Top 18 Questions About Hotel And Hotel Departments with Answers

 Top 18 Questions About Hotel And Hotel department with Answers.

This article deals with various questions about hotel & hotel departments. These queries were made by the readers and top questions among them were selected, answered. Most queries are answered in brief so, I recommend to hit search bar, Search and read full articles for more information. The questions were :

1. What is the Hotel? 

A hotel is a place where a bona fide traveller can receive food and shelter, provided he is a position to pay for and is in a fit condition to be received. Bonafide is legal traveller, travelling for purpose. Hotels are commercial establishments that provide food and accommodation for paying guests. 

2. Is there a difference between hotel and chain hotel?

Chain hotels are simply groups of hotel sharing common name and ownership. They run in different places under one brand name. i.e the hotel operating in different places, countries sharing common name are chain hotels.

3. Which was the first hotel in the world?

City Hotel opened in New York is regarded as the first hotel in the world.

4. What is the organization chart of a hotel?

           Chairman / president

                               |

                Managing Director

                               |

                  Board of directors

                               |

                   General Manager

                               | ---------------- Secretary

               Assistant General Manager

         |----------------------|-------------------------|

 Operational department               Functional

Chairman is the head and below him, there is managing director. Further below there are the board of directors and general manager. There is an operational and functional Department. Functional Department is supporting the department of a hotel while the operational department is those Department where actual guest interaction took place and Product and service are put together in hand for guest. 

The operational Department is divided into the Accommodation Department and food and beverage department. The accommodation Department consists of the front office, Housekeeping, security, telephone, lobby. Similarly, the food and beverage department consists of food production, food and beverage service and food and beverage controller

Now, The Functional Department consists of purchase and store, sales and marketing, Account and finance, Human resource management department. 

5. How hotel departments are classified in the view of revenue generation?

In the viewpoint of Revenue generation - 

 a. Major revenue-generating department

• Housekeeping department
• Front office department
• Food and beverage department
• Food production department
• Telephone Department

b. Non Revenue generating department

• Human resource management department
•  Purchase and store Department
• Security department
• Sales and Marketing Department
• Engineering and Maintenance Department
• Account and Finance Department

6. How operational and functional departments in a hotel are different? the 

The operational Department is divided into the Accommodation Department and Food and beverage department. The accommodation Department consists of the front office, Housekeeping, security, telephone, lobby. Similarly, the food and beverage department consists of food production, food and beverage service and food and beverage controller

Now, The Functional Department consists of purchase and store, sales and marketing, Account and finance, Human resource management department. 

7. What is the front of the house & back of the house in a hotel?

The area of the hotel in which employees have extensive guest contact is in front of the house while the area of the hotel in which employee has little or no guest contact is Back of the house.

8. How hotel bookings are made?

More than 70% reservation is being made through online booking and this ratio is expected to increase by 20% over five years. So, most reservation is made online either through the hotel website or by different booking websites

9. What are the functions of different operational departments of a hotel in brief?

• Food production department; an operational department of the hotel, located in the back of the house, prepared, processed, cooked varieties of food items to guests for serving

• The front office in a hotel is an operational department Responsible for the sales of Room through the systematic process of reservation followed by Registration and assigning Room to customer.

• The housekeeping department is also operational in a hotel, which is Responsible for cleanliness, maintenance, upkeep of rooms, public Areas and the surrounding. It is a 24*7*365 operations.

• Food and beverage department is responsible for the systematic service of food and beverage in any outlet

10. How hotel Industry develop in Nepal?

After the dawn of democracy in 1950 A.D, Foreign tourist was officially allowed to enter Nepal. Mr Nara samsher who had travelled abroad felt the need of quality of a hotel in Kathmandu and opened ' Hotel Jawalakhel ' in Jawalakhel (in 1952). The manager was Tom mandis who was invited from India. The project did not last long and Mr Mandis opened snow view hotel at lajimpat. The real growth of the Hotel industry in Nepal begin at 1955 A.D when Boris lissanevitch opened the first tourist standard hotel with the name Royal Hotel at Bahadur Bhawan. The other person who contributed to the growth of the hotel industry was Mr George leberce, director, general of Tourism. 

In the year 1964, Mr Ram Shankar opened the first four-star hotel of Nepal ' Hotel Shankar'. Hotel Annapurna was given the first-star hotel of Nepal started in 1965 Hotel soaltee was established in 1966. Then other Hotel slowly emerged in different tourism location developing Hotel industry to a significant height.

11. What are the different types of room found in the hotel?

Various types of room are found in the hotel:-

• Single Room:- A room arranged to one person, having one bed

• Twin Room:- A Room with two twin bed meant for one person each

• Double room:- A Room with a double bed for two-person

• Queen Room:- A room with a queen-size bed. Queen bed have a size of 60 * 80 inch

• King Room:- A room with a king-size bed of size 78*80 inch

• Studio Room:- A room with a studio bed

• Mini suite:- A large Room with bad and sitting area

• Suite Room:- it has one or more bedroom, bar, small kitchen and other facilities. They are expensive and luxurious rooms in a hotel.

• Connecting Room:- A room with inter - cooked door between them

• Adjoining Rooms:- Rooms with the common wall but not connecting door

• Adjacent Room:- Rooms located across the hall. Corridor separate these two doors from each other 

• Cabana:- A room adjacent to a pool area with sofa mainly used for changing.

• Duplex:- A two-storey suite with bedrooms and parlour connected by a staircase

• Lanai:- A Room overlooking landscapes area, scene view or garden

• Parlour:- A living room used for sitting not sleeping

• Sample room:- A display room used for showing a sample.

• Executive room:- A room with a large bedroom, sitting arrangements, chair, sofa, coffee table. 

• Penthouse:- A room that opens onto the roof and accompanied by a swimming pool and tennis court

12. How are hotel rooms numbered?

The floors of the hotel are numbered in sequence or series but floor 13 and room number 13 does not exist in a hotel because it is considered unlucky for westerners.

Room are numbered in American and British styles. British style is followed by a world where the first floor begins above street level. In American style, the floor is counted from ground level i.e ground level will be the first floor.

13. What is a property management system in the hotel?

It is a software application for the operation of hospitality accommodation and mainly used by hotels to control property activities like reservation, availability of Rooms, occupancy Management and check-in/out.

14. How to write a letter about the reservation to the hotel?

                                            Biratnagar, Morang

                                            20th February 2020

Mr Deepan

Room Divison Manager

Palace Hotel,

Beijing, China

                  Ref: Request for room reservation

Dear Mr Deepan, 

Your hotel was recommended to me by my neighbour Mr Tony stark, who is a regular visitor to your hotel. Would you please send me details of your hotel facilities and let me know if you have any room vacancy during April 2020?

I need a suite Room facing garden. I am on business travel. Do you have any special corporate package? I would probably stay a week at your hotel. So please arrange Reservation from April 20 to 27th. 

Hoping the earliest information from you.

Thanks,

                                                      Sincerely,

                                                 

                                                      Steve Rogers

Special Note:-

• Well, while writing a letter for Reservation, clearly mention about your expectations and special requirements along with your schedule detail. 

• Always state thanks and use polite words

• Refer the person with the right name.

• The letter should be short, sweet and meaningful.

15. What is the first thing hotel guests think about a property when entering in a hotel?

There should be similarities in guest expectation from the hotel and a home. He should feel hotel too like his home. These similarities will be dictated by hygiene, privacy, comforts, security, neatness, cleanliness. This is the first thing hotel guest thinks of when entering their hotel room.

Moreover, guests also think of amenities in the room and extra facilities like swimming pools, room service, laundry, Internet, gym, buffets lunch /dinner. The luxurious crisp smell is also a most.

16. What are the different Room plan offered by hotels during check-in?

Different Room plan is offered by hotel -

• European plan :

A guest is charged for the room only. European plan consists room rate only. All other expenses have to be paid based on consumption.

• American plan:- 

It is a full board plan. The plan includes all meal along with room rent. 

• Continental plan:-

It is a bed and breakfast plan as it includes charges for continental breakfast along with room rent

• Modified American plan:- 

This plan consists of a charge for breakfast, lunch or dinner with room rent.

• Bed and breakfast:- 

This plan consists of charge for room and English breakfast.

17. What are the modes of payment accepted by hotels?

Guest can settle his payment or bills by following ways in the hotel :

•  Cash :

It is the most common and widely accepted payment mode. Payment is made in local currency or widely accepted foreign currency. 

• Credit card :

It is issued by a bank to its customers and can be used for various purpose. It is a plastic card with a chip. Different major credit card is accepted by the hotel and is very popular modes of payment. It should be known that the credit card holder and the owner are the same people and a card should have validity.

• Debit card :

It is very accurate. money is withdrawn directly from account number while making a transaction with debit cards. It is a check card

•  Traveller's cheque :

Traveller's cheque is accepted by the hotel in which a guest purchase traveller cheques in his country before starting the journey.

•  Personal cheque :

The hotel never accepts third party cheque. Personal cheques are accepted rarely. Only regular well-known guest personal cheque are accepted. 

• Company Accounts :

The guest from the company have ledger account and the charge is added to the ledger directly. The bill is collected directly after sending a bill to the company. It is to encourage regular business from corporate houses. The guest just signs it on behalf of the company. 

18. How to calculate Food cost, labour cost and overheads in a Restaurant?

Total cost is classified into food cost, labour cost and overhead cost. It is very important that we should watch these cost close as little variation can badly effect the profit of hotel and if the food cost actual is more than estimated food cost, profit suffers and if food cost actual is less than estimated food cost then the guest feel cheated. 

A) Food cost :- In food cost , we have to take I to account of opening stock , closing stock , food consumed by staff, purchase of food, beverage and complimentary served food items.

For example , If Total sales = 30000

                         Opening stock = 1000

                        Purchase made = 10000

                        Closing stock =500

        Food consumed by staff = 1000

    Complimentary food items = 500

Now we will do solution , 

 Opening stock = 1000

 Fresh Purchase made = 10000

 

We will add these two = 11000

Now we will reduce closing stock = 500

It will be = 10,500

Again we will reduce food item consumed by staff , 1000

It will be = 9,500

Again, we will reduce complimentary food , which will be 500 ,

It will be 9,000

Now , food cost percentage to net sales, we will use formula

Total food cost * 100 divided by total sales

 9000/ 30000 * 100 = 30% which is our food cost percentage to net sales. 

B) Labour cost :- To calculate labour cost we have to include all expenditure incurred in staff and on their welfare . It includes wage, salaries, uniform, Accomodation 

For example:- if,

Total sales = 50000

Wages and salary paid = 5000

Employee provident fund = 1000

Medical re-imburstment = 500

Uniform allowance = 500

Free telephone at home = 500

Now we have to add all of them beside Total sales , and the formula is , 

Total labour cost / Total sales * 100

So , 7500 /50000 * 100 = 15%

Thus, labour cost percentage to net sales is 15%

C) Overheads :- All other cost like office expenses, rent , power and light expenses, water , gas , fuel and advertising , marketing expenses fall under overheads

For example , if Total sales = 20000

Rent = 2000

Commission= 500

Depreciation= 1000

Gas and fuel = 500

Advertisement = 500

Laundry = 300

Electricity = 200

Water = 500

We have to add all overheads cost , which will be 6000 and now formula will be,

  

     Total overhead / Total sales * 100

= 6000/ 20000 * 100 which will be 30% to net sales. 

If you have any doubts, please let me know personally.