 CLEANING AGENTS AND EQUIPMENTS

CONTENTS
2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 Aims and Objectives Introduction Cleaning Agents Types of Cleaning Agents 2.3.1 Solvents 2.3.2 Detergents & Soaps 2.3.3 Abrasives 2.3.4 Liquid Cleaning Agents 2.3.5 Washing Soda 2.3.6 Soda-Bars, Powders and Flakes 2.3.7 Window Cleansers 2.3.8 Acids and Alkali 2.3.9 Absorbents 2.3.10 Paraffin Oil 2.3.11 Polishes 2.3.12 Disinfectants, Antiseptics & Deodorants Selection of Cleaning Agents Cleaning Equipments Manual Cleaning Equipments 2.6.1 Brushes 2.6.2 Mops 2.6.3 Broom 2.6.4 Melamine Foam 2.6.5 Squeegees 2.6.6 Cloths 2.6.7 Carpet Sweeper 2.6.8 Spray Bottle Mechanical Cleaning Equipments 2.7.1 Vacuum Cleaners 2.7.2 Scrubbing / Polishing Machines 2.7.3 Hot Water Extraction Selection of Equipments Rules for Storage of Equipments Let Us Sum Up Lesson End Activity Key Words Questions for Discussion References
2.4 2.5 2.6
2.7
2.8 2.9 2.10 2.11 2.12 2.13 2.14
2.0 AIMS AND OBJECTIVES At the end of this lesson, students should be able to demonstrate appropriate skills, and show an understanding of the following: Cleaning agents and Cleaning equipments.
2.1 INTRODUCTION The proverbial godliness attached to cleanliness is one of the basic criteria for a satisfied guest to return to a hotel. A professional and well-run housekeeping department is key to running a successful hotel operation. Cleanliness is important for many reasons, not the least of which is the impact it has on guests, as well as keeping long term maintenance costs down. The housekeeping staffs have the most direct contact with the guests' rooms and therefore, are the key to ensuring that the guests have a comfortable and pleasant stay. The importance and influence of the housekeeping department in developing repeat clientele cannot be overemphasised. Cleanliness, safety and security are three of the highest requirements of the travelling public. T he various cleaning agents, cleaning equipments and cleaning procedures are discussed in this lesson. 2.2 CLEANING AGENTS Cleaning Agents are substances, usually in liquid form, that are used to remove dirt, including dusts, stains, bad smells and clutter in solid surfaces. Purposes of using cleaning agents include health, beauty, elimination of offensive odor, and to avoid the spreading of dirt and contaminants to oneself and others. Some cleaning agents can kill bacteria & other microbes and clean at the same time. Cleanliness is a basic need that a hotel must fulfill and industrial cleaning agents are often the easiest, most efficient and economical option available. 2.3 TYPES OF CLEANING AGENTS Various types of cleaning agents are used for cleaning the guest rooms, bathroom, toilets and other public areas. Typical cleaning agents include aqueous and semi-aqueous cleaning agents, solvents, acids, alkalis and abrasives. The different types of cleaning agents used are discussed below:
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Cleaning Agents and Equipments
2.3.1 Solvents A solvent is a liquid that dissolves a solid or liquid solute, resulting in a solution. The most common solvent used in everyday life is water. It is the simplest cleaning agent and some forms of dirt will be dissolved by it, but normally unless it is used in conjunction with some other agent like detergent, water is not an effective cleaning agent. Precaution must be taken to change the water frequently when it gets dirty because it could leave a film of dirt instead of removing it. Warm water dissolves soap more readily than cold water; hence it must be used to remove dirty soap lather. Caution must be taken that the water is soft as most detergents are ineffective with hard water. Moreover, hard water does not wet the surface adequately which is a precondition for good cleaning action. 2.3.2 Detergents & Soaps Detergent is a compound, or a mixture of compounds, intended to assist cleaning. The term is sometimes used to differentiate between soap and other chemical surfactants used for cleaning purposes. Detergents and soaps are used for cleaning because pure water can't remove oily, organic soiling. Soap cleans by acting as an emulsifier. Basically, soap allows oil and water to mix so that oily grime can be removed during rinsing. Detergents are primarily surfactants ( E x a m p l e Tween 20), w h i c h are produced from petrochemicals. Surfactants lower the surface tension of water, essentially making it 'wetter' so that it is less likely to stick to itself and more likely to interact with oil and grease. Detergents are similar to soap, but they are less likely to form films (soap scum) and are not as affected by the presence of minerals in water (hard water). There are several factors that dictate what compositions of detergents should be used, including the material to be cleaned, the apparatus to be used, and tolerance for and type of dirt. 2.3.3 Abrasives Abrasive cleaners generally use some kind of grit to boost their cleaning ability, along with detergents, acids, alkalis and other compounds. Some are in powder form while others are suspensions of abrasive in liquid. The quartz or silica that constitutes the grit will easily scratch and / or damage softer surfaces such as laminate, fiberglass, stainless steel, etc. Even on very hard surfaces such as porcelain, use caution. Over time, abrasives will dull and scratch the surface. Abrasives can be classified as: Fine abrasive: includes whiting (filtered chalk), jewels rouge (a pink oxide of iron).
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Medium abrasive: includes scouring powders and paste. Scouring powders are made up of fine minerals generally lime stone or calcite mixed with soap or detergent and alkali to remove grease and little bleach. Hard abrasive: includes sand paper, steel wool etc. Other examples are glass, sand and emery papers, steel wool, nylon web, powdered pumice and fine ash. These are used as finely ground powder, example are scouring powders like Vim or liquid or cream form.
Abrasive cleaners will often work where others fail. Liquid abrasive cleaners are generally more expensive but are more convenient to use. 2.3.4 Liquid Cleaning Agents Liquid cleaning agents can be either diluted in a little water or used directly with a dry cloth. Ammonia is alkali which softens water and emulsifies grease. Methylated sprits are effective against grease stains. Paraffin is also grease solvent. Turpentine is a grease and paint solvent. Vinegar is a mild acid (acetic acid) unaffected by hard water and useful in removing light stains in baths. Hydrochloric acid is useful in removing stubborn stains in bathrooms but care must be taken in its use as it is damaging to the skin and destroys fabrics and light bathroom fittings. Carbon tetrachloride is also excellent grease solvent. Care must be exercised there, too, as the fumes are corrosive and harmful.
2.3.5 Washing Soda This agent is quite outdated due to the advent of domestic detergents like vim, etc. However, it is particularly useful for emulsifying grease on drain pipes, gutters or stone surfaces. In strong concentration, it could be an irritant and injurious to skin, fabrics brushes, wood and paint. Washing soda is useful as a water softener and it is a chlorinated compound. 2.3.6 Soda-bars, Powders and Flakes Nowadays soaps have been replaced by excellent synthetic soap less detergents which are unaffected by hard water. In this case rinsing is not important as these products suspend dirt and grit most effectively without leaving a smear. However, some housekeepers may not have access to these detergents and may have to rely on soaps.
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Powders and flakes are useful in getting instant lather but are expensive. When used, care should be taken that they are thoroughly dissolved. Being expensive, one should know exactly how much powder or flake is dissolved to get an optimum concentration for best results and also how long the resultant solution is effective. Good bar soaps are still most economical but much more strenuous to use than modern methods. They should be stored on open shelves in a dry store. 2.3.7 Window Cleansers
Window cleansers consist of water miscible solvent to which a small quantity of surfactant and possibly an alkali are added-to improve the polish effect of the cleanser. Some also contain fine abrasive. The cleanser is applied with a cleaning rag and rubbed off with a clean soft cloth. Cleansers can also be applied by spraying and the surface wiped clean. 2.3.8 Acids and Alkali The cleaning action is carried out by chemicals such as: Acid: Acids are used for the removal of metal stains. Vinegar and lemon are used for the removal of tarnish of copper and brass and of mild water stains on bath tubs, etc. More resistant water stains may be removed with stronger acids such as oxalic acid or hydrochloric acid. This should be only used under strict and experienced supervision so that too much is not used and is carefully applied. Alkali: Caustic soda, sodium hydroxide and ammonia are alkalis and are used as grease emulsifiers and stain removal agents. Strong alkaline cleaning agents based on caustic soda in flakes or in liquid form are available for the cleaning, of blocked drains, and other large industrial equipments. Extreme care is to be taken in their use as they are very strong and are highly corrosive.
2.3.9
Absorbents
These perform the cleaning action by absorbing the stain or grease e.g. starch, French chalk powders, and besan or gram flour. Their constituents vary and many are of vegetable origin. Unlike abrasives, they are not manufactured. 2.3.10 Paraffin Oil Paraffin is wax like or liquid hydrocarbon mixture used as solvent. It is also efficient for the cleaning of baths but owing to its smell it is seldom used. Organic solvents such as methylated spirit, white spirit (turpentine substitute) and carbon tetrachloride are grease solvents and are used for the removal of grease and wax from different surfaces. Aerosol dry cleansers are suitable for use on wallpapers.
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2.3.11 Polishes They do not necessarily clean but produce a shine by providing a smooth surface from which light is reflected evenly. They do this by smoothing out any unevenness on the surface of the articles. Polishes fall into three broad categories - spirit based, oil based and water based. Spirit based is used primarily for mirrors, window panes, etc. Oil based is used on wood, linoleum and synthetic floorings, leather, tiles, etc. Water based is used on sealed floors, rubber and thermoplastic floors. Polishes may be used only after dirt and dust has been removed from surfaces. It should be used in small quantities. Ensure that the correct type of polish is used with the correct method of polishing. Polishes come in three forms liquid, paste & cream. 2.3.12 Disinfectants, Antiseptics & Deodorants Disinfectants, antiseptics and deodorants are not strictly cleaning agents but are often used during cleaning operations. Disinfectants kill bacteria, antiseptics prevent bacterial growth and deodorants mask unpleasant smell by combining chemically with the particles producing the offensive smell. 2.4 SELECTION OF CLEANING AGENTS 1. 2. Mild cleaning agents are generally preferred for cleaning as they are less injurious. Strong chemicals and abrasives may be easy to clean and the surface would look better, but on the long run it may damage the surface. Cleaning agents have to be purchased in manageable containers as bulk purchases could cause congestion in stores. The containers must have reliable lids, corks as defective ones could result in wastage due to evaporation. Strong smelling agents like paraffin must be avoided due to the offensive smells they lend to the environment. Pollutant free / less polluting cleaning agents should be used to protect not only the hotel staff and guests but also people at large.
3.
4. 5.
2.5 CLEANING EQUIPMENTS To keep the hotel clean and hygienic, various equipments and supplies are used. No work can be done without proper equipment. It is important that the housekeeper makes a careful selection of equipment based on necessity and suitability for use in a hotel industry, appropriate design and required size, rugged construction and finish, ease and availability of maintenance, low initial and operating costs, on-the-job tested performance, safety,
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and overall efficiency. Supplies should also be studied, and basic procedures developed to use these supplies most effectively in maintaining desired standards of cleanliness. Housekeeping property is broadly classified as either equipment or supplies. Items classified as supplies are consumables, and equipment is reusable. Thus, floor machines, brooms, mops, vacuum machines, etc, are categorized as equipment, whereas cleaning agents are supplies. There are mainly two types of cleaning equipments, viz. (i) (ii) Manual cleaning equipments and Mechanical cleaning equipments.
2.6 MANUAL CLEANING EQUIPMENTS 2.6.1 Brushes The brushes are devices with bristles, wire or other filaments, used for cleaning. Brushes used for cleaning come in various sizes, such as very small brushes for cleaning a fine instrument, toothbrushes, the household version that usually comes with a dustpan, or the broomstick. Hallbrooms are even larger and are used for cleaning large areas. Cleaning brushes also include brushes for cleaning the toilet, washing glass, finishing tiles, and sanding doors. There are mainly three types of brushes: Hard brush: have bristles that are stiff and well spaced. These are most suitable for removal of litter. Example: upholstery brush, carpet brush etc. Soft brush: have bristles that are flexible and set close together. They can be used to remove loose soil and litter. Example: tooth brush, feather brush, shoe brush, coat brush etc. Scrubbing brush: can be used to remove heavy soiling from small areas or by the use of mechanical scrubbing machines, if possible. Example: deck scrubber, clubshaped / hockey stick shaped toilet brush, etc.
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Figure 2.1 Brushes
2.6.2
Mops
A mop is a tool generally used for cleaning floors, although when possible it is also used for cleaning other surfaces, for example tiled walls, to avoid unhygienic working conditions. The following are the different types of mops. 1. Dry mop, dust mop A dry mop or dust mop is designed to pick up dry, loose contamination like dust, earth and sand from the floor surface. It consists of yarn and / or microfibre and is used as a first step in cleaning a floor. Dry mops can be similar to the yarn wet mop, but with wider eyes and shorter hairs than wet mops. Professional dry mops consists of a flat sheet of micro fibre textile or sheets with a surface of looped yarn, usually about 15 cm wide, and comes in variable lengths (usually 30 to 100 cm). The professional type is intended for fastening on long handle with a flat pad with the aid of velcro or a pouch on the mop, in which the pad on the handle fits. The dry mop can in many instances replace a broom and has the ability to hold a limited amount of dust or sand within itself. Ideally, it should be machine washed when it becomes saturated with dust. 2. Wet mop, moist mop A wet mop or moist mop is, in professional cleaning, used as a second step in the cleaning of a surface. The wet mop is swept over the surface to dissolve and absorb fat, mud and dried-in liquid contaminations. In daily usage, a mop is usually equal to a yarn mop. The mop (eye) consists of thick strings of long yarn (about 25 cm) or, in newer models, soft strands of water-absorbing fabric. A yarn mop is usually mounted on a long (about 1.5 m) handle with a ganged end on which the mop can be fastened by turning it clockwise. To clean a floor, the mop is soaked in a bucket of water, usually mixed with a cleaning solution and swept against the surface. Some buckets include a wringer to strain excess water from the mop, so as not to saturate the floor and as not to leave excessive water on the floor. Leaving too much water on the floor will usually result in dust collection and thus result in a less clean floor. Yarn mops are also often used to clean up liquid spills. In professional cleaning, mops are often preimpregnated with an ideal amount of liquid. This
3. Yarn mop
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4. Mop for premoistening
ideal amount is often recommended by the manufacturer in terms of weight percent of water per dry weight mop, (175% water). Mops for pre-moistening are flat sheets of (often micro fibre) textile, usually about 15 cm wide, and comes in variable lengths (usually 30 to 100 cm). Mops for pre-moistening is fastened on a long handle with a flat pad with the aid of velcro or a pouch on the mop, in which the pad on the handle fits. 5. Premoistening Pre-moistening can be done with a special washing machine or by hand by simply folding and packing the mops tight in a container and pouring the measured amount of water over them. The mops will then need about 5 to 10 min for the liquid to distribute evenly in their tissue before use. Advantages with premoistening are: The cleaner does not have to have a bucket of water with him / her when cleaning the floor, but simply carries an appropriate amount of mops. The risk of over-wetting the floor and leaving pools of water which collects dust is eliminated if the wetting is ideal.
6. Hot mop
Wet mop is also called the hot mop, which works on a similar concept to a steam iron. After adding water, it is heated to make the water exude on top of a floor, which can then be cleaned without using a cleaning solvent. These can work best on surfaces where a regular mop would also be used, such as floors, hearths, and laminates.
Figure 2.2 Mops
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2.6.3
Broom
A broom is a cleaning tool consisting of stiff fibres attached to, and roughly parallel to, a cylindrical handle, the broomstick. A smaller whisk broom or brush is sometimes called a duster.
Figure 2.3 Brooms
2.6.4 Melamine Foam Melamine foam is a foam-like material consisting of a formaldehyde-melamine-sodium bisulfate copolymer. The foam, because of its microporous properties, may remove otherwise "uncleanable" external markings from relatively smooth surfaces. For example, it can remove crayon, magic marker, and grease from painted walls, wood finishings, and grime from hub caps. 2.6.5 Squeegees A squeegee is a cleaning tool with a flat, smooth and thick rubber blade, used to remove or control the flow of liquid on a flat surface. It is used for cleaning floors and small thin and flexible squeegee is used for cleaning windows.
Figure 2.4 Squeegee 24
2.6.6 Cloths 1. Floor cloths It is a yarn fabric usually made from loosely spun yarn. They are used for removal of spillages from the floor These are cloths used for wet cleaning of surfaces above floor level. It is a loosely woven linen cloth which is absorbent and does not leave stains. They are suitable for cleaning glazed area. This old discarded linen are obtained from the linen room and used for the purpose of general cleaning. They are discarded when heavily soiled. These are thin cotton sheets used to cover furniture especially during special/ spring cleaning. They are also old discarded linen obtained from linen room. It is a sort of cheap stuff, very thin and narrow, usually made of wool, or half wool and half silk or linen; it may have been corded or plain. They are used for rugs, tablecloths, carpet square to protect the floor during bad weather and during redecoration.
2. Wipes and swabs 3. Scrim
4. Rags / disposable cloths 5. Dust sheets
6. Drugget
7. Hearth and These are thick fabric cloths placed under the bucket cloths buckets to prevent marking of the floor/ surface. 8. Chamois leather 2.6.7 It is a skin of chamois goat. They are used for cleaning windows and mirrors.
Carpet Sweeper
Carpet sweeper is a mechanical device for the cleaning of carpets in place. They were popular before the introduction o f vacuum cleaners and have been largely superseded by them. However, some restaurants continue to use them (as they are lightweight and very quiet, enabling the wait staff to quickly clean crumbs up from the floor without disturbing other diners. A carpet sweeper typically consists of a small box. The base of the box has rollers and brushes, connected by a belt or gears. There is also a container for dirt. The arrangement is such that when pushed along a floor the rollers turn and force the brushes to rotate. The brushes sweep dirt and dust from the floor and deposit the particles into the container.
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Figure 2.5 Carpet Sweeper
Carpet sweepers would frequently have a height adjustment that enabled them to work on different lengths of carpet, or carpetless floors. The sweeper would usually have a long handle so that it could be pushed without bending over. 2.6.8 Spray Bottle A Spray Bottle is a bottle that can squirt, spray or mist fluids. A common use for spray bottles is dispensing cleaners and chemical formulation through a fine nozzle for cleaning.
Figure 2.6 Spray Bottle
2.7 MECHANICAL CLEANING EQUIPMENTS 2.7.1 Vacuum Cleaners A vacuum cleaner uses an air pump to create a partial vacuum to suck up dust and dirt, usually from floors. Most hotels with carpeted floors possess a vacuum cleaner for cleaning. The dirt is collected by a filtering system or a cyclone for later disposal. Vacuum cleaners come in variety of models owing to their usage: 1. Upright vacuum cleaners take the form of a cleaning head, onto which a handle and bag are attached. Upright designs usually employ a rotating brush-roll, which removes dirt through a combination of sweeping and vibration. There are two types of upright vacuums; dirty-fan / direct air, or clean-fan / indirect air.
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2.
Canister (or cylinder) designs have the motor and bag in a separate canister unit (usually mounted on wheels) connected to the vacuum head by a flexible hose. Although upright units have been shown to be more effective (mainly because of the beaters), the lighter, more maneuverable heads of canister models are popular. Some upmarket canister models have "power heads", which contain the same sort of mechanical beaters as in upright units, such beaters are driven by a separate electric motor. Wet vacs or wet / dry vacuums - a specialized form of the canister vacuum - can be used to clean up wet or liquid spills. They commonly can accommodate both wet and dry soilage. Some are also equipped with a switch or exhaust port for reversing the airflow, a useful function for everything from clearing a clogged hose to blowing dust into a corner for easy collection. Back-pack vacs are commonly used for commercial cleaning: They allow the user to move rapidly about a large area. They are essentially canister vacuum cleaners, except that straps are used to carry the canister unit on the user's back.
3.
4.
Figure 2.7 Vacuum Cleaners
5.
Built-in or central vacuum cleaners move the suction motor and bag to a central location in the building and provide vacuum inlets at strategic places throughout the building: only the hose and pickup head need be carried from room to room. Plastic piping connects the vacuum outlets to the central unit. The vacuum head may either be unpowered or have beaters operated by an electric motor or air-driven motor. The dirt bag in a central vacuum system is usually so large that emptying or changing needs to be done less often. Since this central unit is usually located outside the living area, no dust is recirculated back into the room being cleaned. In addition, because of the remote location of the motor unit, there is less noise in the room being cleaned than with a standard vacuum cleaner. Robotic vacuum cleaners move autonomously, usually in a mostly chaotic pattern ('random bounce'). Some come back to a docking station to charge their batteries, and a few are able to empty their dust containers into the dock as well.
6.
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7. 8.
Small hand-held vacuum cleaners, either battery-operated or mains powered, are also popular for cleaning up smaller spills. Drum vacuums are used in industrial applications. With such a configuration, a vacuum "head" sits atop of an industrial drum, using it as the waste or recovery container. Electric and Compressed Air powered models are common. Compressed air vacuums utilize the venturi effect.
Most vacuum cleaners are supplied with various specialized attachments, tools, brushes and extension wands to allow them to reach otherwise inaccessible places or to be used for cleaning a variety of surfaces. 2.7.2 Scrubbing / Polishing Machines
Scrubbing/ Polishing Machines consist of one large or several small brushes which revolve and scrub the floor while water and detergent are released from a tank attached to a machine. With suitable brushes this versatile machine can be used for shampooing carpets, polishing, spray buffing, spray cleaning or polishing floors.
Figure 2.8 Scrubbing / Polishing Machines
2.7.3
Hot Water Extraction
Hot water extraction also known "steam cleaning" is the method of deep rinse cleaning of the entire carpet. But actual live steam (vapour created at boiling point of water) is not employed in the cleaning process. Hot water extraction is a deep cleaning process that removes embedded soils that have been carried or blown over the carpet. A hot water extraction machine, whether portable or truck mounted, has a pump which dispenses water, under pressure, through spray nozzles into the carpet and a high powered vacuum system that sucks the dirty water into a holding tank within the extraction machine. This system includes a three step process: 1. Pre-spray carpeted area with a detergent that is not too strong (or too alkaline). They may damage the carpet.
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2.
Agitate with a power scrubber which utilizes a rotary brush to loosen soils. This will not only loosen soils but help cleaning agents penetrate into carpet fibers to deep clean the entire carpet fiber. A complete rinse with softened hot water is used. The clean, softened, hot water is sprayed onto the carpet fibers through spray nozzles. The spray rinses all added chemicals, cleaners, and dirt into an attached high powered vacuum shoe that sucks the dirty solution back into a holding tank on the extraction unit. The removed soil is held in the tank until it may be disposed of later in a sanitary drain, toilet, or proper waste facility. Solutions should not be dumped onto the ground outside, in storm sewers, or in the streets.
3.
Figure 2.9 Hot Water Extraction Machines
2.8 SELECTION OF EQUIPMENTS As equipments are expensive, their selection is of utmost importance. The correct choice and quality of equipment could save costs due to break-downs, reduce fatigue and thereby demands on labor as also ensure efficiency in overall operations. In determining the purchase of equipments, the following need to be kept in mind. 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. Quality of equipments by usage history in other organizations. Reliability of supplier to meet time deadlines. Transportation replacements. on time to replenish stocks/
Equipments should be light, well balanced and easy to manipulate. Availability of future stocks. Sturdiness in terms of usage. Cost factors.
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2.9 RULES FOR STORAGE OF EQUIPMENTS 1. The store should be dry and well ventilated as dampness causes rust of metal parts or mildew leading to deterioration of equipments. The store should provide enough space for easy access to shelves and to facilitate proper cleaning. There should be adequate racks and cupboards properly labeled for easy identification. Stock records should be maintained showing: Date of purchase Kind of stock and quantity Name of supplier Cost per unit Date of issue into service Remarks on suitability and durability Certain rules must be maintained for the issue of stocks: A definite time should be specified for issue Issue should be done strictly against worn out equipment. Equipment should be clearly marked as to the floor or public area. Storage rooms should be subject to regular inspection. Expensive equipments like vacuum cleaners should be covered with polythene sheets and kept air-tight. CHECK YOUR PROGRESS 1. What are the types of commonly used cleaning agents? Name them. 2. What are the two types of cleaning equipments? 3. What are the types of brushes in use for cleaning? 4. Write a short account on various types of brushes in use for cleaning. 5. What are the three important expectations of guests in a hotel?
2. 3. 4.
5.
6. 7.
2.10 LET US SUM UP Cleaning Agents are substances, usually in liquid form, that are used to remove dirt, including dust, stains, bad smells and clutter in solid surfaces. Purposes of using cleaning agents include health, beauty, elimination of offensive odor, and to avoid the spreading of dirt and contaminants to oneself and others. Some cleaning agents can kill bacteria and clean at the same time. Various types of cleaning agents are used for cleaning the guest rooms, bathroom, toilets and other public areas. The different types of cleaning agents are: solvent, d etergents and soaps,
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abrasive (fine abrasive, medium abrasive and hard abrasive), liquid cleaning agents, washing soda, soda-bars, powders and flakes, window cleansers, acids and alkali, absorbents, paraffin oil, polishes, disinfectants, antiseptics and deodorants. To keep the hotel clean and hygienic various equipments are used. There are mainly two types of cleaning equipments, viz. manual cleaning equipments and mechanical cleaning equipments. Manual cleaning equipments include brushes, (hard brush, soft brush, and scrubbing brush), mops (dry mop, dust mop, wet mop, moist mop, yarn mop, mop for pre-moistening, pre-moistening mop, hot mop), broom, melamine foam, squeegees, cloths (floor cloths, wipes and swabs, chamois leather, scrim, rags / disposable cloths, dust sheets, drugget, hearth and bucket cloths), carpet sweeper, spray bottle, etc. Mechanical cleaning equipments include vacuum cleaners, scrubbing / polishing machines, hot water extraction, etc. The correct choice and quality of equipment could save costs, reduce fatigue and ensure efficiency in overall operations. Proper storage of equipments help increasing the life of the equipments. 2.11 LESSON END ACTIVITY 1. Visit a departmental store nearby and study the various items of cleaning equipments available and their use. 2. Visit the nearby hotels and study their array of cleaning equipment available and how they are used. 2.12 KEY WORDS Solvent Abrasive Liquid that dissolves a solute resulting in a solution Grit material from materials such as quartz or sand or pumice. Abrasives may be fine, medium or hard.
Absorbents Materials that absorb stain or grease. Eg. starch, French chalk powder, gram flour, etc. Melamine Foam like materials made of formaldehyde melamine and sodium bisulphate co-polymer, used as a cleaning agents. Cleaning tool made of flat, smooth and thick rubber blade.
Squeezes
2.13 QUESTIONS FOR DISCUSSION 1. 2. 3. 4. Prepare a report recommending types of equipments and cleaning agents to be bought for the hotel you are working with. What are cleaning agents? Explain any five in detail. Enumerate the selection procedure for cleaning agents. Explain in detail about the cleaning equipments.
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5. 6. 7.
G i v e a brief description about the mechanical cleaning equipments. What are the points that need to be kept in mind while selecting cleaning equipments? List the rules that need to be adopted while storing the cleaning equipments. CHECK YOUR PROGRESS - ANSWER
1.
The different types of cleaning agents used are: solvent, detergents and soaps, abrasives (fine, medium and hard), liquid cleaning agents, washing soda, soda-bars, powders and flakes, window cleansers, acids and alkali, absorbents, paraffin oil, polishes, disinfectants, antiseptics and deodorants. The two types of cleaning equipments are: i) manual cleaning equipments and ii) mechanical cleaning equipments. There are three types of brushes: i) Hard brush, ii) Soft brush and iii) Scrubbing brush. Hard brush: have bristles that are stiff and well spaced. These are most suitable for removal of litter. Example: upholstery brush, carpet brush etc. Soft brush: have bristles that are flexible and set close together. They can be used to remove loose soil and litter. Example: tooth brush, feather brush, shoe brush, coat brush etc. Scrubbing brush: can be used to remove heavy soiling from small areas or by the use of mechanical scrubbing machines, if possible. Example: deck scrubber, club-shaped / hockey stick shaped toilet brush, etc. Cleanliness, safety and security.
2.
3.
4.
5.
2.14 REFERENCES 1. W. Winter, Doris Hatfield, H. Hatfield (1989), The Professional Housekeeping, Hyperion Books. 2. Martin Robert J (1998), Professional Management of Housekeeping Operations, John Wiley & Sons New York. 3. Andrews Sudhir (1985), Hotel Housekeeping Training Manual, Tata Mc Graw-Hill Publishing Co. Ltd. 4. Joan C. & Lennox, Margaret Branson ( 1 9 6 9 ) , Hotel Housekeeping Principles and Practice, Edward Arnold,
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LESSON 3 CLEANING A GUEST ROOM

CONTENTS
3.0 3.1 3.2 Aims and Objectives Introduction Daily Cleaning of Occupied Rooms 3.2.1 Procedure for Entering a Guest Room 3.2.2 Procedure for Cleaning a Guest Room 3.2.3 Procedure for Cleaning Bathroom 3.2.4 Points to be Considered While Cleaning Second Service Evening / Turn Down Service Cleaning a Checked Out Room Daily Cleaning a Vacant Room Dirty Dozen Spring Cleaning Chamber Maids Trolley Let Us Sum Up Lesson End Activity Key Words Questions for Discussion References
3.3 3.4 3.5 3.6 3.7 3.8 3.9 3.10 3.11 3.12 3.13 3.14
3.0 AIMS AND OBJECTIVES At the end of this lesson, students should be able to demonstrate appropriate skills, and show an understanding of the following: Cleaning an occupied, checked out and vacant room Spring cleaning Chamber Maids trolley.
3.1 INTRODUCTION A hotel should create a Home away from Home atmosphere. This can only be achieved by maintaining the cleanliness and hygiene of the guest room. Rooms must be cleaned and serviced each day. All rooms should present a fresh, pleasing appearance and provide comfortable conditions for those using them. Daily maintenance removes dirt, accumulation of which is dangerous for health as it forms breeding ground for germs. Day to day care encourages high standard of work. It allows the time allocated for special cleaning to be spent out to full advantage to keep the rooms spic and span.
A guest room has to be cleaned in various circumstances such as cleaning an occupied room, cleaning a checked out room, and cleaning a vacant room. The housekeeping staffs should have skill, politeness and patience to handle all such cleaning situations. 3.2 DAILY CLEANING OF OCCUPIED ROOMS Care has to be taken while cleaning an occupied room. Because all guests are not the same. Most of the guest would expect certain discipline from the housekeeping staffs. And, therefore, the housekeeping staffs are trained to handle the guests as well the guest rooms properly. 3.2.1 Procedure for Entering a Guest Room 1) Before starting the cleaning, the room attendant should see the status of all the rooms from the lot of rooms allocated to him. The room attendant can prioritize rooms to be attended to first on the basis of immediate needs; 'clean my rooms', and finally other occupied rooms. For occupied rooms, look whether the room has a 'do not disturb' card on the door knob. If it does, then go to the room which does not. Knock at the door firmly with the index finger knuckle announcing clearly 'housekeeping'. When there is no answer, repeat the knock after 10 seconds announcing you as before. If there is, still no answer; open the door with the floor master key. Push the door again; knock announcing inside the room 'housekeeping'. When there is no reply and one is relatively sure that there is no one in, open the door wide and keep it that way till the entire cleaning cycle in the room is completed.
2)
3)
4)
5)
6)
3.2.2
Procedure for Cleaning a Guest Room 1) 2) Switch off the room air-conditioner or heating. Draw all curtains and open the windows for airing the room. Remove soiled linen from beds and bath. Shake out the linen to ensure that no guest articles are lost in the folds of the linen. Put the soiled linen in the linen hamper/ laundry bag provided on the chamber maid's trolley. Check for maintenance requirements and report the same to the control desk and enter in the room check list. Contact room service to remove used "trays and glasses.
3) 4)
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5)
Turn the mattress side-to-side on succeeding days followed by end-to-end turning. Smooth out the mattress and air it. If vacuum cleaning is not available, brush the carpet first to enable the dust to settle while doing the next task. Empty all ashtrays and waste paper baskets. Pick up guest clothes and hang in the closet or place in the wardrobe. Clean the bathroom and replenish all the required supplies.
Cleaning a Guest Room
6) 7) 8) 9)
10) Collect all loose articles and magazines and other guest papers and stack them neatly on the writing table. 11) Clean all surfaces in single circular motions with a dry cloth. Use a hand dust pan to collect any unwanted matter on the surfaces without lifting dust in the air. Ensure that all surfaces are spotlessly clean. Pay special attention to nooks and corners especially those points that may not obviously be visible to the guest eye. 12) Use a stiff upholstery brush or vacuum cleaner on upholstered furniture arms, back and seats. 13) Replace, if necessary, stationery as prescribed by the management. The number of items must exactly be as per standard. 14) Dust and replace each item on the dresser, bureaus and desks. Special attention must be given to the display of publicity material as prescribed by the management. 15) Clean lamp shades with a clean dry duster. Lift lamps and clean under the base. Replace lamp if damaged and adjust the shade. 16) Disinfect the telephone in the room and the bathroom with Dettol. Wipe balance of the telephone with a damp cloth. Then check phone for the dial tone. 17) Clean mirrors with a dry cloth first and then with a damp newspaper to make it sparkling. 18) Dust closet, shelves, hangers and rods. Brush the closet floor. Supply new laundry bags and replace the missing hangers. Replace drawers / shelves with paper liners, if required. 19) Dust both the sides of the room doors, head board, window sills, inside and outside of the window rails, top of the radiators and air-conditioning units. 20) Close the windows. 21) If vacuum cleaner is available then vacuuming of carpet should be done at this stage, instead of brushing the carpet as mentioned earlier. 22) Arrange furniture properly, if necessary.
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23) Switch on the air-conditioning or heating on the minimum temperature for a departure room or at the same temperature the guest has left for an occupied room. 24) Have a last look at the room referring to the check list for completion of work and exit the room closing the door behind. 3.2.3 Procedure for Cleaning Bathroom 1) Cleaning activity starts from the ceiling downwards to the floor. Floors are cleaned from the wall farthest to the door to the exit. Open all windows and exhaust vents. Shake out all soiled bathroom linen, e.g. towels, bathmat, etc and deposit in the linen hamper / laundry bag provided on the chamber maid's trolley. Collect the trash from all the ashtrays, sanitary bins, and waste paper basket and deposit it into the garbage bag provided on the chamber maid's trolley. Clean the ceiling and air-conditioning vents for cobwebs Wipe off light bulbs and shades with a dry cloth. Wash the bathtub and surrounding tiles and wipe dry. Wipe the shower curtain from both sides with a wet sponge and ensure that all are free from any water marks. Clean the mirror, (with a dry cloth then wipe using a wet folded newspaper and then again with a dry cloth). Scrub dry the areas surrounding the wash basin and the counter.
2) 3)
4)
5) 6) 7)
8) 9)
10) Scrub the toilet bowl and bidet using the special brush / Johnny mop. Ensure that it is dry and spotless inside. Clean the seat, lid and the outside of the toilet bowl and put a disinfectant solution inside. 3.2.4 Points to be Considered While Cleaning 1) The room attendant must follow the method of work that will cause least disturbance to the guest occupying that room. Must plan his work so that systematic method is followed. Should work at a good speed. Should work efficiently and clean more areas at a time.
2) 3) 4)
3.3 SECOND SERVICE Second service is normally carried out in an occupied room at any time in a day if the guest requests to clean the room again. Only light cleaning is done in such cases. Sometimes, guest has a
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meeting or a get together functions etc. in the room and he wants his room to be cleaned after the so-called function is over. The second service method is as follows: 1) 2) 3) 4) 5) 6) 7) 8) 9) Remove empty bottles and other room service equipment from the room. Pick rubbish from the floor. Arrange the furniture as required. Dust the room where ever necessary. Check the bathroom floor, make it dry, if needed. Flush the toilet bowl and dry the area around the sink. Use air freshener, if required. Replace toilet soap, paper & linen, if necessary. Replenish room stationary, if necessary. Replace water tumblers and refill the water flask with fresh water, if necessary.
3.4 EVENING / TURN DOWN SERVICE In hotels, normally the bulk of room cleaning should have been done in the morning shift. The exception would be rooms 'with the 'do not disturb' sign. Some rooms are occupied by late night / early morning arrivals by international flights. All rooms therefore require an evening service which mostly, involves preparing the room for the guest to sleep comfortable for the night and it should be done prior to the guest retiring for the night. In this service, the bed is made for night, the room is cleared and soiled bath linen is replaced. Night service is carried out in the following way: 1) 2) 3) 4) 5) Knock at the door and enter the room as per the procedure mentioned earlier. Switch on the lights and ensure that all the light fixtures are working. Draw the heavy curtains. Hang guest clothes if lying around. Take off the bedcover, fold neatly and store in the wardrobe, either in the topmost shelf for in the lowermost shelf Fold one corner of the blanket to enable the guest to slide in to the bed. Place the breakfast knob order card along with a chocolate / cookies / sweet as prescribed by the management on the pillow. Remove soiled glasses and bottles if any. Replenish fresh glasses and fill in the water flask with drinking water. Empty and clean ashtrays and waste paper baskets.
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6) 7)
8)
9)
10) Replace soiled linen - bed and bath if required. 11) Replenish missing toiletries and other supplies. 12) Set climate control as directed. 13) Turn out all the lights except the night lamp/ passage light as prescribed by the management. 14) Before leaving the room, give a final glance then lock the door properly, and proceed to the next room. 3.5 CLEANING A CHECKED OUT ROOM A check out is a room the guest has departed from; so there are none of his belongings there and it has to be prepared to re-let another guest. 1) The room has to be cleaned first before cleaning the bathroom because the room attendant may take water from the bathroom ending up in splashing of water resulting in re-cleaning the bath room First open the curtains, arrange neatly and adjust lighting. Empty and clean ashtrays and waste bins. Strip and make the bed, clean inside drawers and cupboards, putting in correct supplies at the same time. Dust and clean the furniture followed by mirrors and pictures cleaning. Put all the correct supplies, clean the mini fridge from inside and outside. Remove any stains on the carpet and/or walls, or windows. Vacuum clean the carpet and arrange furniture correctly.
2) 3) 4) 5) 6) 7) 8)
The bathroom cleaning procedure is the same as explained in section 3.2.3. 3.6 DAILY CLEANING A VACANT ROOM Rooms must be cleaned each and every day even if it is vacant. Day to day care encourage high standard of work. It allows the time allocated for special cleaning to be spent out to full advantage. 1) 2) 3)
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Leave the front door open; make work sign "no" on the door. Place the trolley standing in corridor outside the room to be serviced. Ventilate the room. Open all the doors and windows. Switch off the air conditioner or heating system
4)
5) 6) 7) 8) 9)
Remove soiled linen, used crockery and any other rubbish. Airing of bed and making it. Dusting the furniture. Disinfect the telephone mouthpiece, check for dial tone. Clean the carpets and dusts on the surroundings.
10) Cleaning of furnishing arrangements and appearance of the room. 11) Switch on the bathroom light, dry the floor if wet, wipe down the walls, windows with dry dusters, occasionally damp duster is also used. 12) Use detergent for cleaning wash basin and dirty surfaces. 13) Check for plumbing faults like leakage, faulty flushes, and electrical faults and exposed wires. 14) Replace bath linen and also complimentary items namely toilet soap, shampoo. 15) While working around the room checks for damages to the furniture's, walls, windows and other fittings. 16) Replace the complimentary items like match boxes, stationers, etc. 17) After final check up draw the curtains place the DND card on the outside knob of the door 18) Vacuum the floor finish at the door. 19) Give a final check and remove the sign "no". 3.7 DIRTY DOZEN There are certain areas in the room or bathroom which may be forgotten or invisible to the room attendant and tend to accumulate dust. Such areas are normally hidden from a guest's eye. However, its cleanliness reflects the standard of cleaning of the hotel. Experience shows that the following areas are overlooked and appropriately called the 'dirty dozen'. 1) 2) 3) 4) 5) 6) 7) 8) 9) 10) Air-conditioning ducts and diffuser grills. Top of the door edges and ceiling. Top of picture frames. Area above pillow racks. Rear surface of doors. Interior surfaces of drawers Beneath the grab-bar and dresser table. Behind the WC bowl- the S-trap. Faucet nozzle filter. In the toilet roll niche.
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11) Under bathroom counters 12) Toilet vents.
3.8 SPRING CLEANING Spring cleaning removes the dust and dirt that accumulates from everyday wear and tear and attends to cleaning needs identified during a guestroom inspection. It includes activities such as turning mattresses, wiping down walls and baseboards and washing windows and casements. The dirty-dozen can also be perfectly cleaned. Routine cleaning can maintain a guestroom's fresh and spotless appearance for a period of time. But after a while, a room will need deep cleaning. In some properties, deep cleaning is done by room attendants on special project basis; others use teams in which each employee does a particular deep cleaning task. The following are the spring cleaning tasks that help the property shine are: 1) 2) 3) 4) 5) 6) 7) 8) 9) Flipping and rotating mattresses. Shampooing carpets. Removing soil and stains from wall coverings and baseboards. Washing windows, casements, and shades. Dusting high and hard to reach areas. Cleaning vents and fans. Vacuuming under furniture that requires heavy moving. Cleaning and vacuuming drapes. Cleaning carpet edges. Washing sheer curtains.
10) Washing lampshades 3.9 CHAMBER MAIDS TROLLEY A housekeeping room attendant can service the guest room with convenience, ease and speed by using the chamber maids trolley. The guest room necessities can be stored in the trolley, preventing the room attendant running constantly back and forth. If the trolley is kept in an orderly manner at all times. It helps in fast ordered method of work. 1. There are separate receptacles for dirty linen and garbage and this enables absolute separation of dirty from, clean which is essential and must be strictly adhered to. 2. Normally the top shelf contains all the supplies necessary like note pads, pencil / pen, other stationary, gargle glasses, emery paper, soaps, shampoo sachets, etc.
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3. The first shelf has all bath linen like bath towels, hand towels, face towels, bathmats, etc. 4. The second shelf contains all bed linen like bed sheets, pillow cases / slips, etc. 5. The bottom shelf normally holds cleaning materials and equipments. If there is no bottom shelf then one can store this under the garbage bag and the laundry bag.
Figure 3.1 Chamber Maids Trolley 6. It is just as easy to keep the trolley tidy as it is a matter of the organization and its discipline. 7. At the end of one's shift one must clean the trolley and remove all garbage and dirty linen and re-set the trolley for the next day's shift. 8. When one is servicing a room one parks the trolley outside the door with the open shelves facing towards the room. Since the room attendant should leave the door open always of the room he will find it easy to remove the necessary requirements from the trolley. 9. If the laundry bag or the garbage bag has become full, then the room attendant should empty the same and put another bag for the garbage as well as empty the soiled linen from the laundry bag. 10. After the shift is over, the room attendant should collect all the garbage from the service room and dump it in the garbage room of the hotel so as to prevent odours and germs to spread. 11. Some hotels have linen chutes; this is like a chimney which passes through every floor of the hotel and has it's opening into the laundry room. It has a door and a locking system on each floor through which all soiled linen is disposed off. This saves time for the room attendant to go down with the soiled linen. 12. When a hotel has no chute, the dirty linen has to be collected in trolleys by the housemen and taken to the laundry
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department. The floors are then re-stocked with fresh linen by the housemen who do the transporting through trolleys. CHECK YOUR PROGRESS 1. List the points to be kept in mind while daily cleaning an occupied room. 2. List the dirty-dozen. 3. What is second service?
3.10 LET US SUM UP Rooms must be cleaned and serviced each day. All rooms should present a fresh pleasing appearance and provide comfortable conditions for those using them. Daily maintenance removes dirt, accumulation of which is dangerous for health as it forms breeding ground for germs. Day to day care encourage high standard of work. It allows the time allocated for special cleaning to be spent out to full advantage. Care has to be taken while cleaning an occupied room. The housekeeping staffs are trained to handle the guests as well the guest rooms. The cleaning procedures are explained in detail in this lesson. Second service is normally carried out in an occupied room at any time in a day if the request is made by the guest to clean the room again. Some rooms are occupied by late night / early morning arrivals by international flights. All rooms therefore require an evening service which mostly, involves preparing the room for the guest to sleep for the night and it should be done prior to the guest retiring for the night. A checked out room and the vacant room has to be cleaned and their procedures are explained briefly. Spring cleaning removes the dust and dirt that accumulates from everyday wear and tear and attends to cleaning needs identified during a guestroom inspection. It includes activities such as turning mattresses, wiping down walls and baseboards and washing windows and casements. 3.11 LESSON END ACTIVITY 1. Write down the main differences in cleaning an occupied room and a vacant room. 2. Can you list out some other areas which are not routinely cleaned other than dirty-dozen? 3.12 KEY WORDS Hygiene
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Conditions and practices that serve to promote or preserve health
Master Key Soiled Casements
A key that opens every one of a given set of locks. Covered or stained with or as if with dirt or other impurities A window sash that opens outward by means of hinges
Chamber Maid A maid who is employed to clean and care for bedrooms Room Attendant Wardrobe Bathmats Cookies A tall cabinet, closet, or small room built to hold clothes A mat used in front of a bathtub or shower, as to absorb water or prevent slipping A small, usually flat and crisp cakes made from sweetened dough
3.13 QUESTIONS FOR DISCUSSION 1. Explain the complete procedure involved in cleaning an occupied room? 2. Why is it important to clean a vacant room? 3. Differentiate between evening service and turn down services 4. Write a note on spring cleaning? 5. Write short note on the Chamber Maids Trolley. CHECK YOUR PROGRESS - ANSWER 1. i) The room attendant must follow the method of work that will cause least disturbance to the guest occupying that room. ii) Must plan his work so that systematic method follows. iii) Should work at a good speed. iv) Should work efficiently and clean more areas at a time.
2. Air-conditioning ducts and diffuser grills; Top of the door edges and ceiling; Top of picture frames; Area above pillow racks; Rear surface of doors; Interior surfaces of drawers; Beneath the grabbar and dresser table; Behind the WC bowl- the S-trap; Faucet nozzle filter; In the toilet roll niche; Under bathroom counters; Toilet vents. 3. Second service is normally carried out in an occupied room at any time in a day if the guest requests to clean the room again. Only light cleaning is done in such cases. Sometimes, guest has a meeting or a get together functions etc. in the room and he wants his room to be cleaned after the so-called function is over.
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3.14 REFERENCES 1. Branson Joan C and Lennox Margaret (1998), Hotel, Hostel and Hospital Housekeeping, Hodders & Stoughton. 2. Schneider Madelin, Tucker Georgina and Scoviak Mary (1999), The Professional Housekeeper, John Wiley & Sons Inc, New York. 3. Martin Robert J (1998), Professional Management of Housekeeping Operations, John Wiley & Sons New York. 4. Andrews Sudhir (1985), Hotel Housekeeping Training Manual, Tata Mc Graw-Hill Publishing Co. Ltd. 5. Joan C. & Lennox, Margaret Branson ( 1 9 6 9 ) , Hotel Housekeeping Principles and Practice, Edward Arnold,
London.
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LESSON 4 BED MAKING
CONTENTS
4.0 4.1 4.2 Aims and Objectives Introduction Bed 4.2.1 History of Bed 4.2.2 Types of Bed 4.2.3 Bed Sizes 4.2.4 Standard Sizes of Bed Bed Making 4.3.1 Procedure for Making a Bed Let Us Sum Up Lesson End Activity Key Words Questions for Discussion References
4.3 4.4 4.5 4.6 4.7 4.8
4.0 AIMS AND OBJECTIVES At the end of this lesson, students should be able to demonstrate appropriate skills, and show an understanding of the following: Bed, types and sizes of bed Procedure for bed making. 4.1 INTRODUCTION A guest turns up to a hotel for a comfortable stay. He spends a considerable time in the bed. Some guests will spend most of their day in bed. Other guest may just use in the night time alone. A clean, wrinkle-free bed is important for all guests. It is the duty of Housekeeping Department to keep the guest bed neat and clean. In this lesson, details are provided covering various types of beds, universal bed sizes and common standards of bed sizes prevalent in different countries. Further, procedure for making a guest bed is explained in detail. 4.2 BED A bed is a piece of furniture or location primarily used as a place to rest, relax, nap or sleep. To make beds more comfortable, the top layer is frequently a mattress.
Originally these were bags of straw for most people and filled with fluffy, feathers of birds for the wealthy. Eventually new filling materials such as cotton, silk cotton and artificial fillers became common. In modern times most mattresses use springs, solid foam, latex, water, or air. As time passes on more and more people are looking for a better medium to sleep, since people spend a large percentage of time in life in a bed. It has become a more recent realization for many, to attribute health deteriorations to what they lay on. Water resilient fibers (natural and synthetic), latex, synthetic foams and a combination of a huge range of different spring technologies are used in the manufacture of beds.
Figure 4.1 Bed
For greater head support, most people use a pillow, placed at the top of a mattress. Also used is some form of covering blanket to provide warmth to the sleeper, often bed sheets, a quilt, or a duvet. Also, some people prefer to dispense with the box spring and bed frame, and replace it with a platform bed style. This is more common in Europe. 4.2.1 History of Bed Early beds were little more than piles of straw laid on the ground or some other natural materials. An important change was raising the beds off the ground, to avoid drafts, dirt, harboring o f pests and pest attacks. The bed of Odysseus, a charpoy woven of rope, plays a role in the Odyssey of Homer. A replica can be seen at the Museum of Welsh Life at St. Fagans, Cardiff. Ancient Romans had various kinds of beds for repose. These included: lectus cubicularis, or chamber bed, for normal sleeping; lectus discubitorius, or table bed, on which they ate - for they ate while lying on their left side - there being usually three people to one bed, were the middle place accounted for the most honorable position; lectus lucubratorius, for studying;
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and a lectus funebris, or emortualis, on which the dead were carried to the pyre. 4.2.2 Types of Bed 1. An adjustable bed is a bed that can be adjusted to a number of different positions. 2. An air bed uses an air-inflated mattress, sometimes connected to an electric air pump and having firmness controls. 3. A box-bed is a bed having the form of a large box with wooden roof, sides, and ends, opening in front with two sliding panels or shutters; often used in cottages in Scotland: sometimes also applied to a bed arranged so as to fold up into a box. 4. A daybed is a couch that is used as a seat by day and as a bed by night. 5. A futon is a traditional style of Japanese bed that is also available in a larger Western style. 6. A Murphy bed or wallbed is a bed that can hinge into a wall or cabinet to save space. 7. A pallet is a thin, lightweight mattress. 8. A platform bed is a mattress resting on a solid, flat raised surface, either free-standing or part of the structure of the room. 9. A roll-away bed (or cot) is a bed whose frame folds in half and rolls in order to be more easily stored and moved. 10. A sofabed is a bed that is stored inside a sofa. 11. A vibrating bed is typically a coin-operated novelty found in a vintage motel. For a fee, the mattress vibrates for a duration of time. This is supposed to counter body ache and relax. 12. A waterbed is a bed / mattress combination where the mattress is filled with water. 4.2.3 Bed Sizes
Bed Making
Beds come in a wide array of shapes and sizes. Most countries have a standard set of four sizes of mattresses. While the Double size appears to be a standard among English speaking countries, based on the imperial measurement of 4 ft. 6 in. by 6 ft. 3 in., the sizes for other bed types tend to vary. The European sizes differ; and their measurements are based on the metric system. 4.2.4 Standard Sizes of Bed Modern manufacturing conventions have resulted in a limited number of standard sizes of commercial bedding for mattresses and box springs. They vary with the country of origin.
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U.S. Sizes: Twin Extra Long Three Quarter 38 80 in (0.99 2.03 m) this size is fairly popular in college dormitories. 48 75 in (1.22 1.90 m) often (47-48) X 72 in. This size is considered obsolete by the major manufacturers. 48 84 in (1.22 2.13 m) 66 80 in (1.68 2.03 m) a novelty size by Simmons. 60 84 in (1.52 2.13 m) 76 x 80 in (1.93 x 2.03 m) An alternate name for a U.S. King. 72 84 in (1.83 2.13 m) A common size on the West Coast of the United States. Also called a Western King, West Coast King, or WC King. 72 x 104 in (1.83 m 2.64m)
Super Single Olympic Queen California Queen Eastern King California King
Long King U.K. Sizes: Small Single Super Single Small Double Normal Double European Sizes: Normal Size Extra Small Single Small Single Large Single 4.3 BED MAKING
30 75 in (0.76 1.91 m) 42 75 in (1.07 1.91 m) 48 75 in (1.22 1.91 m) also called three quarter 54 x 75 in (1.37 x 1.91 m)
80 cm bed or 80 x 200 cm bed. (30 79 in) 0.75 2 m (31 79 in) 0.8 2 m (39 79 in) 1 2 m
Bed making is the technique of preparing different types of bed to make a guest comfortable or his/her position suitable for a particular condition.
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Learning the proper procedure for making a bed helps to ensure the guests comfort and sense of well-being. The bed is an important part of the guests hotel environment. 4.3.1 Procedure for Making a Bed 1. Remove soiled sheets and pillow cases and shake out individually. Check linens for dentures, hearing aids, jewelry, glasses, face tissues, or anything else belonging to the guest before stripping the bed. 2. Turn the mattress side-to-side on succeeding days followed by end-to-end turning. Smooth out the mattress to air it out.
Bed Making
3. Shake out the mattress protector and relay it on the mattress. Change the protector that is soiled or smelling.
4. Open out the fresh lower sheet evenly and puck it securely at the head, foot and the sides.
5. Open out fresh top sheet and distribute it evenly over the lower bed sheet. Ensure that the laundry creases are in the same line as the inner sheet for even distribution. The sheet hem should be evenly pulled up to the headboard. Tuck this sheet at the foot.
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6. Open out the blanket and place it evenly on the top sheet using the crease as described earlier for even distribution. Ensure that the blanket labels are at the foot. Pull the blanket 4 inches from the headboard.
7. Fold the top sheet, at the head of the bed over the blanket and fold the sheet and blanket once again.
8. The blanket and the top sheet are together tucked uniformly on both sides while the comers at the foot of the bed are neatly mitered.
9. Cover pillows with fresh pillow slips. Fluff the pillow and even out pillow slips to look neat and tidy. Since pillow slips are larger than the pillow the excess slip should be neatly folded downwards. The side of the pillow which has the fold should be away from guest view. . 10. Cover completed bed with the bed spread / bed cover ensuring that it is right side up and is falling evenly all around the bed. Keep extra bed spread toward the headboard to crease in between the pillows so as to make the bed look appealing. The bed spread corners should be aesthetically done. Put spare blankets in the upper most shelf of the wardrobe in case required by the guest. Blankets are folded in such a manner that the hotel logo appears on the top.
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CHECK YOUR PROGRESS 1. What is a bed? 2. Fill in the banks i) .. bed can be adjusted to a number of different positions. ii) .. bed uses an air-inflated mattress. iii) A . bed is typically a coin-operated novelty found in a vintage motel. 3. Name some beds that are in use today.
Bed Making
4.4 LET US SUM UP Bed is a furniture item, made up of foam mattress normally used to relax, rest, nap or sleep. Beds come in a wide array of shapes and sizes. Most countries have a standard set of four sizes of mattresses. Bed making is the technique of preparing different types of bed to make a guest comfortable or his/her position suitable for a particular condition. In this lesson, you have also learnt about the procedures for making a bed. 4.5 LESSON END ACTIVITY 1. Visit a furniture show room, look at the different types of bed displayed and note down the size and category of the beds. 2. In your housekeeping lab, attempt to make a bed. 4.6 KEY WORDS Resilient Latex Mattress Having the quality of springing back to a former position. It is a colloidal suspension of very small polymer particles in water and is used to make rubber. A usually rectangular pad of heavy cloth filled with soft material or an arrangement of coiled springs, used as or on a bed. A line made by pressing, folding, or wrinkling. A tall cabinet, closet, or small room built to hold clothes.
Crease Wardrobe
4.7 QUESTIONS FOR DISCUSSION 1. 2. 3. Write a short account on any five types of bed. Explain the procedure for making a bed? Enumerate the history of beds.
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CHECK YOUR PROGRESS - ANSWER 1. A bed is a piece of furniture or location, primarily used as a place to rest, relax, nap or sleep. 2. i) Adjustable ii) Air iii) vibrating 3. Adjustable bed, air bed, box bed, day bed, futon (Japanese bed), Murphy bed (wall bed), pallet, platform bed, roll-away bed (cot), sofa bed and vibrating bed are some of the beds found in use today.
4.8 REFERENCES 1. Andrews Sudhir (1985), Hotel Housekeeping Training Manual, Tata Mc Graw-Hill Publishing Co. Ltd. 2. Joan C. & Lennox, Margaret Branson (1969), Hotel Housekeeping Principles and Practice, Edward Arnold, London. 3. Rosemary Hurst (1971), Housekeeping Management for Hotels and Residential Establishments, William Heinemann. 4. W. Winter, Doris Hatfield, H. Hatfield (1989), The Professional Housekeeping, Hyperion Books.
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LESSON 5 LINEN AND UNIFORM ROOMS
CONTENTS
5.0 5.1 5.2 Aims and Objectives Introduction Linen Room 5.2.1 Activities of Linen Room 5.2.2 Hours of Operation 5.2.3 Location of Linen Room 5.2.4 Linen Room Requirements 5.2.5 Planning the Layout of Linen Room Selection Criteria for Linen Items 5.3.1 Bed Lenin 5.3.2 Soft Furnishing 5.3.3 Bath Linen 5.3.4 Napery Purchase of Linen 5.4.1 Rules for Linen Purchase Linen Cycle Control of Linen 5.6.1 Stock Taking Linen Hire Uniform 5.8.1 Types of Uniforms Used Let us Sum Up Lesson End Activity Key Words Questions for Discussion References
5.3
5.4 5.5 5.6 5.7 5.8 5.9 5.10 5.11 5.12 5.13
5.0 AIMS AND OBJECTIVES At the end of this lesson, students should be able to demonstrate appropriate skills, and show an understanding of the following: Linen room, activities of linen room, hours of operation, Selection criteria for linen room, Purchase of linen, linen cycle, control of linen, linen hire Uniform and types of uniform used.
5.1 INTRODUCTION Linen, in a technical sense, is the stem fibre extracted from the cultivated plant called flax, which is spun into yarn and woven into fabric. However, in a commercial sense, the present day usage
of the term linen includes all fabrics that are used in the hospitality industry. Well laid out and stocked up linen room satisfies the needs of the guests with comfortable and pleasing room furnishing. In this lesson, we will be looking into various aspects of the linen room layout, inventory maintenance and its functioning. Supply of various linen items to the guest rooms, their retrieval after use, their laundering and their recycling will be presented in detail. Detailed information relating to selection criteria for linen, various linen items that go into bed spreads, blankets, pillow cases, upholstery, curtains, bath room accessories including towels of various kinds and sizes will be presented, covering their purchase, stock-up, supply and cleaning. In this regard, involvement of the linen room in the operational logistics relating to the management decision whether to invest to buy linen material or to rent it from outside hiring agencies and the relative merits of these two systems have also been discussed. Another responsibility of the linen room will b e selection, procurement, stock-up, distribution and laundering of uniforms of appropriate sizes and styles befitting the employees of the establishment, details of operating procedures for uniforms are also discussed in this lesson. 5.2 LINEN ROOM The linen room is the centre stage for the supporting role that the housekeeping department plays in the hotel. Most linen rooms are centralized and act as a storage point and distribution centre for clean linen. 5.2.1 Activities of the Linen Room The following are the activities of the linen room:
Figure 5.1 Activities of the Linen Room 56
1. Collection and Transportation
It is an essential activity when laundry services are on outside contract and is facilitated through chutes, canvas bags, trolleys, collapsible wire carts, skips etc. Guest laundry are also collected and appropriately marked for sending offpremises for cleaning. Sorting is carried out primarily to make counting easy as well as for streamlining laundry procedures and to tally the exchange of linen between the linen room and the laundry. Linen is packed in canvas bags to prevent damage on transit to the linen articles. Those articles that need mending and those, which are heavily stained, may be segregated and put into separate canvas bags. The time for off-premises laundry despatch is usually anytime between 13:00 hrs and 16:00 hrs so that servicing of rooms is over by then and guest laundry will have been collected. Clean linen is delivered back in the morning hours and evening deliveries are usually for guest laundry. Checking the quantity to ensure that the amount of laundered linen tallies with the amount of soiled linen articles sent and as well as inspection of the quality of wash. The amount of space to be allocated for storage depends on the size and type of operation and the quantum of linen supplies. When designing the storage space for linen it is necessary to consider the type of shelves required, the method of storage as well as hygiene and safety factors. Damaged items are mended by stitching or darning. Alteration of uniforms for correct fit is usual. Condemned linen is converted into useful items called cut-downs / makeovers. This is generally done on a clean-for-dirty basis. Some hotels use other systems of exchange such as topping up or a fixed issue based on expected occupancy. In some hotels specific timings are fixed for issue of linen.
Linen and Uniform Rooms
2. Sorting and Counting
3. Packaging
4. Despatch
5. Deliveries
6. Checking and Inspection
7. Storage
8. Repairs and Alteration
9. Distribution to Various Departments
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10. Stock-taking and Records
Many records are entered on a day-to-day basis for the exchange of linen between the linen room, laundry and floors / departments. Purchase records are essential and records of condemned linen and makeovers are usually maintained. Periodical stocktaking is carried out and the annual stocktaking is recorded in the stock register, thereby providing the value of linen as an asset. Stock records also help generate purchase orders for replacement of lost or condemned articles. It is important that the access to the linen room is restricted so as to prevent misuse and pilferage and to guard against fire breakouts. Linen room is strictly a nonsmoking area.
11. Security
5.2.2
Hours of Operation
This varies from one organization to another but is usually from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. or at least for 10 hours in the day. In the event of an urgent requirement of linen during the night, the Duty Manager or the Night Houseperson may supply the items from an emergency store or from the main Linen Room and leave a note with details of what has been removed. 5.2.3 Location of the Linen Room The linen room is generally located: adjacent to the laundry if on-premises, usually with an interconnecting door between the rooms, near the service entrance if the laundry is off-premises, near the service elevator for easy transportation to various units, away from the food production area to avoid a fire hazard as well as prevent linen from absorbing food odours, smoke, soot and dampness.
5.2.4
Linen Room Requirements The following are the requirements of the linen room: storage shelves both open and closed hanging space reserve Stock storage drop counter for exchange of linen (stable-type door)
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5.2.5
trollies for transport of clean linen soiled linen hampers Linenkeepers desk and storage space for records telephone and computer stepladder washbasin storage for materials required to clean the room sink and drying rack (optional) iron and ironing board area for accumulation of soiled linen area for receiving laundered linen area for sorting and counting of linen sewing section work tables (with table tops in contrast to white) traffic lane to laundry traffic lane to uniform room
Planning the Layout of Linen Room
Like the planning of any other operational area, the following must be considered: 1. 2. 3. Architectural features Hygiene and safety aspects Activity areas.
5.3 SELETION CRITERIA FOR LINEN ITEMS Each individual piece of linen requires special consideration in terms of quality, type and size, besides cost. 5.3.1 i) Bed Linen Bedsheets Should have a good finish, usually with a slight lustre, and be made from a non-crease fabric so as to retain its appearance. For comfort, the texture should be soft and smooth, absorbent and free from static. They should be easily laundrable and the fabric should not fade in colour under repeated washes. Superior quality bedsheets made from linen are expensive and not easily available. More frequently used are combinations of natural and man-made fibres like polyester cotton or terry-cot. The introduction of a man-made fibre increases durability and makes laundering easier and 65% of cotton and 35% man-made combinations are the best.
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Blended no-iron sheets must be folded while still warm from the tumbler to eliminate creasing. The crinkle sheet or night sheet is made from cotton seersucker. Fitted sheets are unpopular as they have more disadvantages than advantages. A sheet should be large enough to be tucked in securely all around the mattress. ii) Pillowcases These are generally made from the same fabric as that of the bed linen. The housewife tuck-in type is now rapidly being replaced by the longer bag-type which is folded in at the open end. iii) Blankets These need to adhere to the body in order to provide warmth. In order to be comfortable, they should be soft, smooth and resilient and not too heavy or expensive. To cut costs, improve launderability and prevent attack by insects, wool is often blended with a synthetic fibre (acrylic) and the percentage of woollen fibre is mentioned on the label. A less durable alternative is made from nylon fibres. This is suitable for those who are allergic to wool. Electric blankets are uncommon in Indian and are difficult to maintain and anchor to prevent pilferage. 5.3.2 Soft Furnishing i) Duvets Duvets have become increasingly popular in hotels and are fast replacing the blanket, especially on double beds. They consist of a filling sandwiched or stitched in a fabric case with a changeable cover. The fillers may be duck / goose down, a feather mix or a combination of the two. The down feathers are the small, fluffy feathers from beneath the wings and the breast of the fowl. Goose down is superior and lightweight because of the hollow quills. The well-known Eider goose and Siberian goose down are the best. Although they are warmer, professional cleaning is necessary and they are heavier and more expensive than their synthetic counterparts. The synthetic filling is usually of polyester fibres. These duvets are lighter and can be washed in large-capacity washing machines. Casings can be cotton cambric or synthetic fabric but must have a close weave to keep the filling in place. It is essential for the duvet to have an outside cover. To save laundry costs and labour, it is advisable to provide a covering sheer in conjunction with the duvet cover.
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ii)
Bedspread / Bedcover / Counterpane These are purchased with due consideration for appearance, durability and size. The colour and print should match the dcor, and soil should not show easily. The fabric should drape well and not crease easily. Readymade bedcovers lack individuality so they are usually stitched and a number of styles are possible. Bedcovers should be interchangeable wherever possible. The amount of fabric required to stitch a single bedspread is approx. 8 metres.
iii)
Curtains / Draperies These are also purchased considering appearance, durability and size. Sheer curtains / net curtains / glass curtains combined with heavy draperies are usual in a guest room. This combination allows light to pass through and facilitates privacy as well. Sheer curtains are generally made from synthetic / blended net or lace or from plain nylon or terylene. It is advisable to use a fire-resistant finish or fabric for these curtains. A heavy fabric is usual for public areas and a lighter one in the guest rooms.
iv)
Cushion Covers and Upholstery Like the rest of the soft furnishings, these must also match the dcor. It is also important that they are resistant to dirt, accumulation of dust and sagging. The fabric should be non-slip without being rough and free from static so that it does not cling to customers clothes. It also should not lose lint or colour easily. Cushion covers should be laundrable and non-crease. Upholstery fabrics should not stretch after they have been fitted. In both cases the fabric should be firm with a close weave. This however is more applicable in the case of upholstery and in most cases the fabric has a jute backing.
5.3.3 Bath Linen Requires to be gentle on the skin, with a high degree of absorbency and lint-free. Linen or cotton are the fibres from which the towels are made. Bath towels are invariably made from Turkish towelling using a pile weave known as the Terry weave. The loops of the towels should be at least 1/8 high for good absorbency. When selecting Turkish towels hold them against the light to find out how close the basic weave is. Coloured and patterned towels may be selected for public areas like the swimming pool, health club or beauty parlour, largely for identification. White towels are preferred to coloured ones, especially for the bath rooms.
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5.3.4 Napery i) Table Linen The fabric selection is largely dependent on its laundrability. Stain removal should be possible and it must have the ability to retain colour and shape. As far as appearance is concerned, it should match the dcor and have a lustre for a good finish. Linen is better than cotton but very expensive. Starched cotton casement is commonly used. Tablecloths should hang 9 over the edge of the table. Sizes vary according to the size of the table. ii) Moultans Where the dining tables, do not have a baize top attached, baize cloth such as multans may be used. iii) Banquet Frills (Jupon) These are coloured and lustrous, usually made from satin or rayon which may be plain or patterned. The pleats may be stitched or pleating may be done when draping the table. Varied styles may be used when draping which will affect the length of fabric required. The width of the fabric must correspond with the height of the table. 5.4 PURCHASE OF LINEN There are three major factors to be considered when purchasing linen: 1. Quantity The quantity of linen purchased is largely dependent on the following factors: Size of the establishment Standard of the organization determine frequency of change) Turnover or occupancy Laundering facility (will
Generally a hotel should have a minimum of three sets of linen. Linen Coverage is a term used to refer to the total number of sets of linen maintained by the hotel and their distribution. The number of sets of linen in the inventory is also referred to in terms of par. 2. Quality
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The best quality linen must be selected within the available budget. To select good quality linen, it is necessary to give due importance to:
Fibre selection and quality of yarn Thread count - the total number of warps & wefts in 1sq. in. of gray goods fabric. The total thread count should be above 150. Finishes especially colour fastness reputed manufacturers.
It is advisable to obtain samples and launder them to observe the effects of laundering before placing a purchase order. 3. Size Purchasing linen of the correct size is extremely important as wrong sizes can affect appearance and even hamper operations, besides avoidable wastage and loss of money.
5.4.1 Rules for Linen Purchase i) ii) iii) iv) v) vi) vii) viii) ix) x) xi) xii) Look for a firm smooth weave and strong selvedge. Check for the amount of dressing that falls out from the fabric when rubbed together. Machining should be strong (10 to 15 stitches per inch). Obtain samples and test for laundering effects i.e. shrinkage, loss of shape, colour, etc. Buy in bulk to avail of discount. Stagger supply to overcome / avoid storage problems. Large orders should be marked or monogrammed by the supplier. Select a supplier on the same level as your organization, preferably with a reliable reference. Accurate specifications must be provided when placing orders, particularly with reference to size. Orders should be placed well in advance to give time so that the specifications may be met with. A good rapport with the supplier is essential especially with regard to credit facilities A Purchase Index Card must be maintained for every linen item in stock. Some hotels use computers for convenience The purpose of a purchase index card is to: Indicate purchases between current and previous stocktaking. Provide a record of condemned articles. Act as a ready reference for ordering, also indicating the level of reserve stock. Provide a means of judging the life span of linen article.
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Figure 5.2 Purchase Index Card
5.5 LINEN CYCLE
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Figure 5.3 The Linen Cycle
5.6 CONTROL OF LINEN Control of linen falls in three areas of activity: 1. 2. Hygienic standard and appearance of linen. Daily routine exchange of linen between floors and departments, linen room and laundry. Purchase records, inventories, stock-taking and stocktaking records.
3.
Handling linen from purchase to use to laundering and storage before it is used again is a difficult task requiring much expertise as well as close supervision. Each system has its own merits and linen control must be balanced against saving time and wages/ money. Primarily, purchase records must be correctly maintained as they form the basis of stock taking. Daily records keep a track of linen on a day-to-day basis. It is also necessary to maintain a record of condemned linen and any remakes from these discarded items to provide a clear picture during stocktaking. 5.6.1 Stock Taking Stock taking is counting what you have (actual or physical stock) and comparing it with what you are supposed to have (book or recorded stock). It is an essential activity that must be carried out at regular intervals. Any discrepancies should be accounted for and adjusted in the records. It is an operational necessity in order to be able to predict future requirements. Stocktaking acts as a control measure by highlighting discrepancies, thereby prompting investigation. It also acts as a deterrent against pilferage. It also ensures rotation of stocks as well as helps to generate purchase orders as replacements to cover shortages. Procedure for Linen Stock Taking: Departments concerned must be intimated at least one day in advance. All linen must be counted on the same day or at least the similar type linen is counted at a time (Room Linen is separated from F & B Linen), so as to prevent borrowing to make up deficiencies. A convenient time is chosen when all linen movement can be halted without causing too much of a problem to the operations.
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Figure 5.4 Linen Stock Register
5.7 LINEN HIRE Hiring linen is uncommon in India, but many hotels in other parts of the world do not purchase linen, and prefer to hire laundered linen from a hiring company. Linen hire companies supply clean linen to hotels on a rental basis on contract. The system has both advantages and disadvantages. Advantages: Initial purchase investment is eliminated. No laundering of linen is necessary. Less storage space. Less staff which means fewer salary cheques to pay. No need to order linen, so linen purchase function is eliminated. No repairing of linen by the hotel/ small tailoring department. It is ideal for spasmodic trade such as seasonal hotels, by avoiding capital expenditure and the need to store seldom/ sparingly used linen. Linen hire charges may be no greater than the combined depreciation and laundering costs.
Disadvantages:
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No individuality. Choice is limited the linen specifications, sizes and standards may be different from those required by the hotel. No cut-downs or makeovers possible. Damages have to be paid for, usually at a higher rate. The hotel is totally dependent on the hiring company. There is no control over the quality of wash.
Linen supply may be affected by bad weather or strikes causing a breakdown in operations. If low occupancy, there is a loss due to unused linen. Excess / emergency requirement is charged at the current rate. Guest laundry will have to be dealt with or co-ordinated with a commercial laundry.
5.8 UNIFORM Providing uniforms for hotel staff is one way of ensuring proper grooming, thereby reflecting the standard of the hotel and creating a good impression on the guest. Having an uniform and enables the guest to identify staff and their position in the organization. To the employee, it is a status symbol, creating a sense of belonging and thereby boosting employee morale. Apart from the aesthetic appeal, uniforms are frequently designed to suit the task that is carried out. Uniforms may be of standard sizes or made-to-measure. Made-to-measure uniforms look smart and are essential for senior staff. Standard sizes lower the total requirement of uniforms but may be ill-fitting and do not look as smart. The number of sets of uniforms provided is dependent on the nature of the tasks being performed and whether the organization has an on or off-premises laundry. Uniforms are a large investment and the cost does not end with purchase. Maintenance and replacement also have to be considered. When designing an uniform, the functional, comfortable, practical as well as the aesthetic aspect, durability and laundrability must be considered. The uniform must harmonize with the dcor. The usual system for exchange is clean-for-dirty and the timings. Some hotels have specific days for different departments to facilitate streamlining laundry and uniform room operations. When planning the layout of the Uniform Room, it must be borne in mind that some uniforms will be kept on hangers while others will be folded. Consequently the storage space must include hanging space as well as shelves. The uniforms must be segregated according to the department. The Uniform Room usually incorporates the sewing section and in some organizations both these areas are sections in the Linen Room due to their inter-related functions. It is advisable to have a trial room that may double up as an emergency changing room if the need arises. For operational convenience, space must be allocated for uniform attendants to be positioned at the exchange counter, where they can enter the necessary records. Adequate hampers into which soiled uniforms can be segregated and deposited, as well as trolleys for hanging and folded uniforms are also an operational necessity. Uniforms play a very crucial role in establishing and reinforcing the image of a hotel or restaurant. After all, other aspects of housekeeping are inanimate, material things. It is the people who bring warmth and friendliness into these spaces and these people are the employees of the hotel. Ill-conceived, and poorly co-
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ordinated uniforms worn by hotel staff can create a jarring note in the entire image projected by the hotel. 5.8.1 Types of Uniforms Used Aprons Blouses Belt Bell Bottoms Bush Shirts Bows Dungarees Caps Coats Gumboots Jackets Rubber Slippers Kameez / Kurta Ladies Shoes Long Coats Woollen Overcoat Pullover Raincoat Scarf Saree Salwaars Shoes Leather Loafers Trousers Turbans Turras Ties Umbrellas For cooks and utility workers For Housekeeping, Front office lady staff and Hostesses. For parking attendant, doorman and lady captain For room attendant. Health club and lady staff For health club, laundry and pool area staff For managers - black For engineering technicians and housemen For parking attendants, drivers, utility workers and cooks For stewards, cooks, utility workers, captains, receptionists, gardeners and housemen For kitchen stewarding, laundry, horticulture and engineering staff. For bell captains and restaurant captains For the silver polisher For room attendants and health club masseuse For room attendants For the cashier, laundry supervisor, house doctor and kitchen stewards For security personnel For security and horticulture personnel For doormen, parking attendants and security personnel For cooks For hostess, housekeeping supervisors and front office staff For room attendants For doormen and parking attendants For markers, housemen, security guards, kitchen personnel, engineering technicians For cooks, utility workers, stewards, captains, receptionists lobby staff, maners For the doorman For the doorman For managers and front-of-the-house personnel For security personnel, parking attendants and doormen.
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CHECK YOUR PROGRESS 1. List out the activities of the linen room. 2. What are duvets? 3. What are the factors that need to be considered while purchasing linen? 4 What do you mean by stock taking?
5.9 LET US SUM UP In this lesson, we looked into various aspects of the linen room planning, layout, location and activities. We further learnt about the inventory maintenance and its functioning. Detailed information relating to selection criteria for linen, various linen items that go into bed spreads, blankets, pillow cases, upholstery, curtains, bath room accessories including towels of various kinds and sizes were presented, covering their purchase, stock-up, supply and cleaning. Also in this lesson, we dealt in detail with the supply of various linen items to the guest rooms, their retrieval after use, their laundering and recycling. We also learnt about the responsibility of the linen room in the operational logistics relating to the management decision whether to invest to buy own linen material or to rent it from outside hiring agencies. The relative merits of these two systems have also been discussed. The responsibility of the linen room with respect to selection, procurement, stock-up and distribution of uniforms of appropriate sizes and styles befitting the employees of the establishment, details of operating procedures for uniforms were also discussed in this lesson. 5.10 LESSON END ACTIVITY 1. Draw the format of a Purchase Index Card and explain how it is used. 2. Create a 10-point checklist for reducing damage to hotel linen. 5.11 KEY WORDS Flax A widely cultivated plant, Linum usitatissimum, having pale blue flowers, seeds that yield linseed oil, and slender stems from which a textile fiber is obtained. Suffice To meet present needs or requirements; be sufficient Inadvertently Done unintentionally, accidentally, often with no one accepting blame Pilferage The crime of taking someone else's property without consent
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Elevator Percale Duvets Draperies
A platform or an enclosure raised and lowered in a vertical shaft to transport people or freight A closely woven cotton fabric used for sheets and clothing A quilt, usually with a washable cover, that may be used in place of a bedspread and top sheet Material that hangs in a window or other opening as a decoration, shade, or screen
5.12 QUESTIONS FOR DISCUSSION 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. With a neat diagram, explain the activities of the Linen Room. What are the selection criteria for Linen items? Give the rules for linen purchase. Draw neat sketch of the Linen cycle. What are the factors to be considered while providing uniforms is essential to hotel staff. CHECK YOUR PROGRESS - ANSWER 1. The activities of the linen room are: collection and transportation of laundry items, sorting and counting, packaging, dispatch, deliveries, checking and inspection, storage, distribution to units, monogramming, repairs and alteration, stock-taking and records and security. 2. Duvets are used in the place of blankets, especially on double beds. It consists of a filling sandwiched or stitched in a fabric case with a changeable cover. 3. There are three major factors to be considered when purchasing linen, viz, quantity, quality and size. 4. Stock taking is counting what you have (actual or physical stock) and comparing it with what you are supposed to have (book or recorded stock).
5.13 REFERENCES 1. Joan C. & Lennox, Margaret Branson ( 1 9 6 9 ) , Hotel Housekeeping Principles and Practice, Edward Arnold, London. 2. Rosemary Hurst (1971), Housekeeping Management for Hotels and Residential Establishments, William Heinemann. 3. W. Winter, Doris Hatfield, H. Hatfield (1989), The Professional Housekeeping, Hyperion Books.
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LESSON 6 LAUNDRY
CONTENTS
6.0 6.1 6.2 6.3 Aims and Objectives Introduction Laundry 6.2.1 Advantage of On-premises Laundry 6.2.2 Disadvantage of On-premises Laundry Process of Laundering 6.3.1 Collection and Transportation 6.3.2 Arrival 6.3.3 Sorting 6.3.4 Weighing 6.3.5 Loading 6.3.6 Washing 6.3.7 Unloading 6.3.8 Finishing 6.3.9 Folding 6.3.10 Airing 6.3.11 Storage 6.3.12 Distribution Washing Machine 6.4.1 Wash Cycle Other Machines 6.5.1 Tunnel Washers 6.5.2 Tumble Dryer 6.5.3 Finishing Equipments 6.5.4 Puffer or Suzie 6.5.5 Tunnel Dryer 6.5.6 Cabinet Dryer or Drying Room Location and Planning of On-premises Laundry Layout of Laundry Laundry Agents 6.8.1. Detergents 6.8.2 Suspending Agent 6.8.3 Sequestering Agent 6.8.4 pH Scale for Laundry Agents 6.8.5 Other Laundering Agents - Alkali Stain Removal Dry Cleaning Guest Laundry Laundry Procedures for Different Fabrics Laundry Procedures Let us Sum Up Lesson End Activity Key Words Questions for Discussion References
6.4 6.5
6.6 6.7 6.8
6.9 6.10 6.11 6.12 6.13 6.14 6.15 6.16 6.17 6.18
6.0 AIMS AND OBJECTIVES At the end of this lesson, students should be able to demonstrate appropriate skills, and show an understanding of the following: Laundry, process of laundering, Washing machines, Location and planning of on-premises laundry, Layout of a laundry, Laundry agents, stain removal, dry cleaning, guest laundry and laundry procedures.
6.1 INTRODUCTION Although God has created and delivers human race naked, he concurrently has also created natural fibers to spin and weave into fabric to finish and wear it. Human race is the only species with sixth sense or superior intelligence to feel the sense of shame to be naked in public and strive to hide it with appropriate clothing. Thus, cleaning every bit of soiled / dirty clothing becomes an absolute necessity by laundering, be it home or others and hotel industry is no exception. Soiled / dirty cloths originating from various operations are cleaned through the facility created in-house or out-sourced. In this lesson, various factors involving laundering is outlined which include the steps from collection to processing, washing systems, machines used in laundering including procedures relating to washing, wash cycle, use of detergents and other agents, drying, pressing and finishing and the equipments necessary to do all these. Details are also provided in this lesson concerning the washing procedures to follow for various types of fabric such as cotton, silk, wool and synthetics. The lesson also outlines the details on location, planning and layout of in-house laundering establishment. Additionally, the lesson also deals with guest laundry facilities and precautions to be taken in doing it. 6.2 LAUNDRY In any hotel establishment, a lot of dirty linen accumulates in the various units and departments. It is essential to ensure a continuous supply of linen, which is well laundered, so that operations can be carried out smoothly and efficiently. Linen is an expensive item, so how it will be laundered requires serious consideration. People involved in handling linen should have some knowledge of the process. Moreover, the Housekeeper and Linenkeeper should have a good rapport with the Laundry Manager. Although it is essential that good quality linen be purchased, the life
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of the linen depends on the care of linen in use and the treatment it gets at the laundry. The principles of laundering is: 1. 2. Removal of dirt and stains from the linen articles Restoring linen articles to their original appearance as far as possible.
Laundry
A good laundry facility ensures the following: careful handling of linen articles while laundering correct processing and use of a suitable laundry agent while materials are kept white, excessive bleach is not used proper counting and records maintained to avoid shortages of linen speedy operations to meet with operational requirements sound policies regarding damages or loss.
A commercial or off-premises laundry refers to laundering activities performed outside the establishment i.e. given on a contract basis to specialists in the field. In a rare circumstance, the laundry is contracted and on-premises. An on-site or on-premises laundry, however, refers to laundering activities carried on within the establishment by staff employed by the hotel. 6.2.1 Advantages of On-premises Laundry Time taken for laundering is reduced because transportation is eliminated Linen is readily available especially in the case of emergency requirements Control over the wash process and the laundry agents used making the wear and tear on linen comparatively much lesser. Pilferage is reduced The par stock required is reduced Revenue is earned from guest laundry.
6.2.2
Dis-advantages of On-premises Laundry Cost of equipment and its maintenance is fairly high Related expenses like printing of forms, employee taxes, water taxes, energy costs and insurance are high More staff who are technically qualified and adequate space is required Must be justified by an adequate amount of linen.
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6.3 PROCESS OF LAUNDERING The following flowchart shows the process of laundering in a chronological order:
Figure 6.1 Process of Laundering
Details of various processes in laundering is furished below: 6.3.1 Collection & Transportation Collection of linen may be done in the Linen Room, if the laundry is off-site but is usually in the laundry itself, if the laundry is on-premises. Certain linen items are collected separately such as kitchen uniforms or dusters are from butchery aprons and dusters, surgical ward in a hospital. The linen is usually packaged in canvas bags lined with polyvinyl or elasticized net bags called skips for transportation. Trolleys and collapsible wire cart can be used to transport soiled as well as clean linen. If laundery planned at the construction stage, an in-built chute is used for transporting linen from the floor pantries.
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Laundry
6.3.2 Arrival On arrival, linen must be dealt with as quickly as possible to ensure fast turn around time for linen. There must be a separate section for guest laundry. Marking: Marking may be temporary (guest laundry) or permanent (monogramming of hotel linen). For guest laundery initials of the guest as well as the room number helps provides a clear identification and helps correct billing. 6.3.3 Sorting Sorting is carried out according to the type of fabric and item, colour and type of soil. Sorting is done to separate those articles that need dry cleaning from those that will go through the normal wash process. Those that need mending or stain removal must be separated so that they can be dealt with accordingly. Also, different articles take a different wash process in terms of temperature of water, type of laundering agent, length of wash cycle, whether hydroextraction should be done and if so, the length of the hydroextraction cycle. In hospitals, the infection risk necessitates the need for using gloves when sorting out linen. It takes less effort to pre-sort soiled linen than to post-sort washed linen which is 50% heavier in weight due to water retention. Post-sorting is often essential in healthcare processes. 6.3.4 Weighing Weighing is carried out to conform to the capacity of the washing machine and to avoid overloading. Repeated overloading can cause the machine to breakdown. Underloading will lead to wastage of detergents and water, both cold and hot. 6.3.5 Loading Loading is often done manually or with a certain degree of full or partial automation. Machines may be top loading, front loading or side loading. 6.3.6 Washing This process is designed to perform three basic functions: removal of soil / dirt suspension of soil discharge of the soil from the machine to the drain
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In the wash process, the following factors must be considered: i) Setting Length of Wash Cycle If the cycle is too short, the linen will not be cleaned properly and sufficiently. I f the cycle is too long, there will be unnecessary wear and tear and the clothes may actually become dirtier as a result of redeposition of soil. ii) Temperature of Water For hot water washing, if the temperature of water is too high, it is likely to damage the linen. If the temperature is inadequate, the chemicals will not work effectively. iii) Water Level Incorrect dip levels can alter the concentration of the laundry agents rendering them ineffective. In case of a gentle action, the water level is usually higher forming a protective envelope to the delicate linen. iv) T y p e a n d Am o u n t o f Detergent a n d the Time of Dispensing This is also a crucial factor that affects the quality of wash deciding which laundry agent should be used is dependent on the nature of the fabric being washed. Too little detergent will result in an incomplete cleaning process. And too much may remain as a residue on the cloth after the rinse cycle is complete. It is important that the laundry agent is introduced into the wash cycle at the appropriate time for best results. v) Mechanical Agitation This refers to the centrifugal action brought about by the movement of the drum that causes friction between the linen articles and is radically affected by overloading or underloading as it affects the speed of the drum. Modern machinery often operates on sensors, which are capable of gauging and maintaining optimum conditions for a specific load. vi) Rinsing Once the wash cycle is completed, rinsing is carried out at least twice. The purpose of this stage is to: remove residue of laundry agents, remove suspended dirt, lower the temperature of the wash load by the use of using cold water.
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A running rinse with an open drain is more effective but a larger volume of water is utilized. vii) Hydro-Extraction Is the removal of excess moisture through centrifugal action and is equivalent to wringing in hand washing. Draining must precede hydro-extraction and hydro-extraction must precede tumble drying. Some articles cannot be hydro-extracted so there is a pumping action to draw out the water from the linen load. Too short an extraction time will increase the drying time and may hinder the proper operation of finishing equipment. The compact mass of hydro-extracted clothes is referred to as cheese. 6.3.7 Unloading Transferring washed linen from the Hydro-extractor to the Tumble Dryer is normally done manually. It may be done by an automated system where the cheese is unloaded onto a conveyor belt that will transport the linen to the next set of operations. Tumble Drying: This process is capable of rendering the linen completely dry by blowing hot air ranging between 40 C and 60 C onto the articles. For articles that are susceptible to damage by heat, there is the option of simply air drying by circulating air at room temperature. 6.3.8 Finishing For those articles that require a pressed finish, ironing and pressing are usual. Articles like blankets, towels, candlewick bedspreads, hosiery, etc. that do not require a pressed finish are only tumble-dried. 6.3.9 Folding Can be done by machine but in most cases is carried out completely manually. Employees in this area are the one ones who reject stained or damaged linen. Correct folding is important to the appearance of the article and makes it convenient to store and use. 6.3.10 Airing This is essential prior to storage, especially if the articles are to be stored in closed shelves. It ensures that any moisture that is likely to cause mildew will be got rid of. 6.3.11 Storage Should be properly done in a well-designed storage space. Linen should be allowed a rest period to recuperate before it is used again. As a general rule, at any given time, approximately 50% of the
Laundry
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total linen inventory should be on the shelves, 25% in use and 25% in processing. The storage area must be isolated from the soiled linen and kept clean. 6.3.12 Distribution The linen is issued to the unit / department for use and is usually done by linen trolleys. 6.4 WASHING MACHINE A washing machine, or washer, is a machine designed to clean laundry, such as clothing, towels and sheets. The term is mostly applied only to machines that use water as the primary cleaning solution, as opposed to dry cleaning (which uses alternative cleaning fluids, and is generally performed by specialist businesses) or even ultrasonic cleaners.
Figure 6.2 Commercial Washing Machine
All washing machines work by using mechanical energy, thermal energy, and chemical action. Mechanical energy is imparted to the clothes load by the rotation of the agitator in top loaders, or by the tumbling action of the drum in front loaders. Thermal energy is supplied by the temperature of the wash bath. 6.4.1 Wash Cycle A complete wash cycle is composed of various stages and the time taken is approx. 40 to 50 minutes. It has been proven that quick wash cycles using large volume of water broken down into the following sequence is most effective. Flush Suds Bleach Rinse Sour & Soft Extract Additional Stages in the Wash Cycle:
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These are essential where there is a specific type of soiled or the articles are heavily soiled:
Laundry
Soak Break Carryover Suds (Intermediate Rinse) Intermediate Extract Starch (Sizing) 6.5 OTHER MACHINES 6.5.1 Tunnel Washers These are also called batch washers or continuous washers and are in effect a series of inter-connected washers. Each bath is in a different cylinder and the load moves from one cylinder to the next. Computerized systems automatically adjust the time, temperature and chemicals to be used, so that each batch receives the required treatment. Machines may be top transfer or bottom transfer. Tunnel washers have distinct advantages in that they are timesaving, thereby reducing staff requirement. There are also significant energy and water savings. Tunnel washers can also be hooked up to an extractor and subsequently with conveyors to the dryer.
Figure 6.3 Tunnel Washer
6.5.2 Tumble Dryer Dryers are machines that dry laundry by tumbling it slowly in a perforated drum exposed to hot air ranging from 40C to 60C in low capacity dryers and going right upto 85C in an industrial dryer. There are programmes for delicate articles with low or no heat. Dryers may operate on gas, electricity or steam. For speedy drying and less wrinkling the volume of the dryer should be 25% more than the washer-extractor. Most dryers have a microprocessor computer control system. Although suitable drying times are usually recommended for specific fabrics, some dryers have sensors hooked onto their microprocessors so that they can gauge the moisture in the load and cut the dryer off automatically the moment the laundry is dry. A lint
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screen traps the lint particles and must be cleaned regularly. The length of the drying cycle is dependent on the absorbency of the fabric and the residual moisture. Modern dryers are equipped with high tech features such as signal lights, self-cleaning lint screens, reverse cylinder drums as well as energy-saving devices like extra insulation and heat reclaimers.
Figure 6.4 Tumble Dryer
6.5.3 Finishing Equipments For those articles that require a pressed finish there are many finishing equipment. Some of the more frequently used equipment are listed below: Flatwork Ironer / Roller Iron / Calender: Is used for flatwork i.e. items like sheets, pillowcases, tablecloths, serviettes, aprons, sarees, etc. The items are passed through heated rollers for ironing.
Figure 6.5 Roller Iron 80
Press: Press is used for fine pressing of Flat Linen like Table covers, Pillow covers, Napkins, Kitchen linen, Staff uniforms. They are special presses to perform specific functions and operation can be on electricity or steam.
Laundry
Figure 6.6 Press
6.5.4 Puffer or Suzie For coats and articles that do not crease heavily. The articles are put onto a dummy that is inflated with steam to remove creases and then with hot air to remove the moisture created by the steam. 6.5.5 Tunnel Dryer Clothes are hung on conveyor belts that pass through a tunnel. Hot air blowing in the tunnel, renders the articles completely dry by the time they exit. It is a fully automated process that also transfers the linen to the next area of activity. 6.5.6 Cabinet Dryer or Drying Room Is a chamber where low-crease garments are suspended on hangers and steam or hot air is circulated through the cabinet. 6.6 LOCATION AND PLANNING OF ON-PREMISES LAUNDRY When planning an on-premises laundry it must be located far from guestrooms so that guests are not disturbed. It is essential laundry to locate near the linen room for convenience and reducing transportation time. Ideally, the laundry is located in the basement with proper ventilation because laundry equipment is very heavy and the area should have an outside wall since equipment need to be vented to the outside. With few exceptions, walls of the room should be durable and moisture resistant; ceilings should be at least ten feet high, must resist moisture and absorb sound. A cement floor with easily cleanable floor drains and no spots where water can pool is vital.
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The basic design factors that need to be thought out when designing or redesigning an on-premises laundry include location, size, equipment layout, utilities and labour. T h e versatilit y o f equipment is important, especially in a washer extractor. It should be able to dispense a variety of chemical formulas and have different cycles to deal with different laundry items and soiling conditions. Machines may work on gas, electricity or steam and should be connected to a common master switch that can be switched off in case of emergencies. Fire-fighting equipment must be installed in this area. 6.7 LAYOUT OF A LAUNDRY When planning the layout of a laundry, consider the work flow and wherever possible ensure that the plan does not hinder the smooth flow of operations. To reduce turnaround time between loads, ease of loading and unloading, equipments must be arranged properly, taking into account ease of each operation. When positioning laundry equipment, the following must be considered: entrances and exits support columns and beams space between adjacent machines and adequate space between the back of the machine and the wall which is essential to facilitate servicing and repair. power points for electrical supply and the required voltage (gas and steam may also be used) water supply at the rate of about 10 gallons per Kg of linen approx. preventing the occurrence of water hammer from hot water supply water heating is through solar energy. water softening to removal of iron, manganese and sulphur to eliminate staining and enhance action of the detergents installation of proper drainage system installation of drain to control discharge rate a separate section to deal with guest laundry / valet service. local code for restrictions / permit requirements. energy and water conservation and safety factors consideration selection of equipment to suit the premises and projections. area must accommodate the total number of staff working at the busiest times
As technology strives to automate every face of hotel operations, computerized laundry systems are getting popular.
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6.8 LAUNDRY AGENTS
Water by itself is ineffective as a cleaning agent, due to a phenomenon known as surface tension. It although removes watersoluble dirt, it has little effect on oils and grease. Addition of a detergent allows the water to penetrate, wetting the garment thoroughly so that soil is more accessible and its easy removal. 6.8.1. Detergents Classification of detergents: Synthetic / active detergent Built-soap detergent Enzyme-action detergent.
Laundry
6.8.2 Suspending Agent The role of the suspending agent in cleaning is to hold the dirt in suspension and prevent it from redepositing onto the surface of the clothing. The suspending agent is carboxyl methyl cellulose. 6.8.3 Sequestering Agent These act along with the suspending agents to hold dirt in suspension. They assist by holding a greater amount of dirt in suspension thereby reducing the likelihood of redeposition. They also have the additional ability to dissolve lime salts that are responsible for temporary hardness in water. Sodium polyphosphates are used as sequestering agents. 6.8.4 pH Scale for Laundry Agents This is a scale used to determine the pH of sud in the washing so that it may be possible to adjust the pH of the sud with the use of chemicals to maximize cleaning efficiency.
Figure 6.7 pH Scale
6.8.5 Other Laundering Agents - Alkali Alkalis used in the wash process include: Washing soda, Sodium phosphate, Sodium hydroxide, Sodium metasilicate etc. The role of the alkali in the wash process: Bleaches: These are used on white articles only. They remove colouring matter by their oxidizing or reducing action. If not in liquid form, they should be dissolved in hot water and added. The bleaches commonly used in the laundry process are sodium perborate and sodium hypochlorite. Antichlors: These are agents used to neutralize the residual chlorine in the bleach, particularly in the case of polyesters.
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The use of chlorinated bleaches has a tendency to leave yellow deposits on the clothing. Sour: This is used only in industrial laundering in the final rinse, to neutralize any alkaline soap residues that may be present. It brings the pH to the acidic range between 5 and 6.5, which is agreeable to the human skin and also gets rid of yellow or brown hue caused by alkali residue. Acetic acid is used as the sour. In case where there is a high iron content in the water, Oxalic acid is used to get rid of the reddish, iron deposits. If starch is being used, sour should be added only two minutes before the starch to achieve a pH of 5.0 to 5.5. If a sizing agent is being used, the ideal pH is 7.0 to 8.0, so sour is generally not used. Optical Brightener / Whitener: This is an optical brightener / whitener, which is in fact a very fine blue coloured liquid dye, which gets bleached in the course of time. It has a fluorescent effect by reflecting the UV rays of the sun. The laundry blue in a powder form is undesirable since it tends to accumulate in the weave of the fabric and causes it to turn grey. Starch: This is a stiffening agent used to impart a better crease and appearance to the fabric. The use of starch has declined due to the minimum-iron finishes on fabrics and garments and the reduced use of cotton in favour of manmade fibres. However there are some articles that have a better feel and drape when starched and it is particularly essential for napkin folds. Since polyesters do not have the ability to absorb starch they are stiffened with sizing agents. Fabric Conditioner and their Role in Laundering: A fabric conditioner or softener has surface active agents like a detergent but they do not perform the function of cleaning. Fabric conditioners are based on cationic surface-active agents, carrying a positive charge and creates anti-static properties. A fabric conditioner is never used on loads where starch or sizing will be used. 6.9 STAIN REMOVAL A stain is defined as a discolouration brought about by contact with a foreign substance which is difficult to remove. Like first-aid in an accident, the treatment of stains requires immediate action which includes blotting, grease absorbent, salt absorbent and often a cold water rinse. A set of general rules given below for stain removal may serve as a guideline. Identify the stain
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Deal with the stain as quickly as possible. Remove excess staining material immediately. Test the stain removal agent on an inconspicuous place. Avoid hot water on an unknown stain. Use simple methods before resorting to the use of chemicals. Use milder agents first and then stronger ones. Repeated mild applications are better than one strong one. Ensure that the stain removal agent has been neutralized or washed away. There are two major factors which are responsible for ensuring correct stain removal. One is the stain removal agent and the other is the method of stain removal. It is important to select the right stain removal agent which are friendly.
Laundry
Figure 6.8 Methods of Stain Removal
6.10 DRY CLEANING This is a process by which textiles are cleaned using a solvent other than water. This solvent is usually an organic liquid that acts first to remove the layer of grease which bonds most grease particles to the surface and then to carry this dirt away. The solvents commonly used are: Per-chloro-ethylene Tri-chloro-tri-fluoro-ethane
The solvent after dry cleaning is removed first by centrifugal action followed by evaporation. The solvent being expensive is filtered off and recycled. Darker coloured articles are dry-cleaned after the lighter coloured ones. All articles require to be aired after the dry-cleaning process. Where Per-chloro-ethylene is not suitable, a system called Aquatex (from Iowa Techniques) is used. It involves the use of bio-degradable chemicals and water and a controlled stage-by-stage drying temperature that restores the article to its original condition. As technology vendors strive to automate every face of operations, computerized laundry systems have been in use since the mid-eighties. Some hotels are experimenting with Windowsbased laundry software and ozone washing. G.A. Braun has developed a cutting edge, interactive PC video-conferencing product
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called Serview that enables qualified technicians to provide customer and support service through contemporary two-way high speed audio and video conferencing. Ozone is a powerful oxidizer and ozone washing is an energy efficient system that can cut laundry costs by 50%. Ozone washing became popular in the US in the mid-eighties. It is carried out by mass injecting ozone into the laundry system via the cold water lines. The resulting ozonated water facilitates the breakdown of insoluble dirts leading to a whole host of benefits. Ozone washing, the brainchild of GuestCare Inc., cuts detergent use by 60%. It reduces the need for hot water and can cut energy costs by 80%. Little hot water, reduced chemicals and shorter wash cycles greatly extends the life of linen. 6.11 GUEST LAUNDRY Among the many amenities provided by a hotel, one of them is laundry service for the guest. It is an amenity which is essential in resort hotels where guests are long-staying and prefer to travel light. Even if a full-fledged laundry service is not available, at least some facility for ironing is required as clothes get crumpled in packing. It is a source of revenue in hotels and may serve as a means of preventing the guests from washing clothes and hanging them out to dry in hotel guest rooms. Laundry service, including dry cleaning m a y b e normal (ordinary) or urgent (express). The time gap between the collection and delivery is dependent on whether the laundry is on-premises or off-premises. 6.12 LAUNDRY PROCEDURES FOR DIFFERENT FABRICS i) Laundering of Cotton
The process of laundering cotton fabrics is dependent on the texture of the fabrics, fastness of colour and they are sorted into various categories, such as: fine, delicate cotton (mulmul, muslin) white and light fast colours dark, fast colours non-fast colours.
A further classification into coarse articles, bed linen and personal articles and table linen. This sorting will help decide: the temperature of water in the main wash the need for disinfection / sterilization the detergent used the speed of rotation of the drum the length of the wash cycle the use of bleach and optical brighteners the need to starch
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suitability of hydro-extraction.
Laundry
ii)
Laundering of Silk
Silk should be washed frequently as perspiration damages the fabric. Never soak articles as it weakens the fabric nor should they be subjected to high heat (wash temperature approx. 30 C). The detergent should have a good surfactant and should not depend on mechanical action for cleaning. No harsh chemicals should be used. The final rinse of silk articles should be carried out with a little vinegar in it. (1 tspn /10 litres water) in order to preserve lustre. Silk is too delicate to be hydro-extracted. Silk should never be sundried as this damages the fabric and causes yellowing. Ironing is on medium heat as silk scorches easily. The article must be evenly dampened and water should never be sprinkled on the fabric as it leaves watermarks. Ensure that the articles are completely dry so that creases do not reappear on the portion which is damp. Ironing is carried out on the reverse in order to preserve lustre and air all silk garments after ironing. Silk is usually dry-cleaned. iii) Laundering of Wool
In the laundering of wool, the articles must be shaken out to remove the dust particles that are held in the loosely constructed weave. Hand-knitted garments are very susceptible to felting and stretching. Mark the outline of the article prior to washing and arrange it in its original size and shape after laundering and dry flat. In the laundering of wool, the following should be avoided: application of friction high and fluctuating temperatures use of strong laundry agents wringing tightly and hydro-extraction hanging the fabric when wet prolonged soaking as it makes the fabric weak The capacity of the machine, may have to be disregarded due to the bulkiness of the article. The movement of the drum should be gentle and a scrubbing brush should never be used. The wash cycle should be short and water temperature (not more than 35 C). The rinse cycle should be thorough and borax is added to the final rinse water to prevent matting. No hydro-extraction is permitted but there is instead a pumping action for the removal of moisture. Usually ironing is not required, but wherever necessary, iron when the article is completely dry, using a low temperature and ironing on the reverse of the article. It is very essential to air the fabric after ironing. iv) Laundering of Synthetics
These are specially manufactured so that they shed dirt quickly in the wash. However if they become heavily soiled, (especially collars and cuffs and saree borders) they become difficult
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to clean, so it is better to wash them after every use. Soaking the garments before laundering is beneficial as it loosens the dirt. Care must be taken when loading the machine as overloading results in creases which may be difficult to remove later. The application of friction should be avoided. Use of a scrubbing brush should be restricted to heavily soiled parts only. The wash cycle is short and carried out at a low temperature (30 C) Rinsing should be carried out in water at room temperature. The hydro-extraction cycle is also short as synthetic articles have a low absorbency. Iron on low heat but quickly since a prolonged contact is likely to scorch the fabric. 6.13 LAUNDRY PROCEDURES The following are the steps involved in laundry: Step 1: Sort the dirty clothes, into separate piles for whites, bright colors and darks. If whites are mixed with colors in the wash, the colors may bleed onto and ruin whites. Also separate clothes that tend to produce lint (towels, sweatshirts, chenille and flannel) from clothes that tend to attract lint (corduroy, velvets and permanent-press clothes). Close zippers to prevent snagging, and empty pockets. Pre-treat heavy stains with laundry detergent or stain remover, heeding instructions on the product label. Measure out the right amount of laundry soap according to the manufacturer's instructions. Pour the soap into your washer or its detergent dispenser. Add liquid fabric softener, according to product instructions. Choose the water temperature for the wash cycle: hot, warm or cold; use cold rinse cycle for any load. Consult the labels on clothes, washing machine's instruction manual or the detergent container for recommendations on washing temperature. Start the washer, add and allow the detergent to dissolve in the water before adding clothes. Adjust the water level to the size of load. If needed to add bleach, allow the machine to run for a few minutes to mix the detergent and water, and then add about a cup of bleach to the washer or the bleach dispenser. Add the clothes, close the lid and let the machine run. Washing takes approximately 45 minutes.
Step 2: Step 3: Step 4: Step 5:
Step 6:
Step 7:
Step 8:
Step 9:
Step 10: Put the clothes (and an anti-static sheet, if desired) in the dryer after the wash is complete. Hang delicates (such as bras and certain sweaters) to air dry on a clothing rack or hanger.
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Step 11: Remove lint from the dryer's lint tray.
Step 12: Select the correct drying temperature for the laundry load: low for delicates, medium for most fabrics and high for cotton. When in doubt, low or medium is the safest bet. Step 13: Close and turn on the dryer. Expect the drying cycle to take an hour or more for a full load. Step 14: Once the clothes are completely dry, remove them from the dryer or drying rack and fold and store. CHECK YOUR PROGRESS 1. What are the principles of laundering? 2. What is the difference between off-premises and on-premises laundering? 3. What are the factors that need to be considered while washing? 4. How washing machines work? 5. List some of the most frequently used finishing equipments. 6. List few laundering agents. 7. Define stain. 8. What is dry cleaning?
Laundry
6.14 LET US SUM UP It is essential to ensure a continuous supply of linen, which is well laundered, so that hotel operations can be carried out smoothly and efficiently. The principles of laundering are: removal of dirt and stains from the linen articles and restoring linen articles to their original appearance as far as possible. A commercial or off-premises laundry refers to laundering activities performed outside the establishment. An on-s i t e o r on-premises laundry refers to laundering activities carried on within the hotel by staff employed. The various processes in laundering includes: collection & transportation, marking, sorting, weighing, loading, washing, unloading, finishing, folding, airing, storage and distribution. A washing machine is a machine designed to clean laundry, such as clothing, towels and sheets. Other machines used in washing are tunnel washers, tumble dryer, finishing equipments (flatwork ironer / roller iron / calendar / press), puffer or suzie, tunnel dryer and cabinet dryer or drying room. When planning an on-premises laundry it must be located far from guestrooms so that guests are not disturbed. It is essential laundry to locate near the linen room for convenience and reducing transportation time. When planning the layout of a laundry, consider the work flow and wherever possible ensure that the plan does not hinder the smooth flow of operations. To reduce turnaround time between loads, ease of loading and unloading, equipments must be
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arranged and positioned properly, taking into account ease of each operation. Addition of a detergent allows the water to penetrate, wetting the garment thoroughly so that soil is more accessible and its easy removal. Detergents are classified into: synthetic / active detergent, built-soap detergent and enzyme-action detergent. The agents that help in cleaning include: suspending agent, sequestering agent, alkalis (washing soda, sodium phosphate, sodium hydroxide, and sodium metasilicate), bleaches, antichlors, sour, optical brightener / whitener, starch, fabric conditioner, etc. The solvents commonly used for dry cleaning are: per-chloroethylene and tri-chloro-tri-fluoro-ethane. The solvent after dry cleaning is removed first by centrifugal action followed by evaporation. Laundry service, including dry cleaning may be normal (ordinary) or urgent (express). Special attention must be given while laundering cotton, silk, wool, synthetics, etc. 6.15 LESSON END ACTIVITY 1. 2. 3. 4. Draw a flow diagram for the Laundry Process with a brief explanation of each stage. Visit an on-premises laundry room and take a note of the activities carried out. Visit an off-premised and take a note on the detergents and cleaning agents used. Visit a dry cleaning shop and take a note on the solvents used in the process of cleaning the linen.
6.16 KEY WORDS Skips Cheese Suzie Elasticised net bags used in the collection of soiled / dirty linen for transport Compact mass of hydro-extracted cloths Used for articles like coats. The coat is put on to a dummy, passed steam to remove wrinkles and then hot air circulated to remove moisture. Ions with positive electric charge A discolored or soiled spot or smudge Covered or stained with or as if with dirt or other impurities A chemical agent used for bleaching An inclined trough, passage, or channel through or down which things may pass A soft heavy cotton thread similar to that used to make wicks for candles
Cation Stain Soiled Bleach Chute Candlewick

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Mildew
A superficial coating or discoloration of organic materials, such as cloth, paper, or leather, caused by fungi, especially under damp conditions. A table napkin A garment, usually fastened in the back, worn over all or part of the front of the body to protect clothing Any of numerous proteins or conjugated proteins produced by living organisms and functioning as biochemical catalysts A measure of the acidity or alkalinity of a solution, numerically equal to 7 for neutral solutions, increasing with increasing alkalinity and decreasing with increasing acidity. The pH scale commonly in use ranges from 0 to 14
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Serviettes Apron Enzyme
pH
6.17 QUESTIONS FOR DISCUSSION 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. How and why are clothes sorted prior to the laundry process? List the stages in a wash cycle with a brief explanation of each stage. What is TACT? Classify detergents and explain the use of each type. Explain the role of an alkali in the wash process. What is dry-cleaning? Differentiate between: i) ii) Laundry Chute and Laundry Skip Blue and Bleach
iii) Tunnel Dryer and Tumble Dryer iv) Sour and Soft v) 7. 8. 9. Physical and Chemical methods of stain removal What special care (give any two points) must be taken when laundering guest articles. Give two advantages and two disadvantages of having an OPL. Give two problems that may result from the overloading of a washing machine.
10. Give two reasons why soiled linen should be dealt with as quickly as possible. CHECK YOUR PROGRESS - ANSWER 1. The principles of laundering are: removal of dirt and stains from the linen articles and restoring linen articles to their original appearance as far as possible. 2. An off-premises laundry refers to laundering activities performed outside the establishment i.e. given on a contract basis to specialists in the field. An on-site or on-premises laundry refers
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to laundering activities carried on within the establishment by staff employed by the hotel.
3. The factors that need to be considered while washing includes: setting length of wash cycle, temperature of water, water level, type and amount of detergent and the time of dispensing, mechanical agitation, rinsing and hydro-extraction. 4. All washing machines work by using mechanical energy, thermal energy and chemical action. Mechanical energy is imparted to the clothes load by the rotation of the agitator in top loaders, or by the tumbling action of the drum in front loaders. Thermal energy is supplied by the temperature of the wash bath. Chemical actions are providing by the detergents and cleaning agents. 5. Some of the frequently used finishing equipments are: flatwork ironer, roller iron, calendar and press. 6. Alkalis (washing soda, sodium phosphate, sodium hydroxide, sodium metasilicate), bleaches, antichlors, sour, optical brightener / whitener, starch, fabric conditioner, etc. 7. A stain is defined as a discolouration brought about by contact with a foreign substance which is difficult to remove. 8. This is a process by which textiles are cleaned using a solvent (per-chloro-ethylene, tri-chloro-tri-fluoro-ethane) other than water.
6.18 REFERENCES 1. Schneider Madelin, Tucker Georgina and Scoviak Mary (1999), The Professional Housekeeper, John Wiley & Sons Inc, New York. 2. Martin Robert J (1998), Professional Management of Housekeeping Operations, John Wiley & Sons New York. 3. Rosemary Hurst (1971), Housekeeping Management for Hotels and Residential Establishments, William Heinemann. 4. W. Winter, Doris Hatfield, H. Hatfield (1989), The Professional Housekeeping, Hyperion Books.
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LESSON 7 PEST CONTROL
CONTENTS
7.0 7.1 7.2 7.3 7.4 7.5 7.6 7.7 7.8 7.9 7.10 7.11 7.12 7.13 7.14 7.15 7.16 7.17 7.18 7.19 7.20 Aims and Objectives Introduction Pest Control Ants 7.3.1 Control of Ants Cockroaches 7.4.1 Control of Cockroaches Lizards 7.5.1 Control of Lizards Flies 7.6.1 Control of Flies 7.6.2 Toxicants Used For Space Sprays Bees 7.7.1 Control of Bees Wasps 7.8.1 Control of Wasps Spiders 7.9.1 Control of Spiders Bed Bug 7.10.1 Control of Bed Bug Mosquitoes 7.11.1 Control of Mosquitoes Rats 7.12.1 Control of Rats Silverfish 7.13.1 Control of Silverfish Termites 7.14.1 Control of Termite Bats 7.15.1 Control of Bats Let Us Sum Up Lesson End Activity Key Words Questions for Discussion References
7.0 AIMS AND OBJECTIVES At the end of this lesson, students should be able to demonstrate appropriate skills, and show an understanding of the following: The various pests and
The controlling methods of pests. 7.1 INTRODUCTION Pest is an organism which has characteristics that are regarded by human beings as injurious or unwanted. It is so most often because pests cause serious damages and substantial economic loss to the hotel properties and human health by carrying, spreading and transmitting contageous and often fatal diseases. No matter how clean one keeps ones surroundings, you cannot avoid the uninvited guests the pests. It is not only embarrassing but also speaks badly of a hotel where one sees rats, cockroaches, and lizards running around. An animal such as rats and fleas can also be a dangerous pest when it carries germs within human habitats and spreads it. Pest Control is another major job of the Housekeeping Department. 7.2 PEST CONTROL Insect pests enter buildings seeking food, shelte r o r surroundings having the right temperature and humidity. The key to successful pest control is eliminating one or more of these condusive factors. Sanitation is an important part of control. Successful pest control should begin with good housekeeping. It is important to know something about the habits of the pests in order to take proper preventative measures and to select and apply appropriate pest control products correctly. Using the wrong control product or using the right product but in the wrong manner may result in unsatisfactory control. Keep in mind that different pests may be found in different parts of the building, in different seasons or in different years. Below a few common pests found in the hotels and methods of their control are described. 7.3 ANTS The many different species of hotel-infesting ants range in size from the tiny 1/16-inch Pharaoh's ant to the large 3/4-inch queen carpenter ant. Ants can be black, red, brown or yellow in color, have a pinched waist and elbowed antennae and be either wingless or winged. Most hotel-infesting ants are found in such areas as kitchens and bathrooms where there is food and water.
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Pest Control
Figure 7.1 Ants
7.3.1 Control of Ants Sanitation is important method in preventing ant infestations. Clean up food and beverage spills from floors and countertops immediately. Baits may be the best method of control for some species of ants. Since ants are social insects, ant workers carry bait back to the nest where it kills other colony members. Baiting often results in longer lasting control than an insecticide applied to the workers. Pavement ants ate little black ants can be effectively controlled with baits. Plastic or metal bait stations ("ant traps") are easy to use and are desirable where pets or children are present. Baits should be placed in areas where the most ants have been seen. Don't place baits on sprayed surfaces or spray near bait stations. Baits have not proven effective in controlling carpenter ants. Carpenter ants nest in structural wood but do not actually eat wood. The key to control of carpenter ants is to locate the nest and treat it. Other nest spots may be inside hollow core doors and under insulation in an attic. They are treated with an insecticide labeled for ant control.
7.4 COCKROACHES Cockroaches are mainly tropical but certain species have become widely distributed through commerce and are now cosmopolitan. They are nocturnal in habit and attack food, paper, clothing, shoes, and dead insects. The German cockroach prefers a warm and moist environment. Consequently, it has become a pest of kitchens, larders and restaurants, where food, warmth and moisture present provide the necessary ecological requirements.
Figure 7.2 Cockroaches
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The Oriental Cockroach on the other hand prefers cooler areas. These are therefore found under coverings, in bathrooms, toilets, and sinks, where large numbers congregate around sources of water. The American Cockroach infests all houses, store-rooms, kitchens, cupboards, and libraries. The Brown Banded Cockroach, which can fly, prefers locations high up in the rooms. 7.4.1 Control of Cockroaches Inspection and treatment should go together whether a complaint has been received or not. All the possible hiding places of cockroaches must be thoroughly investigated. These places would probably be dark corners. Check calendars and pictures on the walls, electrical appliances such as the refrigerators, wall clocks, ovens, food mixers, and coffee blenders. Other places that need attention and which we tend to overlook are: Rubber and gasket lining in the refrigerator and other appliances; Splash plate in walls behind ovens and stoves; Baseboard - forming a base around the room up to 8 above floor level; Linoleum corners and around the walls; Carpets underneath; to be rolled up; Panels on the walls to be injected wherever there are cracks; Fuse box, behind sinks, light fixtures etc. Sprinkle Baygon bait in places where cockroaches congregate, rest or hide, such as dark corners of closets, base of walls in basements, under sinks, around drain pipes, upon shelves, etc. Baygon sprays are also effective against cockroaches.
7.5 LIZARDS Lizards are typically dry land animals loving the sun and its heat. Usually they are very small and slender creatures. A very interesting protective feature of these lizards is the power to break off their tails automatically. This power of automatically breaking off parts of the body is called autotomy. Broken parts usually regenerate eventually. Lizard control is usually carried out in the warmer periods of the year. Lizards are cold blooded animals and hence in the cold season they tend to hibernate in the warm corners of the house to restore their body temperature. During the warmer periods they come out and can be seen crawling up and down the walls. They usually come out after dusk as they feed on smaller insects that fly around the light sources. Lizards are also found in places infested with cockroaches. 7.5.1 Control of Lizards
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Lizards are found mostly behind picture frames, curtains, shelves and window frames. They enter the hotel through the ventilators and windows. Hence the windows and ventilators should be properly meshed.
As the lizards thrive on insects, the most effective way of controlling lizards is to control the insects in the house. Lizards are carnivorous and prey on other insects. Hence they cannot be controlled using bait. Chemical control of lizards involves spraying of pesticides directly on the reptiles. Chemicals such as dichlorophos, malathion etc. sprayed on the body kills the lizard instantly. Fumigation is carried out using Aluminum Phosphide or any other approved fumigant in godowns, libraries or big halls.
Pest Control
7.6 FLIES Flies are of small or moderate size; some species are even minute, measuring one millimeter long. The majority of flies is diurnal and frequently fly around for nectar or haunt decaying organic matter of diverse kinds. The common housefly species is probably the most familiar and certainly the most widely distributed of all insects. It has accompanied man everywhere and has adapted itself to breeding in a variety of rejected food and excrement of man and his domestic animals. It is a carrier of disease brought about by its habit of flying and resting on human body, human food and animals. The disease organisms of typhoid, dysentery, summer diarrhea, and probably infantile paralysis are transferred from faecal matter to food by vomit drops in fly excrement or by organisms adhering to the flys feet. The eggs of parasitic worms are also transmitted in this way.
Figure 7.3 Flies 7.6.1 Control of Flies
Fly sprays and household sprays are synonymous since a spray that controls flies will also control other insects. There are three kinds of sprays in the market. 1. Space Spray Space sprays are applied as a mist into the air and must be in contact with the insect at the time of spraying. They provide quick knockdown and fast results but temporary
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control. In aerosol sprays, the insecticidal ingredients are dispersed by means of the vapour pressure of liquefied inert gas rather than the pressure of compressed air. The inert gas is usually chloro-fluorinol which is known to react with the ozone layer in the atmosphere and destroying it. This gas is considered as the prime cause of environmental disaster and latent catostrophy through the destruction of ozone layer. 2. Surface or Surface or residual sprays may have a Residual Spray petroleum or water base. They are applied on surfaces as a wet spray rather than a mist and they leave a toxic layer of either fine crystals or film on evaporation of the carrier. Surface sprays provide relatively slow knockdowns but long lasting control against non-resistant flies and do not have to come in contact with the insect at the time of spraying in order to be effective. Residual sprays are applied to surfaces frequented by houseflies such as light fixtures, window screens and walls. When a residual spray is used as a space spray, the large amount of toxicant becomes hazardous to the user, as well as the resident guest and may contaminate the food as well. 3. Combination It is combination of space and surface spray. It could be effective due to its instant knockdown and residual effect.
7.6.2
Toxicants Used for Space Sprays
1) Pyrethrum this is the most common ingredient in a fly spray. At recommended dosage, it is the safest toxicant and has exceptionally fast knockdown effect. It has the disadvantage of not killing all the insects knocked down. It is a natural plant product. 2) Allethrin this chemical is often referred to as synthetic pyrethrins. It has knockdowns and mortality characteristics similar to natural pyrethrins when used against flying insects in space sprays. 3) Residual sprays - DDT was considered to be very effective until 1950, but by then the flies had become resistant to this toxicant. Today the most common toxicant used is Malathion and Diazinon, but the housefly is becoming resistant to these toxicants too. 4) Baygon Bait: there are many fly killing insecticides in the market, however many of them do not solve the real problem of doing their work that of bringing into contact the fly and
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the insecticide. The ideal answer to this is the ready-to-use Baygon Bait. It first attracts, and then kills the fly. The Baygon bait has the following advantages: The dry granular form makes application very convenient for even unskilled labour to sprinkle. No material for dilution or equipment is needed. The application can be limited to areas of heady infestation which are easily located. This avoids waste of material and labour. Baygon also controls flies which have developed resistance to the action of chlorinated hydro-carbon and organo-phosphorous insecticides. The 2% formulation of Baygon bait has a relatively low order of toxicity to human beings, yet is powerful enough to achieve extremely good results against flies in a few minutes of application. The undisturbed bait remains effective for a very long time.
Pest Control
7.7 BEES The honey bee is mans oldest insect friend known and it to this insect that we owe honey, beeswax and proper fertilization of many of our crop plants for bumper yield. The honey bee is a social insect living in colonies of 20,000 to 80,000. As with man, the honey bee too has its periods of depression. On cloudy days when they are unable to forage for nectar, they get frustrated and need to take out their frustration on others. On these days we need to be cautious.
Figure 7.4 Bee
Most individuals who fear bees do so because of their potent sting. When the bee stings the sting, poison sac, and several other parts of the bees anatomy are torn from the bees body and the bee soon dies. The action of the sting takes place instantly. The sting has barbs on it and if it is not immediately removed the reflex action of the muscle attached to the sting drives it deeper into the sting hole permitting more time for the poison to be discharged. The pain in the sting gets more acute as the toxin is discharged. The toxin is formic acid. 7.7.1 Control of Bees
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If the bees nest in the voids of a hotel, they should be controlled or they will enter the living area. The removal of a bee colony once it has entered an attic or a wall void is extremely difficult and it is difficult to find a bee keeper to attempt it. Hence most bee colonies in wall voids are treated with insecticides. A variety of insecticides are effective including bendiocard, carbaryl, diazinon, malathion and porpoxur. The dust formulation of these products is preferable to spray formulations when bee and wasp nests are in enclosed places. Dust has the advantage of being widely distributed by the insects as they move around in the nest. Sprays kill only those insects which come in contact with the sprayed area. Usually one application is sufficient with activity ceasing in one or two days. Nests should be treated at night to avoid getting stung. Once the bees are killed the walls where they have been nesting should be opened and the comb removed. If not, the untended honey will run down and through the walls and attract insects such as moths, cockroaches, and carpet beetles.
7.8 WASPS The wasp flies above lawns which are infested with beetle grubs, as these grubs are food for the wasp. Wasps appear in the morning and fly all day, retiring early in the evening. These wasps generally do not attack people. In order to control them the lawn can be sprayed with carbaryl or the grubs controlled with chloropyrifos or diazinon. These social wasps live in colonies which number in thousands. These beneficial insects would not anger man except that they like to live in close proximity with us. They nest in attics and voids in the walls where they can go unnoticed for a long time. They usually go outdoors in search of food, but when they are not able to get food, they come into the living area and become a threat to the inhabitants of the house / rooms. They feed in trash cans, and enjoy our food and they resent our efforts to keep them away from our food. When this happens they need to be controlled.
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Figure 7.5 Wasp
Pest Control
7.8.1
Control of Wasps If the nest can be found, control of wasp is simple. Simply spray bendiocarb, carbaryl, chloropyrifos, diazinon, or resmethrin into the nest opening of the aerial nesters. Then wet the nest envelope. The nest may be removed in a day or two. For ground nests dust formulation of any of the above insecticides is preferable. Workers entering the nest will track the dust into the nest and contaminate it. The problem is that it is most difficult if not impossible to track the nest.
7.9 SPIDERS There are 35,000 species of spiders in the world. Most spiders that are a cause of concern to the public and which pest control experts are called upon to control are either large or have striking marking. The large spider is often thought to be a tarantula, and the coloured one the black widow. Only a few species of spiders reside in dwellings and a larger number stray or are carried into the houses. Uninhabitated houses or buildings are popular residential quarters of the spiders.
Figure 7.6 Spider
The house spider is so cosmopolitan and so widely distributed that it is difficult to trace its original homeland. The house spider selects its web sites at random. If the web does not yield prey, it is abandoned and another site is selected. Eventually the spider end up constructing webs where food is most available. 7.9.1 Control of Spiders Improved storage, use of air tight boxes and bags, elevation of materials off the ground, discarding unwanted items, and periodically sweeping or vacuuming under furniture and behind mirrors and pictures are all helpful control measures.
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Dust formulation lightly applied to the web can be quite effective. Dust formulations are best directed against web building spiders. Dust formulations for spiders include products containing bendiocarb, diazinon, malathion and pyrethrum. Space sprays are DDVP, pyrethrum, and resmethrin. Space sprays are useful for spider problems in confined areas when there is no hazard to people using the structures. Residual sprays are usually applied to infested windows, corners, doorframes, roofs, and storage areas. Residual formulations include those based on bendiocarb, bromine, chloropyrifos, DDVP diazinon, malathion, propetamphos, propoxur, pyrethrum, resmethrin, and runnel.
7.10 BED BUG This pest has plagued man since the dawn of civilization. Although this creature draws no line between the rich and the poor, its presence is more evident in the quarters of the impoverished, owing to conditions more favourable for its growth. The bed bug is distributed readily in a laundry and on clothes and baggage of individuals who have visited infested areas. Once in the room, they become established in any convenient crack or crevice particularly along the seams or buttons of mattresses, coils of bedsprings, wooden bedsteads, upholstered furniture, the backing of pictures, behind wall paper, and calendars, behind skirting boards and between floor boards or just about any place it can find to rest and reproduce living there happily even after surrounded by a colony of kith and kin.
Figure 7.7 Bed Bug
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These creatures are very wary and cautious, and their hiding place taxes the guests and ingenuity of man. Infestations can be detected by the bloodstains on the walls or linen, and by the characteristic spots of excrement. In addition to their disgusting appearance, the bugs make a mess and they stink. The mess is due to their frequent excretion which causes brownish, yellowish or black spots on the walls near the crevices where they hide. The dark marks are due to the presence of partly digested blood in their faeces to make way for a fresh meal.
Pest Control
7.10.1 Control of Bed Bug DDT which was once considered the best control measure for bugs is today not effective. The bugs have become totally immune to this insecticide. Spray of 1% malathion, 1% fenchlophos, 0.5% DDVP, and 0.5% synegised pyrethrins have given good results. Mattresses should be treated only at the seams and should not be soaked in spray. Mattresses should be allowed to dry and should be covered when used. Lindane, malathion, pyrethrin or fenchlophos can be used to spray mattresses. Several residual sprays used as water emulsions and or oil-based solutions may be used away from beds: 0.5% diazinon 2% malathion, and 1% fenchlophos. Hand spray is usually adequate and spraying should be done early in the day so that the insecticide can dry before the room is used for sleeping. Pyrethrum treatments need to be repeatedly given on account of its limited residual action. Care should be taken not to sleep on a freshly sprayed mattress.
7.11 MOSQUITOES Mosquitoes received very little attention until it was found that they were the cause for malaria and other diseases. These are the most threatening pests nowadays. It was then that a study was conducted, and it has been found that there are 1,700 species of these insects in the world. Mosquito is found abundantly in the tropical region and there are stray occurances of them even in the arctic region. Not all mosquitoes are blood suckers, and most of them are attracted to light. Hence light traps are used in order to obtain information about them. Only the females suck blood. The male feeds on pollen and nectar.
Figure 7.8 Mosquito
The vast majority of them prefer fresh water but some live in salt marshes and brackish water. Still others are happiest in water
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contaminated with sewage. There are two main types of mosquitoes culicine and anopheline. The culicine types are painful biters and capable of transmitting certain diseases found in tropical areas such as yellow fever, filariasis and dengue fever. The anopheline groups are capable of transmitting malaria. By and large, the mosquito constitutes a serious pest in the house. Many species inflict painful bites and some species do so at night. Scratching the itching bite often sets up secondary complications. 7.11.1 Control of Mosquitoes Control consists essentially of destroying the larvae and their breeding places. Tin cans and all objects that hold water should be eliminated and the rain barrels and cisterns are treated periodically. Drainage provides permanent control and is used to eliminate small pools, swamps and marshy areas; ditches, and creeks are cleaned up so that the water flows evenly and does not stagnate or back up. Areas of water that cannot be eliminated by draining or leveling are sprayed or dusted. Prevention of bites is an essential feature in the prevention of mosquito borne diseases. All buildings should be screened to prevent entry of these insects. A mixture of indalone, Rutgers 612 and dimethylphthalate is a good general repellent. Aerosol bombs containing pyrethrum, rotenone or DDT are used to kill mosquitoes in small areas. DDT is used to spray wells and screens, and is effective for long periods, but kills slowly, and should be used carefully. The aedes and culex mosquitos remain in dark portions of the building and bite during the day. Spraying will destroy them and prevent the spread of dengue and filariasis.
7.12 RATS Rats, mice and squirrels are from the same family the Rodents. This group of animals is distinguished by their teeth large and chisel-like front teeth. They use these teeth to gnaw through any kind of hard matter wood and cement walls. There are many kinds of rats in the world, but only two kinds of rats are pests man confronts with the Norway rat and the roof rat. The Norway rat is so called because it is believed that they originated in Norway. They are larger, and have larger droppings than the roof rat.
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Pest Control
Figure 7.9 Rat
Roof rats also known as black or ship rat which prefer warmer climate and upper floors of buildings. The Norway rat prefers basements and often burrows around water sewers, docks or wharfs. Rodents urinate and leave droppings on the food they eat. Their hair also drops in these foodstuffs. Hence humans should not consume food contaminated by these creatures. 7.12.1 Control of Rats Snap traps: trapping is done when the use of poisons is dangerous. Traps can be used again and again. The bait should be tied securely to the trigger. This prevents the rodent from nibbling the bait without setting off the trigger. The bait may be food or cotton. The rat uses the cotton for nesting. Electromagnetic or ultra sound devices: electromagnetic devices work on the principle that a magnetic field produces a barrier which has a stunning effect on the rodents. The ultrasonic device works on the principle that certain high frequencies and amplitudes of sound are irritating. Ultrasonic sounds are directional and rodents seek shelter behind solid objects. In such cases there should be alternate use of baits and traps in these shadow zones. ANTU, Arsenic, Barium Carbonate, Phosphorous paste, Fluoroacetamide, Strychnine, Zinc phosphide are the chemicals used to kill the rats. Most of these chemicals are spread between two slices of bread in the form of a sandwich and placed at the right place to trap the rats.
7.13 SILVERFISH This primitive wingless insect is so called on account of its shining grey colouration, its sinuous movements, and its quick darts to cover when disturbed. The silverfish is nocturnal, shuns light and is most often seen when uncovered in dampish places like the kitchen and the scullery. It is able to walk up rough vertical surfaces such as wall paper and plaster, but unable to do the same on smooth surfaces like glass and porcelain. Hence it gets trapped in wash basins and bathrooms.
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Figure 7.10 Silverfish
The silverfish is responsible for little actual damage. It feeds on carbohydrate substances such as starch used for wall paper paste and is recorded as biting small irregular shaped holes in linen, cotton and artificial silk. Its carbohydrate diet is supplemented by protein from dead insects and glues used in book binding. Silverfish is not of great economic importance, but is an unpleasant inhabitant in our homes and needs to be attended to. 7.13.1 Control of Silverfish Insecticides such as DDT, chlordane, dieldrin, and lindane formerly used for the control of silverfish are no longer registered for use. Although liquids, dust or baits can be used for the control of silverfish, liquids are preferred in visible or exposed areas of the home where dusts or baits may present an undue hazard to children or pets. Dusts can be used in attics, basements, and places where their use is not potentially hazardous. In controlling silverfish, the insecticide will be most effective when applied where the insect is most commonly seen. Particular attention should be paid to inject small amounts of liquid into or dusts into crevices and cracks formed by shelves, loose moulding or floor tiles, and loose drawer glides. Silverfish are commonly found around book shelves. These shelves should therefore receive the crack and crevice injections. Caution must be exercised when applying liquids, as the liquid may stain the books especially when water based sprays are used. When it is not possible to use either sprays or dust, then it is advisable to sprinkle bait on the shelves. A small amount of bait, bait dispenser, or bait pellets can be put in the corner of the bookshelves.
7.14 TERMITES Termites are insects that cause serious damage to wood and paper. They actually eat wood as food, and like ants, live in colonies.
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Pest Control
Figure 7.11 Termites
There are three types of termites the subterranean, the damp wood and the dry wood termites. The subterranean termite lives in the ground which provides the dampness required for it to stay alive. The damp wood termite needs a lot of moisture to survive, but does not need to return to the ground. It can stay in the wood which is close to the ground or near a leaking roof. The dry roof termite is often found living in desert areas. They do not need water or moisture to survive and can nest in dry seasoned wood. 7.14.1 Control of Termites Termites attack a building from their colonies under its floor or from outside or both. Any treatment given should be such that it prevents future re-infestation through the foundation. This is achieved by four technical operations. Structural alterations: this includes any structural operation which renders a structure less susceptible to termite attack or which renders the immediate surroundings of a structure less favourable to termites. Soil treatment: chemicals are applied to the soil immediately adjacent to or under a structure for the purpose of eliminating existing infestations and creating an insecticidal barrier. Foundation treatment: this involves application of chemicals to any type of foundation for preventing access to termites. Wood treatment: chemicals are applied to wooden members of the structures to render them resistant to termites.
7.15 BATS Bats are natural reservoirs or vectors for a large number of pathogens including rabies. Their high mobility, broad distribution, social behaviour (communal roosting, fission-fusion, etc.) and close evolutionary relationship to humans make bats favourable hosts and disseminators of disease. Many species also appear to have a high tolerance for harbouring pathogens and often do not develop disease while infected.
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Figure 7.12 Bats
Due to the risk of rabies and also due to health problems related to their faecal droppings (guano), bats should be excluded from inhabited parts of hotels. 7.15.1 Control of Bats The simplest procedure for expelling a maternity colony begins with the installation of a bat box. After that, the bat box entrances is sealed and removed from the hotel premises. With a little patience and effort, one can completely exclude bats from the hotel permanently and successfully.
Figure 7.13 Bat Box
CHECK YOUR PROGRESS 1. What are pests? 2. Fill in the blanks: i) German cockroach prefers a .. and .. environment. ii) Lizards love . and its iii) There are about species of spiders in the world. iv) The mosquitoes suck blood. v) is one of the method to prevent termites. 3. List some of the toxicants used for space sprays. 4. Name some of the insecticides used to control bees. 5. Where do you usually kind the bed bugs? 6. Name some rodents. 7. What are termites?
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7.16 LET US SUM UP Pest is an organism which has characteristics that are regarded by human beings as injurious or unwanted. Pest control is one of the major job of the housekeeping department in a hotel. Some of the common pests are ants, cockroaches, lizards, flies, bees, wasps, spiders, bed bug, mosquitoes, rats, silverfish, termites, bats, etc. Sanitation is an important part of pest control. Successful pest control should begin with good housekeeping. It is important to know something about the habits of the pests in order to take proper preventative measures and to select and apply appropriate pest control products correctly. Using the wrong control product or using the right product but in the wrong manner may result in unsatisfactory control. Keep in mind that different pests may be found in different parts of the building, in different seasons or in different years. Apart from pests, there are also special uninvited guests such as snakes and wild animals, which can be sited near the chalets, hunting lodges camping sites which could pose serious threats to safety and occasionally ay turn out to be fatal. The practical way to control will be to be wary of the danger an keep the premises free from vegetation. 7.17 LESSON END ACTIVITY 1. Visit a pest control organization in your town and note down the list of pest control chemicals sold. 2. Prepare a chart describing the method to control some of the common pests in a hotel. 7.18 KEY WORDS Contagious Fatal Nocturnal Linoleum Capable of transmitting disease; carrying a disease Causing or capable of causing death Of, relating to, or occurring in the night A durable, washable material made in sheets by pressing a mixture of heated linseed oil, rosin, powdered cork, and pigments onto a burlap or canvas backing. Linoleum is used as a covering especially for floors. To be in an inactive or dormant state or period A t r a d emark used for the organic compound, C10H19O6PS2, used as an insecticide
Pest Control
Congregate Gathered; assembled
Hibernate Malathion
Carnivorous A flesh-eating animal
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Fumigant Dysentery
A chemical compound used in its gaseous state as a pesticide or disinfectant An inflammatory disorder of the lower intestinal tract, usually caused by a bacterial, parasitic, or protozoan infection and resulting in pain, fever, and severe diarrhea, often accompanied by the passage of blood and mucus A synthetic clear or amber-colored viscous insecticide, C19H26O3, similar to pyrethrin An amber liqui d , C 12 H21 N2O3PS, insecticide. used as an
Allethrin Diazinon
7.19 QUESTIONS FOR DISCUSSION 1. 2. 3. Enumerate the method of controlling rats, bats and lizards. Explain in your own words the method of controlling ants, flies and mosquitoes. Where you usually find bed bugs? Explain how will you control them. CHECK YOUR PROGRESS - ANSWER 1. Pest is an organism which has characteristics that are regarded by human beings as injurious or unwanted. It is so most often because pests cause serious damages and substantial economic loss to the hotel properties and human health by carrying, spreading and transmitting contageous and often fatal diseases. 2. i) ii) iii) iv) v) warm, moist sun, heat 35,000 female Soil treatment
3. Pyrethrum, allenthrin, residual sprays and Baygon bait. 4. Insecticides such as bendiocard, carbaryl, diazinon, malathion and porpoxur are used to control bees. 5. In the hotel room, the bed bug become established in any convenient crack or crevice particularly along the seams or buttons of mattresses, coils of bedsprings, wooden bedsteads, upholstered furniture, the backing of pictures, behind wall paper, and calendars, behind skirting boards and between floor boards or just about any place it can find to rest and reproduce. 6. Rats, mice and squirrels. 7. Termites are insects that cause serious damage to wood and paper. They actually eat wood as food, and like ants, live in colonies.
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Pest Control
7.20 REFERENCES 1. 2. San Ramon (1998), Controlling Household Pests, Chevron Chemical Company, Ortho Books, California. Lifton, Bernice (1991), Bug Busters: Poison-Free Pest Controls For Your House & Garden, Avery Publishing Group, Inc., New York. Mallis, Arnold (1990), Handbook of Pest Control, 7th Edition, Franzak & Foster, Cleveland, Ohio.
3.
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LESSON 8 KEY AND KEY CONTROL

CONTENTS
8.0 8.1 8.2 8.3 Aims and Objectives Introduction Key and Key Control Types of Keys 8.3.1 Emergency Key 8.3.2 Master Key 8.3.3 Guest Key 8.4 Guiding Principles in Key Control System 8.5 Limitations of Metal Keys 8.6 Key Cards 8.7 Let Us Sum Up 8.8 Lesson End Activity 8.9 Key Words 8.10 Questions for Discussion 8.11 References
8.0 AIMS AND OBJECTIVES At the end of this lesson, students should be able to demonstrate appropriate skills, and show an understanding of the following: Emergency key, master key and guest keys Guiding principles in a key control system.
8.1 INTRODUCTION Every management owning property needs to establish procedures for its staff to follow that will help ensure the safe and secure functioning of the operation. All employees, not merely security personnel, should know the appropriate security procedures that will help protect the guests and the property from danger and loss at the hands of criminals. The housekeeping staffs are closely in touch with the guests, and therefore, they are more responsible for the security of the guests. Many security procedures are needed to control external theft by opportunist guests and internal theft by employees. Other procedures address the potential for loss created by or during emergencies, including accidents. Asset protection procedures involve protecting the property from losses arising from any number of sources, both internal and external.
The guest room represents the inner-circle of a hotel security plan. The guestroom is the sanctuary for the weary traveler where they expect to be safe. The guestroom doors and windows must be fortified to prevent forced entry. Installation of burglar proof door locking system and key control are vital to ensure guestroom safety against theft. This chapter discusses about the keys and key control. 8.2 KEY AND KEY CONTROL A key is a device which is used to open a lock. A typical key consist of two parts: the blade, which slides into the keyhole t o unlock the door, and the bow, which is left protruding so that torque can be applied by the user to open the door. The blade is usually designed to open one specific lock, although master keys are designed to open sets of similar locks.
Figure 8.1 Key
A system of key control is essential to the security of a lodging property. All keys whether metal or electronic should be adequately controlled. The security of a key lock system is seriously weakened when keys are issued to a great number of people or to anyone who has no legitimate need for a key. The best lock in the world may be unable to protect a property or its guests if poor key control allows a criminal to obtain a key to that lock. 8.3 TYPES OF KEYS Most lodging properties use at least three types of keys. These types typically include emergency keys, master keys, and guestroom keys. 8.3.1 Emergency Key The emergency key opens all guestroom doors, even when they are double locked. It can be used, for example, to enter a room when the guest needs help and is unable to reach or open the door. The emergency key should be highly protected and its use strictly controlled and recorded; it should never leave the property. One procedure for emergency keys is to have them locked in a safe or safe deposit box and signed out by the individual needing one. The log should be dated and signed by the individual taking the key.
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8.3.2 Master Key A master key is designed to open a set of several locks. These locks also have keys which are specific to each one (the change key) and cannot open any of the others in the set. Locks which have master keys have a second set of the mechanism used to open them which is identical to all of the others in the set of locks. For example, master keyed pin tumbler locks will have two shear points at each pin position, one for the change key and one for the master key. A far more secure (and more expensive) system has two cylinders in each lock, one for the change key and one for the master key. Larger organizations, with more complex "grandmaster key" systems, may have several masterkey systems where the top level grandmaster key works in all of the locks in the system. A master key opens all guestrooms that are not double locked. Depending upon the need, the master key may be further established as a housekeeping staff master key, a floor supervisor master key, and a grand master key for management purpose. 1. Grand Master Key 2. Floor Supervisors Master Key 3. Housekeeping Staff Master Key Key operates all locks in the Hotel. Including laundry and linen rooms. Key operates all sections on the floor/ floors supervised by the particular supervisor. Key operates all rooms serviced by particular room maid or housekeeping staff.
Key and Key Control
Figure 8.2 Master Key 113
Above keys will not open the lock when the Guest has Double Locked it from inside. From a security point of view, master keying is undesirable; but from a practical point of view, however it is necessary. Master keying presents two security drawbacks: First is the danger that if a master key is lost or stolen, several locks in the system would be compromised, thus providing access to all those locks. Second is the loss of master key.
An answer might be to use nonmaster key sets for high security areas and master key sets for low security areas. 8.3.3 Guest Key The hotel guest room key is normally issued to open only one room for which it was intended, viz. individualised key for each lock. If the guest room lock is in shut-out mode the guest room key can neither open it nor lock from outside of the room. 8.4 GUIDING PRINCIPLES IN KEY CONTROL SYSTEM Security of keys is essential from the moment they arrive on site. Keys should be stored separately and securely. No unauthorised person should be allowed access to any key, either to examine or handle it, since a photograph or impression can be taken in few seconds and duplicate subsequently made. Keep a log book of all keys signed out. Establish protocol for distribution of keys. Use keys that do not identify the propertys name, address, logo, or room number. Perform an annual key audit When keys are lost or stolen, the locks should be changed or rotated to another part of the property. Authorised employees should remind guests to return keys at check-out. The loss or suspected compromise of a key should be reported immediately and, after due investigation, a decision be made as to whether or not the lock should be changed. Place well-secured key return boxes in the lobby, at exit points of the property, and in courtesy vehicles.
8.5 LIMITATIONS OF METAL KEY

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Metal keys require a hotel to maintain an elaborate key control system with daily inventories of master key and E-Key checkout logs for the staff.
The guest has no way of knowing that an adequate key control system is in place. Metal keys can be easily duplicated. And if a master key is duplicated, the security of the rooms is seriously compromised. If a room key or master key turns up missing, the affected locks must be changed. This incident creates an on-going maintenance problem and expense for a hotel.
Key and Key Control
8.6 KEY-CARDS Metal room keys are being replaced by electronically coded key-cards. A keycard, while not actually considered a key, is a plastic card which stores a digital signature that is used with electronic access control locks. It is normally a flat, rectangular piece of plastic and may also serve as an ID card. There are several popular type of keycards in use and include the mechanical holecard, bar code card, magnetic stripe card, smart card (embedded with a read / write electronic microchip), and RFID proximity cards. The keycard is used by presenting it to a card reader; swiping or inserting of magnetic stripe cards, merely being brought into close proximity to a sensor. Bar code technology is not a secure form of a key, as the bar code can be copied in a photocopier and often read by the optical reader. Magnetic stripe keycards are becoming increasingly easy to copy, but have the security advantage that one may change the stored key in a magnetic swipe card in case the current key is compromised.
Figure 8.3 Key-Cards
Key-cards have the capability of being randomly coded at the point of registration, which re-emphasizes the guest perception of room security. Key-card control is computer-based and therefore creates the necessary audit trail automatically. Master keys can be changed in a matter of a few keystrokes and lost key-cards are easily removed from the system. One of the best security features is the ability of the computer to investigate each door lock and get a
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printout of everyone who accessed a particular room. This dramatically cuts down on theft from the rooms by hotel employees. The security advantage of the key-cards has made it popular and many medium and large sized hotels are adopting this key-card system. CHECK YOUR PROGRESS 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. What is a key? What are the three types of keys found? Name the different master keys in a hotel. Write short account on key card. Key consists of how many parts? What are they? Enumerate the limitations of metal key.
8.7 LET US SUM UP Hotel owners need to establish procedures for its staff to follow that will help ensure the safe and secure functioning of the operation. All employees should know the security procedures to protect the guests and the property. The guestroom doors and windows must be fortified to prevent forced entry. Installation of burglar proof door locking system and key control are vital to ensure guestroom safety against theft. A system of key control is essential to the security of a lodging property. All keys whether metal or electronic should be adequately controlled. Most lodging establishments use emergency keys, master keys and guestroom keys. Metal keys are being replaced by electronically coded keycards. It is normally a flat, rectangular piece of plastic which stores a digital signature that is used to control locks. There are several popular types of key-cards in use, viz. hole-card, bar code card, magnetic stripe card, smart-card, etc. 8.8 LESSON END ACTIVITY 1. Familiarise with different types of keys available in the hotel, its accessibility and security arrangement
8.9 KEY WORDS Key Card Emergency Key Grand Master Key Master Key
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A plastic card which stores digital signature that is used to control locks. The key used to open all guestrooms, even when they are double locked. Key that opens all locks in a hotel (including laundry and linen rooms). A key which is designed to open a set of locks.
Burglar Fortify Weary Sanctuary Asset Opportunist
A thief who enters a building with intent to steal Make strong and secure Causing fatigue; tiresome Something that physically protects, especially from danger A valuable item that is owned One who takes advantage of any opportunity to achieve an end, often with no regard for principles or consequences
Key and Key Control
8.10 QUESTIONS FOR DISCUSSION 1. 2. 3. What are the guiding principles in key control systems? Discuss about the existing key types and key control systems operational in your place of work. Enumerate different types of keys. CHECK YOUR PROGRESS - ANSWER 1. A key is a device which is used to open a lock. 2. Emergency keys, master keys and guestroom keys. 3. Grand master key, floor supervisors master key and housekeeping staff master key. 4. A key-card is a plastic card which stores a digital signature that is used with electronic access control locks. There are several popular type of key-cards in use and include the mechanical holecard, bar code, magnetic stripe, smart card (embedded with a read / write electronic microchip), and RFID proximity cards. 5. Key consists of two parts. They are the blade and the bow. 6. The limitations of the metal key are as follows: i) Metal keys require a hotel to maintain an elaborate key control system with daily inventories of master key and E-Key checkout logs for the staff. ii) The guest has no way of knowing that an adequate key control system is in place. iii) Metal keys can be easily duplicated. And if a master key is duplicated, the security of the rooms is seriously compromised. iv) If a room key or master key turns up missing, the affected locks must be changed. This incident creates an on-going maintenance problem and expense for a hotel.
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8.11 REFERENCES 1. Ellis, Raymond C. and Stipanuk, David M. (1999), Security and Loss Prevention Management, Lansing MI. 2. Joan C. & Lennox, Margaret Branson ( 1 9 6 9 ) , Hotel Housekeeping Principles and Practice, Edward Arnold, London. 3. Rosemary Hurst (1971), Housekeeping Management for Hotels and Residential Establishments, William Heinemann. 4. Louis A. Tyska, Lawrence J. Fennelly (2000), Physical Security 150 Things You Should Know, Elsevier. 5. Bill Phillips (2005), The Complete Book of Locks and Locksmithing, McGraw-Hill Professional.
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LESSON 9 ORGANISATIONAL STRUCTURE OF HOUSEKEEPING DEPARTMENT

CONTENTS
9.0 9.1 9.2 9.3 Aims and Objectives Introduction Organisational Structure of Housekeeping Department Duties and Responsibilities of Housekeeping Staffs 9.3.1 Executive Housekeeper 9.3.2 Public Area Supervisor 9.3.3 Floor Supervisor 9.3.4 Uniform / Linen Room Supervisor 9.3.5 Night Supervisor 9.3.6 Room Attendant 9.3.7 Uniform / Linen Room Attendant 9.3.8 Cloak Room Attendant 9.3.9 Tailor / Upholsterer 9.3.10 Head Gardener 9.3.11 Houseman 9.3.12 Gardener Let Us Sum Up Lesson End Activity Key Words Questions for Discussion References
9.4 9.5 9.6 9.7 9.8
9.0 AIMS AND OBJECTIVES At the end of this lesson, students should be able to demonstrate appropriate skills, and show an understanding of the following: Organisational structure of housekeeping department Duties and responsibilities of each housekeeping staffs.
9.1 INTRODUCTION The success and credibility of the hotels depends solely on their in-house professionally skilled team. Top quality service, with dedicated, trained, intelligent, sincere, honest and motivated staff is what is important for a hotel housekeeping department. This team succeeds in building and maintaining the image and reputation of the hotel and creating and sustaining regular and previlaged guest visits. For providing excellent and satisfying quality service, lot of effort has to be made towards organizing and training the
housekeeping staffs continuously. Additionally, the trained staff must be retained ensuring the consistency and staff dedication remains focused through various methods of training and motivation. The largest work force of the hotel is in the housekeeping department. It would be appropriate at this stage to understand the hierarchy, duties and responsibilities of all the housekeeping staffs for effective communication and coordination. 9.2 ORGANIZATIONAL STRUCTURE OF HOUSEKEEPING DEPARTMENT The organizational structure of the housekeeping department mainly depends on the activities and the size of the hotel. The charts below show the organizational of structure of the large and medium sized hotels. In the small hotels one or more jobs are integrated and handled by the few housekeeping personnels.
Figure 9.1 Organization Chart of a Large Hotel
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Organisational Structure of Housekeeping Department
Figure 9.2 Organization Chart of a Medium Sized Hotel
1. Executive Responsible and accountable for the total Housekeeper cleanliness, maintenance and aesthetic upkeep of the hotel. This is achieved with the resources of manpower, materials, machines, money, space and time available to him. 2. Assistant May be one for each shift of a large hotel. He Housekeeper may be the housekeeper of a small hotel or the only deputy to the Executive Housekeeper of a medium-sized hotel. He manages the resources given by the Executive Housekeeper to achieve the common objectives of cleanliness, maintenance and attractiveness in a given shift. His accountability normally ends on the completion of his shift. 3. Uniform Room Supervisor A non-management person solely responsible for providing clean serviceable uniforms to the staff of the hotel. As the hotel staff are all practically in uniforms his / her task is enormous and demanding as h e / she has to keep an inventory control on various stages of use, such as, when sorted ones are handed over, or those which are being washed or dry-cleaned in the laundry. The uniform supervisor is assisted by attendants who actually do the issue of uniforms in e x c h a n g e f o r s o i l e d o n e s for onward transmission to the laundry. These attendants are in actual contact with the staff. A non-management person solely responsible for the acquisition, storage, issue and cleanliness of linen in its various forms. His job
4. Uniform Room Attendants
5. Linen Room Supervisors
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is a mammoth task because he keeps track of all linen as they would number in thousands. 6. Linen Room Attendant 7. Tailor / Seamstress 8. Helpers Assists the supervisor by actually issuing linen and filling such records as necessary. Tailor or seamstress personnel are responsible f o r s t i t c h i n g a n d m e n d i n g t h e l i n e n and upholsterys. They are to be found both in Uniforms and linen Rooms and do the physical work of transporting, counting and bundling of uniforms and linen. Responsible for the cleanliness, maintenance and presentability of the guest floors attached to him in a shift. His scope encompasses guest rooms, corridors, staircases and floor pantries of the allotted floor. Responsible for the cleanliness, maintenance and presentability of all public areas which include restaurants, bars, banquet halls, garden, administrative offices, shopping arcade, health club, swimming pool, main entrances and car park areas. Known also as chamber maids or room boys. They do the actual cleaning of guest rooms and bathrooms allotted to them. They are not responsible for the cleanliness of corridors, guest elevators or floor pantries. Supervises the work allotted to Houseman, especially those in public areas. In mediumsized hotels he could be the person in charge of housekeeping on night shifts. Usually handy men who do the heavy physical cleaning required in guest rooms and public areas. Their job would include vacuuming, shifting of furniture, cleaning of windows panes, mopping, braising, sweeping, etc. Is the hub of information dissemination in housekeeping and is thus the critical person in housekeeping operations. The Housekeeping Desk must be manned 24 hours as guests and staff will contact this desk to transmit or receive information. It is the Desk Control Supervisor w h o c o -ordinates with the front office for information on departure rooms and handing over cleared rooms. The Desk also receives complaints on maintenance from Housekeeping supervisors spread all over the hotel.
9. Floor Supervisor
10. Public Area Supervisor
11. Room Attendants
12. Head Houseman
13. Housemen
14. Desk Control Supervisor
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15. Runner 16. Clack Room Attendants
He is a person who goes from one guest room to another collecting or delivering guest laundry. Cloak room attendants are persons responsible for the supply of clean dry towels, soaps and perfumeries, prescribed by the management for the guest rooms. This is a service provided by superior hotels in cold climates. A hat-check room is where hat and heavy overcoats are deposited by guests as soon as they enter the hotel lobby so as to spare them the inconvenience of carrying them around in the hotel. The hat-checker would carefully label these guest articles and hang and store them correctly so as to return them to the guests when they are leaving the hotel. They handle all aspect of housekeeping at night including desk control operations, issue of linen and uniform in an emergency, etc. His area of activity extends over guest rooms, public areas as also linen and uniform rooms. He is solely responsible and accountable at night for smooth housekeeping through his night brigade and has larger decision-making authority than other supervisors as he is the housekeeper for the night.
17. HatCheckers
18. Night Supervisor
19. Horticulturist Many hotels may contract horticultural work to an outside agency. However, a large number of large hotels have professionally trained Horticulturists who maintain the gardens of the hotels as well as supply flowers from the garden for interior decorations and floral arrangements. Flowers are used in banquet functions, guest rooms, restaurants, lobbies, offices, etc. The Horticulturist would have to ensure smooth supply of flowers as well as assist the Housekeeper in flower arrangements. 20. Head Gardener 21. Gardeners Supervises the brigade of gardeners in maintaining hotel garden and keeping them contemporary each season. Does the actual digging, planting, watering, etc. of gardens on a day-to-day basis.
9.3 DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES OF HOUSEKEEPING STAFFS 9.3.1 Executive Housekeeper

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1. Supervise and be responsible for cleanliness, order and appearance of the hotel rooms and public areas, annexes, cottages, facilities, service corridors, linen and uniform rooms, shopping arcades and employees. 2. Schedule, recruit, train, and recommend hiring, discharging and discipline of all department employees through management and in accordance with labor regulations. 3. Prepare reports as required. 4. Participate in all department head meetings. Supervise preparation of maintenance requisitions and maintain followup file to ensure that all public areas and guest accommodations do not deteriorate from standard. 5. Train all employees to perform their best in the standard procedures as applicable to their job positions. 6. Develop and recommend standard procedures for new tasks or changed conditions. 7. Inspect personally, and supervise inspections by Assistants of all areas in a frequent and unvarying schedule. 8. Pay particular attention on inspection to the presence, of odors and pests and appropriate control measures. 9. Work closely with the General Manager on day-to-day Housekeeping requirements. 10. Supervise linen stock and recommend the maintenance of adequate quantities of cleaning equipments and cleaning supplies with due regard to delivery requirements and import restrictions on cleaning equipments. Develop and supervise the maintenance of the lost and found procedure including the disbursement of unclaimed articles to employees. 11. Prepare the annual housekeeping budget for submission to t h e G e neral Manager. Identify reliable suppliers of housekeeping materials including carpets, linen, etc, and recommend them to the Purchase Department. Develop Housekeeping Systems and Procedures and see that they are followed diligently. Plan, control and supervise horticultural requirements and commitments. 9.3.2 Public Area Supervisor
1. Check all public areas against area check-lists and see that they meet the standards of cleanliness stipulated. 2. Remove furniture, curtains and other fixtures, which require repairs, mending, spotting, washing, etc. 3. Maintain a regular and complete advance scheduled programme for cleaning public areas after receiving the final concurrence of the Executive Housekeeper. 4. Prepare schedule for the chandelier cleaning crew. 5. Prepare Schedule for the carpet shampoo crew.
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6. Inspect staff turnout.
7. Train new recruits. 8. Submit performance appraisals of staff working under his / her control. 9. Clean safety and security systems in public areas, e.g. locks, shutters, etc. 10. Account for furniture movements, if any. 11. Initiate and follow-up maintenance orders for public areas/ service areas under his / her control. 12. Check and control equipment like hovers, floor washing machines, floor polishing machine, carpet shampoo and beating machines and ensure that they are used correctly and maintained properly.
9.3.3
Floor Supervisor
1. Assign duties to the floor housemen and room attendants. 2. Inspect each room completed by Room Attendants according to specified room checklist and ensure that they meet the standards of the establishment in terms of cleaning, functional and aesthetic value. 3. Check par stocks of linen and guest supplies and cleaning supplies on floors and ensure timely delivery of soiled linen to laundry and requisition for fresh linen from linen room and guest supplies / cleaning supplies from the stores. 4. Train Room Attendants and Housemen for maximum productivity and standards of efficiency. 5. Submit performance appraisals periodically for each staff under his / her control. 6. Check all safety systems on the allotted floors. 7. Liaise with security on security aspects on guest floors. 8. Account for movement of linen from his / her floors. 9. Prepare housekeeping occupancy lists for front Office. 10. Check all maids carts to ensure it is well stocked with linen and supplies and as per standards stipulated. 11. Follow upon maintenance orders sent to Engineering. 9.3.4 Uniform / Linen Room Supervisor
1. Schedule linen / uniform room staff. 2. Check periodically the condition of uniform and hotel linen. 3. Assign daily work to tailors. 4. Devise and maintain an effective control system to issue clean linen and uniforms.
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5. Co-ordinate closely with the laundry department to ensure timely supply of fresh uniforms and linen. 6. Conduct periodic inventories of linen and uniforms. 7. Ensure that all linen, uniforms needing stitching, mending is immediately attended to before being sent to the Laundry Department. 8. Ensure that the Linen Room is kept neat and clean. 9. Ensure that all linen, uniforms and materials are neatly and systematically stacked and arranged and properly labelled. 10. Train the staff to perform their duties effectively and, efficiently. 11. Maintain all relevant records in respect of material, uniforms / linen-storage and movement.
9.3.5
Night Supervisor
Supervises all night force engaged in cleaning public areas and guest rooms of hotel. His duties and responsibilities are same as that of the floor supervisor and public area supervisor. 9.3.6 Room Attendant
1. Clean guest bathrooms and replenish supplies. 2. Clean guest bedroom and replenish supplies as per room checklist. 3. Report missing or broken hotel property to the Floor Supervisor. 4. Maintain a polite, dignified and helpful and pleasing attitude towards the guests. 5. Attend daily briefings and give attendance. 6. Receive allocation of floor and rooms. 7. Replenish maid cart with guest supplies, detergents and linen. 8. Count soiled linen handed over to floor linen room. 9. Hand over lost and found articles to Supervisor 10. Make physical check of rooms for preparing the house keeping occupancy list. 11. Check that all bulbs and switches are working. In case of defect or fuse, report the same to the Floor Supervisor. 12. Change the water glasses daily and fill the water flasks. 13. Turn down beds in the evening and draw the curtains. Remove and dispose off refuse and rubbish at the assigned area.
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14. Return keys to the Housekeeping Department before going off duty. 15. Ensure that Housemen polish guest shoes and assist the Bell Boys in carrying guest luggage when required. 16. Prepare room checklist. 9.3.7 Uniform / Linen Room Attendant
1. Issue uniforms to all hotel employees on a one-to-one basis. 2. Count soiled uniforms / linen received and deliver the same to the laundry department. 3. Maintain records of linen and uniforms movements. 4. Store uniform and linen according to prescribed methods. Check for damages when receiving dirty uniforms. 5. Check for fitness of uniforms as per norms laid down before issuing. 9.3.8 Cloak Room Attendant
1. Take soiled hand towels to the linen room for replacement. 2. Maintain adequate stocks of soap, detergents and hand towels to meet demands at peak level. 3. Maintain shoe-shine kit and clean guest shoes, if required. 4. Maintain all cupboards and fixtures installed in the cloak room. 5. Maintain a polite, dignified and helpful attitude to guests. 6. Report any plumbing deficiencies to Public Area Supervisor. 7. See that clack rooms are immaculately clean. Faucets should be sparkling, wash basins dry and environment free of unpleasant odour. 8. Supply the guest with towels, soap, comb, brush and powder. 9. Sweep, wash and scrub the floors. 10. Clear the soiled linen periodically from the baskets. 11. Brush the guests jacket, if requested. 9.3.9 Tailor / Upholsterer
1. Mend all damaged linen. 2. Mend all damaged uniforms. 3. Refurnish all damaged upholstery handed over by the Supervisor. 4. Estimate the requirements of material and request the Linen Room Supervisor to requisition it from stores. 5. Collect material from the stores and take to the work area assigned. 6. Pre-shrink all materials which have a tendency to shrink. 7. Cut the fabric as per requirement of each particular item.
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8. Check the quality of springs, in the cots and replace, if necessary under directions of the Linen Room Supervisor. 9. Fasten springs properly with strings and place the foam in position. 10. Keep the work area assigned neat and tidy. 11. Store systematically all items, i,e, needle, thread, etc. Prepare requisition for replenishment of stock and render accounts of the same. 12. Render account of material consumed and balance left over should be handed back to stores. 9.3.10 Head Gardener 1. Ensure that the prescribed landscaping is carried out in the garden. 2. Be knowledgeable about seasonality of plants and their maintenance conditions. 3. Brief on the work, schedule and allot duties to gardeners to meet daily exigencies. 4. Dig-up landscaped areas for fresh planting. 5. Procure seeds from reliable sources at least cost. 6. Procure, control and supervise the usage of manure and fertilizers. 7. Ensure that seeds planted are done so with consideration for ultimate aesthetic appeal and survival. 8. Ensure that gardeners follow the watering fertilizing and maintenance schedules, reporting any water shortage problems and suggesting alternatives. 9. Cut, prune, trim hedges, bushes, flowers to enhance aesthetic appeal. 10. Maintain nursery at optimum conditions and ensure steady supply of saplings for planting. 11. Provide the hotel with flowers, garlands, wreaths, bouquets as required. Also grow, supply and maintain indoor plants for the hotel. 12. Ensure that lawns are well maintained, healthy and kept clean at all times. 13. Train and motivate gardeners. 14. Ensure that gardeners handle garden tools and machines properly and carefully. 9.3.11 Houseman 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. Hoover carpets. Shift beds, chairs, heavy furniture for cleaning carpets. Beat carpets and shift from one area to another. Clean swimming pool when assigned. Clean all surfaces including garden paths, etc. Polish all brassware.
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7. Clean all windows, door and ventilators. 8. Clean and replenish linen in the floor and pool area. 9. Do all heavy cleaning like shaft cleaning, terrace cleaning, etc. 9.3.12 Gardener 1. Take daily briefing from Head Gardener. 2. Maintain landscaped area properly and also prepare for fresh planting. 3. Plant seeds and saplings as per conditions and concept prescribed. 4. Apply manure and fertilizers economically ensuring proper coverage. 5. Perform spraying of insecticides and fungicides to control or as prophylactic measure against pest and disease incidence as directed by the Head Gardner. 6. Water all gardened areas as per daily schedule and routine. 7. Maintain the nursery as instructed. 8. Cut, trim, Prune hedges, buses, flowers to enhance aesthetic appeal. 9. Prepare such flowers potted plants, wreath, bouquets, etc, as required by the Hotel. 10. Maintain indoor plants as per schedule when assigned. 11. Utilize garden tools correctly. 12. Be punctual and regular. CHECK YOUR PROGRESS 1. Name some important positions in the Housekeeping Department. 2. What is the role of an Executive Housekeeper in a hotel? 3. What are the duties and responsibilities of a Public Area Supervisor?
9.4 LET US SUM UP The success of the hotels depends solely on their staffs. For providing excellent and quality service, lot of effort has to be made towards organizing and training the housekeeping staffs. The largest work force of the hotel is in the housekeeping department. The organizational structure of the housekeeping department mainly depends on the activities and the size of the hotel. Generally, the housekeeping department shall have staffs like Executive Housekeeper, Assistant Housekeeper, Uniform Room Supervisor, Uniform Room Attendants, Linen Room Supervisors, Linen Room Attendants, Tailor / Seamstress, Helpers, Floor Supervisor, Public Area Supervisor, Room Attendants, Head Houseman, Desk Control
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Supervisor, Runner, Cloak Room Attendants, Hat-Checkers, Night Supervisor, Horticulturist, Head Gardener, Gardeners. 9.5 LESSON END ACTIVITY 1. 2. Prepare a suitable flow chart of organizational structure suitable for our hotel. Visit a few nearby hotel and study their organization chart and staffing pattern.
9.6 KEY WORDS Categorization of a group of people according to ability or status Mending Clothes and other articles that must be repaired Corridors A narrow hallway, passageway, or gallery, often with rooms or apartments opening onto it. Arcade A series of arches supported by columns, piers, or pillars, either freestanding or attached to a wall to form a gallery Mopping Applying hot bitumen with a mop or mechanical applicator on the felt of a built-up roof membrane, on a roof-deck, or the like. Perfumeries A substance that emits and diffuses a fragrant odor, especially a volatile liquid distilled from flowers or prepared synthetically Upholsterer Fabric, stuffing, and other materials used in upholstering 9.7 QUESTIONS FOR DISCUSSION 1. 2. 3. Briefly describe the duties and responsibilities of the housekeeping staffs. Enumerate the importance of the housekeeping department. Explain in detail the duties and responsibilities of the Executive Housekeeper and Uniform / Linen Room Supervisor. CHECK YOUR PROGRESS - ANSWER 1. Some of the important positions of Housekeeping Department are Executive Housekeeper, Assistant Housekeeper, Uniform Room Supervisor, Uniform Room Attendants, Linen Room Supervisors, Linen Room Attendants, Tailor / Seamstress, Helpers, Floor Supervisor, Public Area Supervisor, Room Attendants, Head Houseman, Desk Control Supervisor, Runner, Cloak Room Attendants, Hat-Checkers, Night Supervisor, Horticulturist, Head Gardener, Gardeners. 2. The Executive Housekeeper is responsible and accountable for the total cleanliness, maintenance and aesthetic upkeep of the hotel. Hierarchy
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3. The Public Area Supervisor is responsible for the cleanliness, maintenance and presentability of all public areas which include restaurants, bars, banquet halls, garden, administrative offices, shopping arcade, health club, swimming pool, main entrances and car park areas.
9.8 REFERENCES 1. 2. Andrews Sudhir (1985), Hotel Housekeeping Training Manual, Tata Mc Graw-Hill Publishing Co. Ltd. W. Winter, Doris Hatfield, H. Hatfield (1989), The Professional Housekeeping, Hyperion Books.
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LESSON 10 INTRODUCTION TO HOTELS
CONTENTS
10.0 Aims and Objectives 10.1 Introduction 10.2 Hotels 10.2.1 Definition of Hotel 10.2.2 Importance of Hotel 10.3 History of Hotels 10.4 Development and Growth of Hotel Industry in India 10.5 Category of Hotels 10.5.1 International Corporate Hotels 10.5.2 National Hotel Companies 10.5.3 Small Hotel Groups 10.5.4 Independent Hotels 10.5.5 Hotel Consortia 10.6 Major Hotel Groups in India 10.7 Hotel as a Service Provider in the Modern Day 10.8 Let us Sum Up 10.9 Lesson End Activity 10.10 Key Words 10.11 Questions for Discussion 10.12 References
10.0 AIMS AND OBJECTIVES At the end of this lesson, students should be able to demonstrate appropriate skills, and show an understanding of the following: Hotels, history of hotels, development and growth of hotel industry in India, Category of hotels, International corporate hotels and Major hotel groups in India.
10.1 INTRODUCTION Hotel is the transient home away from home. Hotel industry is a hospitality industry. Of course, hospitality is not free, but is paid for, where the payment depends on the comforts and services provided for. Payment also depends on the fancy and economic affordability of the customer. The hospitality industry is nowadays a global industry, and is considered as an important employer in countries world-wide. It now has attained a much higher status in society and demands high standards of work ethics and efficiency from its
employees. Employment opportunities are many, and is now sought by a vast majority of people. The hospitality industry is part of a larger enterprise known as the travel and tourism industry. It is one of the oldest industries in the world. In early days, traders, explorers, missionaries and pilgrims needed a break in their journeys requiring food, shelter and rest. People opened their homes and kitchens to these weary travellers, and an industry was born. Although accommodation today is varied and their services have changed and expanded over the ages, one thing about the hospitality industry has remained the same, guests are always welcome! From a friendly greeting at the door, room service, breakfast, to a host of facilities' the hospitality industry offers travellers a home away from home. Hospitality is defined as the friendly reception and treatment of strangers". For most people, hospitality means entertaining guests with courtesy and warmth. Hospitality is also an industry made up of businesses that provide lodging, food and other services to travellers. The main components of this industry are hotels, motels, inns, resorts and restaurants. In a broad sense, the hospitality industry might refer to any group engaged in tourism, entertainment, transportation or lodging including cruise lines, airlines, railways, car rental companies and tour operators. However the two main segments of the hospitality industry are the lodging industry (also called hotel industry), and the food and beverage industry (also called restaurant industry). 10.2 HOTELS Hotel is an establishment that provides lodging and usually meals and other services for travelers and other paying guests. It provides paid lodging, usually on a short-term basis. Hotels often provide a number of additional guest services such as a restaurant, laundery, a swimming pool o r childcare. Some hotels have conference services and meeting rooms and encourage groups to hold conventions, functions and meetings at their location. A hotel may be called as an establishment where primary business is to provide to the general public lodging facilities and which may include one or more of the various services such as food, beverage, laundry, uniformed services etc. Hence, hotel can also be called as home but with a vested interest which includes commercial activities. Hotels are found in almost all the cities. Hotels operate twenty four hours a day, seven days a week. The principal factor that determines the guest attitude towards a hotel is service although other amenities such as room, food and beverages are of equal importance a tangible determinants.
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10.2.1 Definition of Hotel Hotels are defined in numerous ways from early times to today. Some of the important definitions for hotels are: Hotel refers to a house of entertainment of travellers. Reader's Digest Dictionary Hotel is a place where all who conduct themselves properly, and who being able to pay and ready to pay for their entertainment, are received, if there be accommodation for them, and who without any stipulated engagement as to the duration of their stay or as to the rate of compensation, are while there, supplied at a reasonable cost with their meals, lodging and other services and attention as are necessarily incident to the use as a temporary home. Common Law A hotel is an Establishment held out by the proprietor as offering food, drink and if so required, sleeping accommodation, without special contract to any traveller presenting himself who appears able and willing to pay a reasonable sum for the services and facilities provided and who is in a fit state to be received. Hotel Proprietors Act, 1956 Building that provides lodging, meals, and other services to the traveling public on a commercial basis. Encyclopedia Britannica Hotel or inn is defined as a place where a bonafide traveller can receive food and shelter, provided he is in a position to pay for and is in a fit condition to be received. British law 10.2.2 Importance of Hotels 1. Hotels play an important role in most countries by providing facilities for the transaction of business, for meetings and conferences, for recreation and entertainment. In that sense hotels are as essential to economies and societies as are adequate transport, communication and retail distribution systems for various goods and services. Through their facilities, hotels contribute to the total output of goods and services, which makes up the material well-being of nations and communities. 2. In many areas hotels are important attractions for visitors who bring with them spending power that the locals and who tend to spend at a higher rate than they do when they are at home. Through spending by visitors hotels thus often contribute significantly to local economies both directly and
Introduction to Hotels
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indirectly through the subsequent diffusion of the visitor expenditure to the Govt. coffers and to other recipients in the community. 3. In areas receiving foreign visitors, hotels are often important foreign currency earners and in this way may contribute significantly to their countries balance of payments. In countries with limited export possibilities, hotels may be one of the few prime sources of foreign currency earnings. 4. Hotels are important employers of labour. Thousands of jobs are provided by hotels in the many occupations that make up the hotel industries in most countries; many others in the industry are self-employed and proprietors of smaller hotels. The role of hotels as employers is particularly important in areas with few alternative sources of employment, where they contribute to regional development. 5. Hotels are also important outlets for the products of other industries. In the building and modernization of hotels, business is provided for the construction industry and related trades. Equipment, furniture and furnishings are supplied to hotels by a wide range of manufacturers. Food, drink and other consumables are among the most significant daily hotel purchases from farmers, fishermen, food and drink suppliers, and from gas, electricity and water companies. In addition to those engaged directly in hotels, much indirect employment is, therefore, generated by hotels for those employed in industries supplying them. 6. Hotels are an important source of amenities for local residents. Their restaurants, bars and other facilities often attract much local customers and many hotels have become social centres of their communities. 10.3 HISTORY OF HOTELS The past, present, and perhaps the future of the hotel industry are closely linked. Today's industry is the result of centuries of social and cultural evolution. Comfortable, sanitary lodging was once considered only the privilege of the wealthy, but with the industrial revolution and the spread of democracy, hospitality is not a luxury anymore and now has become available to the common man. Advances in transportation, enable people to travel greater distances faster and at less cost, paving the way for the tourism industry to flourish. From very modest origins, the hospitality and the tourism industries have become the two of the largest industries globally. A world without accommodation is indispensable in modern day life. Today the lodging industry is complex and diverse. To understand this, we will trace the history of hotels, from the inns of ancient times to modern luxury hotels, whose evolution has influenced as well has been influenced by, social, economic and cultural changes in society.
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Taverns or Inns The earliest hotels were called taverns or inns. They go back thousand of years, for as long as people have started travelling. The Hebrew word for an inn is malon and means a resting place for the night. The Greek word for inn is kataluma and means an eating room or guest chamber. A malon did not have to be in a building, it could be a level piece of ground near a spring where baggage could be unloaded, animals could be watered and tethered, and people could rest on the ground. Caravanserais When large camel caravans would cross the deserts in Asia, there were hotels called caravanserais at which travellers rested and slept. Caravanserais were established along the more travelled routes as travel spread throughout the East. They usually consisted of a large building constructed around a courtyard. The lower floor was used to store goods and to provide stalls for the cattle. Usually there was a well or large reservoir nearby. At times, bazaars and markets were held at or near the caravanserais. In those days of travel, the innkeeper provided very little for the traveller's comfort. Inns in Middle Ages During the middle ages, there were few inns or hotels except in the cities. The church or the Lord of the Manor often established special guest offices for pilgrims and other travellers. As roads were built and horse drawn stagecoaches began to carry passengers between towns and cities, inns were built at a point where the coaches stopped. The inns in the villages or at crossroads had limited and rough accommodations, seldom more than a common dormitory. Inns in the Fifteenth Century The fifteenth century brought about fresh importance for the inn. A new merchant class began to emerge due to an increase in trade. This meant more traveling was necessary; therefore a demand for more and better inns was created. Most travel was still primarily by horseback, but toward the end of the 15th century, more comfortable wheeled carriages came into use. The roads were rough and difficult to travel-muddy in the spring, hot and dusty in the summer, and often impassable in the winter. During the fifteenth century, many monasteries closed their guesthouses, thus creating a need for more lodgings. The inn also began to perform a definite function in the social life of the people in the area, as well as the traveller. Inns in the Sixteenth Century times, The inns of the sixteenth century changed little from earlier although they were large and somewhat spacious.
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Accommodation has improved greatly, for now a guest could often have a private bedroom furnished with heavily carved oak furniture. The ground floor consisted of a large hall called the parlour, which was used as a reception room as well as a place to serve meals. The upper floor was used for the guest rooms. Inns in the Eighteenth Century With more regular business, the innkeeper realized the importance of their inns and tried to offer more comforts to the weary traveller; they had better furnished rooms, a generous supply of food and drink, waiters and serving maids eager to please the guests, and large stables for the horses. Not only would the public stagecoaches be found stopping at the inns, but also the private coaches of the wealthy. There was a large increase in the volume of coach travel in the eighteenth century. Tollgates were set up on some roads to provide funds to repair and improve roads and bridge better roads and more comfortable coaches made travel much faster, comfortable and more appealing to a greater number of people. Travelers found that most of the innkeepers greeted them with a smile, and were given good meals. If the stop was overnight, the inn offered an ideal comfortable bedroom that was neatly furnished usually with a four-poster bed, washing table mirror etc. The inns that could not meet the traveler's need, either through the mismanagement or just plain rudeness, did not stay in business for long. As travellers from Europe ventured across the Atlantic to America, inns were built in towns and villages and along the roadside. They became gathering places for not only the traveller but also the local inhabitants. The inn was a place where people could refresh themselves after work or hold evening meetings and share the events of the day. Emergence of Hotels The past one hundred years have brought about dramatic changes in modes of transportation, as well as in lodging accommodations. People from all walks of life started to travel. As travel increased, the train services were launched and became more comfortable and faster. This was the time when the roadside inns started losing business as more people started to travel by train rather than coach. Many inns had to close while others were able to remain open by catering more to the local people. Some inns became strictly taverns or coffeehouses. Some of these still exist today. London has a larger number of the old taverns than any other large city in the world. They have changed with the times in order to survive and are the pubs that we know today. Travelling by train brought the traveller into the heart of a town or city. Many hotels were built near railroad stations for the convenience of passengers. This was the beginning of hotels, as we know of them. Many hotels that opened in the mid-to late-1800s are still as popular as they were when they first opened.
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Figure 10.1 Three Phases of Travel
Hotels and the Government Policies Many countries have recognised the vital importance of accommodation industry in relation to tourism and their governments have coordinated their activities with the industry by way of providing attractive incentives and concessions in the form of long term loans, liberal import licenses and tax relief, cash grants for construction and renovation of buildings, and similar other concessions to the accommodation industry. The United Nations Conference on International Travel and Tourism held in Rome in 1963 considered, in particular, problems relating to means of accommodation. The Conference acknowledged the importance of means of accommodation, both traditional (hotels, motels) and supplementary (camps, youth hostels, etc.) as incentives to international tourism. The Conference recommended that governments should consider the possibility of including projects, and particularly those relating to accommodation, on the list of projects eligible for loans from industrial or other corporations, and that, w h e r e required; they should establish special financial corporations for tourism. It also has recommended that governments should give sympathetic consideration to the possibility of granting special facilities and incentives for accommodation projects. According to the WTO Report on 'The Development of the Accommodation Sector, tourist accommodation is used to denote the facilities operated for short-term accommodation to guests, either with or without service, against payment of and according to fixed rates. For the purposes of classification, all tourist accommodations have been divided into the following groups: (i) (ii) Hotels and similar establishments (the hotel industry proper) and, Supplementary means of accommodation.
The first group usually includes hotels, motels, boarding houses and inns, while the second includes registered private accommodation (rented rooms, apartments, and houses), camping /
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mountain huts and shelters as well as health establishments, that is sanatoria and convalescent homes. Present Day Hotels The concept and the format of hotel have changed a great deal over the years. There are different types of hotels ranging from international hotels to resort hotels catering to the increasing and diversified demand of the clients. The size, the facade, architectural features and the facilities and amenities provided differ from one establishment to another. In addition, the landscape in a particular destination area also greatly influenced the architectural features of a hotel. The following are the main types of hotels: i) ii) iii) iv) v) vi) vii) viii) ix) International Hotels Commercial Hotels Residential Hotels Resort Hotels Floating Hotels Palace Hotels Capsule Hotels Heritage Hotels Guest Houses
10.4 DEVELOPMENT AND GROWTH OF HOTEL INDUSTRY IN INDIA Hotel Industry in Medieval Period In India too the development of hotel industry is closely linked to travel. In India, travel was mainly on animals (mule, horse and camel). For rest during their travel at strategic points Dharmashalas, Sarais, Chaupals of Panchayats, Choultry (in South India) and temples and religious places were provided by rich people such as Rajas, Kings, Zamindars, etc. Usually free accommodation and food for travelers was given. During this period it was mandatory for the state authorities to provide food and shelter to the wayside traveler. Mussafir Khanas and Sarais These developed during the period of Muslim Emporers. Many famous and well known musafir khanas and sarais were established in the Sindh province during the Arab occupation, and also at Peshawar and Lahore. Delhi has always been traditionally hospitable, and we find overwhelming evidence of this in the innumerable sarais and rest houses in this ancient city. As per Shiab-al-din Alumrai there were 2000 Khangabs and sarais in Delhi and its suburbs. Most of these have not survived. Some of the famous sarais in Delhi are Qutub Sarai, Ladha Sarai, Lado Sarai, Sarban Sarai, Daud Sarai, Kallu Sarai, Arab ki Sarai, Sheikh Sarai Sarais started developing into inns and western style hotels with the coming of Britishers in important cities like Calcutta (Kolkata) and Bombay (Mumbai).
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As early as the 18th century, there were excellent inns (taverns) in India. Some famous inns were: Portuguese Georges, Parsee Georges and Paddy Georges. Some famous hotels of that time: Albion Hotel, victory Hotel, Hope Hall, etc. Emergence of Hotels in India Pallanjee Pestonjee (1840) started the first luxury-hotel in Bombay. It was famous for its excellent cuisine, beers and wines and its excellent management. Auckland Hotel (1843) was established in Calcutta. Later it was renamed as Great Eastern Hotel in 1858 and later renovated at a sum of Rs.10 lacs. Esplanade Hotel (1871) was built in Calcutta by John Wakson (Britisher), a silk drapery merchant (also believed to be an architect and builder). The hotel had 130 rooms. Later, some Swiss and other families also owned hotels in India. One such example was Hotel Fonseca in New Delhi which was later demolished and Hotel Taj Mahal at Mansingh Road was built, there. In 1903, JRD Tata constructed the Taj Mahal Hotel in Bombay. It was the first hotel of international standards and repute, built by an Indian for Indians. Hotels and Policies of Indian Government The Government realized the importance of tourism in 1962 when there was a drop in tourist arrivals. To upgrade the hotel industry, i ncentives were offered by the Department of Tourism (DOT). Hotel Corporation and Tourism Corporations were established. Ashoka Hotel Ltd. was constructed in, 1956 in a record time of one year. Later, the Union Ministry of Housing and Welfare constructed 3 hotels: Lodhi Hotel, Hotel Janpath and Ranjit Hotel. The Dewan Chaman Lall Committee was set up by the Govt. of India (Hotel Standard and Rate Structure Committee) to: 1) 2) 3) Lay down criteria for classification of hotels in view of international standard. Suggest guidelines for the promotion of tourism to India and within India. Suggest improvements on the existing arrangements and availability of (sources for the promotion of national and international tourism. Suggest a rate-structure keeping in view the existing price structure in hotel industry. Till 1963 hotels were mainly run by private operators and only rest houses and tourist bungalows were run by the Department of Tourism. Hotels at Puri, Aurangabad and Ranchi were traditionally rum by the Railways and State governments. The State government also ran hotels at BrindabanMysore.
4)
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Formation of Three Corporations and ITDC In 1964 three corporations were set-up by the Government of India, viz. 1. 2. 3. India Tourism & Hotel Corporation, India Tourism Corporation Ltd. and India Tourism & Transport Corporation.
On 24th September 1966, the Government of India decided to merge these corporations and promulgated "India Tourism Corporation Amalgamation Order" 1966" and formed a new corporation-India Tourism Development Corporation (ITDC) with an authorized capital of Rs. 5 crores. Soon ITDC took over tourist "bungalows at: i) ii) iii) iv) v) vi) vii) viii) Mahabalipuram, Thanjavur, Madurai and Tiruchirapalli (Tamil Nadu) Bijapur and Hassan (Karnataka) Khajuraho, Sanchi and Mandhu (Madhya Pradesh) Kullu and Manali (Himachal Pradesh) Bodhgaya (Bihar) Bhubaneshwar (Orissa) Rashi Nagar (Uttar Pradesh) Ghana (Rajasthan).
10.5 CATEGORY OF HOTELS 10.5.1 International Corporate Hotels These are large chains, which are almost household words in the industry, such as Hilton, Inter-Continental, Hyatt, Holiday Inn, Sheraton, etc. Some of the groups are a combination of company owned, franchise and management contract operations while others are entirely owned by an individual or a company. Their main features include standardization of service, facilities and price, and many chains endeavor to operate a hotel in most major capitals throughout the world. Major International Hotel Chains are:
Chain Holiday Inn Best Western Days Inn Marriott Hilton Sheraton Ramada Motel 6 Comfort Inn Hyatt Howard Johnson Radisson Rooms 2,67,677 1,61,714 1,32,000 96,349 92,122 87,229 84,159 63,342 60,053 57,000 56,188 50,000 Properties 1,375 1,762 1,126 208 260 311 506 551 662 107 451 208
Figure 10.2 Major International Hotel Chains 144
10.5.2 National Hotel Companies Some countries have national hotel companies, which operate hotels at home and abroad, such as, the Taj and Oberoi hotel groups. These are both Indian companies which are well known outside India. 10.5.3 Small Hotel Groups Not all groups of hotels are large or widely dispersed. Some companies own a group, which may consist of no more than four to five hotels, and they may be confined to a particular area such as the beach resorts. 10.5.4 Independent Hotels These are hotels which" are privately owned or independent of any company. Many guests enjoy staying at an establishment of this type because of the individuality of the operation. Classical example will be Casino-cum-hotels of Los Vegas, Nevada, Macauoff China, Genting Highlands of Malaysia and others. 10.5.5 Hotel Consortia Independently owned hotels form a liaison which provides them with the advantages of shared advertising costs, bulk purchasing and referral of bookings. The guest has the advantage of knowing each hotel in the consortium will be of similar standard and price. Best Western Hotels is an example of worldwide network of independently owned hotels. 10.6 MAJOR HOTEL GROUPS IN INDIA Many small and big Indian hotel groups are operating in various parts of India. Some of them are given below. Apart from India, some international hotel chains such as Sheratan, Hilton, Ramada, Sofitel, Meridien, Hyatt and Mariott are either operating or planning to operate in India on franchise basis. 1. Welcome Group It is the hotel division of ITC Ltd. The logo represents a traditional Indian welcome in the form of Namaste in an open doorway with the slogan Nobody gives you India like we do." The motto of Welcome Group is "We enjoy people" Welcome Group has hotels in various cities such as Agra, Delhi, Aurangabad, Jaipur, Goa, Gwalior etc. Rai Bahadhur M.S. Oberoi established Oberoi Hotel Pvt. Ltd. in 1946. Many hotels like Oberoi Intercontinental in August 1965 in New Delhi and Oberoi Sheraton in 1973 in Bombay was added. It is now one of the largest and reputed hotel chains of India.
2. Oberoi Hotels
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3. Hotel Ambassador
It is one of the flagship hotel belonging to Lala Ram Parshad who is considered as one of the pioneers of the Hotel Industry in India (now managed by Taj Hotel in Delhi). Famous as Clarke's Group of Hotels, it was established on 13th February, 1961. It started with its flagship hotel Clarke Shiraz Agra. Later hotels Clarkes Awadh, Clarkes Amer, and Clarkes Varanasi at Lucknow, Jaipur and Varanasi, respectively, were added to this chain. A chain belonging to R.N. Kapoor family with hotels at Mumbai, Hyderabad, Kolkata and Coonoor (in South India). Specialized in Italian cuisine. Started hotel business in 1912 in Calcutta. Purchased Connimera Hotel in Madras and opened West End in Bangalore, Malabar at Cochin and Trivandrum, Blue Mountains at Kotagiri in 1942 and Savoy in Ooty in 1943. Vegetarian hotels in Madras (Geetha, Ashoka and Ajanta) and Hotel Arakua in Bangalore. A chain of hotel operating in eastern part of the country with hotels at Darjeeling and Takadah. A corporation set up in 1971. It started with its first hotel at Bombay in 1974. Later hotels in Delhi, Srinagar, Rajgir etc. were added to this group. It has hotels at Mumbai and Goa The group has tied up with Hyatt chain and has two hotels in Delhi. It plans to have property in Jaipur and Agra. It started with its first hotel Park Calcutta in 1967. Later a large hotel was added in Delhi, and Resort hotel at Visakhapatnam was added to the group. The group has hotels in Delhi, Agra and Mussoorie. i) Maharaja Hari Singh Palace was the first to be converted into Oberoi Hotel. ii) Maharaja of Jaipur converted his palace Ram Bag to Hotel. iii) Maharaja of Udaipur was third in line (Taj) Lake Palace in Pichola Lake.
4. U.P. Hotels and Restaurants Ltd
5. Ritz Chain
6. Spencers
7. Sinclairs 8. Hotel Corporation of India (HCI) 9. Leela Group 10. Asian Hotels:
11. Apeejay Surendra Group 12. J.P. Hotels 13. Palaces Converted into Hotels
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iv) Later Jodhpur Palace (Oberoi), Jaisalmer Palace and Bikaner Palace were also converted into hotels. v) Lakshmi Vilas Palace of Jaipur (of Majaraja Bhupal Singh). Ushakiran Palace of Gwalior. vi) Hotel Jai Mahal Palace, Jal Mahal and Raj Mahal Palace in Jaipur are also converted or being converted to hotels. vii) Chamundi Hill Palace has also been converted to a hotel. viii) Lalitha Mahal Palace of Mysore is a tourist hotel. Halcyon Castle of Travancore Maharaja is also converted into a hotel. ix) Bolghathy Palace near Cochin P o r t (Residence of former British Resident of Southern States) is also converted into a hotel. 10.7 HOTEL AS A SERVICE PROVIDER IN THE MODERN DAY Gone are the days when people looked upon a hotel for a bed and food. Now it provides almost everything that a guest needs. Hotels have become service providers for the guests in all possible ways. Competition has set into providing these services in order to woo the guests. Every big hotel chain / group has been spending crores of rupees in order to stay in this race. Different services are rendered by the hotels, viz. Banquets, convention centers, exhibition centers, restaurants, catering service, secretarial services, corporate services, money changers, travel desk, butler service, valet service, internet service, facility for sports and games, massage parlour, health club, gym, shopping arcade, swimming pool, tourist limousines, airport service, etc. These services are either wholly owned and run by the hotel, or owned by hotel and run on franchise by experts in the field, or owned & run by outsiders but attached to the hotels. These services complement each other and also help in improving the occupancy rate of the hotels. 1. Banquet Hotels provide wide range of banquet menus. Weddings, parties, business gathering all of which help in improving food sales and also work in attracting new customers. Meetings, seminars, conventions and other social gatherings are arranged which in turn attract group bookings, good occupancy a n d food service.
2. Convention Center
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3. Restaurant
Restaurants serving different speciality cuisine like Chinese, Korean, Italian, Continental, Mexican, Indian (South Indian, Mughalai etc.) are set up by hotels with the interiors suiting those places are run to cater to the different tastes of domestic as well as international tourists. Catering services are also undertaken at off-campus locations. This is an essential service for corporate clients. The CEOs, M.Ds and Chairpersons of different companies need this arrangement for expediting their notes, letters and agreements, communications etc. This works as an extension to the corporate offices of the clients. All the services needed for handling corporate affairs are provided to make the corporate guest feel at office away from his office. Internet Service is the latest addition to the corporate service list. This is available even in small and medium sized hotels. The guest can connect his laptop to this service and perform his regular work / tasks. Where there is high proportion of foreign tourists / visitors, there will be the need of money changing service. Here the hotel exchanges the foreign currency for local currency. However it cannot sell foreign currency. This service must function as per the foreign exchange rules and guidelines of the Reserve Bank of India from time to time. Provides car rental services, air & train ticketing and looks after the other travel needs of the guest. In some hotels Concierge looks after this service too. A personalised service provided to the guest and his visitors exclusively. He provides the food and beverage and also wine service, looks after the visitors to the guest and helps in keeping the room tidy from time to time and also arranges the wardrobe for the guest. Also a personalised service, but limited to help at car parking and laundry facility etc. in hotels. This is provided not only in resort or leisure hotels but also in down town & commercial hotels. The present corporate guest even though a busy person wants some time out for himself for health and pleasure reasons. Health club, Spa, Gym, Message Parlour, Swimming
4. Secretarial Service
5. Corporate Service
6. Money Changers
7. Travel Desk
8. Butler Service
9. Valet Service 10. Health Club and Sports and Games

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pool, billiards, bowling ally, tennis court, mini golf course are some of the popular facilities. In some parts of our country health tourism has picked up at places like Himachal Pradesh and Kerala where health spas and ayurvedic treatments are provided. The tourist on vacation can go back a rejuvenated person. CHECK YOUR PROGRESS 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. Define hospitality. What are the two main segments of hospitality industry? How Encyclopedia Britannica defines a hotel? What are taverns? List the main types of present day hotels. List some of the tourist bungalows of ITDC. Name some of the cities where you could find the hotels of Welcome Group. 8. What are the facilities and the services that are provide by the present day hotels?
10.8 LET US SUM UP The hospitality industry is part of a larger enterprise known as the travel and tourism industry. The two main segments of the hospitality industry are the lodging industry (also called hotel industry) and the food and beverage industry (also called restaurant industry). Some of the earliest known hotels are taverns or inns, caravanserais, etc. where travelers rested and slept. During the middle ages, the churches across the world established guest offices for pilgrims and travelers. The merchant class hotels began to emerge in 15th century due to increase in trade. The inns of the 16th century provided private rooms to the visitors. The present day hotels started emerging from the late 18th century. The past one hundred years have brought about dramatic changes in modes of transportation, as well as in lodging accommodations. Hotels are built near the railway stations and bus stands for the convenience of passengers. For the purposes of classification, all tourist accommodations have been divided into two groups, viz. hotels and similar establishments such as hotels, motels, boarding houses and inns and the supplementary means of accommodation which includes rented rooms, apartments, houses, camping / mountain huts and shelters as well as health establishments (sanatoria and convalescent homes). Present day hotels ranges from international hotels to resort hotels catering to the increasing and diversified demand of the clients. The hotels are catagorised into International Hotels, Commercial Hotels, Residential Hotels, Resort Hotels,
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Floating Hotels, Palace Hotels, Capsule Hotels, Heritage Hotels and Guest Houses. In India, the development of hotel industry is closely linked to travel. For rest, the travelers stayed at dharmashalas, choultries, temples and other religious places free of cost. Musafir khanas and sarais were established during the Arab occupation. Sarais are later developed as inns by the British Rulers in cities like Calcutta and Bombay. Some of the inns developed by British rulers include Parsee Georges, Paddy Georges, Albion Hotel, Victory Hotel, Hope Hall, etc. Some of the oldest hotels in India: Pallanjee Pestonjee (1840), Bombay, Auckland Hotel (1843), Calcutta, Esplanade Hotel (1871), Calcutta, Taj Mahal Hotel (1903), Bombay. The Govt. of India opened Ashoka Hotel, Vigyan Bhawan, Lodhi Hotel, Hotel Janpath and Ranjit Hotel. In 1966, the Government of India, established the India Tourism Development Corporation (ITDC). Today, hotels are classified into International Corporate Hotels, National Hotel Companies, Small Hotel Groups, Independent Hotels a n d Hotel Consortia. Some of the major hotel group companies in India are: Welcome Group, Oberoi Hotels, Ambassador Hotels, UP Hotels and Restaurants Ltd., Ritz Chain, Spencers, Sinclairs, Hotel Corporation of India Ltd., Leela Group, Asian Hotel, Apeejay Surendra Group and Palaces Converted into Hotels. Today, hotels provide facilities and services such as banquets, convention centers, exhibition centers, restaurants, catering services, secretarial services, corporate services, money changers, travel desk, butler service, valet service, internet service, facility for sports and games, massage parlour, health club, gym, shopping arcade, swimming pool, touist limousines, airport service, train and bus depot pick-up, etc. 10.9 LESSON END ACTIVITY 1. 2. Visit a hotel in your town and note down the facilities and the services that the hotel provides to guests. Make a list of hotels of your town / city with name, promoting group, address, telephone number, facilities available, etc.
10.10 KEY WORDS Pilgrims Dormitory Tollgates Sanatoria

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A religious devotee who journeys to a shrine or sacred place A room providing sleeping quarters for a number of persons A gate barring passage to a road, tunnel, or bridge until a toll is collected A resort for improvement or maintenance of health, especially for convalescents. Also called sanitarium.
Valet
An employee, as in a hotel or on a ship, who performs personal services for guests or passengers A resort providing therapeutic baths.
Spa
10.11 QUESTIONS FOR DISCUSSION 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. Explain in your own words the need and importance of hotels. Give a brief description about the history of hotels. Development and growth of hotel industry in India Explain. Enumerate the various categories of hotels. Give a brief note about some of the major hotel groups of India. CHECK YOUR PROGRESS - ANSWER 1. Hospitality is defined as the friendly reception and treatment of strangers". 2. The two main segments of the hospitality industry are the lodging industry (also called hotel industry), and the food and beverage industry (also called restaurant industry). 3. Building that provides lodging, meals, and other services to the traveling public on a commercial basis. 4. The earliest hotels were called taverns or inns. 5. The present day types of hotels are International Hotels, Commercial Hotels, Residential Hotels, Resort Hotels, Floating Hotels, Palace Hotels, Capsule Hotels, Heritage Hotels and Guest Houses. 6. ITDC bungalows are at Mahabalipuram, Thanjavur, Madurai and Tiruchirapalli in Tamil Nadu, Bijapur and Hassan in Karnataka, Khajuraho, Sanchi and Mandhu in Madhya Pradesh Kullu and Manali in Himachal Pradesh, Bodhgaya in Bihar, Bhubaneshwar in Orissa, Rashi Nagar in Uttar Pradesh and Ghana in Rajasthan. 7. Agra, Delhi, Aurangabad, Jaipur, Goa and Gwalior. 8. Present day hotels provide facilities and services such as banquets, convention centers, exhibition centers, restaurants, catering service, secretarial services, corporate services, money changers, travel desk, butler service, valet service, internet service, facility for sports and games, massage parlour, health club, gym, shopping arcade, swimming pool, tourist limousines, pick-up and drop services to airports, railway stations, bus depots, etc.
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10.12 REFERENCES 1. M. Zulfikar (1998), Introduction to Tourism and Hotel Industry, Sangam Books Ltd. 2. S.K. Bhatnagar (2002), Front Office Management, Frank Bros. & Co. (Publishers) Ltd. 3. Alan T. Stutts, James Wortman (2005), Hotel and Lodging Management: An Introduction, Wiley. 4. Tom Powers, Clayton W. Barrows (2002), Introduction to the Hospitality Industry, Wiley.
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LESSON 11 CLASSIFICATION OF HOTELS
CONTENTS
11.0 Aims and Objectives 11.1 Introduction 11.2 Classification of Hotels 11.2.1 Classification According to Facilities and Amenities 11.2.2 Classification According to Star Ranking 11.2.2.1 Five Star Category 11.2.2.2 Four Star Category 11.2.2.3 Three Star Category 11.2.2.4 Two Star Category 11.2.2.5 One Star Category 11.2.3 According to Ownership and Management 11.2.4 According to Type of Plan (Tariff Pattern) 11.2.5 According to Size 11.2.6 According to Visitors Stop-Over 11.2.7 According to its Relationship with Transport 11.2.8 According to Type of Patronage 11.2.9 According to Length of Operating Period 11.2.10 According to Location 11.2.11 According to Purpose 11.3 Rates and Meal Plan 11.3.1 Tariff Based on Room Category 11.3.2 Tariff Based on Bedding 11.3.3 Tariff Based on Special Rates 11.3.4 Tariff Based on Meal Plan 11.4 Hotel Guests 11.4.1 Guest Classification 11.5 Let us Sum Up 11.6 Lesson End Activity 11.7 Key Words 11.8 Questions for Discussion 11.9 References
11.0 AIMS AND OBJECTIVES At the end of this lesson, students should be able to demonstrate appropriate skills, and show an understanding of the following: Various classifications of hotels Rates and meal plan Hotel guests.
11.1 INTRODUCTION Development in the field of transportation, communication and increase in population had effect on the growth, type and location of hotels and supplementary accommodation. To day, we find many hotels and catering establishments of varied character, size and nature operating in different cities and tourist centers. Classification of these hotels and supplementary units within the industry is a complicated task. Hotels are of various types depending on number of factors like the nature and facilities offered, size, location etc. Classification in the real sense separates accommodation into different categories or class on the basis of objective criteria, for example, by the type of accommodation, such as hotels, motels, tourist lodges, holiday camps etc. It seeks to present information about tourist accommodation units in a form, which enables the user to find information he requires. Information thus obtained will help to compare w i t h identical classifi c a t i o n a n d thus, separates accommodation according to physical features. 11.2 CLASSIFICATION OF HOTELS In a system of classification, hotels are ideally grouped into reasonably homogenous sections according to their important general characteristics. Any classification of the industry into its component sections is bound to be rough one as has been observed that hotels and catering services are in joint demand. Therefore, an attempt is made here to create such groups of undertakings which only share some common characteristics. Hotel is an establishment selling service: food, drink and shelter. The value and the potentiality of a hotel are assessed by the size, location, number of rooms and other revenue earning points it possesses. The classification of hotels within the industry is a complicated task. Hotels can be classified on different basis. 11.2.1 Classification According to Facilities and Amenities Based on the facilities and amenities provided by a hotel, they are generally classified into five main types: 1. Economy / Limited Service Hotels - These types of hotels provide efficient, clean, private rooms with attached bath. The furnishings and decor are moderate. Initially these hotels did not have telephones or television in the rooms; but now most of them have it. Food and beverage service may not be available, and bell attendants, door attendants and concierge facilities are absent. To maintain these economy hotels, they are located on inexpensive real estate areas and constructed at relatively low cost. Operating costs are kept low by eliminating food and beverage service and employing minimum staff to service the guests.
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2. Mid-Market Hotels - The modem mid-market hotel is a descendant of the first commercial hotel, offering comfortable accommodation with private baths, on-premises food and beverage service and uniformed bell staff. These hotels, also called standard or tourist class hotels, offer above average luxury and comfort, professionally designed decor and may also have scenic views or advantageous locations. 3. All-suite Hotels - The all-suite hotel was invented to compete with first-class hotels by offering above-average facilities at mid-market rates. A typical all suite hotel offers separate sleeping and living areas, along with other benefits like a kitchenette and a stocked bar. Some hotels offer food and beverage service and employ bell staff. A variation of the all-suite hotel, the condominium hotel is a fully equipped apartment complex that rents accommodations for a short period. A typical condominium hotel is located in a resort area and marketed as an alternative to full-service hotels. 4. First-Class or Executive Hotels - A typical first-class hotel is luxurious or semi-luxurious, with exceptional comfort and decor, highly trained staff and above average food and beverages. These hotels are also referred to as executive or superior hotels, often having luxury suites, two or more dining rooms and a cocktail lounge. Many accommodations have excellent views, refrigerators and fully stocked bars. 5. Luxury or Deluxe Hotels - These hotels represent the highest standard of excellence in the level of luxury and comfort, cleanliness and efficiency, staff specialisation, competence and courtesy, diversity and quality of food and beverage service. A typical deluxe hotel has at least 10% of its space reserved for luxury suites, two or more dining rooms, usually a gourmet-style dining room, and a familystyle restaurant. Most of these hotels have excellent views, location and ambience. Some hotels offering a very high level of luxury are referred as grand-deluxe. 11.2.2 Classification According to Star Ranking The Department of Tourism classifies functioning hotels under the star system, into five categories from 1-star to 5-star. For this purpose a permanent Committee, the Hotel and Restaurant Approval and Classification Committee (HRACC) has been set up which inspects the applicant hotels to assess their suitability or otherwise for award of the star category applied for. Based on the recommendations of the HRACC, deserving hotels are awarded the appropriate star category and are placed on the approved list of the Department. Approved hotels become eligible to various fiscal reliefs and benefits. The Department intercedes on behalf of such hotels whenever necessary to ensure that their needs get priority consideration from various concerned authorities. These hotels also get worldwide publicity through tourist literature published by the Department of Tourism and distributed by the Government of India Tourist Offices in India and abroad. Approved hotels become eligible
Classification of Hotels
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for obtaining foreign exchange for their import of essential equipment and provisions and for their over seas advertising, publicity and promotion under the Hotel Incentive Quota Scheme. To be eligible to apply for classification, a functioning hotel must fulfill the following minimum basic requirements: i) ii) iii) The hotel must have at-least 10 lettable bedrooms. All rooms should have proper ventilation and ceiling fans. Carpet areas in respect of rooms and areas of bathrooms should by and large adhere to the following limits prescribed:
Failure to satisfy these conditions will disqualify a hotel for consideration. The general features, facilities and services expected of hotels in the different star categories are broadly described here: Category of Hotel 5-Star / 5-Star Deluxe Hotels (Fully Air conditioned) Area Standards Single Room Double Room Bathrooms Single Room Double Room Bathrooms 180 sq.ft 200 sq.ft 45 sq.ft 120 sq.ft 140 sq.ft 36 sq.ft
4-Star & 3-Star Hotels (Air-conditioned/ NonA/c)
(Extra area may be provided if twin beds are to be provided) 2-Star & 1-Star Hotels (Air-conditioned / NonA/c) Single Room Double Room Bathrooms 100 sq.ft 120 sq.ft
30 sq.ft or subject to local bylaws Note: All rooms should have proper ventilation and ceiling fans
Figure 11.1 Categories of Hotels
11.2.2.1 Five Star Category General Features - The facade, architectural features and general construction of the hotel building should have the distinctive qualities of a luxury hotel of this category .The locality, including the immediate approach and environs should be suitable for a luxury hotel of this category and there should be adequate parking space for cars. The hotel should have at least 25 lettable bedrooms, all with attached bathrooms with long bath or the most modern shower chambers. All public rooms and private rooms should be fully airconditioned and should be well equipped with superior quality carpets, curtains, furniture, fittings etc., in good taste. It would be advisable to employ the services of professionally qualified and experienced interior designers of repute for this purpose. There
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should be an adequate number of efficient lifts in the building of more than two stories (including the ground floor) with 24 hours service. There should be a well-designed and properly equipped swimming pool. There should be a well-designated lobby and ladies' and gentlemen's cloakroom equipped with fittings and furniture of the highest standard. Facilities - There should be a reception, cash and information counter attended by highly qualified, trained and experienced personnel and conference facilities in the form of one each or more of the conference rooms, banquet halls and private dining rooms. There should be bookstall, beauty parlor, barbershop, recognised travel agency, florist and a shop for toilet requisites and medicines on the premises. There should be a telephone in each room and telephone for use of guests and visitors and provision for a radio or relayed music and a TV set in each room. There should be a wellequipped, well-furnished and well-maintained dining room / restaurant on the premises and wherever permissible by law, there should be an elegant, well equipped bar / permit room. The kitchen, pantry and cold storage should be professionally designed to ensure efficiency of operation and should be well equipped. Services - The hotel should offer both International and Indian Cuisine and the food and beverage service should be of the highest standard. Glassware, cutlery, silver, tablewear and all necessary accessories should be of best quality and standard. There should be professionally qualified, highly trained, experienced, efficient and courteous staff in smart, clean uniforms, and the staff coming in contact with guests should understand English. The supervisory staff knowing at least one continental language should be rotated on duty at all times. There should be 24-hour service for reception, information and telephones. There should be provision for reliable laundry and dry cleaning services. Housekeeping, at the hotel, should be of the highest possible standard and there should be plentiful supply of linen, blankets, towels etc., which should be of the highest quality available. Each bedroom should be provided with a good vacuum jug/ thermos flask with ice cold boiled drinking water except where centrally chilled purified drinking water is provided. There should be a special restaurant / dining room where facilities for dancing, orchestra are available. 11.2.2.2 Four Star Category General Features - The facade, architectural features and general construction of the building should be distinctive and the locality including the immediate approach and the environs should be suitable for a hotel of this category. There should be adequate parking facilities for cars. The hotel should have atleast 25 lettable bedrooms all with attached bathrooms. At least 50% of the bathrooms must have long baths or the most modern shower chambers, with 24-hour service of hot and cold running water. All public rooms and private rooms should be fully air conditioned and should be well furnished with carpets, curtains, furniture, fittings etc, in good taste. It would be advisable to employ the services of professionally qualified and experienced interior designer of repute
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for this purpose. There should be an adequate number of efficient lifts in building of more than 2 stories (including the ground floor). There should be a well-designated lobby and ladies: and gentlemen's cloakrooms equipped with fittings of a standard befitting a hotel of this category. Facilities - There should be a reception, cash and information counter attended by trained and experienced personnel. There should be a bookstall, recognised travel agency, money changing and safe deposit facilities and a left luggage room on the premises. There should be a telephone in each room for the use of guests and visitors and provision for a radio or relayed music in each room. There should be a well-equipped, well-furnished and well-maintained dining room / restaurant on the premises and wherever permissible by law, there should be an elegant, well-equipped bar / permit room. The kitchen, pantry, cold storage should be professionally designed to ensure efficiency of operation and should be well equipped. Service - The hotel should offer both international and Indian cuisine and food and beverage service should be of the highest standards. There should be professionally qualified, highly trained, experienced, efficient and courteous staff in smart, clean uniform and the staff coming into contact of the guests should possess good knowledge of English. It will be desirable for some of the staff to possess knowledge of foreign language and staff knowing at least one continental language should be rotated on duty at all times. There should be 24 hours service for reception, information and telephones. There should be provision of reliable laundry and dry cleaning services. Housekeeping at the hotel should be of the highest possible standard and there should be plentiful supply of linen, blankets, towels etc. that should be of the highest quality available. Similarly, the cutlery and glassware should be of the highest quality available. Each bedroom should be provided with a vacuum jug (flask with ice cold, boiled drinking water. There should be a special restaurant / dining room where facilities for dancing, orchestra are provided. 11.2.2.3 Three Star Category General Features - The architectural features and general construction of the building should be of a very good standard and the locality, including the immediate approach and environs should be suitable for a very good hotel and there should be adequate parking facilities for cars. The hotel should have at least 20 lettable bedrooms all with attached bathrooms with bath tubs and / or showers and should be modern in design and equipped with fittings of a good standard with hot and cold running water. At least 50% of the rooms should be air-conditioned and the furniture and furnishings such as carpets, curtains, etc., should be of a very good standard and design. There should be adequate number of lifts in the building with more than two stories (including the ground floor). There should be a well furnished equipped lounge and separate ladies and gentlemen's cloak rooms equipped with fittings of a good standard.
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Facilities - There should be a reception and information counter attended by qualified and experienced staff and a bookstall, recognised travel agency, money changing and safe deposit facilities on the premises. There should be a telephone in each room (except in seasonal hotels where there would be a call bell in each room and a telephone on each floor for the use of hotel guests) and a telephone for the use of guests and visitors to the hotel. There should be a well-equipped and well-maintained air-conditioned dining rooms / restaurant and where ever permissible by law, there should be a bar / permit room. The kitchen, pantry and cold storage should be clean and organised for orderliness and efficiency. Service - The hotel should offer good quality cuisine both Indian as well as continental and the food and beverage service should be of good standard. There should be qualified, trained, experienced, efficient and courteous staff in smart and clean uniforms and the supervisory staff coming in contact with the guests should understand English. The senior staff should possess a good knowledge of English. There should be provision for laundry and dry cleaning service. Housekeeping at the hotel should be of a very good standard and there should be adequate supply of linen, blankets, towels etc., of good quality. Similarly, cutlery, crockery, glassware should be of good quality. Each bedroom should be provided with vacuum jug / thermos flask with cold boiled drinking water. The hotel should provide orchestra and ball room facilities and should attempt to present specially choreographed Indian Cabarets. 11.2.2.4 Two Star Category General Features - The building should be well constructed and the locality and environs including the approach should be suitable for a good hotel. The hotel should have at least 10 lettable bedrooms of which at least 75% should have attached bathrooms with showers and a common bathroom for every four of the remaining rooms and should be with modern sanitation and running cold water with adequate supply of hot water, soap and toilet papers. 25% of the rooms should be air-conditioned (where there should be heating arrangements in all the rooms) and all rooms must be properly ventilated, clean, and comfortable with all the necessary items of furniture. There should be a well-furnished lounge. Facilities - There should be a reception counter with a telephone. There should be a telephone or call bell in each room and there should be a telephone on each floor unless each room has a separate telephone. There should be a well-maintained and wellequipped dining room / restaurant serving clean, wholesome food and a clean, hygienic and well-equipped kitchen and pantry. Service - There should be experienced, courteous and efficient staff in smart and clean uniforms. The supervisory staff coming in contact with guests should understand English. There should be provision for laundry and dry cleaning services. Housekeeping at the hotel should be of a good standard and good quality linen, blanket, towels etc., should be provided. Similarly, crockery, cutlery and glasswares should be of a good quality.
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11.2.2.5 One Star Category General Features - The general construction of building should be in a good locality and environs, including immediate approach should be suitable. The hotel should have at least 10 lettable bedrooms of which at least 25% should have attached bathrooms with a common bathroom for every four of the remaining rooms. At least 25% of the bathrooms should have western style W/Cs. All bathrooms should have modern sanitation and running cold water with adequate supply of hot water, soap and toilet paper. The rooms should be properly ventilated and should have clean and comfortable bed and furniture. Facilities - There should be a reception counter with a telephone and a telephone for the use of guests and visitors. There should be a clean and moderately well equipped dining room / restaurant serving clean, wholesome food and there should be a clean, well-equipped kitchen and pantry. Service - There should be experienced, courteous and efficient staff in smart and clean uniforms and the senior staff coming in contact with guests should possess working knowledge of English. Housekeeping at the hotel should be of a good standard and clean and good quality linen, blankets, towel, etc., should be supplied. Similarly, crockery, cutlery and glassware should be of good quality. 11.2.3 According to Ownership and Management 1. Independent Hotels (hotel consortia / cooperation) - These hotels are on ownership basis and do not have any affiliation or contract through any other property. And also they do not have any tie-up with any other hotels with regards to policy, procedures and financial obligations. The advantage in this type of hotel is that they need not maintain a particular image and they are not bound to maintain any set targets, but can independently adapt quickly to the changing trends. 2. Chain / Group Hotels (public owned / franchise) - There are many single owner hotels, yet more and more hotels and motels are now getting affiliated to each other. This gives them the advantage of a large central organization providing reservation system, management services, financial strength, expertise, manpower specialities, merchandises and promotional help. 3. Management Contractual Hotel is another type of chain organization which manages properties owned by other individuals or partners. The contract is entered on long term basis between the owner and the operator and usually as per the contract: owner retains the legal and financial responsibilities operator pays for the operating expenses and collects from the owner an agreed upon fees owner is responsible for paying taxes, insurance and servicing debt.
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11.2.4 According to Type of Plan (Tariff Pattern) 1. European Plan - In this case only the lodging i.e. bed is offered. Thus the charges are made for lodging only. The guest is free to take or not to take teas, breakfast, and meals in the hotel. He has a choice of eating out at any other good restaurant. The guest is booked to pay for lodging only and is charged separately for all other things or services he enjoys or consumes. This system is generally followed by youth hostels or hotels which are situated in metropolitan cities. In India most of the hotels are being run on European plan. Almost all the public sector hotels are run on this basis. 2. Continental Plan - In the case of continental plan, bed and breakfast are included in the tariff charges. Thus bed is offered along with breakfast and the guest is, however, free to take his meal and tea as he likes. Thus the guest tariff includes lodging and bed and breakfast and for other he is separately billed. 3. American Plan - Hotel where American plan is prevalent, boarding and lodging is provided in the charge. The tariff fixed includes board and lodging. It is an all inclusive full board tariff. Accommodation and three meals daily are included in the price of the room. It includes bed, breakfast and two principal meals and evening tea. It does not include EMT or coffee after lunch, or dinner. The needs are usually 'table d'hote menu'. It is also known as 'full pension'. This analysis is mostly used at those tourist resorts, which are not situated in big cities. 4. Modified American Plan - The tourists mostly prefer this plan, as it is comparatively more flexible. It is offered in most of the good hotels and is normally by arrangement. It includes hotel accommodation, breakfast and either lunch or dinner in the price of the room. Thus, in this type of accommodation bed and breakfast and along with it one principal meal, lunch or dinner at the discretion of the guest is also included. It generally includes continental breakfast and either 'table dhte lunch or dinner in the room rates. It is also known as 'demi-pension'. It has been observed that the Indian style local hoteIs in India follow the European plan. However, and the western style hotels operating in India which cater the foreign tourists, operates on the American plan. 11.2.5 According to Size Classification is made based on the number of lettable rooms. It can be indicated either by rooms as is done in America or by the number of beds as is done in Europe. Small hotels: 25 rooms or less Average hotels: 25 rooms to 90 rooms Above average hotels: 80 rooms to 250 rooms Large hotels: 250 rooms and above
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11.2.6 According to Visitors Stop-over 1. Residential Hotels - Residential hotels are also called as apartment hotels or apartment house. Room in a residential hotel is sold on a monthly or yearly basis. Rooms may be furnished or unfurnished, single or suite. Almost all residential hotels operate a restaurant, offer telephone service, laundry and valet service. Advance rents are usually collected while other charges are billed weekly. These types of hotels normally operate on European plan. Recent developments in this area include cooperative hotels and condominiums in which the tenants own the apartment and pay the management a fee for maintenance. 2. Semi Residential Hotels - These hotels provide accommodation to guests on weekly or monthly basis like residential hotels as well as on per day basis like transient hotels. Reduced rates are provided to long staying guests. Transient guests who want to take advantage of reduced rates for longer stay also come to such establishments. 3. Transient / Transit Hotels - Hotel guests who fall under the category of transient guests are those who are en route guests i.e. who are in the process of moving from one destination to another and stop at the hotel for a short period of time as against a terminal guest who has reached his final destination. Hence hotels, which cater to a transient / transit guest are called transient hotels. They find their origin in olden days inns. Examples of transient hotels are motels, motor hotels, airport hotels etc. 4. Resort Hotels - Resort hotels are located at resort places such as islands, exotic locations, hill stations, beaches and health resorts and spas i.e. summer resorts, winter sports resorts and all season resorts etc. with breathtaking beauty and typical scenery. People go to these places for relaxation, to enjoy themselves, and to get away from the hectic and demanding city life or for health reasons away from hectic city life or to pursue a specific interest / activity. 11.2.7 According to its Relationship with Transport 1. Motels - Motels, motor hotels and motor courts are designed to serve the needs of motorists. They must provide car parking, garage, accommodation, rest facilities and recreational facilities and hence motels are generally equipped with filling stations, motor garage, service stations, accessories, elevator service to automobile entrants, restaurants etc. The tariff is very low as compared to city hotels. They have easy access from highways, being located on highways or at road junctions. Motel accommodation is ranked with hotels in general in many countries.
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2. Railway Hotels - These type of hotels are located near the railway stations. These hotels provide temporary lodging and food to the railway passengers. Mostly owned by the railway authorities. 3. Airport Hotels - The location of airports far away from cities, the growth of the airline industry, the increase in air traffic and the postponement or cancellation of flights has made the airlines companies responsible to take care of hundreds of transit passengers and built the hotels near the airports. The glaring example of such hotels is the Centaur Hotel at Delhi and Bombay owned by Hotel Corporation of India, a, subsidiary of Air India. These hotels get business from other travelers who require a place to rest while waiting for connecting flights. Many travelers prefer to arrive at the airport the night before and get a good night rest at these airport hotels. In addition to room, restaurant facilities, coffee shop and main dinning room, most hotels have added banquet and meeting rooms to attract the social functions and meetings from companies located nearby, in order to run their business profitably. In most of the big cities these hotels are favorite location for area meetings, as it result in saving in taxi fares and times. 4. Floating Hotels - This type of hotels are located on the surface of water such as sea, lake etc. Such hotels provide exclusive and exotic atmosphere. All the facilities of a first class hotel are there in this category of hotels. In many countries old luxury ships have been converted into floating hotels. In India in Kashmir valley, houseboats are used as first class luxury hotels. They provide wonderful experience to a tourist. The First Floating Hotel of India, a Rs. 31 crore hotel with four storeys, will be operational in Kolkata very soon. The hotel with a coffee shop and 73 rooms and three suites can be called as the First Floating Hotel of India. 11.2.8 According Type of Patronage Hotels catering to women only Hotels catering to families only Hotels catering to commercial men only Hotels catering to high society or affluent category only Hotels catering to retired people only Hotels catering to students only
11.2.9 According to Length of Operating Period Seasonal hotels Two-seasonal hotels Year around hotels
11.2.10 According to Location Resort hotels.

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Suburban hotels Airport hotels (Airtel) Sea side hotels or Beach hotels or Coastal hotels Transient hotels Country hotels Floating Hotels City hotels Highway hotels Town center hotels (down-town hotels) Space resorts Hill or mountain hotels Ski resorts / Ski lodges Boatels Hotels Inland hotels
11.2.11 According to Purpose International hotels Commercial hotels. Hostels Business hotels Holiday hotels Transient hotels Resort hotels Motels Inns Clubs Convention hotels
11.3 RATES AND MEAL PLAN The main source of income for a hotel is by the sale of room space. In the hotel industry, all rooms are not the same. There are various types of rooms depending on the size, location and category of the hotel. The types of and rates of rooms not only differ from hotel to hotel but also within the hotel, depending on real estate and construction costs. The level of luxury and the type of bedding also determines the room rate to be charged. Various terms, codes and descriptions have been created by various hotels worldwide to represent room tariffs and types. In the past it was difficult as different hotels used different codes. Due to computerisation the room types and codes have become standardised. Normally, hotels have four rate categories: 1. Rack Rates Rack rates are normal room rates. It is based on the category of the room, type of bedding and occupancy. Unless specified, guests are quoted the rack rates and are charged for the same. Group and Tour rates are a discounted room rate for an organisation, which has blocked a large
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2. Group and Tour Rates
number of rooms. Most hotels have group rates that are lower than the rack rates. This rate is generally extended to a trade association or fraternal organisation that has scheduled a meeting, seminar or conference at the hotel. Discounts are also offered to a tour operator, in return for a commitment to purchase a minimum number of rooms over a given period of time. They are usually regular customers for the hotel. 3. Special and Promotional Rates Special and promotional rates are offered to corporate travellers, traveling sales representatives, military personnel, airlines staff or other regular clients. Some times special rates are also offered along with an advertising campaign or to promote the hotel during lean periods. Package rates are offered to the public along with other services such as banquet or a ball, or recreational facilities or a special event. Such a package normally includes accommodation, tickets to the concerned event, transportation from hotel to the venue and back and pick-up service. Other popular packages offered by hotels are honeymoon, weekend, Christmas, New Year or any other special event and sports activity. The package rate is normally lower than the combined component or rack rate.
4. Package Rates
11.3.1 Tariff Based on Room Category The tariff also varies as per room categories. Every hospitality establishment has different types of rooms available but the most common type of rooms available in large hotels are A Deluxe (Maximum Rate), B - Superior (Moderate Rate), C - Standard (Minimum Ra t e ) , D - E conomy (Promotional rate). T h e accommodation is also categorized depending on occupancy rates charged accordingly. Su - Suite, S - Single occupancy, D - Double occupancy. Category 1. Deluxe Room Type of Accommodation offers the best location in the hotel and offers best view, highest level of comfort with matching furnishings and decor. The amenities include a fully stocked bar or refrigerator and the room has king or queen beds. is a medium rate room usually located on the ground floor with a good view and may have a double king or queen bed. is a regular room consisting of one or two double
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2. Superior Room 3. Standard
Room 4. Economy Room 5. Suite
beds, a queen bed or two twin beds. They may not have either a good view or a good location. generally a room reserved for promotional or discounted rates and may have under sized beds, small floor plan or a mediocre location. normally consists of two rooms -a living room and a sleeping room. It may some times also have a kitchenette or conference room. The other amenities provided are a stocked bar and refrigerator.
11.3.2 Tariff Based on Bedding Besides the variation in the rooms and tariff, the bedding also normally has following categories. They are K-King-sized bed; QQueen sized bed, D-Double bed, T-Twin bed and S-Single Bed. 1. King-sized Bed is the latest style and is equal to two twin beds side by side. One or two king beds are normally provided in deluxe rooms or suites.
2. Queen-sized A queen bed is about 10 to 25% smaller than the Bed king sized bed, but 25% bigger than the standard bed. A queen bed may be provided in any category of rooms, as some hotels do not distinguish between queen beds and double beds. 3. Double Bed The standard sized double bed is about 25% smaller than the queen bed and is provided in any room category. The twin bed is about half the size of a king bed and a room normally has two twin beds. A single bed may refer to one twin bed or one bed of any size provided in a room, which is rented out for single occupancy.
4. Twin Bed 5. Single Bed
11.3.3 Tariff Based on Special Rates A number of hotels offer special discounted rates as under: 1. Corporate Rate This rate is given to corporate travellers, who normally form the cream of a hotel's occupancy. To earn this discount, the company may have to guarantee a minimum number of rooms to be occupied during a particular period. Some hotels offer this corporate rate to any business traveller irrespective of the employer.
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2. Government Rate
This rate is normally given to employees of the government, usually on the basis of a contract between the government department and the hotel. Discounted rate may also be given to government personnel holding a valid ID t o encourage regular business.
3. Military Rate This is offered to personnel of the armed forces, either on the basis of a contract or to encourage repeat business. 4. Agent Rate This rate is offered to travel agents and airline personnel, which may not be valid during the peak seasons.
5. Salesperson These rates are mostly offered at motels to Rate traveling salespersons during the off-season. 6. Local Business Rate 7. Day Rate 8. Package Rates These rates may be offered to preferred business houses in the local community, which includes a discount and guaranteed availability. This rate is applicable to guests who stay only during the day without staying overnight. These rates are often offered during the lean season or as a promotional venture. These include weekend packages or promotional packages like a three nights and two days stay which include meals and other recreational facilities. The hotel, normally offers group and tour discounts to increase or maintain occupancy throughout the year in return for a commitment to purchase a fixed number of rooms. If a hotel normally has a high occupancy rate, the group rate offered may be only guaranteed availability of a fixed number of rooms, without offering a discount.
9. Group and Tour Discount 10. Guaranteed Availability
11.3.4 Tariff Based on Meal Plan The meal plans are usually of five types. 1. European Plan 2. American Plan Under this plan the room rate charged does not include any meals, which must be purchased separately. This has two types: Full American Plan under this plan the room rates include all three meals, but exclude
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beverages, which must be purchased separately. Modified American Plan - Here the room rate includes two meals (normally continental breakfast and dinner), excluding alcoholic beverages, which must be purchased separately. 3. Continental Plan 4. Bed And Breakfast Plan Under this, room rate includes continental breakfast. Under this plan, the room rate includes a full breakfast.
11.4 HOTEL GUESTS A hotel customer or client is called a guest because the hotel offers homely and professional service to him, and establishes an intimate relationship with him during his stay. Hotel guests may be defined as people who have, who are, or who will be availing the services of hotel, for a particular period in order to satisfy their demand for accommodation, food and beverage or entertainment, for which they are willing and able to pay. Guest relation is the integral part of the hotel industry. It is a means for the management to reach out to the guest and convey to him the feeling of warmth and welcome. 11.4.1 Guest Classification A guest may be classified under following headings: 1. 2. 3. Guests on the basis of presence in the hotel: a n expected guest, an in-house guest and check out guest. Guests on the basis of recognition: regular guest , V.I.P., special attention and distinguished guest and new guests Guests on the basis of revenue: paying guests and Complimentary Guests. CHECK YOUR PROGRESS 1. What are the different categories of star hotels? 2. Classify hotels according to facilities and amenities. 3. How the guests are classified?
11.5 LET US SUM UP Hotels are of various types depending on number of factors like the nature and facilities offered, size, location, etc. Hotel can be classified into Economy / Limited Service Hotels, Mid-Market Hotels,
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All-suite Hotels, First-Class or Executive Hotels, Luxury or Deluxe Hotels. According to ownership and management, hotels can be classified into Independent Hotels, Chain / Group Hotels and Management Contractual Hotels. According to type of plan (tariff pattern), hotels are classified into European Plan, Continental Plan, American Plan/ Modified American Plan and Bed and Breakfast Plan. According to the size, hotels are grouped into small hotels, average hotels, above average hotels and large hotels. According to visitors stop-over, hotels are grouped into Residential Hotels, Semi Residential Hotels, Transient / Transit Hotels and Resort Hotels. According to its relationship with transport, hotels are grouped into Motels, Railway Hotels, Airport Hotels and Floating Hotels. According to the type of patronage, hotels can be exclusively for women, families, commercial men, high society or affluent category, retired people and students. According to the Length of operating period, the hotels may be seasonal, two-seasonal or year around hotels. Based on the location, hotels may be called Resort hotels, Suburban hotels, Airport hotels (Airtel), Sea side hotel or Beach hotels or Coastal hotels, Transient hotels, Country hotels, Floating hotels, City hotels, Highway hotels, Town center hotels, Space resorts, Hill or Mountain hotels, Ski resorts / Ski lodges, Boatels, Hotels and Inland hotels. Hotels can also be of types such as International, Commercial, Hostels, Business, Holiday, Transient, Resort, Motels, Inns, Clubs and Convention hotels. Normally hotels have four categories of rates, viz. rack rates, group and tour rates, special and promotional rates, and package rates. The tariff also varies as per room categories and bedding. A number of hotels offer special discounted rates for Companies, Government, Military Tour, Agent and Salesperson. The meal plans are usually of five types, viz. European plan, American plan (full and modified), Continental plan and Bed and Breakfast plan. Guest relation is the integral part of the hotel industry. A guest may be classified on the basis of presence in the hotel, on the basis of recognition and on the basis of revenue (paying and complementary). 11.6 LESSON END ACTIVITY 1. Collect pictures of famous hotels worldwide from magazines and other means and prepare a scrap book for future reference. 2. Find out the prominent hotels / hotel chains in various countries throughout the world. 3. Find out the 5 star and 3 star hotels in your metro. 4. Visit nearby various class hotels and note down the reasons for category classifications. 11.7 KEY WORDS Meal The food served and eaten in one sitting
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Lodge
To provide with temporary quarters, especially for sleeping Kitchenette A small kitchen Condominium A building or complex in which units of property, such as apartments, are owned by individuals and common parts of the property, such as the grounds and building structure, are owned jointly by the unit owners Gourmet A connoisseur of fine food and drink Cloakroom A room for checking packages or baggage, as in a theater, railway station, or airport Franchise Authorization granted to someone to sell or distribute a company's goods or services in certain area 11.8 QUESTIONS FOR DISCUSSION 1. Hold discussions and prepare a report outlining the additional facilities and improvements needed to seek upgradation of present star relating to a higher one. What are the various classifications of the hotels? How hotels are categoried according to norms of accommodation provided to the guests and what are the differences among them? How hotels are classified according to mode of travel? CHECK YOUR PROGRESS - ANSWER 1. 2. The different types of star hotels are five star hotels, four star hotels, three star hotels, two star hotels and one star hotels. Economy / Limited Service Hotels, Mid-Market Hotels, All-suite Hotels, First-Class or Executive Hotels and Luxury or deluxe hotels. Guests may be classified on the basis of presence in the hotel, recognition and revenue.
2. 3.
4.
3.
11.9 REFERENCES 1. M. Zulfikar (1998), Introduction to Tourism and Hotel Industry, Sangam Books Ltd. 2. S.K. Bhatnagar (2002), Front Office Management, Frank Bros. & Co. (Publishers) Ltd. 3. Alan T. Stutts, James Wortman (2005), Hotel and Lodging Management: An Introduction, Wiley.
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4. Tom Powers, Clayton W. Barrows (2002), Introduction to the Hospitality Industry, Wiley.
LESSON 12 FRONT OFFICE DEPARTMENT
CONTENTS
12.0 12.1 12.2 Aims and Objectives Introduction Front Office Department 12.2.1 Front Office Functions 12.3 Front Office Organisation 12.3.1 Front Office Organisation Chart 12.4 Duties & Responsibilities of Front Office Staff 12.4.1 Front Office Manager 12.4.2 Front Desk Agent 12.4.3 Reservation Agent 12.4.4 Switchboard Operator 12.4.5 Front Office Cashier 12.4.6 Uniformed Service Staff 12.4.7 Concierge 12.4.8 Night Auditor 12.5 Front Office Desk Layout 12.6 Front Office Equipments and Furniture 12.7 Let us Sum Up 12.8 Lesson End Activity 12.9 Key Words 12.10 Questions for Discussion 12.11 References
12.0 AIMS AND OBJECTIVES At the end of this lesson, students should be able to demonstrate appropriate skills, and show an understanding of the following: Front office department and its functions Front office organization Duties and responsibilities of front office staffs Front office desk layout and equipments.
12.1 INTRODUCTION At the hub of the hotel world is the reception desk where most guest transactions take place. It is here that the guest is received, registered and assigned a room. Information, mail, messages, complaints and room accounts are all dealt with here. Therefore, to a large extent, the reception team is the key to an enjoyable and problem-free stay for the hotel guest. It is also the centre of attraction and money generation for the establishment.
The front office department is the nerve centre, the hub and the heart of the hotel. Front office personnel have more contact with guests than staffs in other departments. This is the department where the guest first checks in and finally checks out of the hotel. The front office is the main communication centre. As it is the major revenue generating department, it is equipped with staffs of good quality and personality. The front office is the show window and hence it is furnished and maintained with good furnitures and fittings. Front office is well designed in an orderly manner. Regardless of how the hotel is organized, the front office is always an essential focal point. 12.2 FRONT OFFICE DEPARTMENT The front office is the main controlling centre of all guest services, and also coordinates the back office functions with these services. It serves as a main channel of two way communications i.e. from hotel to guest and guest to hotel. Front office is the name given to all the offices situated in the front of the house, that is, the lobby, where the guest is received, provided information, checked-in, his luggage is handled, his accounts are settled at departure, and his problems, complaints and suggestions are looked after. Foreign guests use the front desk to exchange currency, find a translator, or request other special assistance. The front desk often serves as the hotel control center for guest requests concerning housekeeping or engineering issues. In addition, it may also be a base of operations during an emergency, such as a fire or a guest injury. 12.2.1 Front Office Functions Front office functions include reservations, registration, room and rate assignment, check-in, guest services, room status, maintenance and settlement of guest accounts and creation of guest history records. The front office compiles a n d maintains a comprehensive data base of guest information, coordinates guest services, and ensures guest satisfaction. These functions are accomplished by personnel in diverse areas of the front office department. The main functions of the front office department are: 1. During Guest Cycle: Pre arrival, arrival, on going responsibilities, departure and after departure activities. 2. Guest Services: Reservations, registration, occupancy services, checkout and history.
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a. b.
Maintain accurate room status information Process future room reservations, when there is no reservation department or when the reservation department is closed. Coordinate guest services. Provide information about the hotel, the surrounding community, and any attractions or events of interest to guests.
Front Office Department
c. d.
3. Guest Accounting: Establishment of credit, charge posting, night audit and settlement. a. b. Maintain guest accounts and monitor credit limits. Produce guest account statements and complete proper financial settlement.
The front office functions can be well understood from the figure given below:
Figure 12.1 Functions of Front Office
12.3 FRONT OFFICE ORGANISATION The front office department of a hotel comprises of various sections. Depending on the size of the hotels, the sections may vary. In small or medium sized hotels the sections may be merged and handled accordingly. The following are the sections of the front office department. 1. Reservation Section is responsible for booking of rooms in advance. It is responsible for the receiving of the room requests, reservation analyzing and documentation of the room requests received. This section of the department depends upon the size of the hotel; if the hotel is small sized there may be not be a
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separate section for reservations. This section is mostly found in mid sized and large sized hotel. 2. Front Desk Section is responsible for receiving the guest, registering of the guest, assigning of room and room keys and remote controls for television and air conditioners if such services are available and assistance to the guest during their stay. They are also a source of information for government offices.
Figure 12.2 Front Desk
3.
Bell Desk is mainly responsible for luggage handling of the guests. It consists of group of uniformed staff for guest services. This section is maintained separately in large hotels only. Travel Desk Section handles the transportation facility of the hotel guest. It assists in the booking of air tickets, hiring of the car and other transportation facilities. It also arranges / organizes city tours, sight seeing tours to the guests on request. Business Centres serve the guests with laptops, internet, mobiles, facsimile, LCD projectors, and photocopier and also on request secretarial facilities. This is the latest addition in the large and medium sized hotels, in line with the electronic era.
4.
5.
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Figure 12.3 Business Centre
6.
Concierge Section provides information about the hotel, its services and amenities, city, town, country, travel and transport, banks etc. They can also handle the guest luggage and bags if the hotel does not have the bell desk section. The receiving and distribution of mail and message, packets, news papers and magazines in the early mornings to guest room are also attended to. In addition, it may also handle the hiring of the car and booking of air tickets and other transportation facilities if there is no travel desk in the hotel. Cashiering Section is responsible for maintaining and recording guest accounts and bills and folio of guest and either cash or credit settlement of guest folios at the time of departure. Communication and Telephone Section handles the guest telephones and messages, both incoming and out going of the guest.
7.
8.
12.3.1 Front Office Organisation Chart
Figure 12.4 Front Office Organisation Chart
The Front Office organization chart is designed according to functions. The chart 1 2 . 4 clearly defines the control and also provides guests with more specialized attention. Typical positions and functions under the Front Office Department are: 1. 2. 3. 4. Front Desk Agent: Registers guests, and maintains room availability information Reservation Agent: Responds to Reservation Requests and creates Reservation Records Cashier: Closes guest folios, and properly checks out the guests. Uniformed Bell Service Agent: Handles guest luggage, escorts guests to their rooms, and assists guests for any bit of information requested.
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5. 6.
Switchboard Operator: Manages the switchboard and coordinates wake-up calls. Night Auditor: Controls the job of the Accounts Receivable Clerk, and prepares daily reports to the management (eg: Occupancy Report and Revenue Report).
12.4 DUTIES & RESPONSIBILITIES OF FRONT OFFICE STAFF 12.4.1 Front Office Manager Front Office manager must be a skilled planner who channelizes the various resources viz. people, money, time, work methods, materials, energy and equipment to suit the objectives of the property. He should maintain cordial relationships between the front office and other hotel divisions and departments by encouraging communication between all areas of responsibility. Basic Function: To supervise all front office personnel and ensure proper completion of all front office duties. Duties & Responsibilities: 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. 11. 12. 13. Evaluate and decide the need of personnel in the department. Participate in the selection of front office personnel. Train and update staff skills. Schedule the staff duties. Supervise and help workloads during shifts. Evaluate the job performance of each front office employee. Maintain working relationships and communicate with all departments. Maintain master key control. Check room status Resolve guest problems quickly, efficiently and courteously Update and monitor group information and requirements. Review credit limit report. Enforce all cash-handling, other modes of payment and credit policies.
12.4.2 Front Desk Agent Also designated, as Receptionist or Front office Assistant in some hotels, is the first person a guest sees on entering the property and the last person the guest sees on leaving. Basic Function: To assist guests in all front office-related functions in an efficient, courteous, and professional manner that maintains high standards of service and hospitality. Duties and Responsibilities:
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1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. 11. 12. 13.
Register guests and assign rooms; accommodate special requests, if possible. Assist in pre-registration and blocking of rooms for reservations. Thoroughly understand and adhere to proper credit, other modes of payment, cash handling policies and procedures. Know room status, locations, types and rates. Use suggestive selling techniques to sell rooms and to promote other services of the hotel. Coordinate rooms status with housekeeping department; notify all check-outs, early check-ins, special requests etc. Take reservations, modify or cancel as requested. Post and file all charges to guest, master and city ledger accounts. Handle issuing and closing of safe deposit boxes for the guests. Read, maintain and pass-on log and bulletin board at each shift. Coordinate with engineering and maintenance division for guest room maintenance. Know all safety and emergency procedures, accident prevention policies. Report any unusual occurrences or requests to the manager.
12.4.3 Reservation Agent Normally found in larger hotels, in smaller hotels Front office agent handles this job. Basic Function: To handle all future reservations, matching the needs of the guests with the hotel. Duties and Responsibilities: 1. Process reservations by mail, telephone, telex, cable, fax or central reservation system referral. 2. Process reservations from the sales office, other hotel departments and travel agents. 3. Know the type of rooms, location and layout, status, rates, package plans, benefits etc. 4. Maintain reservation records by date and time of arrival and alphabetical listings. 5. Process cancellations and modifications. 6. Prepare letters of confirmation and communicate to the prospective guest / representative. 7. Know the hotels policy on guaranteed reservations and noshows. 8. Process advance deposits on reservations. 9. Prepare expected arrival lists and communicate reservation information for front office. 10. Assist in pre-registration activities when appropriate. 11. Promote goodwill by being courteous, friendly and helpful to guests, managers and fellow employees.
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12.4.4 Switchboard Operator They are heard by the guest but are rarely seen. They represent the hotel through their voice on the phone. They build a very significant image of the hotel to a prospective guest. The work has drastically changed due to the electronic age, but the basic voice assistance is always a warm welcome. Basic Function: Receives and directs incoming and outgoing calls to individual guests, staff, or departments. Duties and Responsibilities: 1. 2. Answer incoming calls. Direct calls to guestrooms, staff, or departments through the switchboard or PBX system. 3. Place outgoing calls. 4. Receive telephone charges from the telephone company and forward charges to the front desk for posting. 5. Take and distribute messages for guests. 6. Log all wake-up call requests and perform wake-up call services. 7. Provide information about guest services to guests. 8. Answer questions about hotel events and activities. 9. Provide paging services to hotel guests and employees. 10. Know what action to take when an emergency call is requested or received. 11. Be aware of all the emergency service nos. and systems relating to the same. 12.4.5 Front Office Cashier Basic Function: Guest accounting tasks require efficiency and accuracy. The tasks of the front office cashier center on the guest accounting cycle. The front office cashiers post revenue center charges to guest accounts. The hotels revenue centers communicate information on charge purchases to the front desk. Cashiers then post these charges to guest accounts to ensure that the charges will be settled at checkout. Where computerised systems are installed, the Point of Sale operations are directly posted to the Guest Ledger whenever the guest utilises a particular service. The cashiers also receive payment from guests at checkout. They coordinate the billing of credit card and direct-billed guest accounts with the accounting division. The cashier at the close of each shift balances all guest accounts. They also manage safedeposit boxes / lockers, variety of banking services including foreign exchange. Duties and Responsibilities:
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1.
Operate front office posting equipment/ system.
2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. 11. 12. 13.
Obtain the house bank and keep it balanced. Complete cashier pre-shift supply checklist. Take departmental readings at the beginning of the shift. Complete guest check-in and checkout procedures. Post charges to guest accounts. Handle Paid-outs (VPO). Transfer guest balances to other accounts as required. Settle guest accounts in cash, credit card, Company account by transferring balances to the respective ledgers. Post non-guest ledger payments. Make account adjustments. Balance departmental totals and cash at close of shift. Manage safe deposit box/ locker.
12.4.6 Uniformed Bell Service Staff Basic Functions: Meeting, greeting and escorting guests to their rooms and also the reverse of it i.e. escorting guests from their rooms to the front desk, to their means of transport etc. They also do errands, handle messages and page guests. They also act as the eyes and ears of the hotels since they are strategically stationed and also make trips to many floors and rooms. Work closely with the front desk staff, room service employees and other hotel personnel in providing guest assistance with luggage, transportation and miscellaneous needs. Duties and Responsibilities: 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. Maintain a good personal appearance at all times. Wear the standard uniform and name tag. Escort guests to and from their rooms if required and also assist in carrying their luggage. Keep the lobby directory up to date. Watch for any unusual persons or activities and report them to management. Transport hotel guests to and from the airport on request. Keep limousines and other hotel vehicles clean and in top running condition. Maintain an orderly, secure checkroom for guests.
6.
12.4.7 Concierge Basic Functions: They are specialized in assisting the guest regardless of whether inquiries concern in-hotel or off-premises attractions, facilities, services, or activities. Must provide concise and accurate directions; make reservations for flights, theater or special events, obtain tickets, organize special functions such as VIP cocktail receptions and arrange for secretarial services, if needed.
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Duties and Responsibilities: 1. 2. 3. 4. Develop a strong knowledge of the hotels facilities and services and of the surrounding community. Provide guests with directions / information to attractions or facilities in or outside the property. Make guest reservations for air or other forms of transportation when requested; obtain necessary itinerary and tickets. Make guest reservations for the theater and other forms of entertainment when requested, obtain necessary tickets and provide directions to facilities. Organize special functions as directed by management. Arrange secretarial and other office services. Coordinate guest requests for special services or equipment with the appropriate department. Check with roomed guests periodically to ascertain if they have any special needs. Handle guest complaints.
5. 6. 7. 8. 9.
12.4.8 Night Auditor Basic Functions: Must be skilled record keeper since the job requires him to track room revenues, occupancy percentages, and other front office operating statistics and prepare, a summary of the financial performance for the day. He is basically an employee of the accounts division. Has to verify all account postings and balances made during the day by front desk cashiers and agents. In some properties, he may also act as front desk agent during the night. Duties and Responsibilities: 1. 2. 3. Post room charges and taxes to guest accounts. Process guest charge vouchers and credit card vouchers. Post guest charge purchase transactions not posted by the front office cashier. 4. Transfer charges and deposits to master accounts. 5. Verify all account postings and balances. 6. Monitor the current status of coupon, discount, and other promotional programmes. 7. Track room revenues, occupancy percentages, and other front office statistics. 8. Prepare a summary of cash, cheques, credit card activities and summary of results of operations for management. 9. Understand principles of auditing, balancing and closing out accounts. 10. Know how to operate posting machines, other front office equipment and computers.
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11. Understand and know how to perform check-in and checkout procedures. 12.5 FRONT OFFICE DESK LAYOUT As the front office is the entry and exit point for a guest, the main entrance and approach play a very important role in the selection of hotel for a guest. A guest entering a hotel does so through the main entrance which leads to the reception area of the hotel which is also called the lobby of the hotel.
Figure 12.5 Lobby Layout
The lobby is elegantly designed to accommodate the front office staffs and for the smooth service to the guests. Since the lobby usually serves as a meeting or gathering area for guests and their visitors it should be well planned and furnished to give a best intuition. The lobby of the hotel includes the general circulation and waiting area which leads to check-in, information, cashiers counter, bell desk, travel desk, cloak rooms etc.. The above figure shows a typical layout of a lobby. The layout may vary from hotel to hotel. Some hotel may even have a coffee shop, restaurant and shopping arcade. 12.6 FRONT OFFICE EQUIPMENTS AND FURNITURES The following are the common equipments and furniture found in the hotel lobby: 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. Front Desk Bell desk and concierge desk Lobby desk Travel counter Room and reservation racks
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6. 7. 8. 9. 10. 11. 12. 13. 14. 15. 16. 17. 18. 19. 20. 21. 22. 23. 24. 25. 26. 27. 28. 29. 30.
Computer, Printer, UPS and other related devices Credit card imprinters Telephone EPABX, PBX, PMBX, EPBX Telex, Facsimile machine Mail, Message and Key rack Duplicate key rack Time stand Wake up device Folio tray Security monitor Luggage trolley Luggage net Date and time punching machine Bulletin boards G.R. card holder Mail forwarding file Page board Safe vault and in-room vault Photocopying machine Room rack Postal weighting scale Voucher rack Account posting machine Cash register Magnetic strip reader CHECK YOUR PROGRESS
1. What are the main functions of the front office department? 2. What are the sections of the front office department? 3. What is the basic function of a Front Office Manager?
12.7 LET US SUM UP The front office department is the nerve centre of the hotel. This is the department where the guest first checks-in and finally checks-out of the hotel. The front office is also the main controlling centre of all room services. The front office functions include reservations, registration, room and rate assignment, guest services, room status maintenance, settlement of guest accounts and creation of guest history records. The front office department of a hotel comprises of the following sections: Reservation section, Front desk section, Bell desk, Travel desk, Concierge section, Cashiering section, Communication and telephone section, and Business centres. The Front Office Manager must be a skilled planner who channelises the
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various resources viz. people, money, time, work methods, materials, energy and equipment to suit the objectives of the property. The Front Desk Agent (Receptionist or Front office Assistant) is the first person a guest sees on entering the hotel and the last person the guest sees on leaving. The front office lobby is elegantly designed to accommodate the staffs and for the smooth service to the guests. The common equipments and furniture found in the hotel lobby include front desk, bell desk and concierge desk, lobby desk, travel counter, room and reservation racks, computer, printer, credit card imprinters, telephone, telex, facsimile machine, mail, message and key rack, duplicate key rack, time stand, wake up device, folio tray, security service monitor, luggage trolley, luggage net, sate and time punching machine, bulletin boards, G.R. card holder, mail forwarding file, page board, safe vault and in-room vault, photocopying machine, room rack, postal weighting scale, voucher rack, account posting machine, cash register and magnetic strip reader. 12.8 LESSON END ACTIVITY 1. Visit a hotel near by and take a list of office equipments and furniture found in the front office lobby. Visit a hotel, interview the Front Office Manage and take a note of his duties and responsibilities.
2.
12.9 KEY WORDS Audit Amenity To examine, verify, or correct The quality of being pleasant or attractive facilities available. Folio A large sheet of paper folded once in the middle, making two leaves or four pages of a book or manuscript Telex A communications system consisting of teletypewriters connected to a telephonic network to send and receive signals Prospective Likely or expected to happen Ledger A book in which the monetary transactions of a business are posted in the form of debits and credits Lockers A small, usually metal compartment that can be locked, especially one at a public place for the safekeeping of clothing and valuables 12.10 QUESTIONS FOR DISCUSSION 1. 2. Explain in your own words about the front office department and its functions. Give a brief description about the duties and responsibilities of the front office staffs.
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3.
What are the equipments that you find in a front office department? CHECK YOUR PROGRESS - ANSWER
1. The main functions of the front office department include pre arrival, arrival, on going responsibilities, departure and after departure activities, reservations, registration, occupancy services, checkout and history, maintain guest accounts and monitor credit limits. 2. The front office department of a hotel comprises of the following sections: Reservation section, Front desk section, Bell desk, Travel desk, Concierge section, Cashiering section, Communication and telephone section, and Business centres. 3. The basic function of the Front Office Manager is to supervise all front office personnel and ensure proper completion of all front office duties.
12.11 REFERENCES 1. Alan T. Stutts, James Wortman (2005), Hotel and Lodging Management: An Introduction, Wiley. 2. James A. Bardi (2002), Hotel Front Office Management, Wiley. 3. Ahmed Ismail (2002), Front office operations and management, Thomson Delmar Learning. 4. Michael L. Kasavana and Richard M. Brooks (2005), Managing Front Office Operations, Educational Institute of American Hotel & Motel.
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LESSON 13 RESERVATION
CONTENTS
13.0 13.1 13.2 13.3 Aims and Objectives Introduction Reservation Types of Reservations 13.3.1 Guaranteed Reservation 13.3.2 Non-Guaranteed Reservation 13.3.3 Tentative / Provisional Reservation Reservation Enquiry Sources of Reservations 13.5.1 Central Reservation Systems 13.5.2 Intersell Agencies 13.5.3 Direct Reservation System Group Reservations Reservation Availability Devices Used for Tracking Room Availability 13.8.1 Control Books 13.8.2 Wall Charts 13.8.3 Computerized Systems Reservation Record Reservation Confirmation Let us Sum Up Lesson End Activity Key Words Questions for Discussion References
13.4 13.5
13.6 13.7 13.8
13.9 13.10 13.11 13.12 13.13 13.14 13.15
13.0 AIMS AND OBJECTIVES At the end of this lesson, students should be able to demonstrate appropriate skills, and show an understanding of the following: Reservation and its types Sources of reservation Reservation availability Equipment tracking room availability Reservation records and confirmation.
13.1 INTRODUCTION A hotel mainly relies on the income generated from the effective letting of its bedrooms for profit. A large percentage of
revenue is obtained from room sales, and out of that again, a large proportion is contributed by the advance booking or reservation of rooms of the hotel. Reservation is an activity concerning the sale of room. In a small hotel, the volume of reservation, i.e. advance booking of room is much less as compared to a large hotel; hence this function and subsequently the work involved in reservations can be done by the receptionist himself at the reception counter. In a large hotel, the volume of work of booking of rooms is quite big and hence it becomes necessary to allocate a separate section away from the reception counter so that the receptionist can concentrate more on the guest services. Reservations generally constitute both legal and moral responsibilities on hotel and hence it is important that proper and efficient systems are installed in the hotel. These records should be filed in such a way that the staff is able to refer to any individual reservation enquiry quickly. It is also important that the reservation staff must be aware of legal requirements and implications. 13.2 RESERVATION Reservation is the activity of booking the room in advance for a prospective guest on his request for future, which may be from few days to months in advance. Below is the detailed process o f reservation: 1. Conduct the reservation enquiry 2. Determine room and rate availability 3. Create the reservation record 4. Confirm the reservation record 5. Maintain the reservation record 6. Produce reservation reports. Functions of the Reservation Section: The main function of the reservation section is to help the hotel in generating revenue from future and prospective room sales. The reservation section should receive the reservation request from the prospective guest, check availability of rooms, process the request and either accept it, wait list it or deny it and communicate the decision. Prior to Computerization Era, the main function of the Reservation Process is only to determine basic room availability. That is, the reservation clerk can only tell the potential guest whether a room is reserved for him / her or not. However, the reservation clerk can not tell the type of the room, rate honored etc. But nowadays, with the wide use of
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computer reservation (on-line reservation) with software package programs, it is now possible to reserve a room by room type, rate, and to accommodate all the possible special requests of the guest. Therefore, the selling function has largely shifted from the front office to the reservation department. Hence, projections of Room Revenues and Profitability Analysis became one of the main functions of the Reservation Department.
Reservation
Figure 13.1 Reservation Section
As a consequence, reservation department and reservation agents should have sales goals to achieve which might focus on number of room nights, average room rate, and / or booked room revenue.
13.3 TYPES OF RESERVATIONS 13.3.1 Guaranteed Reservation Ensures that the hotel will hold a room for the guest until a specific time following the guests scheduled arrival date [i.e. checkin t i me or start of the hotels day shift or any time the lodging property chooses]. On return, the guest shall guarantee his / her reservation of room unless reservation is properly canceled. In order to guarantee a reservation, guests might opt for one of the following methods: 1. Prepayment Guaranteed Reservation the hotel request the prospective guest to either send the complete deposit or a partial deposit and on receiving, makes the booking for the prospective guest. Credit Card Guaranteed Reservation in this case the prospective guest gives his credit card number and details to the hotel. The hotel confirms the room from the credit card guarantee and then claims from the credit card company, if the guest does not occupy the room on the said date.
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2.
3.
Travel Agent Guaranteed Reservation some travel agents have arrangement with hotel chains to book room for their clients and executives travelling to various destination. The travel agents are solely responsible for the reservation; they are billed after the guests stay is completed. Voucher or Miscellaneous Charge Order [MCO] - this i s a special arrangement designed to attract return guest or new business. This is usually provided by the hotels themselves for their prospective guests. Corporate Guaranteed Reservation in this case the corporation or company takes the responsibility for booking for their executives, visitors etc.
4.
5.
13.3.2 Non-Guaranteed Reservation Ensures that the hotel agrees to hold a room for the guest until a stated reservation cancellation hour (usually 6 p.m.) on the day of arrival. In case the guest who has made the reservation arrives after 6.00 p.m, the hotel is not bound to provide him accommodation. Non-guaranteed reservation usually occurs when the prospective guest does not provide any payment guarantee but simply confirms through a letter. Reservation agents shall make sure to encourage their guests to guarantee their reservations, especially in the high season. 13.3.3 Tentative / Provisional Reservation Provisional reservation is done when a request from prospective guest is received for some future day arrival and the hotel blocks the room for this guest, provisionally in the hotel records such as charts and diaries and racks or computer and sends a letter of offer to the prospective guest. The offer has a cut off date by which the guest should send his confirmation which may be in the form of a letter, guarantee by company, credit card or deposit whichever the hotel may request. Once the confirmation from the guest is received by the hotel within the cut off date, the hotel makes the tentative booking into confirmed booking. Otherwise the tentative booking is cancelled and the records updated. 13.4 RESERVATION ENQUIRY Guests can communicate their reservation enquiries in any one of the methods; in person, over the telephone, via mail, through facsimile, telex or e-mail. Moreover, reservation inquiries can also be made through Central Reservation System or Intersell Agency. While getting a reservation enquiry, the reservation agent shall obtain the following guest-related information: i) ii) Guests name, address and telephone number Company or travel agency name, where possible
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iii) iv) v) vi) vii) viii)
Date of arrival and departure Type and number of rooms requested Desired room rate and type of room Number of people in the group, if applicable Method of payment and / or guarantee Any other special requests
Reservation
Figure 13.2 Reservation Form
Most of the above mentioned information is used to create a reservation record. 13.5 SOURCES OF RESERVATIONS 13.5.1 Central Reservation Systems The majority of Lodging Properties belongs to one or more Central Reservation Systems. A central reservation system is composed of a central reservation office, member hotels connected together via communication devices, and potential guests. Central Reservation Office [CRO] offers its services via a 24-hours toll free telephone number(s). Member hotels of the central reservation system shall provide and exchange accurate room availability data to central reservation offices. To illustrate, central reservation offices and member hotels shall communicate (on real time) any reservation transaction. This is possible, nowadays, with the sophisticated communication equipment available. These equipments shall be provided by central reservation offices to its member hotels. Such equipment may range from teletype, telex, facsimile machines, to personal computers or Internet connections. On return for the services, central reservation offices charges a fee for the utilization of its services which might take the form of a flat fee and a variable fee, or a flat percentage of potential room revenue, actual room revenue, and / or Rooms Division gross profit. Central Reservation Offices are divided into two:
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i)
Affiliate reservation network - this network is referred to as the hotel chains reservation system. In fact, it is composed of a CRO and hotels, which are members of the same chain. The main advantages of affiliate reservation network are: a) Streamline the process of reservation b) Reduce overall system costs c) Attract business for or refer business to another chain property d) Affiliate reservation networks might serve, in addition to its main function, other duties like: Serve as an inter property communication network Serve as an accounting transfer tool Serve as a destination information center Serve as a connection with Global Distribution Systems [GDS] System including several Central Reservation Offices connected to each other.
ii)
Non-affiliate reservation network - A n o n -affiliate reservation network is composed of a central reservation office, potential guests, and member independent hotels.
13.5.2 Intersell Agencies Intersell Agencies are special types of central reservation offices contracting to handle reservation for more than one Product Line for example handle at the same time Airline Tickets, Car Rental, Hotel Reservation, etc. (One Call Does it All Approach!). 13.5.3 Direct Reservation System Even though many of the five-star hotels rely heavily on central reservation offices and intersell agencies, some potential guests might still find it convenient, and personal to call directly the hotel to communicate a reservation enquiry. 13.6 GROUP RESERVATIONS Conducting a reservation request for a group shall be treated differently than accommodating a reservation of individual guests (i.e. Frequent Independent Traveler). The main reason is that individual reservation requests are treated by the reservation department, while group reservations are initiated by the Sales & Marketing Division, and finalized through a careful coordination of the reservation from one hand and the marketing on the other. Below is a detailed procedure of how group reservation, in a typical hotel, is conducted:
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1.
A group representative, a member of the travel agency or the tour operator, not individuals, shall communicate group reservations' request to the hotel's marketing department Upon availability, the hotel's reservation department shall block the requested number of rooms for this very group The Hotel shall give a deadline for the group, in order to receive their final list. That deadline is called Cut-off Date. After receiving the final list, the reservation department shall change the desired number of rooms' status from blocked to booked (or reserved) rooms, and release the remaining rooms (if any left) as vacant for sale. If the hotel did not receive the final list by the cut-off date, then the reservation department has all the right to cancel the group reservation and release all the initially booked rooms into vacant rooms. However, management shall use this right with precautions especially when it comes to groups reserving from travel agencies and tour operators of which the hotel is frequently servicing.
Reservation
2. 3. 4.
5.
13.7 RESERVATION AVAILABILITY After receiving a reservation request, the hotel might accept it, as it is, if there is room availability. If not, the reservation department should suggest alternative room types, dates, and / or rates, to the potential guest. If, however, the potential guest insists on his / her previous request, the hotel should suggest an alternative hotel. That's one of the main reasons why we need to maintain good relationships with nearby competing hotels. The reservation department should always compare historical reservation volumes against actual arrivals. The main reason is to cope with overbooking, which a situation occurring when the total number of rooms reserved for a certain period of time exceeds the total number of rooms available for sale, for the same period of time. In order to cope with the overbooking problem, some statistical and historical data should be stored and processed by the hotel and should be continuously updated. Such data should include: o o o o o o o Number of rooms reserved for a specific date Number of rooms occupied by stayovers (for a certain specific date) Forecasted no-show-ups percentage Forecasted understays percentage Forecasted overstays percentage Forecasted cancellation percentage Number of out of order rooms for a specific date.
13.8 DEVICES USED FOR TRACKING ROOM AVAILABILITY

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In order to function properly, the reservation department shall maintain control books, wall charts, and / or a computerized system. Whatsoever system chosen, the reservation department shall maintain and update that system to include any reservation transaction (i.e. whether a reservation, cancellation, or modification). Below is a description of the three commonly used sets of equipment to track room availability under the manual, semi-automated and fully-automated systems: 13.8.1 Control Books Control books are standard three-ring, loose-leaf binders with a tally page assigned to each day of the year. Under this very system, when a potential guest calls to have a reservation, the reservation clerk shall check the cells corresponding to rooms. If there is an empty cell for all the length of stay of the guest then the reservation clerk marks it as X (i.e. reserved). If the guest is expected to continue staying the next day, then the reservation clerk shall mark the next day's respective room cell as O (i.e. Stayover). Lastly, the reservation clerk is encouraged to use colors while updating information or the cells on the control book. 13.8.2 Wall Charts These are charts stapled on the wall depicting days of the month versus hotel rooms. Moreover, upon need and convenience, these charts might be customized to track appropriate room numbers, rates, and codes, hence, is advantageous to control books. Moreover, in this system, different colors are used to differentiate between different reservation transactions and types of guest reserving. Wall charts eliminates the erasures and rewriting associated with control book, hence less errors might occur. 13.8.3 Computerized Systems Computerized systems are by far the best systems that track room availability. In fact, these systems control room availability data and automatically generate many reservation-related reports in an accurate manner. Moreover, computerized systems can itemize room availability for future periods by open dates, closed dates, versus special event dates. This system can also forecast room availability for any reservation horizon needed in the future. In the case of non-availability of room type, the system can further suggest alternative room types, rates, or even other hotels. 13.9 RESERVATION RECORD Each reservation department shall prepare a reservation record, which depicts the various personal and financial data of guests, for each reservation transaction. The aim is to identify guests and their occupancy needs before guests arrival. Moreover, the hotel can personalize or customize guest services and better schedule staff accordingly.
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Reservation
In order to create a reservation record, the following details are needed: i) ii) iii) iv) v) vi) vii) viii) ix) x) xi) Guest name (and group name, if applicable) Guests home or billing address Guests telephone number, including area code Name, address, and telephone number of guests company, if appropriate Name and other pertinent information about the person making the reservation, if not the guest Number of people in the group, and perhaps ages of children, if any. Arrival date and time Number of nights required or expected departure date, Reservation type [Guaranteed versus Non-guaranteed] Special requirements [i.e. infant, disabled guest, or nosmoking accommodation] Additional information, if needed [i.e. late arrival, method of transportation, flight number, room preferences, etc.]
At the reservation process, reservation agents shall keep in mind that a rate quoted and confirmed must be honored. Moreover, reservation clerks should be aware of the following: o o o o o o Supplementary charges for extra services or amenities Minimum stay requirements, if any, for dates requested Special promotions in effect for dates requested, if any Applicable currency exchange rates, if quoting rates to an international tourist Applicable room tax percentages Applicable service charges or gratuities
13.10 RESERVATION CONFIRMATION The hotel should communicate with guests by telephone, telex, mail, or e-mail a Letter of Confirmation, which confirms the important points of the reservation agreement. This letter might be shown at the registration process in order to accelerate the pace of registration and to prove that the guest has the right to have a room at the hotel. The Hotel shall send a confirmation letter to all reserved potential guests, whether their reservations are guaranteed or nonguaranteed. Below are the main points that should be communicated in a confirmation letter: o o Name and address of the guest Date and time of arrival
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o o o o o o
Room type and rate Length of stay Number of persons in a group, if any Reservation type [guaranteed or not] Reservation confirmation number Special requests, if any. CHECK YOUR PROGRESS
1. 2. 3. 4. 5.
What is reservation? List the process of reservation. What are the types of reservation? What are the guest-related informations required for reservation? What are the merits of the computrised reservation system?
13.11 LET US SUM UP Hotels depend on the income generated from the sale of its bedrooms. Reservation is an activity concerning the sale of room. Reservations are done by the receptionist at the reception counter. In large hotels, it is done by a separate section. Reservation is the activity of booking the room in advance for a prospective guest. The process of reservation includes c onduct the reservation enquiry, d etermine room and rate availability, create the reservation record, c onfirm the reservation record, maintain the reservation record and produce reservation reports. Reservations are of many types, viz. prepayment guaranteed reservation, credit card guaranteed reservation, travel agent guaranteed reservation, voucher or miscellaneous charge order, corporate guaranteed reservation, non-guaranteed reservation, tentative / provisional reservation, etc. While getting a reservation enquiry, the reservation staff shall obtain the guest-related information such as guests name, address and telephone number, company or travel agency name, w here possible, date of arrival and departure, type and number of rooms requested, desired room rate an type of room, number of people in the group, if applicable, method of payment and / or guarantee a n d a ny other special requests. In order to track the room availability, control books, wall charts and other computerized systems are being used in hotels. 13.12 LESSON END ACTIVITY 1. 2.
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Visit a hotel near by and take a note of their reservation system. Prepare a register of your own for carrying out reservation.
Reservation
13.13 KEY WORDS Reservation Tracking Enquiry Booking, appointment, or date to perform some activity at a particular time and place Monitoring a process or the results of an action A close examination of a matter in a search for information
Computerize To enter, process, or store and retrieve (information) in a computer or system of computers Provisional Affiliate Precaution For the time being - tentative Closely connected or associated Careful forethought to avoid risk
Overbooking A term used to describe the sale of access to a service which exceeds the capacity of the service Forecast To calculate or estimate something in advance
13.14 QUESTIONS FOR DISCUSSION 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. Enumerate the types of reservation. Explain in your own words about the reservation enquiry. What is group reservation? Explain in detail about the devices used in tracking the room availability. Explain: i) Reservation record ii) Reservation confirmation. CHECK YOUR PROGRESS - ANSWER 1. 2. Reservation is the activity of booking the room in advance for a prospective guest. The process of reservation includes conduction of reservation enquiry, determination of room and rate availability, creation of reservation record, confirmation of reservation record, maintenance of reservation record and generation of reservation reports. Reservations are of many types, viz. prepayment guaranteed reservation, credit card guaranteed reservation, travel agent guaranteed reservation, voucher or miscellaneous charge order, corporate guaranteed reservation, non-guaranteed reservation, tentative / provisional reservation, etc.
3.
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CHECK YOUR PROGRESS ANSWER (contd) 4. Guest-related information such as guests name, address and telephone number, company or travel agency name, date of arrival and departure, type and number of rooms requested, desired room rate and type of room, number of people in the group, method of payment and / or guarantee are required for reservation. Computerized reservation systems are the best systems since that track room availability. These systems control room availability data and automatically generate many reservationrelated reports in an accurate manner. This system can also forecast room availability for any reservation horizon needed in the future. In the case of non-availability of room type, the system can further suggest alternative room types, rates, or even other nearby hotels.
5.
13.15 REFERENCES 1. Michael L. Kasavana and Richard M. Brooks (2005), Managing Front Office Operations, Educational Institute of American Hotel & Motel. 2. S.K. Bhatnagar (2002), Front Office Management, Frank Bros. & Co. (Publishers) Ltd. 3. Michael L. Kasavana, Richard M. Brooks (2001), Managing Front Office Operations (Coursebook), Educational Institute of American Hotels.
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LESSON 14 REGISTRATION
CONTENTS
14.0 14.1 14.2 Aims and Objectives Introduction Registration 14.2.1 Registration Process 14.2.2 Registration Record 14.2.3 Registration Methods 14.2.4 Systems of Registration 14.3 Room Status 14.4 Issuing Room Keys 14.5 Fulfilling Special Requests 14.6 Room Rate Assignment 14.6.1 Room Rates 14.6.2 Methods of Payment 14.7 Let Us Sum Up 14.8 Lesson End Activity 14.9 Key Words 14.10 Questions for Discussion 14.11 References
14.0 AIMS AND OBJECTIVES At the end of this lesson, students should be able to demonstrate appropriate skills, and show an understanding of the following: Registration processing and records Methods and systems of registration Issuing room keys and fulfilling special requests Room rates and room assignments Methods of payments.
14.1 INTRODUCTION Guest registration is one of the first and most lasting impressions on a hotel customer. Guest registration sets the tenor for the stay and is, therefore a critical contact point. The front desk should promote the warmth and hospitality of the property. Guest registration is the point at which critical information is collected about the customer and his / her wishes. If the bottleneck develops in a guest registration, customer complaints arise. As a result the front desk employees are particularly concerned with processing the needed information quickly.
The registration procedure of the hotel is critical to the collection of guest information and the initialization of the guest account. Almost all the paperwork in the guest cycle is based on the data that is recorded and verified at, or prior to, check-in. 14.2 REGISTRATION Registration is a mandatory requirement that all guests over the age of 16 years irrespective of Indian or foreigner, ordinary personnel or VIP. R egardless the size of the hotel, be it small or large guests, must provide basic information about them and fill up either a visitors register / hotel register. The register may be a Red Book / form or a card also called G.R. Card (Guest Registration Card). The guest has to fill in the form and attest his signature. This agreement between the hotel and the guest is known as a simple contract. 14.2.1 Registration Process The registration process has the following basic concepts. 1. Collection It is the gathering of information about the guest such as date and time of arrival, guest personal information (name, address, nationality, occupation etc), purpose of visit, date of departure. Assigning the right room to the guest as desired based on availability. The billing instructions i.e. mode of payment through cash, credit card, travelers cheque etc. The duration o f s t a y of the guest. The availability of the room for resale for the next guest. After the guest has registered a rate for room is decided and a room assigned after establishing his creditability. Then the guest along with his luggage sent to his room. After that the receptionist would complete the paper and other work related to the new arrival.
2. Product Matching 3. Revenue Management 4. Rooms Management 5. Completion
14.2.2 Registration Record The registration record is a collection of important personal and financial guest information. A typical registration record includes: i) ii) iii) Guest name and surname Guest address and telephone number Company affiliation (if applicable)
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iv) v) vi) vii) viii) ix) x) xi)
Expected arrival date Planned departure date or length of stay Required room rate Required room type Room number Method of payment Special requests Signature of the guest.
Registration
Guest registration information details forwarded to different areas and functions of the hotel are:
Figure 14.1 Flow of Registration Information
14.2.3 Registration Methods Three methods are used for registration by hotels: 1. Bound Book It is a big bound book. Guest on arrival fills his details in a line and signs in this book. It is often used in small hotels. The disadvantages of this book handling are: Confidentiality of guest information cannot be maintained. The next guest can easily access the details of the previous guests. The book is bulky and gets dirty and torn very soon due to frequent usage. Pre-registration of VIP and others cannot be done. Only one guest can register at a time.
2. Loose Leaf Register
In this system, a separate loose leaflet is used for each day instead of a consolidated / bound register. To some extent the confidentiality of guest information can be maintained. It is mostly suitable for medium sized hotels. The disadvantages of this method are: It can be easily misplaced, if the desk clerks are careless.
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3. Individual Registration
The leaflet may not be fully filled or in some occasions single sheet may not be sufficient. Filing also becomes a problem Only one guest can register at a time.
In this system, a separate card is used for each guest. The cards may be designed so as to serve various purposes. It may be made in duplicate or triplicate with the help of carbon papers so that one copy can be sent to Government departments and the other retained by the hotel. The following are the advantages of this method: The size of the card is small and quite handy. They may also be used to serve as a guest history card. Complete privacy of the guest is maintained. Many guests can be registered in the rush hours at the same time.
14.2.4 Systems of Registration 1. Manual System This system is used by small hotels. In this system, all the documents including the guest folio, arrival notification slips, C form (to be filled in by foreigners) are prepared and distributed manually. The accuracy shall depend upon the guests legible and accurate completion of the card. This is a rather slow and time consuming method and is prone to errors hence not suitable for large hotels. All those hotels which do not operate on computer and are either medium or large in size use this method. Office machinery such as typewriter and various clerical equipments, racks and filling rack etc are used in this method. Automatic systems use computers. They are very efficient, accurate, and fast. It helps in smooth and speedy check-in and the guest can simply sign in the registration documents generated by the computer. In some fully automated hotels the arriving guest can self register himself through self-registering terminals located in the lobby. To facilitate speedy registration process, these registration terminals of the hotel may also be located in airports, international bus terminals and car rental agencies. This is a very fast method of registration.
2. Semiautomatic System
3. Automatic System
4. Express Check-in System
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Registration
14.3 ROOM STATUS At registration, check-in clerks shall contact the housekeeping department to seek latest information about the status of hotel rooms so that they can assign only clean and available rooms for sale to their guests. That's why, the Front Office, Housekeeping and Reservation Department shall maintain a high degree of collaboration between them. The front office and housekeeping department shall continuously update the status of each single room. Below is the typical housekeeping room status flow for any single room:
Occupied On-change Clean and Available for Sale
The front office and Housekeeping Department shall frequently reconcile and compare their updated reports (especially under the manual system) for any possible room status discrepancy. In order to be sales minded and convince potential guests to accept the highest priced rooms, the front office clerk shall be aware of the characteristics of each room type, the differences within the same room category (i.e. furnishings, amenities, and location). 14.4 ISSUING ROOM KEYS With the issuing of room keys, the rooming process gets to an end. However, concerning room keys, front office clerks shall respect hotel's written policies governing guestroom key control. As an illustration, front desk agents shall only handle the room key to the guest without announcing and / or spelling out the room number. This is a vital requirement to protect and ensure guest safety and privacy. After guest is handed over his / her room key, front office clerks shall offer bellboy assistance 14.5 FULFILLING SPECIAL REQUESTS Front Office Department shall watch for special requests by guests and try promptly to satisfy them. This creates a good impression and lasting professional relationship with the guests and increases the probability that the hotel will receive these guests for many more times to come in the future (i.e. repeat guests). Guests' requests are usually grouped under the following categories: Room type Bed type Location View Amenities
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14.6 ROOM AND RATE ASSIGNMENT The hotel shall identify the room preference of the guest and allocate an available room from the existing specific room category (i.e. type & rate). That's why, under semi and fully automated systems, reservation and check-in clerks shall be sales minded while negotiating room and rate assignment with guests. This fact applies for registration clerks under the manual system as well. Moreover, while assigning rooms, check-in clerks shall keep an eye on hotel's reservation commitments and not assign a room to a guest, while that very room is pre-assigned to some other guests for the same period of time. 14.6.1 Room Rates While pricing rooms, the hotel shall keep in mind that rate should be between a minimum (determined by cost structure) and a maximum (determined by competition structure) boundary as depicted below:
Minimum (Hurdle Rate) < Room Rate < Maximum (Rack Rate) Cost Structure < Room Rate < Competition Structure
Rack rate: The price a hotel charges for a room before any discount has been taken into account. The published rate for a room sometimes set artificially high in order to accommodate and used to calculate a variety of discounts. Front office department shall finalize room rates with guests during the registration process. Moreover, rack rates shall only be applicable for walk-ins especially during the high season. Lastly, room rates might be affected by: a) b) c) d) Seasonality Service level Room location Type of Guest and / or usage (eg. commercial, corporate, complementary, group, family, day, and package-plan etc.).
14.6.2 Methods of Payment Guests, at the registration stage, shall communicate or confirm their intended method of payment. Below are the common methods of payments accepted by hotels: 1. Cash Guests intending to settle their accounts by cash shall have no in-house charge privileges and, hence, all their purchases should be paid in advance (i.e. PIA status), which means that as
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guests purchase any kind of service or product, they shall pay for it immediately. In accordance to cash payment, registration clerks shall prepare lists of PIA guests and communicate them to all Point of Sales outlets. On the other hand, paying immediately might not suit some guests (even though intending to settle their accounts by cash), that's why hotels might give guest charge privileges, on condition that they provide an imprint of a valid card or an approved direct billing privilege at registration. 2. Personal Cheques Very few hotels still accept personal cheques as a method of payment due to the high probability of fraud associated with this method. In fact, in order to accept personal cheques, most hotels necessitate that these cheques be supported by a credit card with a cheque-cashing guarantee, that the amount to be cashed against cheques shall be within the hotels established limit, and preferably accept personal cheques only during standard business hours where banks are open. If personal cheques are to be accepted, front office personnel shall imprint the credit card on the backside of the guest personal cheque and record the Guest ID card or driving license certificate along with the guests address and telephone number on the face of the cheque. Nowadays almost all the mid-sized and large hotels have credit card machines. Credit cards have become a preferable method of payment for guests and hotels. The guest credit card is swiped on the spot and the amount credited to the hotels account. Some guests (especially VIP) do not prefer to wait at checkout queues like other guests before departure. They, rather, prefer, only to sign their guest folios, go to their homes, and later receive a certain invoice detailing their charges while they were staying at the hotel to be settled by payment to hotel bank accounts. In order to satisfy the needs of this category of guests, hotels created the direct billing process. To be eligible for a direct billing privilege, guests shall at pre-arrival stage or maximum at the arrival stage fill a hotel credit application form along with the provision of an imprint of a valid credit card. This form is sent to the Front Office Manager or Rooms Division Manager for approval. 5. Special Programs Special programs are any form of vouchers, coupons, or any special incentive awards received
Registration
3. Credit Cards
4. Direct Billing
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from businesses, airline companies etc. CHECK YOUR PROGRESS 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. What is registration? What are the steps involved in registration? What are the information generally collected from the guests? What are self-registering terminals? What are the factors that affect the room rates?
14.7 LET US SUM UP Registration is a mandatory requirement that all guests. The guests provide personal and financial information by filling-in the form and / or answering the questions. The information collected is recorded in a register or computer for providing better service to the guests. The registration process involves several steps which include collection of information, assigning right room, providing billing information, sale of rooms and completion of check-in. A typical registration record includes guest name and surname, guest address and telephone number, company affiliation (if applicable), expected arrival date, planned departure date or length of stay, required room rate, required room type, room number, method of payment, special requests (if any) and signature of the guest. Three methods are used for registration by hotels, viz. bound book, loose leaf register and individual registration. These registrations include manual system, semi-automatic system, automatic system and express check-i n s y s t e m . Front Office Department finalize room rates with guests during the registration process. The room rates might be based on seasonality, s ervice level, room location and type of guest and / or usage. The common methods of payments accepted by hotels are cash, cheques, credit card, direct billing and special programs. With the issuing of room key, the registration process gets to an end. The Front Office Department shall watch for special requests by guests and try promptly to satisfy them. Guests' requests are usually grouped under categories such as room type, bed type, location, view and amenities. 14.8 LESSON END ACTIVITY 1. 2. Visit a hotel and take a note of their registration process. Prepare a proforma for the collection of information from the guest.
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Registration
14.9 KEY WORDS Registration Hospitality Creditable Cheque The act of registering. An entry in a register Cordial and generous reception of or disposition toward guests Worthy of trust A cheque is a negotiable instrument instructing a financial institution to pay a specific amount of a specific currency from a specific account held in the depositor's name with that institution.
Complementary Forming or serving as a complement
14.10 QUESTIONS FOR DISCUSSION 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. Enumerate the registration process. What are the methods through which payments can be made in a hotel? How will you fulfill the special requests of the guests? Explain the merits and de-merits of self-registration terminals. Give a report on the manual and computerized registration process. CHECK YOUR PROGRESS - ANSWER 1. Registration is the process of collection and recording of personal and financial information of the guests for providing the required service to the guests. The registration process involves several steps which include collection of information, assigning right room, providing billing information, sale of rooms and completion of check-in. Informations such as guest name and surname, address and telephone number, company affiliation (if applicable), expected arrival date, planned departure date or length of stay, required room rate, required room type, room number, method of payment, special requests (if any) and signature are collected from the guest. In some fully automated hotels the arriving guest can register himself through the self-registering terminals located in the lobby. To facilitate speedy registration process these terminals are sometime located in airports, bus terminals and car rental agencies. The factors that affect the room rates are season, service level, room location and type of land / or usage.
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2.
3.
4.
5.
14.11 REFERENCES 1. James A. Bardi (2002), Hotel Front Office Management, Wiley. 2. Ahmed Ismail (2002), Front office operations and management, Thomson Delmar Learning. 3. Michael L. Kasavana and Richard M. Brooks (2005), Managing Front Office Operations, Educational Institute of American Hotel & Motel. 4. S.K. Bhatnagar (2002), Front Office Management, Frank Bros. & Co. (Publishers) Ltd.
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LESSON 15 GUEST ACCOUNTING

CONTENTS
15.0 15.1 15.2 Aims and Objectives Introduction Guest Accounting 15.2.1 Guest Bill 15.2.2 Guest Bill Communication Methods 15.3 Process of Guest Accounting 15.3.1 Types of Financial Transaction 15.3.2 Preparing of Documents 15.3.3 Checking and Ensuring Accuracy 15.3.4 Settlement of Account 15.4 Credit Control 15.4.1 Objectives of Credit Control Measures 15.4.2 Common Causes for Unpaid Account Balance 15.5 Cash Control 15.6 Let Us Sum Up 15.7 Lesson End Activity 15.8 Key Words 15.9 Questions for Discussion 15.10 References
15.0 AIMS AND OBJECTIVES At the end of this lesson, students should be able to demonstrate appropriate skills, and show an understanding of the following: Guest billing and billing methods Processing of guest account Credit control and cash control.
15.1 INTRODUCTION The hotels profitability not only relies on efficient room selling, professional attitude and standard of services provided to its guest but also mainly o n the accurate guest accounting system and procedures followed. It is the responsibility of front office to prepare the guests bill, present it, and ensure that it is paid. This involves a lot of record keeping, for a guest may incur a large number of separate charges during his stay, from the cost of room and various meals through to telephone, laundry and entertainment. The process is complicated by the fact that the hotel industry traditionally gives a guest credit facilities during his stay. The
amounts involved can be quite substantial: a room for one night coupled with an evenings business meeting entertaining company staff in a top class city centre hotel can amount to several hundred rupees. In contrast to many other businesses, this credit often may have to be extended to relative unknowns at short notice. 15.2 GUEST ACCOUNTING An account is a record of a business transaction and on this document financial data are recorded and summarized. The term guest accounting from hotel point of view means knowledge of what is to be received from the guest and what is paid by the guest. To have updated information of the same, it is important that at all times during the guest cycle, an efficient system is used. Various systems such as manual, semi-automatic or fully automatic system may be used depending upon the size and type of the hotel. The objective of the guest accounting procedures is as follows: To maintain accurate and up-to-date guest accounts. To ensure that payment is received promptly and in full. To provide management with accurate and up-to-date financial reports.
15.2.1 Guest Bill The guest bill is updated immediately as it is received from the various departments / sales outlets. It is very important to maintain and record all upto the minute details of the accounts of the guest. A person who checks into a hotel is usually entitled to credit facilities for his purchases of accommodation, food and beverages, telephone and other facilities. The following picture shows the sources of guest bill.
Figure 15.1 Information Flow for Guest Bill 210
Guest Accounting
15.2.2 Guest Bill Communication Methods Speed and accuracy in preparing and maintaining of guest account is very important so as to avoid any late charges. This is possible only when there is very effective communication system between the billing section and sales outlet. Depending upon the type of hotel the communication methods can be: 1. Manual In small hotels, a bell boy or a waiter or a person from the department where sale has taken place rushes to the billing counter for entry into the guest folio. Some medium or large sized hotels have pneumatic tubes (pressure suction tubes) for sending signed vouchers of the guest from the department or outlet selling the service or commodity to the billing counter. From the point of sale terminal (POS) the entry is made to the centralized computer server where the guest folio is updated and stored. This method is very efficient and convenient and is widely used today in almost all the medium sized and large hotels.
2.
Mechanical
3.
Fully Automatic System
15.3 PROCESS OF GUEST ACCOUNTING The process of guest accounting is based on the following concepts: 1. 2. 3. 4. Financial transaction, creation and maintenance of accurate accounting details. Making of necessary documents and recording of transaction on relevant documents. Ensuring internal control, checking and establishing the accuracy of the recorded transaction. Settlement of the accounts, which may be by cash or credit payment.
15.3.1 Types of Financial Transaction Financial transactions are generally of three types: 1. Accounts Receivable When a guest goes to the bar or restaurant (and consumes drinks or food) or avails laundry facilities, or makes telephone calls, etc, and does not pay cash but signs a voucher (an undertaking that he agrees to the specified amount and shall pay later) and also the room charges etc. are all examples of financial transaction where amount is to be received by the hotel from the guest
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(guest has to pay) and these are called 'accounts receivable for the hotel. Any 'returned checks and charge backs' (may be his previous skipper account) etc. are also examples of the same. 2. Accounts Payable These are those transactions where the guest pays to the hotel against his outstanding; for example, he pays against his bill amount in part or full. Also this type of transaction would include any allowances or discount given by the hotel to guest and a transfer amount, etc. Such transactions are not very common usually. Such financial transactions will reduce the outstanding balance to be paid by the guest. Cash Transaction means that the guest pays cash to the hotel. For example, when a guest goes to a bar or restaurant and is served with drinks or food and then presented a check for the same, he pays cash for that check. Such transactions neither increase nor decrease the guest's outstanding balance.
3. Cash Transaction
15.3.2 Preparing of Documents Documents are those where the financial transactions of the guests are recorded, as it is humanly not possible to always remember all the transactions made by all the guests. Various documents are generated during the process of guest accounting. The types of documents generated also depend upon the system used, but some documents will always be there no matter whatever system is followed. 1. Vouchers Vouchers are also called checks. A document to detail transactions at point of sales and meant to transmit transactional information to front office of guest charges which need posting. When a guest consumes some services / facilities / goods of the hotel from any of its departments or sections, the concerned department prepares the voucher. This is a support document of the financial transaction. When the guest signs the voucher / check for the amount of goods / services consumed by him the voucher is sent to the front office bill clerk to be posted to the guest account card / guest folio. Commonly used vouchers in hotels are cash voucher, charge voucher, transfer voucher, allowance voucher, check out voucher, credit card vouchers, paid out vouchers, etc. A folio is a document which is initiated at the time of arrival of the guest normally and all guest transactions are recorded on it, which increase or decrease the balance of account. This is also
2.
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Folios
called as 'guest accounts card' and is prepared for every guest and room. In some hotels, it is also called guest weekly bill. All accounts receivable, payable and paid out transactions are entered in this document. The information about the value, time and date and the place of financial transaction is communicated by the concerned section / department through signed voucher / check). Following are the different types of folios that are used by the hotels. Individual guest account card or folio: Maintaine d t o record transaction made by individual or independent guest with the hotel. Also called as Guest Folio. Group folio: One folio for the whole group and this folio is required for recording all the transactions made by the group (which are part of the package of the group). This is also called as 'Master Folio'. Semi-permanent or Non-guest folio: In this folio the credit financial transaction made by non-resident guests with the hotel are recorded. Also known as 'city account card' or 'non-resident guest account card'. Employee folio: As the name suggests the financial transactions (if any) made by the employees are recorded in this folio. These folios help in calculating incentives to the employees. Permanent / Companies / Airlines / Agents folio: Separate folios are maintained for all the companies, agencies and organizations with whom the hotel has permanent billing arrangements.
Guest Accounting
3. Postings
Posting is the process of recording transaction on the folio. Posting will result in a new balance of account. The posting may be done by hand writing method (manually) by machine such as NCR (semi automatic system) or through computers (fully automatic system). VTL (Visitors' Tabular Ledger) is also called the 'tab' by some hotels. It is another document used in small hotels. It shows debits and credits activities of the guest account. A document telling and supervising the receivable account from the guest which have aged over a specific period of time. Account aging refers to the method(s) of tracking past due accounts based on the dates the charges were incurred. To illustrate,
4. VTL
5. Account Aging Report
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credit card payment accounts usually have ages of maximum one month. However, some other non-guest accounts (eg. late charges, disputed bills, bad cheques and skippers accounts) might have ages measured in months, and even years. Below, is the terminology associated with each account age: 6. Sales Journals 7. Cash Receipts Less than 30 days 30 to 90 days Current Accounts Overdue Accounts Delinquent Accounts
Older than 90 days
A document which records cash sales of a department A document issued by the cashier to the guest when the cashier receives payment from the guest and then entered in cash register receipt ledger
15.3.3 Checking and Ensuring Accuracy This stage of accounting process is also called as 'auditing'. Usually auditing is done during the night by Night Auditor when the business is relatively slow and hence the process is called Night Auditing. This stage of the process is important to ensure the accuracy of accounts balance so that if there is any discrepancy between outstanding folio balances and departmental balances then the same may be sorted out without any delay. For an account to be correct it is important that the total outstanding guest balance should be equal to the sum of respective department's charged sale. 15.3.4 Settlement of Account It is a very important phase of guest accounting process. This phase is involved in a major activity of 'zeroing out' the folio balance i.e. the outstanding debit balance is neutralized by the settlement of credit balance. The settlement can be either by cash payment by the guest or by credit card charge or by transferring the account to company account. In the last two cases, the balance account is transferred to city ledger account. 15.4 CREDIT CONTROL The term credit control refers to the various measures taken by a hotel to ensure that guests settle their account in full either themselves or someone else on their behalf (which may be credit card company, an airlines, a corporate office or any other agency or person) and does that within a specified period of time. Various steps that will help in credit control are to be taken at various stages, by various personnel of the hotel.
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Guest Accounting
15.4.1 Objectives of Credit Control Measures i) To avoid and prevent loss due to walk-outs. Here the term walk-out include all those guests who knowingly or unknowingly or by mistake leave the hotel without paying/ settling their bills. To reduce the problems of inconvenience which the cashier (who will not have verification of bills), the house keeper (who won't know the room status) and the management (who may decide to start legal proceeding) etc. will face because of a walk-out guest. To prevent late settlement of guests accounts. The delay in payment can cause cashflow problems for the hotel and if there are many such cases the hotel may find itself in difficult situation to operate, and bad debts may increase. To avoid guest dissatisfaction, embarrassment and annoyance at the check out time when all of a sudden a departure guest is informed that the hotel does not accept any particular company's credit and or that the hotel does not accept that particular currency in which he wishes to pay or his total bill is above the credit limit of the credit card company and the company refuses to approve a higher limit.
ii)
iii)
iv)
15.4.2 Common Causes for Unpaid Account Balance i) Guest is not explained clearly as to which credit cards are accepted and that which are the acceptable currencies, and if the bill exceeds the credit limit then he will have to pay the balance in cash.
ii) Communication gap between credit department and cashier- for example failure of the credit department in timely communication to cashier that the bill amount of guest has exceeded the limit. iii) Negligence and carelessness for example ignoring to look at the black list. To avoid such problems, it is important that the guests are given clear instructions at the time of check-in, timely notification of the exceeding of credit limit, reference to black list frequently, and making sure that the guests who come with company credit facility and other such credit facilities such as airlines, and travel agents etc, understand that they have to sign their billing statement, before leaving the hotel at checkout time, and finally it is important that all the concerned departments and sections etc must follow the credit policy of the hotel very strictly and religiously.
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15.5 CASH CONTROL Like credit control cash control in a hotel is also of great importance. Cash control involves that all the transactions which the guest makes in cash with various sales sections of the hotel are recorded immediately and cash collected. All the cash is kept properly under lock and key and under the supervision of cashier. The petty cash is also controlled and a proper check on that is made since hotels don't encourage credit sales, and for proper cash sales, the cash control becomes all the more important for a hotel. Usually cash sales should be encouraged at areas such as health club, swimming pool and car parking etc. Payment in hard currency, travelers cheques and bank drafts are considered to be cash sales. Whenever a guest pays cash it is mandatory for the cashier to make cash receipt and hand it over to the guest. The cash collected every day must be sent to the bank for deposit. CHECK YOUR PROGRESS 1. 2. 3. 4. Define guest accounting. What are the objectives of guest accounting. How will you communicate about the bill to the guest? What are the documents that are associated with the guest accounting? 5. What is credit control?
15.6 LET US SUM UP Guest accounting means what is the amount that need to be received and what is the amount paid by the guest. To have updated information of accounts, it is important to have an efficient system of amount collection from the guests. Systems such as manual, semiautomatic or fully automatic system may be adopted depending upon the size and type of the hotel. The objective of the guest accounting procedures is to maintain accurate and up-to-date guest accounts, to ensure that payment is received promptly and in full and to provide management with accurate and up-to-date financial reports. Depending upon the size of the hotel, the communication methods for billing can be of type manual, mechanical or fully automated. The process of guest accounting is based on the financial transaction, creation and maintenance of accurate accounting details, making of necessary documents and recording of transaction on relevant documents, ensuring internal control, checking and establishing the accuracy of the recorded transaction and settlement of the accounts, which may be by cash payment or credit payment. Financial transactions are generally of three types, viz. accounts receivable, accounts payable and cash transaction. Documents associated with financial transactions include vouchers, folios, postings, visitors' tabular ledger, account ageing report, sales
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journal and cash receipts. Credit and cash control in a hotel is also of great importance for a smooth functioning of a hotel. 15.7 LESSON END ACTIVITY 1. 2. Visit a hotel and take a note on their guest accounting procedures. Visit another hotel and take a note on their credit control and cash control policy.
Guest Accounting
15.8 KEY WORDS Billing Credit The procedure of preparing a financial statement. The act of requesting payment for money owed The positive balance or amount remaining in a person's account
Accounting The bookkeeping methods involved in making a financial record of business transactions and in the preparation of statements concerning the assets, liabilities, and operating results of a business Voucher Posting Ledger Auditing A written record of expenditure, disbursement, or completed transaction The act of transferring an account, as from the journal to the ledger A book to which the record of accounts is transferred as final entry from original postings An examination of records or financial accounts to check their accuracy
15.9 QUESTIONS FOR DISCUSSION 1. 2. 3. 4. What is meant by credit control? What are the objectives of credit control measures? How accounts are classified according to periods of outstanding? What are the different types of folios used at the front office? What is guest accounting? Explain the process of guest accounting. CHECK YOUR PROGRESS - ANSWER 1. The term guest accounting from hotel point of view means knowledge of what is to be received from the guest and what is paid for by the guest. The objective of the guest accounting is to maintain accurate and up-to-date guest accounts, to ensure that payment is received promptly and in full and to to provide management with accurate and up-to-date financial reports.
2.
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CHECK YOUR PROGRESS ANSWER (contd.) 3. 4. The communication methods for billing can be of type manual, mechanical or fully automated. Documents associated with financial transactions include vouchers, folios, postings, visitors' tabular ledger, account ageing report, sales journal and cash receipts. The term credit control refers to the various measures taken by a hotel to ensure that guests settle their account in full either themselves or someone else on their behalf (which may be credit card company, an airlines, a corporate office or any other agency or person) within a specified period of time.
5.
15.10 REFERENCES 1. Ahmed, M.N, Hotel Accounting, Anmol Publications Pvt. Ltd. 2. Peter Abbott, Sue Lewry (1999), Front Office: Procedures, Social Skills, Yield and Management, Butterworth-Heinemann. 3. Michael L. Kasavana and Richard M. Brooks (2005), Managing Front Office Operations, Educational Institute of American Hotel & Motel. 4. S.K. Bhatnagar (2002), Front Office Management, Frank Bros. & Co. (Publishers) Ltd.
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LESSON 16 SAFETY AND SECURITY

CONTENTS
16.0 16.1 16.2 16.3 Aims and Objectives Introduction Security System 16.2.1 Safety and Security Measures Types of Security 16.3.1 Physical Aspects 16.3.2 Security Aspects of Persons 16.3.3 Security Aspects of Systems Handling Security Threats Let Us Sum Up Lesson End Activity Key Words Questions for Discussion References
16.4 16.5 16.6 16.7 16.8 16.9
16.0 AIMS AND OBJECTIVES At the end of this lesson, students should be able to demonstrate appropriate skills, and show an understanding of the following: Safety and security, Security system and types and Methods for handling security threats.
16.1 INTRODUCTION Security has always been a concern for hotels worldwide. Security of guest and his property and the hotel property as well is of great concern for the hotel. In India very few cases (hardly any) have been filed in the civil court asking for compensation for alleged security deficiencies whereas in the U.S. hundreds of cases of negligence leading to law suits for large sums (thousands of dollars) are filed. A hotel would always prefer to have an out-of-court settlement to not only avoid money and time wastage but also to keep itself from controversy and save its reputation. At any reasonable cost, the hotel management would want the complaint withdrawn. 16.2 SECURITY SYSTEM The hotel should have a proper security system to protect the human beings (guests and the staffs), physical resources and assets
(buildings, equipments, appliances) and also the belongings of the guests i.e. his luggage and property and sometimes even pets. There are two types of security threats hotels should be concerned with: 1. 2. Threats that might affect a guests health, comfort or wellbeing. Threats that affect the hotel directly, in particular its fixtures and fittings, its revenue and its reputation.
Therefore, it is important for the hotel management to select reputable and reliable system and agency or agencies which will provide protection against all such threats which will create problem for the hotel. 16.2.1 Safety and Security Measures 1. Resident card (identity card) has to be provided to the employees and insisted to use them regularly at all times during work. Key control system should be employed. Bellboy errand card should be instituted. Maintain record of master key used by staff. Housekeepers occupancy report to be made regularly. Proper procedure of checking keys in rack should be followed. Double lock system, magic eye and a door chain system to be installed. Proper left luggage system to be followed. Safety lockers for guest valuables should be provided. Smoke detectors to be installed. Install modern and efficient fire fighting system. Proper regular maintenance of equipment, appliances and building should be carried out. Install close circuit camera at parking and other strategic areas in the hotel. Fire escape route must be designed and highlighted. Frequent patrolling by the security staff must be made. Security frisking (body check) if needed (without offending the guest). Heavy drapes to be drawn during night on windows and exposed glass panels to cut out external light. Computer and data processing security installed (for safeguarding of computer information, so that it does not reach the competitors and protection against virus in the programme.)
2. 3. 4.
5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. 11. 12. 13. 14. 15. 16.
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17. 18.
Preferably use computerized magnetic keys or room keys. Employ a house detective.
Safety and Security
16.3 TYPES OF SECURITY Security can be classified under following aspects: 1. 2. 3. Physical aspects Security of persons (guest and staff) Security of systems
16.3.1 Physical Aspects Physical aspects of security can further be sub-divided into two parts: (i) (ii) internal and external.
Internal Security: Against theft (close circuit camera and burglars alarms). Fire security (smoke detectors, fire alarm, water sprinklers, fire extinguishers). Proper lighting of corridors, fire escape, basement and other areas). Safeguarding assets (proper inventory, regular physical checks, etc.) Keeping track of unwanted guests.
External Security: Proper lighting of boundary and outside of the building. Proper fencing of the building. Fencing of pool area to avoid accidents at night. Planting of shrubbery can also help in restricting perimeter access into the properly. Avoid poisonous and thorny bushes, barbed wire and electric fencing. Manning of service gates to restrict entry. Fixing of closed circuit T.V. cameras.
16.3.2 Security Aspects of Persons Security aspects of persons can further be subdivided into two parts:
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(i) (ii) Staff:
staff and guests.
A fourteen points effective programme for staffs is suggested as follows: i) ii) iii) iv) v) vi) vii) viii) Rigorous recruitment and selection procedure: References checked, properly screened etc. Identification of staff: Issue identity badges and use distinct uniform for easy identification. Key control: Maid should carry the key in her possession and issuance and return should be properly recorded. Red tag system: Proper system for hotel property being taken out. Training: Proper training to employees to note unusual things, safety drills and fire fighting skills. Adherence to management policy of security: An employee disregarding company policy should not be confirmed. Trash handling: Trash should be checked to see if employees are smuggling out things out of hotel with trash. Employees parking: Proper checking of employees vehicles at the time of going off duty. If possible it should be isolated from the main parking/ guest parking. Locker inspection: From time to time surprise checking of staff lockers. Inventory records of linen, stores and other items. Bring in experts (snoops): Hire an outsider, bring him as a guest to check and report about the culprit staffs. Security consciousness: Guest should be told to be careful about his property. Entrust employees: Employees should be asked to report about suspected persons - guests with scanty baggage etc. Set example: Management should follow these rules and should encourage employees to follow the same.
ix) x) xi) xii) xiii) xiv)
Guests: i) A guest suspected of taking away hotel property should be charged on the bill. Not many guests will protest if told they are being charged for souvenirs. Scanty baggage guest should be carefully watched. Rooms should not be opened for guests coming and saying that they have left their keys inside unless their identity is established.
ii) iii)
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iv) v) vi) vii)
Personal belongings of guest may be stolen, guest may be subjected to criminal assault, etc Employee should be instructed not to divulge information about guests to outsiders. A n y s u spicious person roaming in corridor must be immediately reported. Housekeeping staff should ensure never to leave keys lying exposed on unattended carts in corridors.
Safety and Security
16.3.3 Security Aspect of Systems Security aspect of systems in hotel is equally important to physical and persons security. The objective of such security is to safeguard the assets of the hotel. Systems, procedures and the policies followed properly shall safeguard the assets and shall increase the life span of equipment. i) ii) iii) iv) Record all losses and missing items immediately. Inventory control should be proper. Auditing should be done on regular basis. Proper system for cash receipts and disbursements should be created and followed.
16.4 HANDLING SECURITY THREATS 1) Protecting Guests from Fire One of the major threats is that of fire. Although we have not had loss of life in hotels in India (perhaps as a result of our methods of construction and the absence of wall to wall carpeting) hotels here are also bound by law to take necessary fire safety precautions.
Figure 16.1 Fire Alarm System A front office manager is duty bound to ensure that he is satisfied with a hotels:
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fire detection systems fire containment provisions escape procedures fire-fighting equipment
2) Terrorist Threats There is little, if anything, a front office manager and his staff may do if there is some kind of threat from terrorist attack. However, bomb threats are received by someone at the front line - a telephonist or a front office clerk - and a procedure must be in place to ensure that all the information that can be gathered about the nature of the threat is recorded thoroughly investigated. 3) Threats to Privacy It is the duty of front office to protect the privacy of its guests even and perhaps especially if they are in the public eye. However, it is not only the privacy of VIP guests that must be respected but also every one of our guests is entitled to his or her own privacy. Steps must be taken to ensure that information about our guests is not divulged to outsiders. Giving room numbers to individuals other than the persons being accommodated in those rooms is unethical and should be avoided at all costs. 4) Threats to Guests Property Although the hoteliers liability is limited, it is in the interests of protecting the reputation of the hotel to ensure the safety of its guests and their property if anything to protect the reputation of the hotel. If the hotel is in an unsafe area, or in an area frequented by unscrupulous characters, guests should be made aware of this, especially if they intend to venture out of the hotel at night. 5) Confidence Tricksters or Conmen There is very little a hotel can do if a confidence trickster makes his way into a guests life. These types of people often settle their own room accounts and are simply guests from a hotel point of view. However, when the identity of a conman is known the hotel is ethically bound to blacklist him and refuse him accommodation in the hotel, perhaps even inform the police as a community service gesture. 6) Misbehaving Guests Guests themselves may also threaten each others enjoyment. If a traveller turns up in a drunken state asking for a room a hotel is entitled to refuse him on the grounds that he is not in a fit state to be received. This is true even if he already has a booking / reservation, as he has broken one of the implied conditions of the contract. Similarly if the guest misbehaves throughout his stay the hotel is not obliged to let him stay. When guests complain about being kept awake by a noisy couple or a drunkard next door, it is not
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good enough to tell a disturbed guest that nothing can be done about that. One must employ considerable tact in dealing with such situations and settle problems satisfactorily. 7) Protecting Staff Staff should be able to work in a harmonious and secure environment. In this sense, all measures taken to protect guests will provide further security for employees. Some guests are unscrupulous and although it is highly unlikely that guests will rob staff property some guests may make the integrity of the staff questionable. Unfortunately this may happen to female staff who refuse sexual advances from guests. It is in the interest of the hotel to protect its staff by ensuring that the integrity of employees is safeguarded and it would be unwise for a manager to immediately accept the guests complaint without hearing the employees version of events. 8) Theft from Hotel It is unfortunate that even the wealthiest of guests may have a propensity to pilfer a hotels property as a souvenir. This normally happens at check out when a guest leaves the hotel with a variety of items virtually anything that is not securely fastened down: soap, towels, mats, sheets, blankets, coathangers, lamps, trouser presses, electric kettles, TV sets and even plumbing fixtures. 9) Walk-outs, Skippers or Runners There are a number of guests who leave without paying bills. These guests can generally be divided into three groups: The accidentals - these are guests who simply forget to pay, often their extras bills. Most of these guests do not intend to leave the hotel without paying they simply believe their account is being settled by someone else. When contacted these guests pay their bill immediately and are highly embarrassed. The hotel should deal with them tactfully and courteously. Opportunists. These guests check in with the intention of paying their bill on departure, but when they realise that they can get away with not paying their bill (or simply a transaction that should have found itself on their bill eg. last minute breakfast or minibar consumption) they make a run for it. Premeditators. These are guests who, from the start, have the intention of leaving the hotel without paying. Some of these guests go into considerable lengths in order to avoid paying. These guests generally stay for short periods and will move to other hotels as soon as payment is demanded. Experienced room staff can often detect premeditated walkouts.
Safety and Security
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10) Immorality An immoral contract, under our law, is void. A contract must be based on a lawful consideration (Section 966 of the Civil Code) if it is not, then it may not be enforceable in a court of law. It is in the interest of a hotel to discourage prostitution, not only because the hotel has a reputation to protect but also because prostitution may bring about a number of difficulties. Similarly a hotel must ensure that other illegal practices, such as illegal gambling, are not conducted on its premises. CHECK YOUR PROGRESS 1. What are the types of threats that a hotel generally face with? 2. How will you classify the security? 3. What are the things that need to be taken care for the protection of a hotel from fire?
16.5 LET US SUM UP Security of guest and their property is of great concern for the hotel. The hotel should have proper security system to protect the guests and the staffs, buildings, equipments, appliances and also the belongings of the guests such as luggage, vehicle and sometimes pets. There are two types of security threats hotels are concerned with, viz. threats that might affect a guests health, comfort or well being, and threats that affect the hotel directly, in particular its fixtures and fittings, its revenue and its reputation. Therefore, it is important for the hotel management to select a reputable and reliable that system and agency or agencies which will provide adequate protection against all such threats which will create problem for the hotel. Security can be classified under physical aspects, security of persons (guest and staff) and security of systems. The physical aspects o f security can further be subdivided into internal and external. Security aspects of persons can further be subdivided into staff and guests. Security aspect of systems in hotel is equally important to physical and persons security. The objective of such security is to safeguard the assets of the hotel. One of the major threats is that of fire. The Front Office Manager must always have a watch on the fire detection systems, fire containment provisions, escape procedures and fire-fighting equipment of the hotel. Apart form the above, the hotel must provide safety and security from terrorist attacks, threats on privacy, threats on guests property, confidence tricksters or conmen, misbehaving guests / staffs, theft, skippers or runners and immoral activities.
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16.6 LESSON END ACTIVITY 1. Imagine you are the unlucky Receptionist at a hotel in Mumbai. How would you respond to requests for accommodation from these chance guests? A person suffering from a potentially dangerous infectious disease. A minor A vagrant in ragged, dirty and possibly verminous clothing A person who is drunk A couple who does not appear to be married A person who insists on being accompanied by a large and aggressive dog.
Safety and Security
16.7 KEY WORDS Security Complaint Appliances Physical safeguards to insure safety to people and properties A formal charge, made under oath, of a crime or other such offense A device or instrument designed to perform a specific function, especially an electrical device, such as a toaster, for household use The act of moving about an area especially by an authorized and trained person or group, for purposes of observation, inspection, or security To search (a person) for something concealed, especially a weapon, by passing the hands quickly over clothes or through pockets An electrical, electronic, or mechanical device that serves to warn of danger by means of a sound or signal A row or border of short statured shrubs, allowed to grow naturally A person who cheats A swindler who victim defrauds after gaining his or her confidence.
Patrolling
Frisking
Alarm
Shrubbery Trickster Conman
16.8 QUESTIONS FOR DISCUSSION 1. 2. 3. What is the need of having a security system in hotels? What are the types of security? What are the methods through which security threats can be handled?
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CHECK YOUR PROGRESS - ANSWER 1. The hotels are concerned with the threats such as threats that might affect a guests health, comfort or wellbeing and threats that affect the hotel directly, in particular its fixtures and fittings, its revenue and its reputation. Security can be classified under physical aspects, security of persons (guest and staff) and security of systems. The following has to be ensured to protect the hotel from fire accident: i) fire detection systems ii) fire containment provisions iii) escape procedures iv) fire-fighting equipment.
2. 3.
16.9 REFERENCES 1. Abbott P. and Lewry S. (1991), Front Office: Procedures, social skills and management, Butterworth Heinemann. 2. Go et al (1996), Human Resource Management in the Hospitality Industry, Wiley. 3. Kasavana M. and Brooks R. ( 1995), Managing Front Office Operations Fourth Edition, Educational Institute.
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BSC Accomodation

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School of Distance Education Bharathiar University, Coimbatore - 641046

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Subject and Paper

III ACCOMMODATION OPERATION

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MODEL QUESTION PAPER

Draw organizational chart of the large and medium size hotels.

ii) Enumerate the duties and responsibilities of the housekeeping staffs.

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Explain in your own words the need and importance of hotels.

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LESSON 1 HOTEL HOUSEKEEPING

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7. Safety and Security

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Figure 1.1 Liaisoning of Housekeeping with Other Departments

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10. Executive Room 11. Duplex Room

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13. Efficiency Room 14. Cabana

Figure 1.2 Types of Rooms

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Figure 1.3 Guest Room Supplies

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Synergetic Departure rooms Clear rooms Cabana Sico room

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LESSON 2 CLEANING AGENTS AND EQUIPMENTS

2.4 2.5 2.6

2.8 2.9 2.10 2.11 2.12 2.13 2.14

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Cleaning Agents and Equipments

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Cleaning Agents and Equipments

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Cleaning Agents and Equipments

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Figure 2.1 Brushes

4. Mop for premoistening

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Cleaning Agents and Equipments

Figure 2.2 Mops

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Figure 2.3 Brooms

Figure 2.4 Squeegee 24

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Cleaning Agents and Equipments