Hotel Division and Department

     Department within a hotel may be classified according to a variety of methods. According to one method, each department is classified as either a revenue or support center. This method is especially useful for accounting purposes and in relation to the property's record keeping and information system. A revenue center sells goods or services to guests and thereby generates revenue for the hotel. The front office and food and beverage outlet are examples of typical hotel revenue centers. Support centers do not generates revenue directly, but play a supporting role to the hotel's revenue centers. The housekeeping department is a major support center within in the rooms division. Other hotel support centers include the areas of accounting, engineering and maintenance, and human resources.

     The term front of the house and back o the house may also be used to classify hotel departments and the personnel within them. Front-of-the-house function areas are those in which employees have a great deal of guest contact, such as the front office and food and beverage facilities. Back-of-the-house functional areas are those in which employee have less direct guest contact, such as accounting, engineering and maintenance, and human resources. Although members of the housekeeping department have some contact with hotel guests, the department is generally considered a back-of-the-house functional area. 

     The following sections briefly describe the major divisions and departments typically found is a large hotel.