A study of the different departments in hotels

The British law has defined hotel as ‘a place where a bonafide traveler can receive food and shelter, provided he is in a position to pay for it and he is in a fit condition to receive it’. The main aim of the hotel is to provide food and shelter to the travelers for a price. Hotel industry is one of the oldest commercial endeavors in the world. The first inns were started in the 4th century BC when the wheel was invented. The earliest inns were ventures by a husband and wife team who provided entire service with modest food and recreations. The advent of industrial revolution in England brought ideas and progress in the business of inn keeping. The industrial revolution also changed travel from social or government travel to business travel. The lead in hotel keeping was taken by the emerging nations of Europe especially Switzerland. It was in Europe that the birth of an organized hotel industry took place in the shape of hotels that provided a variety of services and mainly patronized by the aristocracy of the day. Earlier in England, public houses were called Inns or Taverns. The name ‘Inn’ was reserved for the finer establishments catering to the nobility and clergy. The homes frequented by the common man were known as ‘Taverns’.

In France a similar distinction was made with finer establishments known as hostelries. The Hostler was the head of the hotels whereas the same position in England was called the Innkeeper. The word hotel was used in England in about 1760. After the passage of over 80 years, in America lodging houses were called Inn or Coffeehouse.

Tags: Different departments of hotels, Different sections of the housekeeping department, Different departments in a hotel

[...] Some of the finest hotels of USA were built in this era. In the 20th Century the chain operations began under the guidance of E.M. Statler. It involved big investment, big profits, and trained professionals to manage the business. The depression in 1930 had a disastrous effect on the hotel industry. The outbreak of the Second World War brought a tremendous upsurge. In the process, two new concepts emerged. Motels International Chain Operations While the growth of motels was restricted to the North American continent, international chain operations spread to all continents. [...]

[...] Banquet Procedure The first and the foremost criteria in the operation of a banquet is the reservation of space for a function as it is important for both the hotel and the guest. The booking is taken on special information sheet called a Banquet Function Contract sheet. The sheet includes details like: Name and address of the booking person Day and date of the function Type of function No. of expected and guaranteed persons Menu and type of service required Wines and alcoholic drinks to be served Audio and Video facilities required Price to be charged per person Once the function and its formalities are finalized, instructions are given to all the other departments concerned including the kitchen and the maintenance department through the Functions Prospectus that mentions the date of the function, the menu and any other special instructions and arrangement to be made. [...]

[...] Daily stock checking of beverages at the various outlets Periodic checking of portion control and portion control equipment Prevent spoilage, pilferage and wastage of materials To keep a strict check on the liquor as it is a high cost item To check misappropriation of food and beverage Control of Beverages Tight control systems have to be maintained in case of the beverages served in the restaurants and outlets. Beverages are expensive and a considerable amount of profit is realized through their sales. [...]