The Accounting Division

     A hotel's accounting division is responsible for monitoring the financial activities of the property. Some hotels employ off premises accounting services to compliment the work of their internal accounting division.  In this case, the hotel's staff collects and transmits data to a service bureau or to chain headquarters. A hotel that performs all of its accounting work in-house will employ a larger accounting staff with a high level of responsibility.

     The hotel's controller manager the accounting division.  Accounting activities include paying invoices owed, distributing statements and collecting payments, processing payroll information, accumulating operating data, and compiling financial statements.  In addition, the accounting staff may be responsible for making bank deposits, securing cash, and performing other control and processing functions required by the hotel's management.

     In some properties, the purchasing manager and the storeroom manager may report to the hotel's controller.  The executive housekeeper must often work closely with these managers because the housekeeping department maintains inventories of cleaning supplies, equipment, linens, uniforms, and other items.  Chapter 5 focuses on the types of inventories maintained by the housekeeping department and discusses important inventory control measures.

     The controller and the general manager are responsible for finalizing the budgets prepared by division and department manager's. " The budgetary process and the executive housekeeper's role in controlling expenses is discussed in Chapter 6.