The Room Division

     The rooms division is composed of departments and functions which play essential roles in providing the services that guests expect during their stay. In most hotels, the rooms division generates more revenue than any other area in the hotel. The revenue center of the rooms division is the front office department. The department is usually the most important revenue center in a hotel. Other departments within the rooms division serve as support centers for the front office. These may include the housekeeping, reservations, telephone, and uniformed service departments.

     The front office is the most visible department in a hotel and has the greatest amount of direct guest contact. The front desk, cashier, and mail and information sections of the front office are located in the busiest area of the hotel's lobby. The front desk itself is the focal point of activity within the front office department. Guests are registered, as signed rooms, and checked out at the front desk.

     In some properties, the reservations and switchboard functions may be separate departments within the rooms division. The reservations area is responsible for receiving and processing reservation for future accommodations. Reservations agents must maintain accurate record and closely track the availability of rooms to ensure that no date is overbooked. Many departments within the hotel-especially housekeeping-use reservations data and other rooms forecast information to property schedule personnel.

     Hotel switchboard operators, sometimes referred to as PBX ( private branch exchange ) operators, answer calls and connect them to the appropriate extension. These operator relay telephone charges to the front office cashier for posting to the proper guest account, and, in some properties, place wake-up calls, monitor automated systems, and coordinate emergency communication systems.

     The hotel's uniformed service staff may include parking attendants, door attendants, porters, limousine drivers, and bell persons. Uniformed service staff meet  and greet guest and help them upon their arrival and departure.