Accommodation management notes

ACCOMMODATION OPERATION
B.Sc.
(Catering Science and Hotel Management)
First Year, Part III, Paper 3
School of Distance Education
Bharathiar University, Coimbatore - 641046
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Copyright 2008, Bharathiar University
All Rights Reserved
Compiled and Printed
by
FRONTLINE INSTITUTE OF
HOTEL MANAGEMENT STUDIES
14, Vallalar Salai, Pondicherry - 605011
for
SCHOOL OF DISTANCE EDUCATION
Bharathiar University
Coimbatore - 641046

CONTENTS
Page Nos.
HOUSEKEEPING
UNIT - I
Lesson 1 Hotel Housekeeping 3 – 14
Lesson 2 Cleaning Agents and Equipments 15 – 32
Lesson 3 Cleaning a Guest Room 33 – 44
UNIT – II
Lesson 4 Bed Making 47 – 54
Lesson 5 Linen and Uniform Rooms 55 – 70
Lesson 6 Laundry 71 – 92
Lesson 7 Pest Control 93 – 110
Lesson 8 Key and Key Control 111 – 118
UNIT – III
Lesson 9
Organisational Structure of Housekeeping
Department
121 – 132
FRONT OFFICE
UNIT – IV
Lesson 10 Introduction to Hotels 135 – 152
Lesson 11 Classification of Hotels 153 – 170
Lesson 12 Front Office Department 171 – 184
Lesson 13 Reservation 185 – 196
Lesson 14 Registration 197 – 206
UNIT – V
Lesson 15 Guest Accounting 209 – 218
Lesson 16 Safety and Security 219 – 228

Year Part Subject and Paper Theory
I III ACCOMMODATION OPERATION 100
HOUSE KEEPING
Unit – I
House keeping in hotels-Importance, functions, liaison with other departments
Types of rooms-Classification, room supplies
Cleaning agents and equipments-Classification, principles, selection and types of
cleaning
Unit – II
Bed making-Types of service, Laundry-Type & machines used, key and key control,
pest control, Linen room-Classification & layout
Unit – III
House keeping department-Hierarchy, duties & responsibilities of house keeping staff
Lower arrangement-Types and principles
FRONT OFFICE
Unit – IV
Introduction to hotels-Classification of hotels, rates and meal plans, type of hotel
guest.
Front office department-Organization, equipments used, layout, duties and
responsibilities of front office staff
Reservation & registration-Types, functions, room assignments, checking methods of
payment, types of guest folios
Unit – V
Functions of front office-Accounting system, credit control, methods of account
settlement, and types of folios, updating front office records, security functions,
emergency functions, and safe deposit locker functions

UNIT I

UNIT II

UNIT III

UNIT IV

UNIT v

MODEL QUESTION PAPER
Bharathiar University, Coimbatore.
Course : B.Sc. (Catering Science & Hotel Management)
Subject : Accommodation Operation
Time : 3 hours
Total Marks : 5 x 20 = 100
Direction : Answer any five questions only
1. i) Write short notes about the importance of house keeping.
ii) Enumerate the functions of housekeeping department.
iii) List out various departments the housekeeping department co-ordinates with.
2. i) Explain the complete procedure involved in cleaning an occupied room?
ii) Why is it important to clean a vacant room?
iii) Differentiate between evening service and turn down services
3. i) What is the difference between an occupied bed and an unoccupied bed?
ii) What are key points relating to bed making?
iii) How do you make an occupied bed according to proper procedure?
4. i) What factors affect the functionality of a uniform?
ii) How can bath linen be recycled into makeovers?
iii) Differentiate between:
· Repairs and Alteration
· Napery and Napperon
· Cushion Covers and Upholstery
· Bath Blanket and Bath Towel
· Percale and Muslin
· Standard sizes and Made-to-measure Uniforms
5. i) Draw organizational chart of the large and medium size hotels.
ii) Enumerate the duties and responsibilities of the housekeeping staffs.

6. i) Explain in your own words the need and importance of hotels.
ii) Give a brief description about the history of hotels.
iii) Development and growth of hotel industry in India – Explain.
7. i) Explain in your own words about the front office department and its functions.
ii) Give a brief description about the duties and responsibilities of the front office
staffs.
iii) What are the equipments that you find in a front office department?
8. i) What is the need of having a security system in hotels?
ii) What are the types of security?
iii) What are the methods through which security threats can be handled?

LESSON 1
HOTEL HOUSEKEEPING
CONTENTS
1.0 Aims and Objectives
1.1 Introduction
1.2 Housekeeping
1.3 Importance of Housekeeping
1.4 Functions of Housekeeping
1.5 Relationship Between Housekeeping and
Other Departments
1.6 Types of Rooms
1.7 Guest Room Supplies
1.8 Let Us Sum Up
1.9 Lesson End Activity
1.10 Key Words
1.11 Questions for Discussion
1.12 References
1.0 AIMS AND OBJECTIVES
At the end of this lesson, students should be able to
demonstrate appropriate skills, and show an understanding of the
following:
Ø Housekeeping and its importance
Ø Functions of housekeeping
Ø Relationship of housekeeping with other departments
Ø Types of guest rooms and the amenities supplied.
1.1 INTRODUCTION
Housekeeping is an important and integral part of the guest
experience and satisfaction. Other things such as security are
important, but what guests really want is to feel at home, to feel
comfortable. Although the staff providing this service do not
necessarily interact directly with the public, the quality of their work is
critical in shaping guests’ pleasant memories of their stay.
The impact of the housekeeping function on the success of a
hotel’s operations cannot be underestimated, since large revenue for
hotel industry is generated mainly from the sale of rooms.
Good housekeeping is the foundation of good infection
prevention. The general cleanliness and hygiene of a facility are vital
to the health and safety of guests, staff, and visitors. Pleasant work
environment contributes to staff members' satisfaction, making them
to be more productive. A more pleasant environment improves guest

Accommodation
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4
satisfaction and can increase guest’s use of services and frequent
visits.
1.2 HOUSEKEEPING
The housekeeping is the department of a hotel charged with
cleaning and maintaining rooms and public spaces. From the time a
guest checks-in in a hotel till he checks out, it is the housekeeping
department which takes care of the guest by making his / her stay
pleasant and comfortable.
In general, the housekeeping crew is responsible for the daily
cleaning of public rooms (lobbies, corridors, meeting rooms), private
bedrooms and public washrooms. In addition, it handles the
laundering of linens and in some instances, guest laundry.
Housekeeping also performs a minor security function by providing a
“first alert” to potential guest problems while staff undertake daily
guest bedroom cleaning.
1.3 IMPORTANCE OF HOUSEKEEPING
1. Comfort: Achieve the maximum efficiency possible in the care
and comfort of the guests and in providing support services for
the smooth running of the hotel. Every hotel spends a lot of
effort in ensuring the quality of beds, mattresses, channel
music, TV, air conditioner if applicable, attached bar etc. The
comforts must be regularly maintained and should be properly
functioning. It is the duty of the housekeeping department to
ensure comfort and a welcoming atmosphere to the guests as
well as strive to extend courteous, reliable and satisfactory
service from staffs of all departments.
2. Cleanliness and Hygiene: Ensure a high standard of
cleanliness and general upkeep in all areas. Clean and well
maintained areas and equipments create a favorable
impression on the guest. Hygiene is maintained especially in
the wash rooms, toilets, pool changing room, health club, etc.
3. Privacy: The prime concern of any guest, irrespective of
whether rich or poor, common man or celebrity, is privacy.
Room windows are provided with curtains. Windows could
normally overlook good scenic view, away from the prying eyes
of others in the hotel or outside public. Housekeeping staffs
ensure the privacy of the guests and they should be trained
with proper procedures to enter the room.
4. Safety and Security: Security is one of the prime concerns of
a hotel guest. The housekeeping department staffs should
ensure the safety and security of the guests with the help of
security services. They should also make sure that fire fighting
equipments and emergency alarms are functional at all times.
They should also ensure peace, quiet and noise free
atmosphere in the area.
5. Décor: Creating a pleasant and classy ambience is also one of
the major concerns for a guest. This is not easy and requires a

Hotel Housekeeping
5
good eye for detail. This work is an art and the housekeeping
staff is mainly responsible for creating a pleasant atmosphere.
1.4 FUNCTIONS OF HOUSEKEEPING
Housekeeping department holds the responsibility of
cleaning, maintenance and admirable upkeep of the hotel. The main
functions of housekeeping are overall cleanliness, bed making,
ensuring maintenance of the building and its infrastructure, laundry,
linen management, key control, pest control, safety and security of
the guests as well as the infrastructure and interior decoration. All
this ensure the ambience and promotes a congenial environment.
The basic function of the housekeeping is explained briefly:
1. Cleaning
Rooms And
Public Areas
Housekeeping department cleans the rooms
and toilets and wash basins in the room. Apart
from cleaning the guest rooms, housekeeping
department is also responsible for cleaning
floor, terraces, elevators, elevator lobbies,
corridors of guest floors, floor linen closets, mop
and janitor’s closets, service lobbies and service
stairways, function rooms, shopping arcade,
cabanas, bars, dining rooms, offices, uniform
rooms, tailor rooms, upholstery, shops, store
rooms and swimming pools. To be concise, the
housekeeping department is responsible for the
total cleanliness of a hotel.
2. Bed Making A guest requires a comfortable bed to take rest,
relax and enjoy. A bed that is well- made will
provide the required comfort. Bed making is a
skill that requires to be developed by the
housekeeper, as it not only provides comfort to
the guest, but also adds to the pleasant
ambience of a guest’s room. Guests should not
be able to tell if anyone has slept in the room, so
a clean environment and perfect bedmaking is
major consideration of this department.
3. Linen
Management
One of the important jobs of the Housekeeping
Department is clothes and linen management.
This involves all functions from purchase of
linen to laundering, storage, supplies and to
condemnation. In a hotel different types of
clothes and linen are used such as the bed
sheets, pillow covers, napkins, towels, hand
towels, table covers, curtains, cushion covers
etc. All of these require regular maintenance.
4. Laundry
Services
It is the job of the Housekeeping Department to
ensure clean and hygienic washing of all the
linen items, and then distributing them to
different areas of the hotel. The relationship
between the housekeeping and laundry is
significant for the smooth functioning of

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housekeeping services. One of the supporting
roles of the laundry is to provide valet services
to house guests.
5. Pest Control Pest Control is another major job of the
Housekeeping Department. No matter how
clean one keeps the surroundings, one cannot
avoid the “uninvited guests” – the pests. It is not
only embarrassing but also speaks badly of a
hotel where one sees rats, cockroaches, and
lizards running around. Therefore, pest control
is one of the primary responsibility of the
housekeepingdepartment.
6. Key Control Key control is one of the major jobs of the
housekeeping department. The room keys has
to be handled efficiently and safely before and
after letting the room.
7. Safety and
Security
The Housekeeping Department is responsible
for maintaining a peaceful atmosphere in the
hotel. If the guests and staff always fear for their
safety and the safety of their belongings, the
atmosphere will be very tense. Hence the
housekeeping department staff should be aware
of ways to protect himself and others, especially
the guests around him and the property of the
hotel from accidents and theft. Several
accidents could occur at the place of work.
These include fire accidents, falls, wounds,
injuries, negligence in handling electrical
equipment e t c . It is important for all
housekeeping personnel to know about first aid
as they could be the first ones on the spot to
give immediate attention to a guest and also an
employee in trouble.
8. Interior
Decoration
Interior decoration is the art of creating a
pleasant atmosphere in the living room with the
addition of a complex of furnishings, art, and
crafts, appropriately combined to achieve a
planned result or design. These arts and crafts
have to be well maintained by the housekeeping
department. Decorating flowers is a creative and
stimulating art which often carries a message or
theme. Flowers and indoor plants add colour
and beauty to a room.
9. Room
Maintenance
Good housekeeping department is just as
responsible for the hotel's maintenance as an
engineering department. In an ideal
environment, t h e housekeeping staff and
managers should act as the eyes and ears of
the engineering department. If damaged or
broken items are not reported, they can't be

Hotel Housekeeping
7
fixed. Proper maintenance will make the
perception of cleanliness easier to maintain and
reduce guest complaints.
1.5 RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN HOUSEKEEPING AND OTHER
DEPARTMENTS
The Housekeeping Department should co-ordinate and
ensure maximum co-operation with other departments to provide
high quality service. To be successful, a well planned work schedule
should be prepared so as to ensure minimum disruption to the
guests and work flow of other departments. The senior housekeeper
is responsible for ensuring this by supervising a group of staff or
working closely with staff from other departments.
Figure 1.1 Liaisoning of Housekeeping with Other Departments
1. Front Office Co-ordination with the Front Office is one of the
crucial features of housekeeping operations. As
soon as there are guest departures, the Front
Office rings the Housekeeping Desk and reports
the room numbers of vacated rooms so that
Housekeeping can take them over to clean and
prepare for sale. Once a room is clean, the
Housekeeping Floor Supervisor rings the Front
Office directly or through the Housekeeping Desk
and hands over the room to front office for sale.
Rooms received by Housekeeping for cleaning
are called “departure rooms” while cleaned
rooms handed over to the Front Office for sale
are called “Clear rooms”. The promptness with
which the above duty is performed enables the
Front Office to have rooms ready to sell to a
waiting customer. This is especially critical in
hotels with high occupancies.

Accommodation
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8
2. Personnel Housekeeping co-ordinates with the Personnel
Department for the recruitment of housekeeping
staff, salary administration, indiscipline,
grievance procedures, identity cards for staff,
induction, transfers, promotions and exit
formalities.
3. Purchase The Purchase Department procures out-of-stock
items for Housekeeping such as guest supplies
kept in rooms, stationery, linen of various types,
detergents, etc.
4. Engineering The Housekeeping Department and the
Engineering Department literally control about
90% of the energy consumed in a hotel. The two
departments can create a synergetic effect to
increase operational efficiency and better control
of energy consumption. A close co-ordination is
necessary with Engineering which actually
carries out the task of fixing out-of-order furniture
and fixtures. As Housekeeping personnel are
constantly spread throughout the hotel, checking
on various things, they originate maintenance
orders for the Engineering Department to attend
to. The maintenance orders could cover a
number of duties such as fused bulbs, broken
furniture, plumbing not functioning in guest
rooms or public bathrooms, air-conditioning not
working, broken fixtures, etc. To be able to ‘clear’
a room for sale to the Front Office, it is necessary
that all malfunctioning items in a guest room are
attended to promptly by Engineering. Hence
close co-ordination / co-operation is necessary.
Housekeeping would also hand over rooms to
Engineering for major repairs or renovation. The
latest trend among both large and small hotels is
to have one manager in charge of both
engineering and housekeeping.
5. Laundry This is a department that can enhance the quality
of housekeeping services. The responsibility of
laundry to housekeeping is two-fold:
· To wash and dry clean linen and staff
uniforms to a very high standard of
cleanliness.
· To supply clean uniforms and linen to
Housekeeping on time.
Housekeeping has to ensure that clean linen is
issued to guest rooms, restaurants, health clubs,
etc. as this directly reflects the quality and image
of the establishment. If these are not received on
time from the laundry, rooms would not be ready
or restaurants would not open, etc. The co-

Hotel Housekeeping
9
ordination becomes crucial in view of the large
volume of linen and uniforms that is involved.
6. Food and
Beverage
The restaurants and banquets constantly require
clean table clothes, napkins, etc. Their staff, as
well as those in the kitchen, require clean
uniforms- the former because they are in guest
contact and the latter due to strict standards of
hygiene required in the kitchens by most
governments.
7. Security The guest room is the most private place and a
hotel goes to great lengths to ensure guest
privacy and security. However, a guest can take
advantage of this privacy by gambling,
smuggling, etc. Housekeeping has to be alert to
these goings-on, and seek the security
department’sintervention, if necessary.
8. Stores Larger hotels have a House-keeping Store that
stocks housekeeping linen and supplies
independently. Smaller hotels may stock them in
the general store except for linen which should
be issued to the housekeeping department. The
co-ordination with the stores would ensure the
availability of day-to-day requirements for
housekeeping.
1.6 TYPES OF ROOMS
The size and furnishing of a room solely depends on the type
of the hotel and the classification of rooms.
1. Single Room A single room has a single bed for single
occupancy. It is a standard room having a
dressing-cum-writing table.
2. Double Room It is a room with one double bed meant for two
people. It is a standard room having a
dressing-cum-writing table.
3. Deluxe Room This room is well furnished, carpeted a n d
more suitable for single persons and small
families. Deluxe Rooms are available with
Single and Double beds.
4. Twin Room A room with two single beds meant for two
people having only one bedside table between
the two beds.

Accommodation
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10
5. Hollywood
Twin
It is a room with two single beds and one
single headboard meant for two people. When
need arises, the two beds can be bridged
together to make it appear as a double room.
6. Studio The studio room is the room for the guest with
option of self catering. It has a queen size bed,
air conditioning, fan and screens. There is also
a dining area and a seating area.
7. Suite A suite in a hotel mostly denotes a class of
luxury rooms. Suites offer more space and
furniture than a basic hotel room. In addition to
the standard bed and bedroom fixtures, a suite
will typically add a living room, usually with a
couch that folds into a bed. Dining, office and
kitchen facilities are also added in some
suites. Many large hotels have one or more
"honeymoon suites", and sometimes the best
room is called the "presidential suite". Some
hotels now offer only regular suites. Regular
suites are particularly aimed at business
travelers who would both appreciate additional
space and may use it to host small meetings
or entertain guests.
8. Penthouse
Suite
A penthouse suite i s mostly on the highest
floors of hotel building. Penthouses are
typically differentiated from other rooms by
luxury features. A penthouse suite may also
provide occupants with private access to the
roof space above the suit, instead of or in
addition to terrace space created by an
adjacent sitback.
9. Parlour A parlour is a room equipped and furnished for
a special function or business. It is generally a
lavishly decorated room with more facilities
like bar, pantry, massage. Usually the room is
sold on hourly basis.
10. Executive
Room
It is larger bedroom with a sitting area
provided with chairs and usually sofa. There is
a dressing table as well as a writing table.
11. Duplex Room A set of rooms not on the same level but it is
connected by an internal staircase. Generally,
the parlour is at the lower level and the
bedrooms are at the upper level.
12. Interconnected
Rooms
Two rooms adjacent to each other having an
interconnecting door allowing entry from one
room to another, without having to go through
the corridor. The interconnecting doors can be
opened or locked as per the guest’s choice.

Hotel Housekeeping
11
13. Efficiency
Room
It is a room with some kitchen facilities found
in motels and residential hotels.
14. Cabana Cabana is generally a shelter on a beach or at
a swimming pool used as a bathhouse. But
now some hotels provide cabana with
contemporary beauty, comfort, protection and
privacy with all basic facilities alongside the
swimming pool, on the beach, in the garden
and in any lounging area to individual guests
for occupation. The rent for cabana is usually
less as they would not have luxurious décor.
15. Sico Sico room is a smart solution to space
efficiency. Sico rooms usually have special
beds which can be folded according to the
guest’s need. Guests get a meeting room by
day and a sleeping room by night, with the
comfort of a real mattress. With most meetings
today consisting of ten people or less, Sico
rooms offer the flexibility to accommodate
small meetings without tying up large meeting
rooms.
Figure 1.2 Types of Rooms
1.7 GUEST ROOM SUPPLIES
Hotels provide guest with various amenities during their stay.
The items supplied vary from hotel to hotel. It solely depends on the
category of the hotel. The following are supplied to the guest for their
pleasant stay:

Accommodation
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12
Bath towel Face towel Hand towel
Slippers Soaps/ Soap dish Shampoos
Bath Gels Bath Lotions Shower Caps
Dental Kits Shaving Kits Sewing Kits
Shoe Shines Shoe Mitts Combs
Cotton Balls Sanitary Bags Cotton buds
Loofah Bathrobes Nail files
Clothes Brushes Carry Bags Shoe Horns
Racks Garbage Barrels Tissue Boxes
Shoe baskets Rattan Baskets Pallets
Hangers Swizzle Sticks Umbrellas
Gargle Tumblers Toilet Rolls Fruit Sticks
Water tumblers Service directory Guest stationery
‘Do Not Disturb’ cards Bible / Gita Ash tray
Breakfast knob cards Room service menu Match Box/ Lighter
Polish my shoe card Room beverage menu Guest house rules
Figure 1.3 Guest Room Supplies
CHECK YOUR PROGRESS
1. What is the role of housekeeping department?
2. List out the important functions of housekeeping.
3. Mention the names of the various types of rooms available in a
hotel?
1.8 LET US SUM UP
This lesson, gives a brief introduction to the housekeeping
department in hotels. The housekeeping is the department of a hotel
charged with cleaning and maintaining rooms and public spaces.
The housekeeping department is responsible for the daily cleaning of
public rooms (lobbies, corridors, meeting rooms), private bedrooms

Hotel Housekeeping
13
and public washrooms. In addition, it handles the laundering of
linens and in some instances, guest laundry as well.
For a pleasant stay, guest expects Comfort, Cleanliness and
Hygiene, Privacy, Safety and Security and Décor. Housekeeping
department holds the responsibility of cleaning, maintenance and
efficient upkeep of the hotel. The main functions of housekeeping is
overall cleanliness, bed making, ensuring maintenance of the
building and its infrastructure, laundry, linen management, key
control, pest control, safety and security of the guests as well as the
infrastructure and interior decoration.
The housekeeping department should co-ordinate and
ensure maximum co-operation with other departments to provide
high quality service. The various types of rooms, their classification
and the guest room supplies are also discussed in this lesson.
1.9 LESSON END ACTIVITY
1. Visit two different categories of hotels and make a note of the
following:
Activity Economy Hotel Luxury Hotel
Number of rooms
Types of rooms
Guest room supplies
1.10 KEY WORDS
Lobbies A lobby is a room in a building which is used
for entry from the outside.
Décor A stage setting; scenery.
Upholstery Fabric, stuffing, and other materials used in
upholstering
Napkins A piece of cloth or absorbent paper used at
table to protect the clothes or wipe the lips and
fingers. A cloth or towel.
Synergetic Working together toward a common end.
Departure rooms Rooms vacated or checked out by guests
Clear rooms Cleaned rooms by house keeping ready for
sale.
Cabana Shelter in the beach or swimming pool used as
a bath house.
Sico room Room with foldable bed which doubles as a
meeting room in the day and bed room in the
night.

Accommodation
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14
1.11 QUESTIONS FOR DISCUSSION
1. Write short notes about the importance of house keeping.
2. Enumerate the functions of housekeeping department.
3. List out various departments the housekeeping department co-
ordinates with.
CHECK YOUR PROGRESS - ANSWER
1. The housekeeping department of a hotel is responsible for
cleaning and maintaining rooms and public spaces.
2. Cleaning rooms and public area bed making, linen management,
laundry services, pest control, key control, safety and security,
interior decoration and room maintenance.
3. Single room, double room, deluxe room, twin room, Hollywood
room, studio, suite, penthouse suite, parlour, duplex room, inter-
connected rooms, executive room, efficient room, cabana, sico,
etc.
1.12 REFERENCES
1. Martin Robert J (1998), Professional Management of House-
keeping Operations, John Wiley & Sons New York.
2. Andrews Sudhir (1985), Hotel Housekeeping Training Manual,
Tata Mc Graw-Hill Publishing Co. Ltd.
3. Rosemary Hurst (1971), Housekeeping Management for Hotels
and Residential Establishments, William Heinemann.

LESSON 2
CLEANING AGENTS AND
EQUIPMENTS
CONTENTS
2.1 Introduction
2.2 Cleaning Agents
2.3 Types of Cleaning Agents
2.3.1 Solvents
2.3.2 Detergents & Soaps
2.3.3 Abrasives
2.3.4 Liquid Cleaning Agents
2.3.5 Washing Soda
2.3.6 Soda-Bars, Powders and Flakes
2.3.7 Window Cleansers
2.3.8 Acids and Alkali
2.3.9 Absorbents
2.3.10 Paraffin Oil
2.3.11 Polishes
2.3.12 Disinfectants, Antiseptics & Deodorants
2.4 Selection of Cleaning Agents
2.5 Cleaning Equipments
2.6 Manual Cleaning Equipments
2.6.1 Brushes
2.6.2 Mops
2.6.3 Broom
2.6.4 Melamine Foam
2.6.5 Squeegees
2.6.6 Cloths
2.6.7 Carpet Sweeper
2.6.8 Spray Bottle
2.7 Mechanical Cleaning Equipments
2.7.1 Vacuum Cleaners
2.7.2 Scrubbing / Polishing Machines
2.7.3 Hot Water Extraction
2.8 Selection of Equipments
2.9 Rules for Storage of Equipments
2.10 Let Us Sum Up
2.12 Key Words
2.14 References

Accommodation
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16
following:
Ø Cleaning agents and
Ø Cleaning equipments.
2.1 INTRODUCTION
The proverbial godliness attached to cleanliness is one of the
basic criteria for a satisfied guest to return to a hotel. A professional
and well-run housekeeping department is key to running a
successful hotel operation. Cleanliness is important for many
reasons, not the least of which is the impact it has on guests, as well
as keeping long term maintenance costs down. The housekeeping
staffs have the most direct contact with the guests' rooms and
therefore, are the key to ensuring that the guests have a comfortable
and pleasant stay.
The importance and influence of the housekeeping
department in developing repeat clientele cannot be over-
emphasised. Cleanliness, safety and security are three of the
highest requirements of the travelling public. T he various cleaning
agents, cleaning equipments and cleaning procedures are discussed
in this lesson.
2.2 CLEANING AGENTS
Cleaning Agents are substances, usually in liquid form, that
are used to remove dirt, including dusts, stains, bad smells and
clutter in solid surfaces. Purposes of using cleaning agents include
health, beauty, elimination of offensive odor, and to avoid the
spreading of dirt and contaminants to oneself and others. Some
cleaning agents can kill bacteria & other microbes and clean at the
same time.
Cleanliness is a basic need that a hotel must fulfill and
industrial cleaning agents are often the easiest, most efficient and
economical option available.
2.3 TYPES OF CLEANING AGENTS
Various types of cleaning agents are used for cleaning the
guest rooms, bathroom, toilets and other public areas. Typical
cleaning agents include aqueous and semi-aqueous cleaning
agents, solvents, acids, alkalis and abrasives. The different types of
cleaning agents used are discussed below:

Cleaning Agents and
Equipments
17
2.3.1 Solvents
A solvent is a liquid that dissolves a solid or liquid solute,
resulting in a solution. The most common solvent used in everyday
life is water. It is the simplest cleaning agent and some forms of dirt
will be dissolved by it, but normally unless it is used in conjunction
with some other agent like detergent, water is not an effective
cleaning agent.
Precaution must be taken to change the water frequently
when it gets dirty because it could leave a film of dirt instead of
removing it. Warm water dissolves soap more readily than cold
water; hence it must be used to remove dirty soap lather. Caution
must be taken that the water is ‘soft’ as most detergents are
ineffective with hard water. Moreover, hard water does not wet the
surface adequately which is a precondition for good cleaning action.
2.3.2 Detergents & Soaps
Detergent is a compound, or a mixture of compounds,
intended to assist cleaning. The term is sometimes used to
differentiate between soap and other chemical surfactants used for
cleaning purposes.
Detergents and soaps are used for cleaning because pure
water can't remove oily, organic soiling. Soap cleans by acting as an
emulsifier. Basically, soap allows oil and water to mix so that oily
grime can be removed during rinsing. Detergents are primarily
surfactants (Example Tween 20), w h i c h are produced from
petrochemicals. Surfactants lower the surface tension of water,
essentially making it 'wetter' so that it is less likely to stick to itself
and more likely to interact with oil and grease. Detergents are similar
to soap, but they are less likely to form films (soap scum) and are not
as affected by the presence of minerals in water (hard water).
There are several factors that dictate what compositions of
detergents should be used, including the material to be cleaned, the
apparatus to be used, and tolerance for and type of dirt.
2.3.3 Abrasives
Abrasive cleaners generally use some kind of grit to boost
their cleaning ability, along with detergents, acids, alkalis and other
compounds. Some are in powder form while others are suspensions
of abrasive in liquid. The quartz or silica that constitutes the grit will
easily scratch and / or damage softer surfaces such as laminate,
fiberglass, stainless steel, etc. Even on very hard surfaces such as
porcelain, use caution. Over time, abrasives will dull and scratch the
surface. Abrasives can be classified as:
· Fine abrasive: includes whiting (filtered chalk), jewels rouge (a
pink oxide of iron).

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· Medium abrasive: includes scouring powders and paste.
Scouring powders are made up of fine minerals generally lime
stone or calcite mixed with soap or detergent and alkali to
remove grease and little bleach.
· Hard abrasive: includes sand paper, steel wool etc. Other
examples are glass, sand and emery papers, steel wool, nylon
web, powdered pumice and fine ash. These are used as finely
ground powder, example are scouring powders like Vim or liquid
or cream form.
Abrasive cleaners will often work where others fail.
Liquid abrasive cleaners are generally more expensive but are more
convenient to use.
2.3.4 Liquid Cleaning Agents
Liquid cleaning agents can be either diluted in a little water or
used directly with a dry cloth.
· Ammonia is alkali which softens water and emulsifies
grease.
· Methylated sprits are effective against grease stains.
· Paraffin is also grease solvent.
· Turpentine is a grease and paint solvent.
· Vinegar is a mild acid (acetic acid) unaffected by hard
water and useful in removing light stains in baths.
· Hydrochloric acid is useful in removing stubborn stains in
bathrooms but care must be taken in its use as it is
damaging to the skin and destroys fabrics and light
bathroom fittings.
· Carbon tetrachloride is also excellent grease solvent.
Care must be exercised there, too, as the fumes are
corrosive and harmful.
2.3.5 Washing Soda
This agent is quite outdated due to the advent of domestic
detergents like vim, etc. However, it is particularly useful for
emulsifying grease on drain pipes, gutters or stone surfaces. In
strong concentration, it could be an irritant and injurious to skin,
fabrics brushes, wood and paint. Washing soda is useful as a water
softener and it is a chlorinated compound.
2.3.6 Soda-bars, Powders and Flakes
Nowadays soaps have been replaced by excellent synthetic
soap less detergents which are unaffected by hard water. In this
case rinsing is not important as these products suspend dirt and grit
most effectively without leaving a smear. However, some
housekeepers may not have access to these detergents and may
have to rely on soaps.

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Powders and flakes are useful in getting instant lather but are
expensive. When used, care should be taken that they are
thoroughly dissolved. Being expensive, one should know exactly
how much powder or flake is dissolved to get an optimum
concentration for best results and also how long the resultant
solution is effective. Good bar soaps are still most economical but
much more strenuous to use than modern methods. They should be
stored on open shelves in a dry store.
2.3.7 Window Cleansers
Window cleansers consist of water miscible solvent to which
a small quantity of surfactant and possibly an alkali are added-to
improve the polish effect of the cleanser. Some also contain fine
abrasive. The cleanser is applied with a cleaning rag and rubbed off
with a clean soft cloth. Cleansers can also be applied by spraying
and the surface wiped clean.
2.3.8 Acids and Alkali
The cleaning action is carried out by chemicals such as:
· Acid: Acids are used for the removal of metal stains.
Vinegar and lemon are used for the removal of tarnish of
copper and brass and of mild water stains on bath tubs,
etc. More resistant water stains may be removed with
stronger acids such as oxalic acid or hydrochloric acid.
This should be only used under strict and experienced
supervision so that too much is not used and is carefully
applied.
· Alkali: Caustic soda, sodium hydroxide and ammonia are
alkalis and are used as grease emulsifiers and stain
removal agents. Strong alkaline cleaning agents based
on caustic soda in flakes or in liquid form are available for
the cleaning, of blocked drains, and other large industrial
equipments. Extreme care is to be taken in their use as
they are very strong and are highly corrosive.
2.3.9 Absorbents
These perform the cleaning action by absorbing the stain or
grease e.g. starch, French chalk powders, and besan or gram flour.
Their constituents vary and many are of vegetable origin. Unlike
abrasives, they are not manufactured.
2.3.10 Paraffin Oil
Paraffin is wax like or liquid hydrocarbon mixture used as
solvent. It is also efficient for the cleaning of baths but owing to its
smell it is seldom used. Organic solvents such as methylated spirit,
white spirit (turpentine substitute) and carbon tetrachloride are
grease solvents and are used for the removal of grease and wax
from different surfaces. Aerosol dry cleansers are suitable for use
on wallpapers.

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2.3.11 Polishes
They do not necessarily clean but produce a shine by
providing a smooth surface from which light is reflected evenly. They
do this by smoothing out any unevenness on the surface of the
articles. Polishes fall into three broad categories - spirit based, oil
based and water based. Spirit based is used primarily for mirrors,
window panes, etc. Oil based is used on wood, linoleum and
synthetic floorings, leather, tiles, etc. Water based is used on sealed
floors, rubber and thermoplastic floors.
Polishes may be used only after dirt and dust has been
removed from surfaces. It should be used in small quantities. Ensure
that the correct type of polish is used with the correct method of
polishing. Polishes come in three forms liquid, paste & cream.
2.3.12 Disinfectants,Antiseptics&Deodorants
Disinfectants, antiseptics and deodorants are not strictly
cleaning agents but are often used during cleaning operations.
Disinfectants kill bacteria, antiseptics prevent bacterial growth and
deodorants mask unpleasant smell by combining chemically with the
particles producing the offensive smell.
2.4 SELECTION OF CLEANING AGENTS
1. Mild cleaning agents are generally preferred for cleaning as
they are less injurious.
2. Strong chemicals and abrasives may be easy to clean and the
surface would look better, but on the long run it may damage
the surface.
3. Cleaning agents have to be purchased in manageable
containers as bulk purchases could cause congestion in
stores. The containers must have reliable lids, corks as
defective ones could result in wastage due to evaporation.
4. Strong smelling agents like paraffin must be avoided due to the
offensive smells they lend to the environment.
5. Pollutant free / less polluting cleaning agents should be used to
protect not only the hotel staff and guests but also people at
large.
2.5 CLEANING EQUIPMENTS
To keep the hotel clean and hygienic, various equipments
and supplies are used. No work can be done without proper
equipment. It is important that the housekeeper makes a careful
selection of equipment based on necessity and suitability for use in a
hotel industry, appropriate design and required size, rugged
construction and finish, ease and availability of maintenance, low
initial and operating costs, on-the-job tested performance, safety,

Cleaning Agents and
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and overall efficiency. Supplies should also be studied, and basic
procedures developed to use these supplies most effectively in
maintaining desired standards of cleanliness.
Housekeeping property is broadly classified as either
equipment or supplies. Items classified as supplies are
consumables, and equipment is reusable. Thus, floor machines,
brooms, mops, vacuum machines, etc, are categorized as
equipment, whereas cleaning agents are supplies. There are mainly
two types of cleaning equipments, viz.
(i) Manual cleaning equipments and
(ii) Mechanical cleaning equipments.
2.6 MANUAL CLEANING EQUIPMENTS
2.6.1 Brushes
The brushes are devices with bristles, wire or other filaments,
used for cleaning. Brushes used for cleaning come in various sizes,
such as very small brushes for cleaning a fine instrument,
toothbrushes, the household version that usually comes with a
dustpan, or the broomstick. Hallbrooms are even larger and are used
for cleaning large areas. Cleaning brushes also include brushes for
cleaning the toilet, washing glass, finishing tiles, and sanding doors.
There are mainly three types of brushes:
· Hard brush: have bristles that are stiff and well spaced.
These are most suitable for removal of litter. Example:
upholstery brush, carpet brush etc.
· Soft brush: have bristles that are flexible and set close
together. They can be used to remove loose soil and
litter. Example: tooth brush, feather brush, shoe brush,
coat brush etc.
· Scrubbing brush: can be used to remove heavy soiling
from small areas or by the use of mechanical scrubbing
machines, if possible. Example: deck scrubber, club-
shaped / hockey stick shaped toilet brush, etc.

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Figure 2.1 Brushes
2.6.2 Mops
A mop is a tool generally used for cleaning floors, although
when possible it is also used for cleaning other surfaces, for example
tiled walls, to avoid unhygienic working conditions. The following are
the different types of mops.
1. Dry mop,
dust mop
A dry mop or dust mop is designed to pick up
dry, loose contamination like dust, earth and
sand from the floor surface. It consists of yarn
and / or microfibre and is used as a first step in
cleaning a floor. Dry mops can be similar to the
yarn wet mop, but with wider eyes and shorter
hairs than wet mops. Professional dry mops
consists of a flat sheet of micro fibre textile or
sheets with a surface of looped yarn, usually
about 15 cm wide, and comes in variable
lengths (usually 30 to 100 cm). The professional
type is intended for fastening on long handle
with a flat pad with the aid of velcro or a pouch
on the mop, in which the pad on the handle fits.
The dry mop can in many instances replace a
broom and has the ability to hold a limited
amount of dust or sand within itself. Ideally, it
should be machine washed when it becomes
saturated with dust.
2. Wet mop,
moist mop
A wet mop or moist mop is, in professional
cleaning, used as a second step in the cleaning
of a surface. The wet mop is swept over the
surface to dissolve and absorb fat, mud and
dried-in liquid contaminations.
3. Yarn mop In daily usage, a mop is usually equal to a yarn
mop. The mop (eye) consists of thick strings of
long yarn (about 25 cm) or, in newer models,
soft strands of water-absorbing fabric. A yarn
mop is usually mounted on a long (about 1.5 m)
handle with a ganged end on which the mop can
be fastened by turning it clockwise. To clean a
floor, the mop is soaked in a bucket of water,
usually mixed with a cleaning solution and
swept against the surface. Some buckets
include a wringer to strain excess water from the
mop, so as not to saturate the floor and as not
to leave excessive water on the floor. Leaving
too much water on the floor will usually result in
dust collection and thus result in a less clean
floor. Yarn mops are also often used to clean up
liquid spills.
4. Mop for pre-
moistening
In professional cleaning, mops are often pre-
impregnated with an ideal amount of liquid. This

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ideal amount is often recommended by the
manufacturer in terms of weight percent of water
per dry weight mop, (175% water). Mops for
pre-moistening are flat sheets of (often micro
fibre) textile, usually about 15 cm wide, and
comes in variable lengths (usually 30 to 100
cm). Mops for pre-moistening is fastened on a
long handle with a flat pad with the aid of velcro
or a pouch on the mop, in which the pad on the
handle fits.
5. Pre-
moistening
Pre-moistening can be done with a special
washing machine or by hand by simply folding
and packing the mops tight in a container and
pouring the measured amount of water over
them. The mops will then need about 5 to 10
min for the liquid to distribute evenly in their
tissue before use. Advantages with pre-
moistening are:
· The cleaner does not have to have a bucket
of water with him / her when cleaning the
floor, but simply carries an appropriate
amount of mops.
· The risk of over-wetting the floor and
leaving pools of water which collects dust is
eliminated if the wetting is ideal.
6. Hot mop Wet mop is also called the hot mop, which
works on a similar concept to a steam iron. After
adding water, it is heated to make the water
exude on top of a floor, which can then be
cleaned without using a cleaning solvent. These
can work best on surfaces where a regular mop
would also be used, such as floors, hearths, and
laminates.
Figure 2.2 Mops

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2.6.3 Broom
A broom is a cleaning tool consisting of stiff fibres attached
to, and roughly parallel to, a cylindrical handle, the broomstick. A
smaller whisk broom or brush is sometimes called a duster.
Figure 2.3 Brooms
2.6.4 Melamine Foam
Melamine foam is a foam-like material consisting of a
formaldehyde-melamine-sodium bisulfate copolymer. The foam,
because of its microporous properties, may remove otherwise
"uncleanable" external markings from relatively smooth surfaces. For
example, it can remove crayon, magic marker, and grease from
painted walls, wood finishings, and grime from hub caps.
2.6.5 Squeegees
A squeegee is a cleaning tool with a flat, smooth and thick
rubber blade, used to remove or control the flow of liquid on a flat
surface. It is used for cleaning floors and small thin and flexible
squeegee is used for cleaning windows.
Figure 2.4 Squeegee

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2.6.6 Cloths
1. Floor cloths It is a yarn fabric usually made from loosely
spun yarn. They are used for removal of
spillages from the floor
2. Wipes and
swabs
These are cloths used for wet cleaning of
surfaces above floor level.
3. Scrim It is a loosely woven linen cloth which is
absorbent and does not leave stains. They are
suitable for cleaning glazed area.
4. Rags /
disposable
cloths
This old discarded linen are obtained from the
linen room and used for the purpose of general
cleaning. They are discarded when heavily
soiled.
5. Dust sheets These are thin cotton sheets used to cover
furniture especially during special/ spring
cleaning. They are also old discarded linen
obtained from linen room.
6. Drugget It is a sort of cheap stuff, very thin and narrow,
usually made of wool, or half wool and half silk
or linen; it may have been corded or plain. They
are used for rugs, tablecloths, carpet square to
protect the floor during bad weather and during
redecoration.
7. Hearth and
bucket cloths
These are thick fabric cloths placed under the
buckets to prevent marking of the floor/ surface.
8. Chamois
leather
It is a skin of chamois goat. They are used for
cleaning windows and mirrors.
2.6.7 Carpet Sweeper
Carpet sweeper is a mechanical device for the cleaning of
carpets in place. They were popular before the introduction o f
vacuum cleaners and have been largely superseded by them.
However, some restaurants continue to use them (as they are
lightweight and very quiet, enabling the wait staff to quickly clean
crumbs up from the floor without disturbing other diners.
A carpet sweeper typically consists of a small box. The base
of the box has rollers and brushes, connected by a belt or gears.
There is also a container for dirt. The arrangement is such that when
pushed along a floor the rollers turn and force the brushes to rotate.
The brushes sweep dirt and dust from the floor and deposit the
particles into the container.

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Figure 2.5 Carpet Sweeper
Carpet sweepers would frequently have a height adjustment
that enabled them to work on different lengths of carpet, or
carpetless floors. The sweeper would usually have a long handle so
that it could be pushed without bending over.
2.6.8 Spray Bottle
A Spray Bottle is a bottle that can squirt, spray or mist fluids.
A common use for spray bottles is dispensing cleaners and chemical
formulation through a fine nozzle for cleaning.
Figure 2.6 Spray Bottle
2.7 MECHANICAL CLEANING EQUIPMENTS
2.7.1 Vacuum Cleaners
A vacuum cleaner uses an air pump to create a partial
vacuum to suck up dust and dirt, usually from floors. Most hotels with
carpeted floors possess a vacuum cleaner for cleaning. The dirt is
collected by a filtering system or a cyclone for later disposal.
Vacuum cleaners come in variety of models owing to their usage:
1. Upright vacuum cleaners take the form of a cleaning head,
onto which a handle and bag are attached. Upright designs
usually employ a rotating brush-roll, which removes dirt
through a combination of sweeping and vibration. There are
two types of upright vacuums; dirty-fan / direct air, or clean-fan
/ indirect air.

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2. Canister (or cylinder) designs have the motor and bag in a
separate canister unit (usually mounted on wheels) connected
to the vacuum head by a flexible hose. Although upright units
have been shown to be more effective (mainly because of the
beaters), the lighter, more maneuverable heads of canister
models are popular. Some upmarket canister models have
"power heads", which contain the same sort of mechanical
beaters as in upright units, such beaters are driven by a
separate electric motor.
3. Wet vacs or wet / dry vacuums - a specialized form of the
canister vacuum - can be used to clean up wet or liquid spills.
They commonly can accommodate both wet and dry soilage.
Some are also equipped with a switch or exhaust port for
reversing the airflow, a useful function for everything from
clearing a clogged hose to blowing dust into a corner for easy
collection.
4. Back-pack vacs are commonly used for commercial cleaning:
They allow the user to move rapidly about a large area. They
are essentially canister vacuum cleaners, except that straps
are used to carry the canister unit on the user's back.
Figure 2.7 Vacuum Cleaners
5. Built-in or central vacuum cleaners move the suction motor and
bag to a central location in the building and provide vacuum
inlets at strategic places throughout the building: only the hose
and pickup head need be carried from room to room. Plastic
piping connects the vacuum outlets to the central unit. The
vacuum head may either be unpowered or have beaters
operated by an electric motor or air-driven motor. The dirt bag
in a central vacuum system is usually so large that emptying or
changing needs to be done less often. Since this central unit is
usually located outside the living area, no dust is recirculated
back into the room being cleaned. In addition, because of the
remote location of the motor unit, there is less noise in the
room being cleaned than with a standard vacuum cleaner.
6. Robotic vacuum cleaners move autonomously, usually in a
mostly chaotic pattern ('random bounce'). Some come back to
a docking station to charge their batteries, and a few are able
to empty their dust containers into the dock as well.

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7. Small hand-held vacuum cleaners, either battery-operated or
mains powered, are also popular for cleaning up smaller spills.
8. Drum vacuums are used in industrial applications. With such a
configuration, a vacuum "head" sits atop of an industrial drum,
using it as the waste or recovery container. Electric and
Compressed Air powered models are common. Compressed
air vacuums utilize the venturi effect.
Most vacuum cleaners are supplied with various specialized
attachments, tools, brushes and extension wands to allow them to
reach otherwise inaccessible places or to be used for cleaning a
variety of surfaces.
2.7.2 Scrubbing / Polishing Machines
Scrubbing/ Polishing Machines consist of one large or several
small brushes which revolve and scrub the floor while water and
detergent are released from a tank attached to a machine. With
suitable brushes this versatile machine can be used for shampooing
carpets, polishing, spray buffing, spray cleaning or polishing floors.
Figure 2.8 Scrubbing / Polishing Machines
2.7.3 Hot Water Extraction
Hot water extraction also known "steam cleaning" is the
method of deep rinse cleaning of the entire carpet. But actual live
steam (vapour created at boiling point of water) is not employed in
the cleaning process. Hot water extraction is a deep cleaning
process that removes embedded soils that have been carried or
blown over the carpet.
A hot water extraction machine, whether portable or truck
mounted, has a pump which dispenses water, under pressure,
through spray nozzles into the carpet and a high powered vacuum
system that sucks the dirty water into a holding tank within the
extraction machine. This system includes a three step process:
1. Pre-spray carpeted area with a detergent that is not too
strong (or too alkaline). They may damage the carpet.

Cleaning Agents and
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2. Agitate with a power scrubber which utilizes a rotary
brush to loosen soils. This will not only loosen soils but
help cleaning agents penetrate into carpet fibers to deep
clean the entire carpet fiber.
3. A complete rinse with softened hot water is used. The
clean, softened, hot water is sprayed onto the carpet
fibers through spray nozzles. The spray rinses all added
chemicals, cleaners, and dirt into an attached high
powered vacuum shoe that sucks the dirty solution back
into a holding tank on the extraction unit. The removed
soil is held in the tank until it may be disposed of later in
a sanitary drain, toilet, or proper waste facility. Solutions
should not be dumped onto the ground outside, in storm
sewers, or in the streets.
Figure 2.9 Hot Water Extraction Machines
2.8 SELECTION OF EQUIPMENTS
As equipments are expensive, their selection is of utmost
importance. The correct choice and quality of equipment could save
costs due to break-downs, reduce fatigue and thereby demands on
labor as also ensure efficiency in overall operations. In determining
the purchase of equipments, the following need to be kept in mind.
1. Quality of equipments by usage history in other
organizations.
2. Reliability of supplier to meet time deadlines.
3. Transportation on time to replenish stocks/
replacements.
4. Equipments should be light, well balanced and easy to
manipulate.
5. Availability of future stocks.
6. Sturdiness in terms of usage.
7. Cost factors.

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2.9 RULES FOR STORAGE OF EQUIPMENTS
1. The store should be dry and well ventilated as dampness
causes rust of metal parts or mildew leading to deterioration of
equipments.
2. The store should provide enough space for easy access to
shelves and to facilitate proper cleaning.
3. There should be adequate racks and cupboards properly
labeled for easy identification.
4. Stock records should be maintained showing:
· Date of purchase
· Kind of stock and quantity
· Name of supplier
· Cost per unit
· Date of issue into service
· Remarks on suitability and durability
5. Certain rules must be maintained for the issue of stocks:
· A definite time should be specified for issue
· Issue should be done strictly against worn out equipment.
· Equipment should be clearly marked as to the floor or public
area.
6. Storage rooms should be subject to regular inspection.
7. Expensive equipments like vacuum cleaners should be
covered with polythene sheets and kept air-tight.
CHECK YOUR PROGRESS
1. What are the types of commonly used cleaning agents? Name
them.
2. What are the two types of cleaning equipments?
3. What are the types of brushes in use for cleaning?
4. Write a short account on various types of brushes in use for
cleaning.
5. What are the three important expectations of guests in a hotel?
2.10 LET US SUM UP
Cleaning Agents are substances, usually in liquid form, that
are used to remove dirt, including dust, stains, bad smells and clutter
in solid surfaces. Purposes of using cleaning agents include health,
beauty, elimination of offensive odor, and to avoid the spreading of
dirt and contaminants to oneself and others. Some cleaning agents
can kill bacteria and clean at the same time.
Various types of cleaning agents are used for cleaning the
guest rooms, bathroom, toilets and other public areas. The different
types of cleaning agents are: solvent, d etergents and soaps,

Cleaning Agents and
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abrasive (fine abrasive, medium abrasive and hard abrasive), liquid
cleaning agents, washing soda, soda-bars, powders and flakes,
window cleansers, acids and alkali, absorbents, paraffin oil, polishes,
disinfectants,antisepticsanddeodorants.
To keep the hotel clean and hygienic various equipments are
used. There are mainly two types of cleaning equipments, viz.
manual cleaning equipments and mechanical cleaning equipments.
Manual cleaning equipments include brushes, (hard brush, soft
brush, and scrubbing brush), mops (dry mop, dust mop, wet mop,
moist mop, yarn mop, mop for pre-moistening, pre-moistening mop,
hot mop), broom, melamine foam, squeegees, cloths (floor cloths,
wipes and swabs, chamois leather, scrim, rags / disposable cloths,
dust sheets, drugget, hearth and bucket cloths), carpet sweeper,
spray bottle, etc. Mechanical cleaning equipments include vacuum
cleaners, scrubbing / polishing machines, hot water extraction, etc.
The correct choice and quality of equipment could save
costs, reduce fatigue and ensure efficiency in overall operations.
Proper storage of equipments help increasing the life of the
equipments.
1. Visit a departmental store nearby and study the various items of
cleaning equipments available and their use.
2. Visit the nearby hotels and study their array of cleaning
equipment available and how they are used.
2.12 KEY WORDS
Solvent Liquid that dissolves a solute resulting in a solution
Abrasive Grit material from materials such as quartz or sand or
pumice. Abrasives may be fine, medium or hard.
Absorbents Materials that absorb stain or grease. Eg. starch,
French chalk powder, gram flour, etc.
Melamine Foam like materials made of formaldehyde -
melamine and sodium bisulphate co-polymer, used as
a cleaning agents.
Squeezes Cleaning tool made of flat, smooth and thick rubber
blade.
1. Prepare a report recommending types of equipments and
cleaning agents to be bought for the hotel you are working with.
2. What are cleaning agents? Explain any five in detail.
3. Enumerate the selection procedure for cleaning agents.
4. Explain in detail about the cleaning equipments.

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5. G i v e a brief description about the mechanical cleaning
equipments.
6. What are the points that need to be kept in mind while selecting
cleaning equipments?
7. List the rules that need to be adopted while storing the cleaning
equipments.
1. The different types of cleaning agents used are: solvent,
detergents and soaps, abrasives (fine, medium and hard), liquid
cleaning agents, washing soda, soda-bars, powders and flakes,
window cleansers, acids and alkali, absorbents, paraffin oil,
polishes, disinfectants, antiseptics and deodorants.
2. The two types of cleaning equipments are:
i) manual cleaning equipments and
ii) mechanical cleaning equipments.
3. There are three types of brushes:
i) Hard brush,
ii) Soft brush and
iii) Scrubbing brush.
4. Hard brush: have bristles that are stiff and well spaced. These
are most suitable for removal of litter. Example: upholstery
brush, carpet brush etc.
Soft brush: have bristles that are flexible and set close together.
They can be used to remove loose soil and litter. Example: tooth
brush, feather brush, shoe brush, coat brush etc.
Scrubbing brush: can be used to remove heavy soiling from
small areas or by the use of mechanical scrubbing machines, if
possible. Example: deck scrubber, club-shaped / hockey stick
shaped toilet brush, etc.
5. Cleanliness, safety and security.
2.14 REFERENCES
1. W. Winter, Doris Hatfield, H. Hatfield (1989), The Professional
Housekeeping, Hyperion Books.
4. Joan C. & Lennox, Margaret Branson ( 1 9 6 9 ) , Hotel
Housekeeping Principles and Practice, Edward Arnold,
London.

LESSON 3
CLEANING A GUEST ROOM
CONTENTS
3.1 Introduction
3.2 Daily Cleaning of Occupied Rooms
3.2.1 Procedure for Entering a Guest Room
3.2.2 Procedure for Cleaning a Guest Room
3.2.3 Procedure for Cleaning Bathroom
3.2.4 Points to be Considered While Cleaning
3.3 Second Service
3.4 Evening / Turn Down Service
3.5 Cleaning a Checked Out Room
3.6 Daily Cleaning a Vacant Room
3.7 Dirty Dozen
3.8 Spring Cleaning
3.9 Chamber Maid’s Trolley
3.10 Let Us Sum Up
3.12 Key Words
3.14 References
following:
Ø Cleaning an occupied, checked out and vacant room
Ø Spring cleaning
Ø Chamber Maid’s trolley.
3.1 INTRODUCTION
A hotel should create a “Home away from Home”
atmosphere. This can only be achieved by maintaining the
cleanliness and hygiene of the guest room.
Rooms must be cleaned and serviced each day. All rooms
should present a fresh, pleasing appearance and provide
comfortable conditions for those using them. Daily maintenance
removes dirt, accumulation of which is dangerous for health as it
forms breeding ground for germs. Day to day care encourages high
standard of work. It allows the time allocated for special cleaning to
be spent out to full advantage to keep the room’s spic and span.

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A guest room has to be cleaned in various circumstances
such as cleaning an occupied room, cleaning a checked out room,
and cleaning a vacant room. The housekeeping staffs should have
skill, politeness and patience to handle all such cleaning situations.
3.2 DAILY CLEANING OF OCCUPIED ROOMS
Care has to be taken while cleaning an occupied room.
Because all guests are not the same. Most of the guest would expect
certain discipline from the housekeeping staffs. And, therefore, the
housekeeping staffs are trained to handle the guests as well the
guest rooms properly.
3.2.1 Procedure for Entering a Guest Room
1) Before starting the cleaning, the room attendant should
see the status of all the rooms from the lot of rooms
allocated to him.
2) The room attendant can prioritize rooms to be attended
to first on the basis of immediate needs; 'clean my
rooms', and finally other occupied rooms.
3) For occupied rooms, look whether the room has a 'do not
disturb' card on the door knob. If it does, then go to the
room which does not.
4) Knock at the door firmly with the index finger knuckle
announcing clearly 'housekeeping'. When there is no
answer, repeat the knock after 10 seconds announcing
you as before.
5) If there is, still no answer; open the door with the floor
master key. Push the door again; knock announcing
inside the room 'housekeeping'.
6) When there is no reply and one is relatively sure that
there is no one in, open the door wide and keep it that
way till the entire cleaning cycle in the room is
completed.
3.2.2 Procedure for Cleaning a Guest Room
1) Switch off the room air-conditioner or heating. Draw all
curtains and open the windows for airing the room.
2) Remove soiled linen from beds and bath. Shake out the
linen to ensure that no guest articles are lost in the folds
of the linen. Put the soiled linen in the linen hamper/
laundry bag provided on the chamber maid's trolley.
3) Check for maintenance requirements and report the
same to the control desk and enter in the room check list.
4) Contact room service to remove used "trays and
glasses”.

Cleaning a
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5) Turn the mattress side-to-side on succeeding days
followed by end-to-end turning. Smooth out the mattress
and air it.
6) If vacuum cleaning is not available, brush the carpet first
to enable the dust to settle while doing the next task.
7) Empty all ashtrays and waste paper baskets.
8) Pick up guest clothes and hang in the closet or place in
the wardrobe.
9) Clean the bathroom and replenish all the required
supplies.
10) Collect all loose articles and magazines and other guest
papers and stack them neatly on the writing table.
11) Clean all surfaces in single circular motions with a dry
cloth. Use a hand dust pan to collect any unwanted
matter on the surfaces without lifting dust in the air.
Ensure that all surfaces are spotlessly clean. Pay special
attention to nooks and corners especially those points
that may not obviously be visible to the guest eye.
12) Use a stiff upholstery brush or vacuum cleaner on
upholstered furniture arms, back and seats.
13) Replace, if necessary, stationery as prescribed by the
management. The number of items must exactly be as
per standard.
14) Dust and replace each item on the dresser, bureaus and
desks. Special attention must be given to the display of
publicity material as prescribed by the management.
15) Clean lamp shades with a clean dry duster. Lift lamps
and clean under the base. Replace lamp if damaged and
adjust the shade.
16) Disinfect the telephone in the room and the bathroom
with Dettol. Wipe balance of the telephone with a damp
cloth. Then check phone for the dial tone.
17) Clean mirrors with a dry cloth first and then with a damp
newspaper to make it sparkling.
18) Dust closet, shelves, hangers and rods. Brush the closet
floor. Supply new laundry bags and replace the missing
hangers. Replace drawers / shelves with paper liners, if
required.
19) Dust both the sides of the room doors, head board,
window sills, inside and outside of the window rails, top
of the radiators and air-conditioning units.
20) Close the windows.
21) If vacuum cleaner is available then vacuuming of carpet
should be done at this stage, instead of brushing the
carpet as mentioned earlier.
22) Arrange furniture properly, if necessary.

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23) Switch on the air-conditioning or heating on the minimum
temperature for a departure room or at the same
temperature the guest has left for an occupied room.
24) Have a last look at the room referring to the check list for
completion of work and exit the room closing the door
behind.
3.2.3 Procedure for Cleaning Bathroom
1) Cleaning activity starts from the ceiling downwards to the
floor. Floors are cleaned from the wall farthest to the door
to the exit.
2) Open all windows and exhaust vents.
3) Shake out all soiled bathroom linen, e.g. towels, bathmat,
etc and deposit in the linen hamper / laundry bag
provided on the chamber maid's trolley.
4) Collect the trash from all the ashtrays, sanitary bins, and
waste paper basket and deposit it into the garbage bag
provided on the chamber maid's trolley.
5) Clean the ceiling and air-conditioning vents for cobwebs
6) Wipe off light bulbs and shades with a dry cloth.
7) Wash the bathtub and surrounding tiles and wipe dry.
Wipe the shower curtain from both sides with a wet
sponge and ensure that all are free from any water
marks.
8) Clean the mirror, (with a dry cloth then wipe using a wet
folded newspaper and then again with a dry cloth).
9) Scrub dry the areas surrounding the wash basin and the
counter.
10) Scrub the toilet bowl and bidet using the special brush /
Johnny mop. Ensure that it is dry and spotless inside.
Clean the seat, lid and the outside of the toilet bowl and
put a disinfectant solution inside.
3.2.4 Points to be Considered While Cleaning
1) The room attendant must follow the method of work that
will cause least disturbance to the guest occupying that
room.
2) Must plan his work so that systematic method is followed.
3) Should work at a good speed.
4) Should work efficiently and clean more areas at a time.
3.3 SECOND SERVICE
Second service is normally carried out in an occupied room at
any time in a day if the guest requests to clean the room again. Only
light cleaning is done in such cases. Sometimes, guest has a

Cleaning a
Guest Room
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meeting or a get together functions etc. in the room and he wants his
room to be cleaned after the so-called function is over. The second
service method is as follows:
1) Remove empty bottles and other room service equipment
from the room.
2) Pick rubbish from the floor.
3) Arrange the furniture as required.
4) Dust the room where ever necessary.
5) Check the bathroom floor, make it dry, if needed. Flush
the toilet bowl and dry the area around the sink.
6) Use air freshener, if required.
7) Replace toilet soap, paper & linen, if necessary.
8) Replenish room stationary, if necessary.
9) Replace water tumblers and refill the water flask with
fresh water, if necessary.
3.4 EVENING / TURN DOWN SERVICE
In hotels, normally the bulk of room cleaning should have
been done in the morning shift. The exception would be rooms 'with
the 'do not disturb' sign. Some rooms are occupied by late night /
early morning arrivals by international flights. All rooms therefore
require an evening service which mostly, involves preparing the
room for the guest to sleep comfortable for the night and it should be
done prior to the guest retiring for the night. In this service, the bed is
made for night, the room is cleared and soiled bath linen is replaced.
Night service is carried out in the following way:
1) Knock at the door and enter the room as per the
procedure mentioned earlier.
2) Switch on the lights and ensure that all the light fixtures
are working.
3) Draw the heavy curtains.
4) Hang guest clothes if lying around.
5) Take off the bedcover, fold neatly and store in the
wardrobe, either in the topmost shelf for in the lowermost
shelf
6) Fold one corner of the blanket to enable the guest to
slide in to the bed.
7) Place the breakfast knob order card along with a
chocolate / cookies / sweet as prescribed by the
management on the pillow.
8) Remove soiled glasses and bottles if any. Replenish
fresh glasses and fill in the water flask with drinking
water.
9) Empty and clean ashtrays and waste paper baskets.

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10) Replace soiled linen - bed and bath if required.
11) Replenish missing toiletries and other supplies.
12) Set climate control as directed.
13) Turn out all the lights except the night lamp/ passage
light as prescribed by the management.
14) Before leaving the room, give a final glance then lock the
door properly, and proceed to the next room.
3.5 CLEANING A CHECKED OUT ROOM
A check out is a room the guest has departed from; so there
are none of his belongings there and it has to be prepared to re-let
another guest.
1) The room has to be cleaned first before cleaning the
bathroom because the room attendant may take water
from the bathroom ending up in splashing of water
resulting in re-cleaning the bath room
2) First open the curtains, arrange neatly and adjust
lighting.
3) Empty and clean ashtrays and waste bins.
4) Strip and make the bed, clean inside drawers and
cupboards, putting in correct supplies at the same time.
5) Dust and clean the furniture followed by mirrors and
pictures cleaning.
6) Put all the correct supplies, clean the mini fridge from
inside and outside.
7) Remove any stains on the carpet and/or walls, or
windows.
8) Vacuum clean the carpet and arrange furniture correctly.
The bathroom cleaning procedure is the same as explained
in section 3.2.3.
3.6 DAILY CLEANING A VACANT ROOM
Rooms must be cleaned each and every day even if it is
vacant. Day to day care encourage high standard of work. It allows
the time allocated for special cleaning to be spent out to full
advantage.
1) Leave the front door open; make work sign "no" on the
door.
2) Place the trolley standing in corridor outside the room to
be serviced.
3) Ventilate the room. Open all the doors and windows.
4) Switch off the air conditioner or heating system

Cleaning a
Guest Room
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5) Remove soiled linen, used crockery and any other
rubbish.
6) Airing of bed and making it.
7) Dusting the furniture.
8) Disinfect the telephone mouthpiece, check for dial tone.
9) Clean the carpets and dusts on the surroundings.
10) Cleaning of furnishing arrangements and appearance of
the room.
11) Switch on the bathroom light, dry the floor if wet, wipe
down the walls, windows with dry dusters, occasionally
damp duster is also used.
12) Use detergent for cleaning wash basin and dirty
surfaces.
13) Check for plumbing faults like leakage, faulty flushes,
and electrical faults and exposed wires.
14) Replace bath linen and also complimentary items namely
toilet soap, shampoo.
15) While working around the room checks for damages to
the furniture's, walls, windows and other fittings.
16) Replace the complimentary items like match boxes,
stationers, etc.
17) After final check up draw the curtains place the DND card
on the outside knob of the door
18) Vacuum the floor finish at the door.
19) Give a final check and remove the sign "no".
3.7 DIRTY DOZEN
There are certain areas in the room or bathroom which may
be forgotten or invisible to the room attendant and tend to
accumulate dust. Such areas are normally hidden from a guest's
eye. However, its cleanliness reflects the standard of cleaning of the
hotel. Experience shows that the following areas are overlooked and
appropriately called the 'dirty dozen'.
1) Air-conditioning ducts and diffuser grills.
2) Top of the door edges and ceiling.
3) Top of picture frames.
4) Area above pillow racks.
5) Rear surface of doors.
6) Interior surfaces of drawers
7) Beneath the grab-bar and dresser table.
8) Behind the WC bowl- the S-trap.
9) Faucet nozzle filter.
10) In the toilet roll niche.

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11) Under bathroom counters
12) Toilet vents.
3.8 SPRING CLEANING
Spring cleaning removes the dust and dirt that accumulates
from everyday wear and tear and attends to cleaning needs
identified during a guestroom inspection. It includes activities such
as turning mattresses, wiping down walls and baseboards and
washing windows and casements. The dirty-dozen can also be
perfectly cleaned.
Routine cleaning can maintain a guestroom's fresh and
spotless appearance for a period of time. But after a while, a room
will need deep cleaning. In some properties, deep cleaning is done
by room attendants on special project basis; others use teams in
which each employee does a particular deep cleaning task.
The following are the spring cleaning tasks that help the
property shine are:
1) Flipping and rotating mattresses.
2) Shampooing carpets.
3) Removing soil and stains from wall coverings and
baseboards.
4) Washing windows, casements, and shades.
5) Dusting high and hard to reach areas.
6) Cleaning vents and fans.
7) Vacuuming under furniture that requires heavy moving.
8) Cleaning and vacuuming drapes. Cleaning carpet edges.
9) Washing sheer curtains.
10) Washing lampshades
3.9 CHAMBER MAID’S TROLLEY
A housekeeping room attendant can service the guest room
with convenience, ease and speed by using the chamber maid’s
trolley. The guest room necessities can be stored in the trolley,
preventing the room attendant running constantly back and forth. If
the trolley is kept in an orderly manner at all times. It helps in fast
ordered method of work.
1. There are separate receptacles for dirty linen and garbage
and this enables absolute separation of dirty from, clean
which is essential and must be strictly adhered to.
2. Normally the top shelf contains all the supplies necessary like
note pads, pencil / pen, other stationary, gargle glasses,
emery paper, soaps, shampoo sachets, etc.

Cleaning a
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3. The first shelf has all bath linen like bath towels, hand towels,
face towels, bathmats, etc.
4. The second shelf contains all bed linen like bed sheets, pillow
cases / slips, etc.
5. The bottom shelf normally holds cleaning materials and
equipments. If there is no bottom shelf then one can store
this under the garbage bag and the laundry bag.
Figure 3.1 Chamber Maid’s Trolley
6. It is just as easy to keep the trolley tidy as it is a matter of the
organization and its discipline.
7. At the end of one's shift one must clean the trolley and
remove all garbage and dirty linen and re-set the trolley for
the next day's shift.
8. When one is servicing a room one parks the trolley outside
the door with the open shelves facing towards the room.
Since the room attendant should leave the door open always
of the room he will find it easy to remove the necessary
requirements from the trolley.
9. If the laundry bag or the garbage bag has become full, then
the room attendant should empty the same and put another
bag for the garbage as well as empty the soiled linen from the
laundry bag.
10. After the shift is over, the room attendant should collect all
the garbage from the service room and dump it in the
garbage room of the hotel so as to prevent odours and germs
to spread.
11. Some hotels have linen chutes; this is like a chimney which
passes through every floor of the hotel and has it's opening
into the laundry room. It has a door and a locking system on
each floor through which all soiled linen is disposed off. This
saves time for the room attendant to go down with the soiled
linen.
12. When a hotel has no chute, the dirty linen has to be collected
in trolleys by the housemen and taken to the laundry

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department. The floors are then re-stocked with fresh linen by
the housemen who do the transporting through trolleys.
CHECK YOUR PROGRESS
1. List the points to be kept in mind while daily cleaning an occupied
room.
2. List the dirty-dozen.
3. What is second service?
3.10 LET US SUM UP
Rooms must be cleaned and serviced each day. All rooms
should present a fresh pleasing appearance and provide comfortable
conditions for those using them. Daily maintenance removes dirt,
accumulation of which is dangerous for health as it forms breeding
ground for germs. Day to day care encourage high standard of work.
It allows the time allocated for special cleaning to be spent out to full
advantage.
Care has to be taken while cleaning an occupied room. The
housekeeping staffs are trained to handle the guests as well the
guest rooms. The cleaning procedures are explained in detail in this
lesson.
Second service is normally carried out in an occupied room at
any time in a day if the request is made by the guest to clean the
room again. Some rooms are occupied by late night / early morning
arrivals by international flights. All rooms therefore require an
evening service which mostly, involves preparing the room for the
guest to sleep for the night and it should be done prior to the guest
retiring for the night.
A checked out room and the vacant room has to be cleaned
and their procedures are explained briefly. Spring cleaning removes
the dust and dirt that accumulates from everyday wear and tear and
attends to cleaning needs identified during a guestroom inspection. It
includes activities such as turning mattresses, wiping down walls and
baseboards and washing windows and casements.
1. Write down the main differences in cleaning an occupied room
and a vacant room.
2. Can you list out some other areas which are not routinely
cleaned other than dirty-dozen?
3.12 KEY WORDS
Hygiene Conditions and practices that serve to promote or
preserve health

Cleaning a
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Master Key A key that opens every one of a given set of locks.
Soiled Covered or stained with or as if with dirt or other
impurities
Casements A window sash that opens outward by means of
hinges
Chamber Maid A maid who is employed to clean and care for
bedrooms Room Attendant
Wardrobe A tall cabinet, closet, or small room built to hold
clothes
Bathmats A mat used in front of a bathtub or shower, as to
absorb water or prevent slipping
Cookies A small, usually flat and crisp cakes made from
sweetened dough
1. Explain the complete procedure involved in cleaning an occupied
room?
2. Why is it important to clean a vacant room?
3. Differentiate between evening service and turn down services
4. Write a note on spring cleaning?
5. Write short note on the Chamber Maid’s Trolley.
1. i) The room attendant must follow the method of work that will
cause least disturbance to the guest occupying that room.
ii) Must plan his work so that systematic method follows.
iii) Should work at a good speed.
iv) Should work efficiently and clean more areas at a time.
2. Air-conditioning ducts and diffuser grills; Top of the door edges
and ceiling; Top of picture frames; Area above pillow racks; Rear
surface of doors; Interior surfaces of drawers; Beneath the grab-
bar and dresser table; Behind the WC bowl- the S-trap; Faucet
nozzle filter; In the toilet roll niche; Under bathroom counters;
Toilet vents.
3. Second service is normally carried out in an occupied room at
any time in a day if the guest requests to clean the room again.
Only light cleaning is done in such cases. Sometimes, guest has
a meeting or a get together functions etc. in the room and he
wants his room to be cleaned after the so-called function is over.

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3.14 REFERENCES
1. Branson Joan C and Lennox Margaret (1998), Hotel, Hostel
and Hospital Housekeeping, Hodders & Stoughton.
2. Schneider Madelin, Tucker Georgina and Scoviak Mary (1999),
The Professional Housekeeper, John Wiley & Sons Inc, New
York.
Housekeeping Principles and Practice, Edward Arnold,
London.

LESSON 4
BED MAKING
CONTENTS
4.1 Introduction
4.2 Bed
4.2.1 History of Bed
4.2.2 Types of Bed
4.2.3 Bed Sizes
4.2.4 Standard Sizes of Bed
4.3 Bed Making
4.3.1 Procedure for Making a Bed
4.4 Let Us Sum Up
4.6 Key Words
4.8 References
following:
Ø Bed, types and sizes of bed
Ø Procedure for bed making.
4.1 INTRODUCTION
A guest turns up to a hotel for a comfortable stay. He spends
a considerable time in the bed. Some guests will spend most of their
day in bed. Other guest may just use in the night time alone. A clean,
wrinkle-free bed is important for all guests. It is the duty of
Housekeeping Department to keep the guest bed neat and clean.
In this lesson, details are provided covering various types of
beds, universal bed sizes and common standards of bed sizes
prevalent in different countries. Further, procedure for making a
guest bed is explained in detail.
4.2 BED
A bed is a piece of furniture or location primarily used as a
place to rest, relax, nap or sleep. To make beds more comfortable,
the top layer is frequently a mattress.

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Originally these were bags of straw for most people and filled
with fluffy, feathers of birds for the wealthy. Eventually new filling
materials such as cotton, silk cotton and artificial fillers became
common. In modern times most mattresses use springs, solid foam,
latex, water, or air. As time passes on more and more people are
looking for a better medium to sleep, since people spend a large
percentage of time in life in a bed. It has become a more recent
realization for many, to attribute health deteriorations to what they
lay on. Water resilient fibers (natural and synthetic), latex, synthetic
foams and a combination of a huge range of different spring
technologies are used in the manufacture of beds.
Figure 4.1 Bed
For greater head support, most people use a pillow, placed at
the top of a mattress. Also used is some form of covering blanket to
provide warmth to the sleeper, often bed sheets, a quilt, or a duvet.
Also, some people prefer to dispense with the box spring and
bed frame, and replace it with a platform bed style. This is more
common in Europe.
4.2.1 History of Bed
Early beds were little more than piles of straw laid on the
ground or some other natural materials. An important change was
raising the beds off the ground, to avoid drafts, dirt, harboring of
pests and pest attacks.
The bed of Odysseus, a charpoy woven of rope, plays a role
in the Odyssey of Homer. A replica can be seen at the Museum of
Welsh Life at St. Fagans, Cardiff. Ancient Romans had various kinds
of beds for repose. These included:
• lectus cubicularis, or chamber bed, for normal sleeping;
• lectus discubitorius, or table bed, on which they ate - for they
ate while lying on their left side - there being usually three
people to one bed, were the middle place accounted for the
most honorable position;
• lectus lucubratorius, for studying;

Bed Making
49
• and a lectus funebris, or emortualis, on which the dead were
carried to the pyre.
4.2.2 Types of Bed
1. An adjustable bed is a bed that can be adjusted to a number
of different positions.
2. An air bed uses an air-inflated mattress, sometimes
connected to an electric air pump and having firmness
controls.
3. A box-bed is a bed having the form of a large box with
wooden roof, sides, and ends, opening in front with two
sliding panels or shutters; often used in cottages in Scotland:
sometimes also applied to a bed arranged so as to fold up
into a box.
4. A daybed is a couch that is used as a seat by day and as a
bed by night.
5. A futon is a traditional style of Japanese bed that is also
available in a larger Western style.
6. A Murphy bed or wallbed is a bed that can hinge into a wall or
cabinet to save space.
7. A pallet is a thin, lightweight mattress.
8. A platform bed is a mattress resting on a solid, flat raised
surface, either free-standing or part of the structure of the
room.
9. A roll-away bed (or cot) is a bed whose frame folds in half
and rolls in order to be more easily stored and moved.
10. A sofabed is a bed that is stored inside a sofa.
11. A vibrating bed is typically a coin-operated novelty found in a
vintage motel. For a fee, the mattress vibrates for a duration
of time. This is supposed to counter body ache and relax.
12. A waterbed is a bed / mattress combination where the
mattress is filled with water.
4.2.3 Bed Sizes
Beds come in a wide array of shapes and sizes. Most
countries have a standard set of four sizes of mattresses. While the
Double size appears to be a standard among English speaking
countries, based on the imperial measurement of 4 ft. 6 in. by 6 ft. 3
in., the sizes for other bed types tend to vary. The European sizes
differ; and their measurements are based on the metric system.
4.2.4 Standard Sizes of Bed
Modern manufacturing conventions have resulted in a limited
number of standard sizes of commercial bedding for mattresses and
box springs. They vary with the country of origin.

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U.S. Sizes:
Twin Extra Long 38 × 80 in (0.99 × 2.03 m) this size is
fairly popular in college dormitories.
Three Quarter 48 × 75 in (1.22 × 1.90 m) often (47-48)
X 72 in. This size is considered obsolete
by the major manufacturers.
Super Single 48 × 84 in (1.22 × 2.13 m)
Olympic Queen 66 × 80 in (1.68 × 2.03 m) a novelty size
by Simmons.
California Queen 60 × 84 in (1.52 × 2.13 m)
Eastern King 76 x 80 in (1.93 x 2.03 m) An alternate
name for a U.S. King.
California King 72 × 84 in (1.83 × 2.13 m) A common
size on the West Coast of the United
States. Also called a Western King, West
Coast King, or WC King.
Long King 72 x 104 in (1.83 m × 2.64m)
U.K. Sizes:
Small Single 30 × 75 in (0.76 × 1.91 m)
Super Single 42 × 75 in (1.07 × 1.91 m)
Small Double 48 × 75 in (1.22 × 1.91 m) also called
three quarter
Normal Double 54 x 75 in (1.37 x 1.91 m)
European Sizes:
Normal Size 80 cm bed or 80 x 200 cm bed.
Extra Small Single (30 × 79 in) 0.75 × 2 m
Small Single (31 × 79 in) 0.8 × 2 m
Large Single (39 × 79 in) 1 × 2 m
4.3 BED MAKING
Bed making is the technique of preparing different types of
bed to make a guest comfortable or his/her position suitable for a
particular condition.

Bed Making
51
Learning the proper procedure for making a bed helps to
ensure the guest’s comfort and sense of well-being. The bed is an
important part of the guest’s hotel environment.
4.3.1 Procedure for Making a Bed
1. Remove soiled sheets and pillow
cases and shake out individually.
Check linens for dentures,
hearing aids, jewelry, glasses,
face tissues, or anything else
belonging to the guest before
stripping the bed.
2. Turn the mattress side-to-side
on succeeding days followed by
end-to-end turning. Smooth out
the mattress to air it out.
3. Shake out the mattress protector
and relay it on the mattress.
Change the protector that is
soiled or smelling.
4. Open out the fresh lower sheet
evenly and puck it securely at
the head, foot and the sides.
5. Open out fresh top sheet and
distribute it evenly over the lower
bed sheet. Ensure that the
laundry creases are in the same
line as the inner sheet for even
distribution. The sheet hem
should be evenly pulled up to the
headboard. Tuck this sheet at
the foot.

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6. Open out the blanket and place
it evenly on the top sheet using
the crease as described earlier
for even distribution. Ensure that
the blanket labels are at the foot.
Pull the blanket 4 inches from
the headboard.
7. Fold the top sheet, at the head
of the bed over the blanket and
fold the sheet and blanket once
again.
8. The blanket and the top sheet
are together tucked uniformly on
both sides while the comers at
the foot of the bed are neatly
mitered.
9. Cover pillows with fresh pillow
slips. Fluff the pillow and even
out pillow slips to look neat and
tidy. Since pillow slips are larger
than the pillow the excess slip
should be neatly folded
downwards. The side of the
pillow which has the fold should
be away from guest view. .
10. Cover completed bed with the
bed spread / bed cover ensuring
that it is right side up and is
falling evenly all around the bed.
Keep extra bed spread toward
the headboard to crease in
between the pillows so as to
make the bed look appealing.
The bed spread corners should
be aesthetically done.
Put spare blankets in the upper most shelf of the wardrobe in
case required by the guest. Blankets are folded in such a manner
that the hotel logo appears on the top.

Bed Making
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CHECK YOUR PROGRESS
1. What is a bed?
2. Fill in the banks
i) …………….. bed can be adjusted to a number of different
positions.
ii) …………….. bed uses an air-inflated mattress.
iii) A …………. bed is typically a coin-operated novelty found in
a vintage motel.
3. Name some beds that are in use today.
4.4 LET US SUM UP
Bed is a furniture item, made up of foam mattress normally
used to relax, rest, nap or sleep. Beds come in a wide array of
shapes and sizes. Most countries have a standard set of four sizes
of mattresses.
Bed making is the technique of preparing different types of
bed to make a guest comfortable or his/her position suitable for a
particular condition. In this lesson, you have also learnt about the
procedures for making a bed.
1. Visit a furniture show room, look at the different types of bed
displayed and note down the size and category of the beds.
2. In your housekeeping lab, attempt to make a bed.
4.6 KEY WORDS
Resilient Having the quality of springing back to a former
position.
Latex It is a colloidal suspension of very small polymer
particles in water and is used to make rubber.
Mattress A usually rectangular pad of heavy cloth filled with
soft material or an arrangement of coiled springs,
used as or on a bed.
Crease A line made by pressing, folding, or wrinkling.
Wardrobe A tall cabinet, closet, or small room built to hold
clothes.
1. Write a short account on any five types of bed.
2. Explain the procedure for making a bed?
3. Enumerate the history of beds.

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1. A bed is a piece of furniture or location, primarily used as a place
to rest, relax, nap or sleep.
2. i) Adjustable
ii) Air
iii) vibrating
3. Adjustable bed, air bed, box bed, day bed, futon (Japanese bed),
Murphy bed (wall bed), pallet, platform bed, roll-away bed (cot),
sofa bed and vibrating bed are some of the beds found in use
today.
4.8 REFERENCES
2. Joan C. & Lennox, Margaret Branson (1969), Hotel
HousekeepingPrinciples and Practice, Edward Arnold, London.
andResidentialEstablishments,WilliamHeinemann.

LESSON 5
LINEN AND UNIFORM ROOMS
CONTENTS
5.1 Introduction
5.2 Linen Room
5.2.1 Activities of Linen Room
5.2.2 Hours of Operation
5.2.3 Location of Linen Room
5.2.4 Linen Room Requirements
5.2.5 Planning the Layout of Linen Room
5.3 Selection Criteria for Linen Items
5.3.1 Bed Lenin
5.3.2 Soft Furnishing
5.3.3 Bath Linen
5.3.4 Napery
5.4 Purchase of Linen
5.4.1 Rules for Linen Purchase
5.5 Linen Cycle
5.6 Control of Linen
5.6.1 Stock Taking
5.7 Linen Hire
5.8 Uniform
5.8.1 Types of Uniforms Used
5.9 Let us Sum Up
5.11 Key Words
5.13 References
following:
Ø Linen room, activities of linen room, hours of operation,
Ø Selection criteria for linen room,
Ø Purchase of linen, linen cycle, control of linen, linen hire
Ø Uniform and types of uniform used.
5.1 INTRODUCTION
Linen, in a technical sense, is the stem fibre extracted from
the cultivated plant called flax, which is spun into yarn and woven
into fabric. However, in a commercial sense, the present day usage

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of the term linen includes all fabrics that are used in the hospitality
industry. Well laid out and stocked up linen room satisfies the needs
of the guests with comfortable and pleasing room furnishing.
In this lesson, we will be looking into various aspects of the
linen room layout, inventory maintenance and its functioning. Supply
of various linen items to the guest rooms, their retrieval after use,
their laundering and their recycling will be presented in detail.
Detailed information relating to selection criteria for linen,
various linen items that go into bed spreads, blankets, pillow cases,
upholstery, curtains, bath room accessories including towels of
various kinds and sizes will be presented, covering their purchase,
stock-up, supply and cleaning.
In this regard, involvement of the linen room in the
operational logistics relating to the management decision whether to
invest to buy linen material or to rent it from outside hiring agencies
and the relative merits of these two systems have also been
discussed.
Another responsibility of the linen room will be selection,
procurement, stock-up, distribution and laundering of uniforms of
appropriate sizes and styles befitting the employees of the
establishment, details of operating procedures for uniforms are also
discussed in this lesson.
5.2 LINEN ROOM
The linen room is the centre stage for the supporting role that
the housekeeping department plays in the hotel. Most linen rooms
are centralized and act as a storage point and distribution centre for
clean linen.
5.2.1 Activities of the Linen Room
The following are the activities of the linen room:
Figure 5.1 Activities of the Linen Room

Linen and
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1. Collection and
Transportation
It is an essential activity when laundry
services are on outside contract and is
facilitated through chutes, canvas bags,
trolleys, collapsible wire carts, skips etc.
Guest laundry are also collected and
appropriately marked for sending off-
premises for cleaning.
2. Sorting and
Counting
Sorting is carried out primarily to make
counting easy as well as for streamlining
laundry procedures and to tally the exchange
of linen between the linen room and the
laundry.
3. Packaging Linen is packed in canvas bags to prevent
damage on transit to the linen articles. Those
articles that need mending and those, which
are heavily stained, may be segregated and
put into separate canvas bags.
4. Despatch The time for off-premises laundry despatch is
usually anytime between 13:00 hrs and 16:00
hrs so that servicing of rooms is over by then
and guest laundry will have been collected.
5. Deliveries Clean linen is delivered back in the morning
hours and evening deliveries are usually for
guest laundry.
6. Checking and
Inspection
Checking the quantity to ensure that the
amount of laundered linen tallies with the
amount of soiled linen articles sent and as
well as inspection of the quality of wash.
7. Storage The amount of space to be allocated for
storage depends on the size and type of
operation and the quantum of linen supplies.
When designing the storage space for linen it
is necessary to consider the type of shelves
required, the method of storage as well as
hygiene and safety factors.
8. Repairs and
Alteration
Damaged items are mended by stitching or
darning. Alteration of uniforms for correct fit is
usual. Condemned linen is converted into
useful items called cut-downs / makeovers.
9. Distribution to
Various
Departments
This is generally done on a clean-for-dirty
basis. Some hotels use other systems of
exchange such as topping up or a fixed issue
based on expected occupancy. In some
hotels specific timings are fixed for issue of
linen.

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10. Stock-taking
and Records
Many records are entered on a day-to-day
basis for the exchange of linen between the
linen room, laundry and floors / departments.
Purchase records are essential and records
of condemned linen and makeovers are
usually maintained. Periodical stocktaking is
carried out and the annual stocktaking is
recorded in the stock register, thereby
providing the value of linen as an asset.
Stock records also help generate purchase
orders for replacement of lost or condemned
articles.
11. Security It is important that the access to the linen
room is restricted so as to prevent misuse
and pilferage and to guard against fire
breakouts. Linen room is strictly a non-
smoking area.
5.2.2 Hours of Operation
This varies from one organization to another but is usually
from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. or at least for 10 hours in the day. In the event
of an urgent requirement of linen during the night, the Duty Manager
or the Night Houseperson may supply the items from an emergency
store or from the main Linen Room and leave a note with details of
what has been removed.
5.2.3 Location of the Linen Room
The linen room is generally located:
· adjacent to the laundry if on-premises, usually with an
interconnecting door between the rooms,
· near the service entrance if the laundry is off-premises,
· near the service elevator for easy transportation to
various units,
· away from the food production area to avoid a fire hazard
as well as prevent linen from absorbing food odours,
smoke, soot and dampness.
5.2.4 Linen Room Requirements
The following are the requirements of the linen room:
· storage shelves both open and closed
· hanging space
· reserve Stock storage
· drop counter for exchange of linen (stable-type door)

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· trollies for transport of clean linen
· soiled linen hampers
· Linenkeeper’s desk and storage space for records
· telephone and computer
· stepladder
· washbasin
· storage for materials required to clean the room
· sink and drying rack (optional)
· iron and ironing board
· area for accumulation of soiled linen
· area for receiving laundered linen
· area for sorting and counting of linen
· sewing section
· work tables (with table tops in contrast to white)
· traffic lane to laundry
· traffic lane to uniform room
5.2.5 Planning the Layout of Linen Room
Like the planning of any other operational area, the following
must be considered:
1. Architectural features
2. Hygiene and safety aspects
3. Activity areas.
5.3 SELETION CRITERIA FOR LINEN ITEMS
Each individual piece of linen requires special consideration
in terms of quality, type and size, besides cost.
5.3.1 Bed Linen
i) Bedsheets
Should have a good finish, usually with a slight lustre,
and be made from a non-crease fabric so as to retain its
appearance. For comfort, the texture should be soft and
smooth, absorbent and free from static. They should be
easily laundrable and the fabric should not fade in colour
under repeated washes.
Superior quality bedsheets made from linen are
expensive and not easily available. More frequently used are
combinations of natural and man-made fibres like polyester
cotton or terry-cot. The introduction of a man-made fibre
increases durability and makes laundering easier and 65% of
cotton and 35% man-made combinations are the best.

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Blended no-iron sheets must be folded while still warm from
the tumbler to eliminate creasing.
The crinkle sheet or night sheet is made from cotton
seersucker. Fitted sheets are unpopular as they have more
disadvantages than advantages. A sheet should be large
enough to be tucked in securely all around the mattress.
ii) Pillowcases
These are generally made from the same fabric as
that of the bed linen. The housewife tuck-in type is now
rapidly being replaced by the longer bag-type which is folded
in at the open end.
iii) Blankets
These need to adhere to the body in order to provide
warmth. In order to be comfortable, they should be soft,
smooth and resilient and not too heavy or expensive. To cut
costs, improve launderability and prevent attack by insects,
wool is often blended with a synthetic fibre (acrylic) and the
percentage of woollen fibre is mentioned on the label. A less
durable alternative is made from nylon fibres. This is suitable
for those who are allergic to wool. Electric blankets are
uncommon in Indian and are difficult to maintain and anchor
to prevent pilferage.
5.3.2 Soft Furnishing
i) Duvets
Duvets have become increasingly popular in hotels
and are fast replacing the blanket, especially on double beds.
They consist of a filling sandwiched or stitched in a fabric
case with a changeable cover.
The fillers may be duck / goose down, a feather mix or
a combination of the two. The down feathers are the small,
fluffy feathers from beneath the wings and the breast of the
fowl. Goose down is superior and lightweight because of the
hollow quills. The well-known Eider goose and Siberian
goose down are the best. Although they are warmer,
professional cleaning is necessary and they are heavier and
more expensive than their synthetic counterparts. The
synthetic filling is usually of polyester fibres. These duvets
are lighter and can be washed in large-capacity washing
machines. Casings can be cotton cambric or synthetic fabric
but must have a close weave to keep the filling in place.
It is essential for the duvet to have an outside cover.
To save laundry costs and labour, it is advisable to provide a
covering sheer in conjunction with the duvet cover.

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ii) Bedspread / Bedcover / Counterpane
These are purchased with due consideration for
appearance, durability and size. The colour and print should
match the décor, and soil should not show easily. The fabric
should drape well and not crease easily. Readymade
bedcovers lack individuality so they are usually stitched and a
number of styles are possible. Bedcovers should be
interchangeable wherever possible. The amount of fabric
required to stitch a single bedspread is approx. 8 metres.
iii) Curtains / Draperies
These are also purchased considering appearance,
durability and size. Sheer curtains / net curtains / glass
curtains combined with heavy draperies are usual in a guest
room. This combination allows light to pass through and
facilitates privacy as well. Sheer curtains are generally made
from synthetic / blended net or lace or from plain nylon or
terylene. It is advisable to use a fire-resistant finish or fabric
for these curtains. A heavy fabric is usual for public areas and
a lighter one in the guest rooms.
iv) Cushion Covers and Upholstery
Like the rest of the soft furnishings, these must also
match the décor. It is also important that they are resistant to
dirt, accumulation of dust and sagging. The fabric should be
non-slip without being rough and free from static so that it
does not cling to customer’s clothes. It also should not lose
lint or colour easily.
Cushion covers should be laundrable and non-crease.
Upholstery fabrics should not stretch after they have been
fitted. In both cases the fabric should be firm with a close
weave. This however is more applicable in the case of
upholstery and in most cases the fabric has a jute backing.
5.3.3 Bath Linen
Requires to be gentle on the skin, with a high degree
of absorbency and lint-free. Linen or cotton are the fibres
from which the towels are made. Bath towels are invariably
made from Turkish towelling using a pile weave known as the
Terry weave.
The loops of the towels should be at least 1/8” high for
good absorbency. When selecting Turkish towels hold them
against the light to find out how close the basic weave is.
Coloured and patterned towels may be selected for public
areas like the swimming pool, health club or beauty parlour,
largely for identification. White towels are preferred to
coloured ones, especially for the bath rooms.

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5.3.4 Napery
i) Table Linen
The fabric selection is largely dependent on its
laundrability. Stain removal should be possible and it must
have the ability to retain colour and shape. As far as
appearance is concerned, it should match the décor and
have a lustre for a good finish. Linen is better than cotton but
very expensive.
Starched cotton casement is commonly used.
Tablecloths should hang 9” over the edge of the table. Sizes
vary according to the size of the table.
ii) Moultans
Where the dining tables, do not have a baize top
attached, baize cloth such as multans may be used.
iii) Banquet Frills (Juponé)
These are coloured and lustrous, usually made from
satin or rayon which may be plain or patterned. The pleats
may be stitched or pleating may be done when draping the
table. Varied styles may be used when draping which will
affect the length of fabric required. The width of the fabric
must correspond with the height of the table.
5.4 PURCHASE OF LINEN
There are three major factors to be considered when
purchasing linen:
1. Quantity The quantity of linen purchased is largely
dependent on the following factors:
· Size of the establishment
· Standard of the organization (will
determine frequency of change)
· Turnover or occupancy
· Laundering facility
Generally a hotel should have a minimum of three
sets of linen. Linen Coverage is a term used to
refer to the total number of sets of linen maintained
by the hotel and their distribution. The number of
sets of linen in the inventory is also referred to in
terms of ‘par’.
2. Quality The best quality linen must be selected within the
available budget. To select good quality linen, it is
necessary to give due importance to:

Linen and
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· Fibre selection and quality of yarn
· Thread count - the total number of
warps & wefts in 1sq. in. of gray goods
fabric. The total thread count should
be above 150.
· Finishes especially colour fastness
· reputed manufacturers.
It is advisable to obtain samples and launder them
to observe the effects of laundering before placing a
purchase order.
3. Size Purchasing linen of the correct size is extremely
important as wrong sizes can affect appearance
and even hamper operations, besides avoidable
wastage and loss of money.
5.4.1 Rules for Linen Purchase
i) Look for a firm smooth weave and strong selvedge.
ii) Check for the amount of ‘dressing’ that falls out from
the fabric when rubbed together.
iii) Machining should be strong (10 to 15 stitches per
inch).
iv) Obtain samples and test for laundering effects i.e.
shrinkage, loss of shape, colour, etc.
v) Buy in bulk to avail of discount.
vi) Stagger supply to overcome / avoid storage problems.
vii) Large orders should be marked or monogrammed by
the supplier.
viii) Select a supplier on the same level as your
organization, preferably with a reliable reference.
ix) Accurate specifications must be provided when
placing orders, particularly with reference to size.
x) Orders should be placed well in advance to give time
so that the specifications may be met with.
xi) A good rapport with the supplier is essential especially
with regard to credit facilities
xii) A Purchase Index Card must be maintained for every
linen item in stock. Some hotels use computers for
convenience The purpose of a purchase index card is
to:
· Indicate purchases between current and previous
stocktaking.
· Provide a record of condemned articles.
· Act as a ready reference for ordering, also
indicating the level of reserve stock.
· Provide a means of judging the life span of linen
article.

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Figure 5.2 Purchase Index Card
5.5 LINEN CYCLE
Figure 5.3 The Linen Cycle

Linen and
Uniform Rooms
65
5.6 CONTROL OF LINEN
Control of linen falls in three areas of activity:
1. Hygienic standard and appearance of linen.
2. Daily routine exchange of linen between floors and
departments, linen room and laundry.
3. Purchase records, inventories, stock-taking and stock-
taking records.
Handling linen from purchase to use to laundering and
storage before it is used again is a difficult task requiring much
expertise as well as close supervision. Each system has its own
merits and linen control must be balanced against saving time and
wages/ money.
Primarily, purchase records must be correctly maintained as
they form the basis of stock taking. Daily records keep a track of
linen on a day-to-day basis. It is also necessary to maintain a record
of condemned linen and any remakes from these discarded items to
provide a clear picture during stocktaking.
5.6.1 Stock Taking
Stock taking is counting what you have (actual or physical
stock) and comparing it with what you are supposed to have (book or
recorded stock). It is an essential activity that must be carried out at
regular intervals. Any discrepancies should be accounted for and
adjusted in the records. It is an operational necessity in order to be
able to predict future requirements. Stocktaking acts as a control
measure by highlighting discrepancies, thereby prompting
investigation. It also acts as a deterrent against pilferage. It also
ensures rotation of stocks as well as helps to generate purchase
orders as replacements to cover shortages.
Procedure for Linen Stock Taking:
Departments concerned must be intimated at least one day in
advance. All linen must be counted on the same day or at
least the similar type linen is counted at a time (Room Linen
is separated from F & B Linen), so as to prevent ‘borrowing’
to make up deficiencies. A convenient time is chosen when
all linen movement can be halted without causing too much of
a problem to the operations.

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Figure 5.4 Linen Stock Register
5.7 LINEN HIRE
Hiring linen is uncommon in India, but many hotels in other
parts of the world do not purchase linen, and prefer to hire laundered
linen from a hiring company. Linen hire companies supply clean
linen to hotels on a rental basis on contract. The system has both
advantages and disadvantages.
Advantages:
• Initial purchase investment is eliminated.
• No laundering of linen is necessary.
• Less storage space.
• Less staff which means fewer salary cheques to pay.
• No need to order linen, so linen purchase function is eliminated.
• No repairing of linen by the hotel/ small tailoring department.
• It is ideal for spasmodic trade such as seasonal hotels, by
avoiding capital expenditure and the need to store seldom/
sparingly used linen.
• Linen hire charges may be no greater than the combined
depreciation and laundering costs.
Disadvantages:
• No individuality.
• Choice is limited – the linen specifications, sizes and standards
may be different from those required by the hotel.
• No cut-downs or makeovers possible.
• Damages have to be paid for, usually at a higher rate.
• The hotel is totally dependent on the hiring company.
• There is no control over the quality of wash.

Linen and
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• Linen supply may be affected by bad weather or strikes causing
a breakdown in operations.
• If low occupancy, there is a loss due to unused linen.
• Excess / emergency requirement is charged at the current rate.
• Guest laundry will have to be dealt with or co-ordinated with a
commercial laundry.
5.8 UNIFORM
Providing uniforms for hotel staff is one way of ensuring
proper grooming, thereby reflecting the standard of the hotel and
creating a good impression on the guest. Having an uniform and
enables the guest to identify staff and their position in the
organization. To the employee, it is a status symbol, creating a
sense of belonging and thereby boosting employee morale. Apart
from the aesthetic appeal, uniforms are frequently designed to suit
the task that is carried out.
Uniforms may be of standard sizes or made-to-measure.
Made-to-measure uniforms look smart and are essential for senior
staff. Standard sizes lower the total requirement of uniforms but may
be ill-fitting and do not look as smart. The number of sets of uniforms
provided is dependent on the nature of the tasks being performed
and whether the organization has an on or off-premises laundry.
Uniforms are a large investment and the cost does not end with
purchase. Maintenance and replacement also have to be
considered. When designing an uniform, the functional, comfortable,
practical as well as the aesthetic aspect, durability and laundrability
must be considered. The uniform must harmonize with the décor.
The usual system for exchange is clean-for-dirty and the
timings. Some hotels have specific days for different departments to
facilitate streamlining laundry and uniform room operations. When
planning the layout of the Uniform Room, it must be borne in mind
that some uniforms will be kept on hangers while others will be
folded. Consequently the storage space must include hanging space
as well as shelves. The uniforms must be segregated according to
the department. The Uniform Room usually incorporates the sewing
section and in some organizations both these areas are sections in
the Linen Room due to their inter-related functions. It is advisable to
have a trial room that may double up as an emergency changing
room if the need arises. For operational convenience, space must be
allocated for uniform attendants to be positioned at the exchange
counter, where they can enter the necessary records. Adequate
hampers into which soiled uniforms can be segregated and
deposited, as well as trolleys for hanging and folded uniforms are
also an operational necessity.
Uniforms play a very crucial role in establishing and
reinforcing the image of a hotel or restaurant. After all, other aspects
of housekeeping are inanimate, material things. It is the people who
bring warmth and friendliness into these spaces and these people
are the employees of the hotel. Ill-conceived, and poorly co-

Accommodation
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ordinated uniforms worn by hotel staff can create a jarring note in the
entire image projected by the hotel.
5.8.1 Types of Uniforms Used
Aprons For cooks and utility workers
Blouses For Housekeeping, Front office lady staff and
Hostesses.
Belt For parking attendant, doorman and lady
captain
Bell Bottoms For room attendant. Health club and lady staff
Bush Shirts For health club, laundry and pool area staff
Bows For managers - black
Dungarees For engineering technicians and housemen
Caps For parking attendants, drivers, utility workers
and cooks
Coats For stewards, cooks, utility workers, captains,
receptionists, gardeners and housemen
Gumboots For kitchen stewarding, laundry, horticulture
and engineering staff.
Jackets For bell captains and restaurant captains
Rubber Slippers For the silver polisher
Kameez / Kurta For room attendants and health club
masseuse
Ladies Shoes For room attendants
Long Coats For the cashier, laundry supervisor, house
doctor and kitchen stewards
Woollen Overcoat For security personnel
Pullover For security and horticulture personnel
Raincoat For doormen, parking attendants and security
personnel
Scarf For cooks
Saree For hostess, housekeeping supervisors and
front office staff
Salwaars For room attendants
Shoes Leather For doormen and parking attendants
Loafers For markers, housemen, security guards,
kitchen personnel,engineeringtechnicians
Trousers For cooks, utility workers, stewards, captains,
receptionists lobby staff, maners
Turbans For the doorman
Turras For the doorman
Ties For managers and front-of-the-house
personnel
Umbrellas For security personnel, parking attendants and
doormen.

Linen and
Uniform Rooms
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CHECK YOUR PROGRESS
1. List out the activities of the linen room.
2. What are duvets?
3. What are the factors that need to be considered while purchasing
linen?
4 What do you mean by stock taking?
5.9 LET US SUM UP
In this lesson, we looked into various aspects of the linen
room planning, layout, location and activities. We further learnt about
the inventory maintenance and its functioning.
Detailed information relating to selection criteria for linen,
various linen items that go into bed spreads, blankets, pillow cases,
upholstery, curtains, bath room accessories including towels of
various kinds and sizes were presented, covering their purchase,
stock-up, supply and cleaning.
Also in this lesson, we dealt in detail with the supply of
various linen items to the guest rooms, their retrieval after use, their
laundering and recycling. We also learnt about the responsibility of
the linen room in the operational logistics relating to the
management decision whether to invest to buy own linen material or
to rent it from outside hiring agencies. The relative merits of these
two systems have also been discussed.
The responsibility of the linen room with respect to selection,
procurement, stock-up and distribution of uniforms of appropriate
sizes and styles befitting the employees of the establishment, details
of operating procedures for uniforms were also discussed in this
lesson.
1. Draw the format of a Purchase Index Card and explain how it is
used.
2. Create a 10-point checklist for reducing damage to hotel linen.
5.11 KEY WORDS
Flax A widely cultivated plant, Linum usitatissimum, having
pale blue flowers, seeds that yield linseed oil, and
slender stems from which a textile fiber is obtained.
Suffice To meet present needs or requirements; be sufficient
Inadvertently Done unintentionally, accidentally, often with no one
accepting blame
Pilferage The crime of taking someone else's property without
consent

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Elevator A platform or an enclosure raised and lowered in a
vertical shaft to transport people or freight
Percale A closely woven cotton fabric used for sheets and
clothing
Duvets A quilt, usually with a washable cover, that may be
used in place of a bedspread and top sheet
Draperies Material that hangs in a window or other opening as a
decoration, shade, or screen
1. With a neat diagram, explain the activities of the Linen Room.
2. What are the selection criteria for Linen items?
3. Give the rules for linen purchase.
4. Draw neat sketch of the Linen cycle.
5. What are the factors to be considered while providing uniforms
is essential to hotel staff.
1. The activities of the linen room are: collection and transportation
of laundry items, sorting and counting, packaging, dispatch,
deliveries, checking and inspection, storage, distribution to units,
monogramming, repairs and alteration, stock-taking and records
and security.
2. Duvets are used in the place of blankets, especially on double
beds. It consists of a filling sandwiched or stitched in a fabric
case with a changeable cover.
3. There are three major factors to be considered when purchasing
linen, viz, quantity, quality and size.
4. Stock taking is counting what you have (actual or physical stock)
and comparing it with what you are supposed to have (book or
recorded stock).
5.13 REFERENCES
Housekeeping Principles and Practice, Edward Arnold, London.

LESSON 6
LAUNDRY
CONTENTS
6.1 Introduction
6.2 Laundry
6.2.1 Advantage of On-premises Laundry
6.2.2 Disadvantage of On-premises Laundry
6.3 Process of Laundering
6.3.1 Collection and Transportation
6.3.2 Arrival
6.3.3 Sorting
6.3.4 Weighing
6.3.5 Loading
6.3.6 Washing
6.3.7 Unloading
6.3.8 Finishing
6.3.9 Folding
6.3.10 Airing
6.3.11 Storage
6.3.12 Distribution
6.4 Washing Machine
6.4.1 Wash Cycle
6.5 Other Machines
6.5.1 Tunnel Washers
6.5.2 Tumble Dryer
6.5.3 FinishingEquipments
6.5.4 Puffer or Suzie
6.5.5 Tunnel Dryer
6.5.6 Cabinet Dryer or Drying Room
6.6 Location and Planning of On-premises Laundry
6.7 Layout of Laundry
6.8 Laundry Agents
6.8.1. Detergents
6.8.2 Suspending Agent
6.8.3 Sequestering Agent
6.8.4 pH Scale for Laundry Agents
6.8.5 Other Laundering Agents - Alkali
6.9 Stain Removal
6.10 Dry Cleaning
6.11 Guest Laundry
6.12 Laundry Procedures for Different Fabrics
6.13 Laundry Procedures
6.14 Let us Sum Up
6.16 Key Words
6.18 References

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following:
Ø Laundry, process of laundering,
Ø Washing machines,
Ø Location and planning of on-premises laundry,
Ø Layout of a laundry,
Ø Laundry agents, stain removal, dry cleaning, guest
laundry and laundry procedures.
6.1 INTRODUCTION
Although God has created and delivers human race naked,
he concurrently has also created natural fibers to spin and weave
into fabric to finish and wear it. Human race is the only species with
sixth sense or superior intelligence to feel the sense of shame to be
naked in public and strive to hide it with appropriate clothing. Thus,
cleaning every bit of soiled / dirty clothing becomes an absolute
necessity by laundering, be it home or others and hotel industry is no
exception.
Soiled / dirty cloths originating from various operations are
cleaned through the facility created in-house or out-sourced. In this
lesson, various factors involving laundering is outlined which include
the steps from collection to processing, washing systems, machines
used in laundering including procedures relating to washing, wash
cycle, use of detergents and other agents, drying, pressing and
finishing and the equipments necessary to do all these.
Details are also provided in this lesson concerning the
washing procedures to follow for various types of fabric such as
cotton, silk, wool and synthetics. The lesson also outlines the details
on location, planning and layout of in-house laundering
establishment. Additionally, the lesson also deals with guest laundry
facilities and precautions to be taken in doing it.
6.2 LAUNDRY
In any hotel establishment, a lot of dirty linen accumulates in
the various units and departments. It is essential to ensure a
continuous supply of linen, which is well laundered, so that
operations can be carried out smoothly and efficiently. Linen is an
expensive item, so how it will be laundered requires serious
consideration. People involved in handling linen should have some
knowledge of the process. Moreover, the Housekeeper and
Linenkeeper should have a good rapport with the Laundry Manager.
Although it is essential that good quality linen be purchased, the life

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of the linen depends on the care of linen in use and the treatment it
gets at the laundry.
The principles of laundering is:
1. Removal of dirt and stains from the linen articles
2. Restoring linen articles to their original appearance as
far as possible.
A good laundry facility ensures the following:
· careful handling of linen articles while laundering
· correct processing and use of a suitable laundry agent
· while materials are kept white, excessive bleach is not
used
· proper counting and records maintained to avoid
shortages of linen
· speedy operations to meet with operational
requirements
· sound policies regarding damages or loss.
A commercial or off-premises laundry refers to laundering
activities performed outside the establishment i.e. given on a
contract basis to specialists in the field. In a rare circumstance, the
laundry is contracted and on-premises. An on-site or on-premises
laundry, however, refers to laundering activities carried on within the
establishment by staff employed by the hotel.
6.2.1 Advantages of On-premises Laundry
· Time taken for laundering is reduced because
transportation is eliminated
· Linen is readily available especially in the case of
emergency requirements
· Control over the wash process and the laundry agents
used making the wear and tear on linen comparatively
much lesser.
· Pilferage is reduced
· The ‘par’ stock required is reduced
· Revenue is earned from guest laundry.
6.2.2 Dis-advantages of On-premises Laundry
· Cost of equipment and its maintenance is fairly high
· Related expenses like printing of forms, employee
taxes, water taxes, energy costs and insurance are high
· More staff who are technically qualified and adequate
space is required
· Must be justified by an adequate amount of linen.

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6.3 PROCESS OF LAUNDERING
The following flowchart shows the process of laundering in a
chronological order:
Figure 6.1 Process of Laundering
Details of various processes in laundering is furished below:
6.3.1 Collection & Transportation
Collection of linen may be done in the Linen Room, if the
laundry is off-site but is usually in the laundry itself, if the laundry is
on-premises. Certain linen items are collected separately such as
kitchen uniforms or dusters are from butchery aprons and dusters,
surgical ward in a hospital. The linen is usually packaged in canvas
bags lined with polyvinyl or elasticized net bags called ‘skips’ for
transportation.
Trolleys and collapsible wire cart can be used to transport
soiled as well as clean linen. If laundery planned at the construction
stage, an in-built chute is used for transporting linen from the floor
pantries.

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6.3.2 Arrival
On arrival, linen must be dealt with as quickly as possible to
ensure fast turn around time for linen. There must be a separate
section for guest laundry.
Marking:
Marking may be temporary (guest laundry) or permanent
(monogramming of hotel linen). For guest laundery initials of
the guest as well as the room number helps provides a clear
identification and helps correct billing.
6.3.3 Sorting
Sorting is carried out according to the type of fabric and item,
colour and type of soil. Sorting is done to separate those articles that
need dry cleaning from those that will go through the normal wash
process. Those that need mending or stain removal must be
separated so that they can be dealt with accordingly. Also, different
articles take a different wash process in terms of temperature of
water, type of laundering agent, length of wash cycle, whether hydro-
extraction should be done and if so, the length of the hydro-
extraction cycle. In hospitals, the infection risk necessitates the need
for using gloves when sorting out linen.
It takes less effort to pre-sort soiled linen than to post-sort
washed linen which is 50% heavier in weight due to water retention.
Post-sorting is often essential in healthcare processes.
6.3.4 Weighing
Weighing is carried out to conform to the capacity of the
washing machine and to avoid overloading. Repeated overloading
can cause the machine to breakdown. Underloading will lead to
wastage of detergents and water, both cold and hot.
6.3.5 Loading
Loading is often done manually or with a certain degree of full
or partial automation. Machines may be top loading, front loading or
side loading.
6.3.6 Washing
This process is designed to perform three basic functions:
· removal of soil / dirt
· suspension of soil
· discharge of the soil from the machine to the drain

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In the wash process, the following factors must be
considered:
i) Setting Length of Wash Cycle
If the cycle is too short, the linen will not be cleaned properly
and sufficiently. I f the cycle is too long, there will be
unnecessary wear and tear and the clothes may actually
become dirtier as a result of redeposition of soil.
ii) Temperature of Water
For hot water washing, if the temperature of water is too high,
it is likely to damage the linen. If the temperature is
inadequate, the chemicals will not work effectively.
iii) Water Level
Incorrect ‘dip’ levels can alter the concentration of the laundry
agents rendering them ineffective. In case of a gentle action,
the water level is usually higher forming a protective envelope
to the delicate linen.
iv) Type and Amount of Detergent a n d the Time of
Dispensing
This is also a crucial factor that affects the quality of wash
deciding which laundry agent should be used is dependent
on the nature of the fabric being washed. Too little detergent
will result in an incomplete cleaning process. And too much
may remain as a residue on the cloth after the rinse cycle is
complete. It is important that the laundry agent is introduced
into the wash cycle at the appropriate time for best results.
v) Mechanical Agitation
This refers to the centrifugal action brought about by the
movement of the drum that causes friction between the linen
articles and is radically affected by overloading or
underloading as it affects the speed of the drum. Modern
machinery often operates on sensors, which are capable of
gauging and maintaining optimum conditions for a specific
load.
vi) Rinsing
Once the wash cycle is completed, rinsing is carried out at
least twice. The purpose of this stage is to:
· remove residue of laundry agents,
· remove suspended dirt,
· lower the temperature of the wash load by the use of
using cold water.

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A running rinse with an open drain is more effective but a
larger volume of water is utilized.
vii) Hydro-Extraction
Is the removal of excess moisture through centrifugal action
and is equivalent to wringing in hand washing. Draining must
precede hydro-extraction and hydro-extraction must precede
tumble drying. Some articles cannot be hydro-extracted so
there is a pumping action to draw out the water from the linen
load. Too short an extraction time will increase the drying
time and may hinder the proper operation of finishing
equipment. The compact mass of hydro-extracted clothes is
referred to as ‘cheese’.
6.3.7 Unloading
Transferring washed linen from the Hydro-extractor to the
Tumble Dryer is normally done manually. It may be done by an
automated system where the ‘cheese’ is unloaded onto a conveyor
belt that will transport the linen to the next set of operations.
Tumble Drying:
This process is capable of rendering the linen completely dry
by blowing hot air ranging between 40º C and 60º C onto the
articles. For articles that are susceptible to damage by heat,
there is the option of simply air drying by circulating air at
room temperature.
6.3.8 Finishing
For those articles that require a pressed finish, ironing and
pressing are usual. Articles like blankets, towels, candlewick
bedspreads, hosiery, etc. that do not require a pressed finish are
only tumble-dried.
6.3.9 Folding
Can be done by machine but in most cases is carried out
completely manually. Employees in this area are the one ones who
‘reject’ stained or damaged linen. Correct folding is important to the
appearance of the article and makes it convenient to store and use.
6.3.10 Airing
This is essential prior to storage, especially if the articles are
to be stored in closed shelves. It ensures that any moisture that is
likely to cause mildew will be got rid of.
6.3.11 Storage
Should be properly done in a well-designed storage space.
Linen should be allowed a rest period to recuperate before it is used
again. As a general rule, at any given time, approximately 50% of the

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total linen inventory should be on the shelves, 25% in use and 25%
in processing. The storage area must be isolated from the soiled
linen and kept clean.
6.3.12 Distribution
The linen is issued to the unit / department for use and is
usually done by linen trolleys.
6.4 WASHING MACHINE
A washing machine, or washer, is a machine designed to
clean laundry, such as clothing, towels and sheets. The term is
mostly applied only to machines that use water as the primary
cleaning solution, as opposed to dry cleaning (which uses alternative
cleaning fluids, and is generally performed by specialist businesses)
or even ultrasonic cleaners.
Figure 6.2 Commercial Washing Machine
All washing machines work by using mechanical energy,
thermal energy, and chemical action. Mechanical energy is imparted
to the clothes load by the rotation of the agitator in top loaders, or by
the tumbling action of the drum in front loaders. Thermal energy is
supplied by the temperature of the wash bath.
6.4.1 Wash Cycle
A complete wash cycle is composed of various stages and
the time taken is approx. 40 to 50 minutes. It has been proven that
quick wash cycles using large volume of water broken down into the
following sequence is most effective.
Flush › Suds › Bleach › Rinse › Sour & Soft › Extract
Additional Stages in the Wash Cycle:
These are essential where there is a specific type of soiled or
the articles are heavily soiled:

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Soak › Break › Carryover Suds (Intermediate Rinse)
› Intermediate Extract › Starch (Sizing)
6.5 OTHER MACHINES
6.5.1 Tunnel Washers
These are also called batch washers or continuous washers
and are in effect a series of inter-connected washers. Each ‘bath’ is
in a different cylinder and the load moves from one cylinder to the
next. Computerized systems automatically adjust the time,
temperature and chemicals to be used, so that each batch receives
the required treatment. Machines may be top transfer or bottom
transfer. Tunnel washers have distinct advantages in that they are
timesaving, thereby reducing staff requirement. There are also
significant energy and water savings. Tunnel washers can also be
hooked up to an extractor and subsequently with conveyors to the
dryer.
Figure 6.3 Tunnel Washer
6.5.2 Tumble Dryer
Dryers are machines that dry laundry by tumbling it slowly in
a perforated drum exposed to hot air ranging from 40ºC to 60ºC in
low capacity dryers and going right upto 85ºC in an industrial dryer.
There are programmes for delicate articles with low or no heat.
Dryers may operate on gas, electricity or steam. For speedy drying
and less wrinkling the volume of the dryer should be 25% more than
the washer-extractor. Most dryers have a microprocessor computer
control system.
Although suitable drying times are usually recommended for
specific fabrics, some dryers have sensors hooked onto their
microprocessors so that they can gauge the moisture in the load and
cut the dryer off automatically the moment the laundry is dry. A lint

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screen traps the lint particles and must be cleaned regularly. The
length of the drying cycle is dependent on the absorbency of the
fabric and the residual moisture. Modern dryers are equipped with
high tech features such as signal lights, self-cleaning lint screens,
reverse cylinder drums as well as energy-saving devices like extra
insulation and heat reclaimers.
Figure 6.4 Tumble Dryer
6.5.3 Finishing Equipments
For those articles that require a pressed finish there are
many finishing equipment. Some of the more frequently used
equipment are listed below:
Flatwork Ironer / Roller Iron / Calender:
Is used for flatwork i.e. items like sheets, pillowcases,
tablecloths, serviettes, aprons, sarees, etc. The items are
passed through heated rollers for ironing.
Figure 6.5 Roller Iron

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Press:
Press is used for fine pressing of Flat Linen like Table covers,
Pillow covers, Napkins, Kitchen linen, Staff uniforms. They
are special presses to perform specific functions and
operation can be on electricity or steam.
Figure 6.6 Press
6.5.4 Puffer or Suzie
For coats and articles that do not crease heavily. The articles
are put onto a dummy that is inflated with steam to remove creases
and then with hot air to remove the moisture created by the steam.
6.5.5 Tunnel Dryer
Clothes are hung on conveyor belts that pass through a
tunnel. Hot air blowing in the tunnel, renders the articles completely
dry by the time they exit. It is a fully automated process that also
transfers the linen to the next area of activity.
6.5.6 Cabinet Dryer or Drying Room
Is a chamber where low-crease garments are suspended on
hangers and steam or hot air is circulated through the cabinet.
6.6 LOCATION AND PLANNING OF ON-PREMISES LAUNDRY
When planning an on-premises laundry it must be located far
from guestrooms so that guests are not disturbed. It is essential
laundry to locate near the linen room for convenience and reducing
transportation time. Ideally, the laundry is located in the basement
with proper ventilation because laundry equipment is very heavy and
the area should have an outside wall since equipment need to be
vented to the outside. With few exceptions, walls of the room should
be durable and moisture resistant; ceilings should be at least ten feet
high, must resist moisture and absorb sound. A cement floor with
easily cleanable floor drains and no spots where water can pool is
vital.

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The basic design factors that need to be thought out when
designing or redesigning an on-premises laundry include location,
size, equipment layout, utilities and labour. The versatility of
equipment is important, especially in a washer extractor. It should be
able to dispense a variety of chemical formulas and have different
cycles to deal with different laundry items and soiling conditions.
Machines may work on gas, electricity or steam and should
be connected to a common master switch that can be switched off in
case of emergencies. Fire-fighting equipment must be installed in
this area.
6.7 LAYOUT OF A LAUNDRY
When planning the layout of a laundry, consider the work flow
and wherever possible ensure that the plan does not hinder the
smooth flow of operations. To reduce turnaround time between
loads, ease of loading and unloading, equipments must be arranged
properly, taking into account ease of each operation.
When positioning laundry equipment, the following must be
considered:
· entrances and exits
· support columns and beams
· space between adjacent machines and adequate space
between the back of the machine and the wall which is
essential to facilitate servicing and repair.
· power points for electrical supply and the required
voltage (gas and steam may also be used)
· water supply at the rate of about 10 gallons per Kg of
linen approx.
· preventing the occurrence of ‘water hammer’ from hot
water supply water heating is through solar energy.
· water softening
· to removal of iron, manganese and sulphur to eliminate
staining and enhance action of the detergents
· installation of proper drainage system
· installation of drain to control discharge rate
· a separate section to deal with guest laundry / valet
service.
· local code for restrictions / permit requirements.
· energy and water conservation and safety factors
consideration
· selection of equipment to suit the premises and
projections.
· area must accommodate the total number of staff
working at the busiest times
As technology strives to automate every face of hotel
operations, computerized laundry systems are getting popular.
6.8 LAUNDRY AGENTS

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Water by itself is ineffective as a cleaning agent, due to a
phenomenon known as ‘surface tension’. It although removes water-
soluble dirt, it has little effect on oils and grease. Addition of a
detergent allows the water to penetrate, wetting the garment
thoroughly so that soil is more accessible and its easy removal.
6.8.1. Detergents
Classification of detergents:
· Synthetic / active detergent
· Built-soap detergent
· Enzyme-action detergent.
6.8.2 Suspending Agent
The role of the suspending agent in cleaning is to hold the
dirt in suspension and prevent it from redepositing onto the surface
of the clothing. The suspending agent is carboxyl methyl cellulose.
6.8.3 Sequestering Agent
These act along with the suspending agents to hold dirt in
suspension. They assist by holding a greater amount of dirt in
suspension thereby reducing the likelihood of redeposition. They
also have the additional ability to dissolve lime salts that are
responsible for temporary hardness in water. Sodium
polyphosphates are used as sequestering agents.
6.8.4 pH Scale for Laundry Agents
This is a scale used to determine the pH of sud in the
washing so that it may be possible to adjust the pH of the sud with
the use of chemicals to maximize cleaning efficiency.
Figure 6.7 pH Scale
6.8.5 Other Laundering Agents - Alkali
Alkalis used in the wash process include: Washing soda,
Sodium phosphate, Sodium hydroxide, Sodium metasilicate etc. The
role of the alkali in the wash process:
· Bleaches: These are used on white articles only. They
remove colouring matter by their oxidizing or reducing action.
If not in liquid form, they should be dissolved in hot water and
added. The bleaches commonly used in the laundry process
are sodium perborate and sodium hypochlorite.
· Antichlors: These are agents used to neutralize the residual
chlorine in the bleach, particularly in the case of polyesters.

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The use of chlorinated bleaches has a tendency to leave
yellow deposits on the clothing.
· Sour: This is used only in industrial laundering in the final
rinse, to neutralize any alkaline soap residues that may be
present. It brings the pH to the acidic range between 5 and
6.5, which is agreeable to the human skin and also gets rid of
yellow or brown hue caused by alkali residue. Acetic acid is
used as the sour. In case where there is a high iron content
in the water, Oxalic acid is used to get rid of the reddish, iron
deposits. If starch is being used, sour should be added only
two minutes before the starch to achieve a pH of 5.0 to 5.5. If
a sizing agent is being used, the ideal pH is 7.0 to 8.0, so
sour is generally not used.
· Optical Brightener / Whitener: This is an optical brightener /
whitener, which is in fact a very fine blue coloured liquid dye,
which gets bleached in the course of time. It has a
fluorescent effect by reflecting the UV rays of the sun. The
laundry blue in a powder form is undesirable since it tends to
accumulate in the weave of the fabric and causes it to turn
grey.
· Starch: This is a stiffening agent used to impart a better
crease and appearance to the fabric. The use of starch has
declined due to the minimum-iron finishes on fabrics and
garments and the reduced use of cotton in favour of man-
made fibres. However there are some articles that have a
better feel and drape when starched and it is particularly
essential for napkin folds. Since polyesters do not have the
ability to absorb starch they are stiffened with sizing agents.
· Fabric Conditioner and their Role in Laundering:
A fabric conditioner or softener has surface active agents like
a detergent but they do not perform the function of cleaning.
Fabric conditioners are based on cationic surface-active
agents, carrying a positive charge and creates anti-static
properties. A fabric conditioner is never used on loads where
starch or sizing will be used.
6.9 STAIN REMOVAL
A stain is defined as a discolouration brought about by
contact with a foreign substance which is difficult to remove. Like
first-aid in an accident, the treatment of stains requires immediate
action which includes blotting, grease absorbent, salt absorbent and
often a cold water rinse.
A set of general rules given below for stain removal may
serve as a guideline.
· Identify the stain

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· Deal with the stain as quickly as possible. Remove excess
staining material immediately.
· Test the stain removal agent on an inconspicuous place.
· Avoid hot water on an unknown stain.
· Use simple methods before resorting to the use of
chemicals.
· Use milder agents first and then stronger ones.
· Repeated mild applications are better than one strong one.
· Ensure that the stain removal agent has been neutralized
or washed away.
There are two major factors which are responsible for
ensuring correct stain removal. One is the stain removal agent and
the other is the method of stain removal. It is important to select the
right stain removal agent which are friendly.
Figure 6.8 Methods of Stain Removal
6.10 DRY CLEANING
This is a process by which textiles are cleaned using a
solvent other than water. This solvent is usually an organic liquid that
acts first to remove the layer of grease which bonds most grease
particles to the surface and then to carry this dirt away. The solvents
commonly used are:
· Per-chloro-ethylene
· Tri-chloro-tri-fluoro-ethane
The solvent after dry cleaning is removed first by centrifugal
action followed by evaporation. The solvent being expensive is
filtered off and recycled. Darker coloured articles are dry-cleaned
after the lighter coloured ones. All articles require to be aired after
the dry-cleaning process. Where Per-chloro-ethylene is not suitable,
a system called Aquatex (from Iowa Techniques) is used. It involves
the use of bio-degradable chemicals and water and a controlled
stage-by-stage drying temperature that restores the article to its
original condition.
As technology vendors strive to automate every face of
operations, computerized laundry systems have been in use since
the mid-eighties. Some hotels are experimenting with Windows-
based laundry software and ozone washing. G.A. Braun has
developed a cutting edge, interactive PC video-conferencingproduct

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called Serview that enables qualified technicians to provide customer
and support service through contemporary two-way high speed
audio and video conferencing.
Ozone is a powerful oxidizer and ozone washing is an energy
efficient system that can cut laundry costs by 50%. Ozone washing
became popular in the US in the mid-eighties. It is carried out by
mass injecting ozone into the laundry system via the cold water
lines. The resulting ozonated water facilitates the breakdown of
insoluble dirts leading to a whole host of benefits. Ozone washing,
the brainchild of GuestCare Inc., cuts detergent use by 60%. It
reduces the need for hot water and can cut energy costs by 80%.
Little hot water, reduced chemicals and shorter wash cycles greatly
extends the life of linen.
6.11 GUEST LAUNDRY
Among the many amenities provided by a hotel, one of them
is laundry service for the guest. It is an amenity which is essential in
resort hotels where guests are long-staying and prefer to travel light.
Even if a full-fledged laundry service is not available, at least some
facility for ironing is required as clothes get crumpled in packing. It is
a source of revenue in hotels and may serve as a means of
preventing the guests from washing clothes and hanging them out to
dry in hotel guest rooms.
Laundry service, including dry cleaning may be normal
(ordinary) or urgent (express). The time gap between the collection
and delivery is dependent on whether the laundry is on-premises or
off-premises.
6.12 LAUNDRY PROCEDURES FOR DIFFERENT FABRICS
i) Laundering of Cotton
The process of laundering cotton fabrics is dependent on the
texture of the fabrics, fastness of colour and they are sorted into
various categories, such as:
· fine, delicate cotton (mulmul, muslin)
· white and light fast colours
· dark, fast colours
· non-fast colours.
A further classification into coarse articles, bed linen and
personal articles and table linen. This sorting will help decide:
· the temperature of water in the main wash
· the need for disinfection / sterilization
· the detergent used
· the speed of rotation of the drum
· the length of the wash cycle
· the use of bleach and optical brighteners
· the need to starch

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· suitability of hydro-extraction.
ii) Laundering of Silk
Silk should be washed frequently as perspiration damages
the fabric. Never soak articles as it weakens the fabric nor should
they be subjected to high heat (wash temperature approx. 30º C).
The detergent should have a good surfactant and should not depend
on mechanical action for cleaning. No harsh chemicals should be
used. The final rinse of silk articles should be carried out with a little
vinegar in it. (1 tspn /10 litres water) in order to preserve lustre. Silk
is too delicate to be hydro-extracted. Silk should never be sundried
as this damages the fabric and causes yellowing. Ironing is on
medium heat as silk scorches easily. The article must be evenly
dampened and water should never be sprinkled on the fabric as it
leaves watermarks. Ensure that the articles are completely dry so
that creases do not reappear on the portion which is damp. Ironing is
carried out on the reverse in order to preserve lustre and air all silk
garments after ironing. Silk is usually dry-cleaned.
iii) Laundering of Wool
In the laundering of wool, the articles must be shaken out to
remove the dust particles that are held in the loosely constructed
weave. Hand-knitted garments are very susceptible to felting and
stretching. Mark the outline of the article prior to washing and
arrange it in its original size and shape after laundering and dry flat.
In the laundering of wool, the following should be avoided:
· application of friction
· high and fluctuating temperatures
· use of strong laundry agents
· wringing tightly and hydro-extraction
· hanging the fabric when wet
· prolonged soaking as it makes the fabric weak
The capacity of the machine, may have to be disregarded
due to the bulkiness of the article. The movement of the drum should
be gentle and a scrubbing brush should never be used. The wash
cycle should be short and water temperature (not more than 35º C).
The rinse cycle should be thorough and borax is added to the final
rinse water to prevent matting. No hydro-extraction is permitted but
there is instead a pumping action for the removal of moisture.
Usually ironing is not required, but wherever necessary, iron when
the article is completely dry, using a low temperature and ironing on
the reverse of the article. It is very essential to air the fabric after
ironing.
iv) Laundering of Synthetics
These are specially manufactured so that they shed dirt
quickly in the wash. However if they become heavily soiled,
(especially collars and cuffs and saree borders) they become difficult

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to clean, so it is better to wash them after every use. Soaking the
garments before laundering is beneficial as it loosens the dirt. Care
must be taken when loading the machine as overloading results in
creases which may be difficult to remove later. The application of
friction should be avoided. Use of a scrubbing brush should be
restricted to heavily soiled parts only. The wash cycle is short and
carried out at a low temperature (30º C) Rinsing should be carried
out in water at room temperature. The hydro-extraction cycle is also
short as synthetic articles have a low absorbency. Iron on low heat
but quickly since a prolonged contact is likely to scorch the fabric.
6.13 LAUNDRY PROCEDURES
The following are the steps involved in laundry:
Step 1: Sort the dirty clothes, into separate piles for whites, bright
colors and darks. If whites are mixed with colors in the
wash, the colors may bleed onto and ruin whites. Also
separate clothes that tend to produce lint (towels,
sweatshirts, chenille and flannel) from clothes that tend to
attract lint (corduroy, velvets and permanent-press
clothes).
Step 2: Close zippers to prevent snagging, and empty pockets.
Step 3: Pre-treat heavy stains with laundry detergent or stain
remover, heeding instructions on the product label.
Step 4: Measure out the right amount of laundry soap according to
themanufacturer'sinstructions.
Step 5: Pour the soap into your washer or its detergent dispenser.
Add liquid fabric softener, according to product
instructions.
Step 6: Choose the water temperature for the wash cycle: hot,
warm or cold; use cold rinse cycle for any load. Consult
the labels on clothes, washing machine's instruction
manual or the detergent container for recommendations
on washing temperature.
Step 7: Start the washer, add and allow the detergent to dissolve
in the water before adding clothes. Adjust the water level
to the size of load.
Step 8: If needed to add bleach, allow the machine to run for a few
minutes to mix the detergent and water, and then add
about a cup of bleach to the washer or the bleach
dispenser.
Step 9: Add the clothes, close the lid and let the machine run.
Washing takes approximately 45 minutes.
Step 10: Put the clothes (and an anti-static sheet, if desired) in the
dryer after the wash is complete. Hang delicates (such as
bras and certain sweaters) to air dry on a clothing rack or
hanger.
Step 11: Remove lint from the dryer's lint tray.

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Step 12: Select the correct drying temperature for the laundry load:
low for delicates, medium for most fabrics and high for
cotton. When in doubt, low or medium is the safest bet.
Step 13: Close and turn on the dryer. Expect the drying cycle to
take an hour or more for a full load.
Step 14: Once the clothes are completely dry, remove them from
the dryer or drying rack and fold and store.
CHECK YOUR PROGRESS
1. What are the principles of laundering?
2. What is the difference between off-premises and on-premises
laundering?
3. What are the factors that need to be considered while washing?
4. How washing machines work?
5. List some of the most frequently used finishing equipments.
6. List few laundering agents.
7. Define stain.
8. What is dry cleaning?
6.14 LET US SUM UP
It is essential to ensure a continuous supply of linen, which is
well laundered, so that hotel operations can be carried out smoothly
and efficiently. The principles of laundering are: removal of dirt and
stains from the linen articles and restoring linen articles to their
original appearance as far as possible. A commercial or off-premises
laundry refers to laundering activities performed outside the
establishment. An on-s i t e o r on-premises laundry refers to
laundering activities carried on within the hotel by staff employed.
The various processes in laundering includes: collection &
transportation, marking, sorting, weighing, loading, washing,
unloading, finishing, folding, airing, storage and distribution. A
washing machine is a machine designed to clean laundry, such as
clothing, towels and sheets. Other machines used in washing are
tunnel washers, tumble dryer, finishing equipments (flatwork ironer /
roller iron / calendar / press), puffer or suzie, tunnel dryer and
cabinet dryer or drying room.
When planning an on-premises laundry it must be located far
from guestrooms so that guests are not disturbed. It is essential
laundry to locate near the linen room for convenience and reducing
transportation time. When planning the layout of a laundry, consider
the work flow and wherever possible ensure that the plan does not
hinder the smooth flow of operations. To reduce turnaround time
between loads, ease of loading and unloading, equipments must be

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arranged and positioned properly, taking into account ease of each
operation.
Addition of a detergent allows the water to penetrate, wetting
the garment thoroughly so that soil is more accessible and its easy
removal. Detergents are classified into: synthetic / active detergent,
built-soap detergent and enzyme-action detergent. The agents that
help in cleaning include: suspending agent, sequestering agent,
alkalis (washing soda, sodium phosphate, sodium hydroxide, and
sodium metasilicate), bleaches, antichlors, sour, optical brightener /
whitener, starch, fabric conditioner, etc.
The solvents commonly used for dry cleaning are: per-chloro-
ethylene and tri-chloro-tri-fluoro-ethane. The solvent after dry
cleaning is removed first by centrifugal action followed by
evaporation. Laundry service, including dry cleaning may be normal
(ordinary) or urgent (express). Special attention must be given while
laundering cotton, silk, wool, synthetics, etc.
1. Draw a flow diagram for the Laundry Process with a brief
explanation of each stage.
2. Visit an on-premises laundry room and take a note of the
activities carried out.
3. Visit an off-premised and take a note on the detergents and
cleaning agents used.
4. Visit a dry cleaning shop and take a note on the solvents used in
the process of cleaning the linen.
6.16 KEY WORDS
Skips Elasticised net bags used in the collection of soiled
/ dirty linen for transport
Cheese Compact mass of hydro-extracted cloths
Suzie Used for articles like coats. The coat is put on to a
dummy, passed steam to remove wrinkles and then
hot air circulated to remove moisture.
Cation Ions with positive electric charge
Stain A discolored or soiled spot or smudge
Soiled Covered or stained with or as if with dirt or other
impurities
Bleach A chemical agent used for bleaching
Chute An inclined trough, passage, or channel through or
down which things may pass
Candlewick A soft heavy cotton thread similar to that used to
make wicks for candles

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Mildew A superficial coating or discoloration of organic
materials, such as cloth, paper, or leather, caused
by fungi, especially under damp conditions.
Serviettes A table napkin
Apron A garment, usually fastened in the back, worn over
all or part of the front of the body to protect clothing
Enzyme Any of numerous proteins or conjugated proteins
produced by living organisms and functioning as
biochemical catalysts
pH A measure of the acidity or alkalinity of a solution,
numerically equal to 7 for neutral solutions,
increasing with increasing alkalinity and decreasing
with increasing acidity. The pH scale commonly in
use ranges from 0 to 14
1. How and why are clothes sorted prior to the laundry process?
2. List the stages in a wash cycle with a brief explanation of each
stage. What is TACT?
3. Classify detergents and explain the use of each type.
4. Explain the role of an alkali in the wash process.
5. What is dry-cleaning?
6. Differentiate between:
i) Laundry Chute and Laundry Skip
ii) Blue and Bleach
iii) Tunnel Dryer and Tumble Dryer
iv) Sour and Soft
v) Physical and Chemical methods of stain removal
7. What special care (give any two points) must be taken when
laundering guest articles.
8. Give two advantages and two disadvantages of having an OPL.
9. Give two problems that may result from the overloading of a
washing machine.
10. Give two reasons why soiled linen should be dealt with as
quickly as possible.
1. The principles of laundering are: removal of dirt and stains from
the linen articles and restoring linen articles to their original
appearance as far as possible.
2. An off-premises laundry refers to laundering activities performed
outside the establishment i.e. given on a contract basis to
specialists in the field. An on-site or on-premises laundry refers

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to laundering activities carried on within the establishment by
staff employed by the hotel.
3. The factors that need to be considered while washing includes:
setting length of wash cycle, temperature of water, water level,
type and amount of detergent and the time of dispensing,
mechanical agitation, rinsing and hydro-extraction.
4. All washing machines work by using mechanical energy, thermal
energy and chemical action. Mechanical energy is imparted to
the clothes load by the rotation of the agitator in top loaders, or
by the tumbling action of the drum in front loaders. Thermal
energy is supplied by the temperature of the wash bath.
Chemical actions are providing by the detergents and cleaning
agents.
5. Some of the frequently used finishing equipments are: flatwork
ironer, roller iron, calendar and press.
6. Alkalis (washing soda, sodium phosphate, sodium hydroxide,
sodium metasilicate), bleaches, antichlors, sour, optical
brightener / whitener, starch, fabric conditioner, etc.
7. A stain is defined as a discolouration brought about by contact
with a foreign substance which is difficult to remove.
8. This is a process by which textiles are cleaned using a solvent
(per-chloro-ethylene, tri-chloro-tri-fluoro-ethane) other than water.
6.18 REFERENCES
1. Schneider Madelin, Tucker Georgina and Scoviak Mary (1999),
The Professional Housekeeper, John Wiley & Sons Inc, New
York.

LESSON 7
PEST CONTROL
CONTENTS
7.1 Introduction
7.2 Pest Control
7.3 Ants
7.3.1 Control of Ants
7.4 Cockroaches
7.4.1 Control of Cockroaches
7.5 Lizards
7.5.1 Control of Lizards
7.6 Flies
7.6.1 Control of Flies
7.6.2 Toxicants Used For Space Sprays
7.7 Bees
7.7.1 Control of Bees
7.8 Wasps
7.8.1 Control of Wasps
7.9 Spiders
7.9.1 Control of Spiders
7.10 Bed Bug
7.10.1 Control of Bed Bug
7.11 Mosquitoes
7.11.1 Control of Mosquitoes
7.12 Rats
7.12.1 Control of Rats
7.13 Silverfish
7.13.1 Control of Silverfish
7.14 Termites
7.14.1 Control of Termite
7.15 Bats
7.15.1 Control of Bats
7.16 Let Us Sum Up
7.18 Key Words
7.20 References
following:
Ø The various pests and

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Ø The controlling methods of pests.
7.1 INTRODUCTION
Pest is an organism which has characteristics that are
regarded by human beings as injurious or unwanted. It is so most
often because pests cause serious damages and substantial
economic loss to the hotel properties and human health by carrying,
spreading and transmitting contageous and often fatal diseases.
No matter how clean one keeps one’s surroundings, you
cannot avoid the “uninvited guests” – the pests. It is not only
embarrassing but also speaks badly of a hotel where one sees rats,
cockroaches, and lizards running around.
An animal such as rats and fleas can also be a dangerous
pest when it carries germs within human habitats and spreads it.
Pest Control is another major job of the Housekeeping
Department.
7.2 PEST CONTROL
Insect pests enter buildings seeking food, shelter or
surroundings having the right temperature and humidity. The key to
successful pest control is eliminating one or more of these condusive
factors. Sanitation is an important part of control. Successful pest
control should begin with good housekeeping. It is important to know
something about the habits of the pests in order to take proper
preventative measures and to select and apply appropriate pest
control products correctly. Using the wrong control product or using
the right product but in the wrong manner may result in
unsatisfactory control. Keep in mind that different pests may be
found in different parts of the building, in different seasons or in
different years.
Below a few common pests found in the hotels and methods
of their control are described.
7.3 ANTS
The many different species of hotel-infesting ants range in
size from the tiny 1/16-inch Pharaoh's ant to the large 3/4-inch queen
carpenter ant. Ants can be black, red, brown or yellow in color, have
a pinched waist and elbowed antennae and be either wingless or
winged. Most hotel-infesting ants are found in such areas as
kitchens and bathrooms where there is food and water.

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Figure 7.1 Ants
7.3.1 Control of Ants
· Sanitation is important method in preventing ant
infestations. Clean up food and beverage spills from
floors and countertops immediately.
· Baits may be the best method of control for some species
of ants. Since ants are social insects, ant workers carry
bait back to the nest where it kills other colony members.
Baiting often results in longer lasting control than an
insecticide applied to the workers. Pavement ants ate
little black ants can be effectively controlled with baits.
· Plastic or metal bait stations ("ant traps") are easy to use
and are desirable where pets or children are present.
Baits should be placed in areas where the most ants have
been seen. Don't place baits on sprayed surfaces or
spray near bait stations.
· Baits have not proven effective in controlling carpenter
ants. Carpenter ants nest in structural wood but do not
actually eat wood. The key to control of carpenter ants is
to locate the nest and treat it.
· Other nest spots may be inside hollow core doors and
under insulation in an attic. They are treated with an
insecticide labeled for ant control.
7.4 COCKROACHES
Cockroaches are mainly tropical but certain species have
become widely distributed through commerce and are now
cosmopolitan. They are nocturnal in habit and attack food, paper,
clothing, shoes, and dead insects. The German cockroach prefers a
warm and moist environment. Consequently, it has become a pest of
kitchens, larders and restaurants, where food, warmth and moisture
present provide the necessary ecological requirements.
Figure 7.2 Cockroaches

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The Oriental Cockroach on the other hand prefers cooler
areas. These are therefore found under coverings, in bathrooms,
toilets, and sinks, where large numbers congregate around sources
of water. The American Cockroach infests all houses, store-rooms,
kitchens, cupboards, and libraries. The Brown Banded Cockroach,
which can fly, prefers locations high up in the rooms.
7.4.1 Control of Cockroaches
· Inspection and treatment should go together whether a
complaint has been received or not. All the possible
hiding places of cockroaches must be thoroughly
investigated. These places would probably be dark
corners. Check calendars and pictures on the walls,
electrical appliances such as the refrigerators, wall
clocks, ovens, food mixers, and coffee blenders.
· Other places that need attention and which we tend to
overlook are: Rubber and gasket lining in the refrigerator
and other appliances; Splash plate – in walls behind
ovens and stoves; Baseboard - forming a base around
the room up to 8” above floor level; Linoleum – corners
and around the walls; Carpets – underneath; to be rolled
up; Panels – on the walls – to be injected wherever there
are cracks; Fuse box, behind sinks, light fixtures etc.
· Sprinkle Baygon bait in places where cockroaches
congregate, rest or hide, such as dark corners of closets,
base of walls in basements, under sinks, around drain
pipes, upon shelves, etc. Baygon sprays are also
effectiveagainstcockroaches.
7.5 LIZARDS
Lizards are typically dry land animals loving the sun and its
heat. Usually they are very small and slender creatures. A very
interesting protective feature of these lizards is the power to break
off their tails automatically. This power of automatically breaking off
parts of the body is called autotomy. Broken parts usually regenerate
eventually.
Lizard control is usually carried out in the warmer periods of
the year. Lizards are cold blooded animals and hence in the cold
season they tend to hibernate in the warm corners of the house to
restore their body temperature. During the warmer periods they
come out and can be seen crawling up and down the walls. They
usually come out after dusk as they feed on smaller insects that fly
around the light sources. Lizards are also found in places infested
with cockroaches.
7.5.1 Control of Lizards
· Lizards are found mostly behind picture frames, curtains,
shelves and window frames. They enter the hotel through
the ventilators and windows. Hence the windows and
ventilators should be properly meshed.

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· As the lizards thrive on insects, the most effective way of
controlling lizards is to control the insects in the house.
· Lizards are carnivorous and prey on other insects. Hence
they cannot be controlled using bait.
· Chemical control of lizards involves spraying of
pesticides directly on the reptiles. Chemicals such as
dichlorophos, malathion etc. sprayed on the body kills the
lizard instantly.
· Fumigation is carried out using Aluminum Phosphide or
any other approved fumigant in godowns, libraries or big
halls.
7.6 FLIES
Flies are of small or moderate size; some species are even
minute, measuring one millimeter long. The majority of flies is diurnal
and frequently fly around for nectar or haunt decaying organic matter
of diverse kinds.
The common housefly species is probably the most familiar
and certainly the most widely distributed of all insects. It has
accompanied man everywhere and has adapted itself to breeding in
a variety of rejected food and excrement of man and his domestic
animals. It is a carrier of disease brought about by its habit of flying
and resting on human body, human food and animals. The disease
organisms of typhoid, dysentery, summer diarrhea, and probably
infantile paralysis are transferred from faecal matter to food by vomit
drops in fly excrement or by organisms adhering to the fly’s feet. The
eggs of parasitic worms are also transmitted in this way.
Figure 7.3 Flies
7.6.1 Control of Flies
Fly sprays and household sprays are synonymous since a
spray that controls flies will also control other insects. There are
three kinds of sprays in the market.
1. Space Spray Space sprays are applied as a mist into the air
and must be in contact with the insect at the
time of spraying. They provide quick
knockdown and fast results but temporary

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control. In aerosol sprays, the insecticidal
ingredients are dispersed by means of the
vapour pressure of liquefied inert gas rather
than the pressure of compressed air. The inert
gas is usually chloro-fluorinol which is known
to react with the ozone layer in the
atmosphere and destroying it. This gas is
considered as the prime cause of
environmental disaster and latent catostrophy
through the destruction of ozone layer.
2. Surface or
Residual Spray
Surface or residual sprays may have a
petroleum or water base. They are applied on
surfaces as a wet spray rather than a mist and
they leave a toxic layer of either fine crystals
or film on evaporation of the carrier. Surface
sprays provide relatively slow knockdowns but
long lasting control against non-resistant flies
and do not have to come in contact with the
insect at the time of spraying in order to be
effective. Residual sprays are applied to
surfaces frequented by houseflies such as
light fixtures, window screens and walls. When
a residual spray is used as a space spray, the
large amount of toxicant becomes hazardous
to the user, as well as the resident guest and
may contaminate the food as well.
3. Combination It is combination of space and surface spray. It
could be effective due to its instant knockdown
and residual effect.
7.6.2 Toxicants Used for Space Sprays
1) Pyrethrum – this is the most common ingredient in a fly
spray. At recommended dosage, it is the safest toxicant and
has exceptionally fast knockdown effect. It has the
disadvantage of not killing all the insects knocked down. It is
a natural plant product.
2) Allethrin – this chemical is often referred to as synthetic
pyrethrins. It has knockdowns and mortality characteristics
similar to natural pyrethrins when used against flying insects
in space sprays.
3) Residual sprays - DDT was considered to be very effective
until 1950, but by then the flies had become resistant to this
toxicant. Today the most common toxicant used is Malathion
and Diazinon, but the housefly is becoming resistant to these
toxicants too.
4) Baygon Bait: there are many fly killing insecticides in the
market, however many of them do not solve the real problem
of doing their work – that of bringing into contact the fly and

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the insecticide. The ideal answer to this is the ready-to-use
Baygon Bait. It first attracts, and then kills the fly. The Baygon
bait has the following advantages:
· The dry granular form makes application very
convenient for even unskilled labour to sprinkle. No
material for dilution or equipment is needed.
· The application can be limited to areas of heady
infestation which are easily located. This avoids waste
of material and labour.
· Baygon also controls flies which have developed
resistance to the action of chlorinated hydro-carbon
and organo-phosphorous insecticides.
· The 2% formulation of Baygon bait has a relatively
low order of toxicity to human beings, yet is powerful
enough to achieve extremely good results against
flies in a few minutes of application. The undisturbed
bait remains effective for a very long time.
7.7 BEES
The honey bee is man’s oldest insect friend known and it to
this insect that we owe honey, beeswax and proper fertilization of
many of our crop plants for bumper yield. The honey bee is a social
insect living in colonies of 20,000 to 80,000.
As with man, the honey bee too has its periods of depression.
On cloudy days when they are unable to forage for nectar, they get
“frustrated” and need to “take out their frustration” on others. On
these days we need to be cautious.
Figure 7.4 Bee
Most individuals who fear bees do so because of their potent
sting. When the bee stings the sting, poison sac, and several other
parts of the bee’s anatomy are torn from the bee’s body and the bee
soon dies. The action of the sting takes place instantly. The sting has
barbs on it and if it is not immediately removed the reflex action of
the muscle attached to the sting drives it deeper into the sting hole
permitting more time for the poison to be discharged. The pain in the
sting gets more acute as the toxin is discharged. The toxin is formic
acid.
7.7.1 Control of Bees

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· If the bees nest in the voids of a hotel, they should be
controlled or they will enter the living area. The removal of a
bee colony once it has entered an attic or a wall void is
extremely difficult and it is difficult to find a bee keeper to
attempt it. Hence most bee colonies in wall voids are treated
with insecticides.
· A variety of insecticides are effective including bendiocard,
carbaryl, diazinon, malathion and porpoxur. The dust
formulation of these products is preferable to spray
formulations when bee and wasp nests are in enclosed
places.
· Dust has the advantage of being widely distributed by the
insects as they move around in the nest.
· Sprays kill only those insects which come in contact with the
sprayed area. Usually one application is sufficient with activity
ceasing in one or two days.
· Nests should be treated at night to avoid getting stung. Once
the bees are killed the walls where they have been nesting
should be opened and the comb removed. If not, the
untended honey will run down and through the walls and
attract insects such as moths, cockroaches, and carpet
beetles.
7.8 WASPS
The wasp flies above lawns which are infested with beetle
grubs, as these grubs are food for the wasp. Wasps appear in the
morning and fly all day, retiring early in the evening. These wasps
generally do not attack people. In order to control them the lawn can
be sprayed with carbaryl or the grubs controlled with chloropyrifos or
diazinon. These social wasps live in colonies which number in
thousands. These beneficial insects would not anger man except
that they like to live in close proximity with us.
They nest in attics and voids in the walls where they can go
unnoticed for a long time. They usually go outdoors in search of
food, but when they are not able to get food, they come into the
living area and become a threat to the inhabitants of the house /
rooms. They feed in trash cans, and enjoy our food and they resent
our efforts to keep them away from our food. When this happens
they need to be controlled.
Figure 7.5 Wasp

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7.8.1 Control of Wasps
· If the nest can be found, control of wasp is simple.
· Simply spray bendiocarb, carbaryl, chloropyrifos,
diazinon, or resmethrin into the nest opening of the aerial
nesters. Then wet the nest envelope. The nest may be
removed in a day or two.
· For ground nests dust formulation of any of the above
insecticides is preferable. Workers entering the nest will
track the dust into the nest and contaminate it. The
problem is that it is most difficult if not impossible to track
the nest.
7.9 SPIDERS
There are 35,000 species of spiders in the world. Most
spiders that are a cause of concern to the public and which pest
control experts are called upon to control are either large or have
striking marking. The large spider is often thought to be a tarantula,
and the coloured one the black widow. Only a few species of spiders
reside in dwellings and a larger number stray or are carried into the
houses. Uninhabitated houses or buildings are popular ‘residential
quarters’ of the spiders.
Figure 7.6 Spider
The house spider is so cosmopolitan and so widely
distributed that it is difficult to trace its original homeland. The house
spider selects its web sites at random. If the web does not yield prey,
it is abandoned and another site is selected. Eventually the spider
end up constructing webs where food is most available.
7.9.1 Control of Spiders
· Improved storage, use of air tight boxes and bags,
elevation of materials off the ground, discarding
unwanted items, and periodically sweeping or vacuuming
under furniture and behind mirrors and pictures are all
helpful control measures.

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· Dust formulation lightly applied to the web can be quite
effective. Dust formulations are best directed against web
building spiders. Dust formulations for spiders include
products containing bendiocarb, diazinon, malathion and
pyrethrum. Space sprays are DDVP, pyrethrum, and
resmethrin.
· Space sprays are useful for spider problems in confined
areas when there is no hazard to people using the
structures. Residual sprays are usually applied to
infested windows, corners, doorframes, roofs, and
storage areas.
· Residual formulations include those based on
bendiocarb, bromine, chloropyrifos, DDVP diazinon,
malathion, propetamphos, propoxur, pyrethrum,
resmethrin, and runnel.
7.10 BED BUG
This pest has plagued man since the dawn of civilization.
Although this creature draws no line between the rich and the poor,
its presence is more evident in the quarters of the impoverished,
owing to conditions more favourable for its growth. The bed bug is
distributed readily in a laundry and on clothes and baggage of
individuals who have visited infested areas. Once in the room, they
become established in any convenient crack or crevice particularly
along the seams or buttons of mattresses, coils of bedsprings,
wooden bedsteads, upholstered furniture, the backing of pictures,
behind wall paper, and calendars, behind skirting boards and
between floor boards or just about any place it can find to rest and
reproduce living there happily even after surrounded by a colony of
kith and kin.
Figure 7.7 Bed Bug
These creatures are very wary and cautious, and their hiding
place taxes the guests and ingenuity of man. Infestations can be
detected by the bloodstains on the walls or linen, and by the
characteristic spots of excrement. In addition to their disgusting
appearance, the bugs make a mess and they stink. The mess is due
to their frequent excretion which causes brownish, yellowish or black
spots on the walls near the crevices where they hide. The dark
marks are due to the presence of partly digested blood in their
faeces to make way for a fresh meal.

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7.10.1 Control of Bed Bug
· DDT which was once considered the best control
measure for bugs is today not effective. The bugs have
become totally immune to this insecticide.
· Spray of 1% malathion, 1% fenchlophos, 0.5% DDVP,
and 0.5% synegised pyrethrins have given good results.
· Mattresses should be treated only at the seams and
should not be soaked in spray. Mattresses should be
allowed to dry and should be covered when used.
Lindane, malathion, pyrethrin or fenchlophos can be
used to spray mattresses.
· Several residual sprays used as water emulsions and or
oil-based solutions may be used away from beds: 0.5%
diazinon 2% malathion, and 1% fenchlophos.
· Hand spray is usually adequate and spraying should be
done early in the day so that the insecticide can dry
before the room is used for sleeping.
· Pyrethrum treatments need to be repeatedly given on
account of its limited residual action. Care should be
taken not to sleep on a freshly sprayed mattress.
7.11 MOSQUITOES
Mosquitoes received very little attention until it was found that
they were the cause for malaria and other diseases. These are the
most threatening pests nowadays. It was then that a study was
conducted, and it has been found that there are 1,700 species of
these insects in the world. Mosquito is found abundantly in the
tropical region and there are stray occurances of them even in the
arctic region. Not all mosquitoes are blood suckers, and most of
them are attracted to light. Hence light traps are used in order to
obtain information about them. Only the females suck blood. The
male feeds on pollen and nectar.
Figure 7.8 Mosquito
The vast majority of them prefer fresh water but some live in
salt marshes and brackish water. Still others are happiest in water

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contaminated with sewage. There are two main types of mosquitoes
– culicine and anopheline. The culicine types are painful biters and
capable of transmitting certain diseases found in tropical areas such
as yellow fever, filariasis and dengue fever. The anopheline groups
are capable of transmitting malaria. By and large, the mosquito
constitutes a serious pest in the house. Many species inflict painful
bites and some species do so at night. Scratching the itching bite
often sets up secondary complications.
7.11.1 Control of Mosquitoes
· Control consists essentially of destroying the larvae and
their breeding places. Tin cans and all objects that hold
water should be eliminated and the rain barrels and
cisterns are treated periodically.
· Drainage provides permanent control and is used to
eliminate small pools, swamps and marshy areas;
ditches, and creeks are cleaned up so that the water
flows evenly and does not stagnate or back up. Areas of
water that cannot be eliminated by draining or leveling
are sprayed or dusted.
· Prevention of bites is an essential feature in the
prevention of mosquito borne diseases. All buildings
should be screened to prevent entry of these insects.
· A mixture of indalone, Rutgers 612 and
dimethylphthalate is a good general repellent.
· Aerosol bombs containing pyrethrum, rotenone or DDT
are used to kill mosquitoes in small areas.
· DDT is used to spray wells and screens, and is effective
for long periods, but kills slowly, and should be used
carefully.
· The aedes and culex mosquitos remain in dark portions
of the building and bite during the day. Spraying will
destroy them and prevent the spread of dengue and
filariasis.
7.12 RATS
Rats, mice and squirrels are from the same family – the
Rodents. This group of animals is distinguished by their teeth – large
and chisel-like front teeth. They use these teeth to gnaw through any
kind of hard matter – wood and cement walls. There are many kinds
of rats in the world, but only two kinds of rats are pests man
confronts with – the Norway rat and the roof rat. The Norway rat is
so called because it is believed that they originated in Norway. They
are larger, and have larger droppings than the roof rat.

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Figure 7.9 Rat
Roof rats also known as black or ship rat which prefer
warmer climate and upper floors of buildings. The Norway rat prefers
basements and often burrows around water sewers, docks or
wharfs. Rodents urinate and leave droppings on the food they eat.
Their hair also drops in these foodstuffs. Hence humans should not
consume food contaminated by these creatures.
7.12.1 Control of Rats
· Snap traps: trapping is done when the use of poisons is
dangerous. Traps can be used again and again. The bait
should be tied securely to the trigger. This prevents the
rodent from nibbling the bait without setting off the
trigger. The bait may be food or cotton. The rat uses the
cotton for nesting.
· Electromagnetic or ultra sound devices: electromagnetic
devices work on the principle that a magnetic field
produces a barrier which has a stunning effect on the
rodents. The ultrasonic device works on the principle that
certain high frequencies and amplitudes of sound are
irritating. Ultrasonic sounds are directional and rodents
seek shelter behind solid objects. In such cases there
should be alternate use of baits and traps in these
shadow zones.
· ANTU, Arsenic, Barium Carbonate, Phosphorous paste,
Fluoroacetamide, Strychnine, Zinc phosphide are the
chemicals used to kill the rats. Most of these chemicals
are spread between two slices of bread in the form of a
sandwich and placed at the right place to trap the rats.
7.13 SILVERFISH
This primitive wingless insect is so called on account of its
shining grey colouration, its sinuous movements, and its quick darts
to cover when disturbed. The silverfish is nocturnal, shuns light and
is most often seen when uncovered in dampish places like the
kitchen and the scullery. It is able to walk up rough vertical surfaces
such as wall paper and plaster, but unable to do the same on
smooth surfaces like glass and porcelain. Hence it gets trapped in
wash basins and bathrooms.

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Figure 7.10 Silverfish
The silverfish is responsible for little actual damage. It feeds
on carbohydrate substances such as starch used for wall paper
paste and is recorded as biting small irregular shaped holes in linen,
cotton and artificial silk. Its carbohydrate diet is supplemented by
protein from dead insects and glues used in book binding. Silverfish
is not of great economic importance, but is an unpleasant inhabitant
in our homes and needs to be attended to.
7.13.1 Control of Silverfish
· Insecticides such as DDT, chlordane, dieldrin, and
lindane formerly used for the control of silverfish are no
longer registered for use. Although liquids, dust or baits
can be used for the control of silverfish, liquids are
preferred in visible or exposed areas of the home where
dusts or baits may present an undue hazard to children
or pets.
· Dusts can be used in attics, basements, and places
where their use is not potentially hazardous.
· In controlling silverfish, the insecticide will be most
effective when applied where the insect is most
commonly seen.
· Particular attention should be paid to inject small
amounts of liquid into or dusts into crevices and cracks
formed by shelves, loose moulding or floor tiles, and
loose drawer glides.
· Silverfish are commonly found around book shelves.
These shelves should therefore receive the crack and
crevice injections. Caution must be exercised when
applying liquids, as the liquid may stain the books
especially when water based sprays are used. When it is
not possible to use either sprays or dust, then it is
advisable to sprinkle bait on the shelves.
· A small amount of bait, bait dispenser, or bait pellets can
be put in the corner of the bookshelves.
7.14 TERMITES
Termites are insects that cause serious damage to wood and
paper. They actually eat wood as food, and like ants, live in colonies.

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Figure 7.11 Termites
There are three types of termites – the subterranean, the
damp wood and the dry wood termites. The subterranean termite
lives in the ground which provides the dampness required for it to
stay alive. The damp wood termite needs a lot of moisture to survive,
but does not need to return to the ground. It can stay in the wood
which is close to the ground or near a leaking roof. The dry roof
termite is often found living in desert areas. They do not need water
or moisture to survive and can nest in dry seasoned wood.
7.14.1 Control of Termites
Termites attack a building from their colonies under its floor
or from outside or both. Any treatment given should be such that it
prevents future re-infestation through the foundation. This is
achieved by four technical operations.
· Structural alterations: this includes any structural
operation which renders a structure less susceptible to
termite attack or which renders the immediate
surroundings of a structure less favourable to termites.
· Soil treatment: chemicals are applied to the soil
immediately adjacent to or under a structure for the
purpose of eliminating existing infestations and creating
an insecticidal barrier.
· Foundation treatment: this involves application of
chemicals to any type of foundation for preventing
access to termites.
· Wood treatment: chemicals are applied to wooden
members of the structures to render them resistant to
termites.
7.15 BATS
Bats are natural reservoirs or vectors for a large number of
pathogens including rabies. Their high mobility, broad distribution,
social behaviour (communal roosting, fission-fusion, etc.) and close
evolutionary relationship to humans make bats favourable hosts and
disseminators of disease. Many species also appear to have a high
tolerance for harbouring pathogens and often do not develop
disease while infected.

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Figure 7.12 Bats
Due to the risk of rabies and also due to health problems
related to their faecal droppings (guano), bats should be excluded
from inhabited parts of hotels.
7.15.1 Control of Bats
· The simplest procedure for expelling a maternity colony
begins with the installation of a bat box. After that, the bat
box entrances is sealed and removed from the hotel
premises. With a little patience and effort, one can
completely exclude bats from the hotel permanently and
successfully.
Figure 7.13 Bat Box
CHECK YOUR PROGRESS
1. What are pests?
2. Fill in the blanks:
i) German cockroach prefers a …………….. and ……………..
environment.
ii) Lizards love ……………. and its ……………
iii) There are about …………… species of spiders in the world.
iv) The …………… mosquitoes suck blood.
v) ………………… is one of the method to prevent termites.
3. List some of the toxicants used for space sprays.
4. Name some of the insecticides used to control bees.
5. Where do you usually kind the bed bugs?
6. Name some rodents.
7. What are termites?

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7.16 LET US SUM UP
Pest is an organism which has characteristics that are
regarded by human beings as injurious or unwanted. Pest control is
one of the major job of the housekeeping department in a hotel.
Some of the common pests are ants, cockroaches, lizards, flies,
bees, wasps, spiders, bed bug, mosquitoes, rats, silverfish, termites,
bats, etc.
Sanitation is an important part of pest control. Successful
pest control should begin with good housekeeping. It is important to
know something about the habits of the pests in order to take proper
preventative measures and to select and apply appropriate pest
control products correctly. Using the wrong control product or using
the right product but in the wrong manner may result in
unsatisfactory control. Keep in mind that different pests may be
found in different parts of the building, in different seasons or in
different years.
Apart from pests, there are also ‘special uninvited guests’
such as snakes and wild animals, which can be sited near the
chalets, hunting lodges camping sites which could pose serious
threats to safety and occasionally ay turn out to be fatal. The
practical way to control will be to be wary of the danger an keep the
premises free from vegetation.
1. Visit a pest control organization in your town and note down the
list of pest control chemicals sold.
2. Prepare a chart describing the method to control some of the
common pests in a hotel.
7.18 KEY WORDS
Contagious Capable of transmitting disease; carrying a disease
Fatal Causing or capable of causing death
Nocturnal Of, relating to, or occurring in the night
Congregate Gathered;assembled
Linoleum A durable, washable material made in sheets by
pressing a mixture of heated linseed oil, rosin,
powdered cork, and pigments onto a burlap or canvas
backing. Linoleum is used as a covering especially for
floors.
Hibernate To be in an inactive or dormant state or period
Carnivorous A flesh-eating animal
Malathion A trademark used for the organic compound,
C10H19O6PS2, used as an insecticide

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Fumigant A chemical compound used in its gaseous state as a
pesticide or disinfectant
Dysentery An inflammatory disorder of the lower intestinal tract,
usually caused by a bacterial, parasitic, or protozoan
infection and resulting in pain, fever, and severe
diarrhea, often accompanied by the passage of blood
and mucus
Allethrin A synthetic clear or amber-colored viscous
insecticide, C19H26O3, similar to pyrethrin
Diazinon An amber liqui d , C 12H21N2O3PS, used as an
insecticide.
1. Enumerate the method of controlling rats, bats and lizards.
2. Explain in your own words the method of controlling ants, flies
and mosquitoes.
3. Where you usually find bed bugs? Explain how will you control
them.
1. Pest is an organism which has characteristics that are regarded
by human beings as injurious or unwanted. It is so most often
because pests cause serious damages and substantial economic
loss to the hotel properties and human health by carrying,
spreading and transmitting contageous and often fatal diseases.
2. i) warm, moist
ii) sun, heat
iii) 35,000
iv) female
v) Soil treatment
3. Pyrethrum, allenthrin, residual sprays and Baygon bait.
4. Insecticides such as bendiocard,carbaryl,diazinon,malathion
and porpoxur are used to control bees.
5. In the hotel room, the bed bug become established in any
convenient crack or crevice particularly along the seams or
buttons of mattresses, coils of bedsprings, wooden bedsteads,
upholstered furniture, the backing of pictures, behind wall paper,
and calendars, behind skirting boards and between floor boards
or just about any place it can find to rest and reproduce.
6. Rats, mice and squirrels.
7. Termites are insects that cause serious damage to wood and
paper. They actually eat wood as food, and like ants, live in
colonies.

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7.20 REFERENCES
1. San Ramon (1998), Controlling Household Pests, Chevron
Chemical Company, Ortho Books, California.
2. Lifton, Bernice (1991), Bug Busters: Poison-Free Pest Controls
For Your House & Garden, Avery Publishing Group, Inc., New
York.
3. Mallis, Arnold (1990), Handbook of Pest Control, 7th
Edition,
Franzak & Foster, Cleveland, Ohio.

LESSON 8
KEY AND KEY CONTROL
CONTENTS
8.1 Introduction
8.2 Key and Key Control
8.3 Types of Keys
8.3.1 Emergency Key
8.3.2 Master Key
8.3.3 Guest Key
8.4 Guiding Principles in Key Control System
8.5 Limitations of Metal Keys
8.6 Key Cards
8.7 Let Us Sum Up
8.9 Key Words
8.11 References
following:
Ø Emergency key, master key and guest keys
Ø Guiding principles in a key control system.
8.1 INTRODUCTION
Every management owning property needs to establish
procedures for its staff to follow that will help ensure the safe and
secure functioning of the operation. All employees, not merely
security personnel, should know the appropriate security procedures
that will help protect the guests and the property from danger and
loss at the hands of criminals. The housekeeping staffs are closely in
touch with the guests, and therefore, they are more responsible for
the security of the guests.
Many security procedures are needed to control external theft
by opportunist guests and internal theft by employees. Other
procedures address the potential for loss created by or during
emergencies, including accidents. Asset protection procedures
involve protecting the property from losses arising from any number
of sources, both internal and external.

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The guest room represents the inner-circle of a hotel security
plan. The guestroom is the sanctuary for the weary traveler where
they expect to be safe. The guestroom doors and windows must be
fortified to prevent forced entry. Installation of burglar proof door
locking system and key control are vital to ensure guestroom safety
against theft. This chapter discusses about the keys and key control.
8.2 KEY AND KEY CONTROL
A key is a device which is used to open a lock. A typical key
consist of two parts: the blade, which slides into the keyhole to
unlock the door, and the bow, which is left protruding so that torque
can be applied by the user to open the door. The blade is usually
designed to open one specific lock, although master keys are
designed to open sets of similar locks.
Figure 8.1 Key
A system of key control is essential to the security of a
lodging property. All keys whether metal or electronic should be
adequately controlled. The security of a key lock system is seriously
weakened when keys are issued to a great number of people or to
anyone who has no legitimate need for a key. The best lock in the
world may be unable to protect a property or its guests if poor key
control allows a criminal to obtain a key to that lock.
8.3 TYPES OF KEYS
Most lodging properties use at least three types of keys.
These types typically include emergency keys, master keys, and
guestroom keys.
8.3.1 Emergency Key
The emergency key opens all guestroom doors, even when
they are double locked. It can be used, for example, to enter a room
when the guest needs help and is unable to reach or open the door.
The emergency key should be highly protected and its use strictly
controlled and recorded; it should never leave the property. One
procedure for emergency keys is to have them locked in a safe or
safe deposit box and signed out by the individual needing one. The
log should be dated and signed by the individual taking the key.

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8.3.2 Master Key
A master key is designed to open a set of several locks.
These locks also have keys which are specific to each one (the
change key) and cannot open any of the others in the set. Locks
which have master keys have a second set of the mechanism used
to open them which is identical to all of the others in the set of locks.
For example, master keyed pin tumbler locks will have two shear
points at each pin position, one for the change key and one for the
master key.
A far more secure (and more expensive) system has two
cylinders in each lock, one for the change key and one for the
master key. Larger organizations, with more complex "grandmaster
key" systems, may have several masterkey systems where the top
level grandmaster key works in all of the locks in the system.
A master key opens all guestrooms that are not double
locked. Depending upon the need, the master key may be further
established as a housekeeping staff master key, a floor supervisor
master key, and a grand master key for management purpose.
1. Grand Master
Key
Key operates all locks in the Hotel. Including
laundry and linen rooms.
2. Floor
Supervisors
Master Key
Key operates all sections on the floor/ floors
supervised by the particular supervisor.
3. Housekeeping
Staff Master
Key
Key operates all rooms serviced by particular
room maid or housekeeping staff.
Figure 8.2 Master Key

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Above keys will not open the lock when the Guest has
Double Locked it from inside.
From a security point of view, master keying is undesirable;
but from a practical point of view, however it is necessary. Master
keying presents two security drawbacks:
· First is the danger that if a master key is lost or stolen,
several locks in the system would be compromised, thus
providing access to all those locks.
· Second is the loss of master key.
An answer might be to use nonmaster key sets for high
security areas and master key sets for low security areas.
8.3.3 Guest Key
The hotel guest room key is normally issued to open only one
room for which it was intended, viz. individualised key for each lock.
If the guest room lock is in shut-out mode the guest room key can
neither open it nor lock from outside of the room.
8.4 GUIDING PRINCIPLES IN KEY CONTROL SYSTEM
· Security of keys is essential from the moment they arrive on site.
Keys should be stored separately and securely.
· No unauthorised person should be allowed access to any key,
either to examine or handle it, since a photograph or impression
can be taken in few seconds and duplicate subsequently made.
· Keep a log book of all keys signed out.
· Establish protocol for distribution of keys.
· Use keys that do not identify the property’s name, address, logo,
or room number.
· Perform an annual key audit
· When keys are lost or stolen, the locks should be changed or
rotated to another part of the property.
· Authorised employees should remind guests to return keys at
check-out.
· The loss or suspected compromise of a key should be reported
immediately and, after due investigation, a decision be made as
to whether or not the lock should be changed.
· Place well-secured key return boxes in the lobby, at exit points
of the property, and in courtesy vehicles.
8.5 LIMITATIONS OF METAL KEY
· Metal keys require a hotel to maintain an elaborate key control
system with daily inventories of master key and E-Key checkout
logs for the staff.

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· The guest has no way of knowing that an adequate key control
system is in place.
· Metal keys can be easily duplicated. And if a master key is
duplicated, the security of the rooms is seriously compromised.
· If a room key or master key turns up missing, the affected locks
must be changed. This incident creates an on-going
maintenance problem and expense for a hotel.
8.6 KEY-CARDS
Metal room keys are being replaced by electronically coded
key-cards. A keycard, while not actually considered a key, is a
plastic card which stores a digital signature that is used with
electronic access control locks. It is normally a flat, rectangular piece
of plastic and may also serve as an ID card.
There are several popular type of keycards in use and
include the mechanical holecard, bar code card, magnetic stripe
card, smart card (embedded with a read / write electronic microchip),
and RFID proximity cards. The keycard is used by presenting it to a
card reader; swiping or inserting of magnetic stripe cards, merely
being brought into close proximity to a sensor.
Bar code technology is not a secure form of a key, as the bar
code can be copied in a photocopier and often read by the optical
reader. Magnetic stripe keycards are becoming increasingly easy to
copy, but have the security advantage that one may change the
stored key in a magnetic swipe card in case the current key is
compromised.
Figure 8.3 Key-Cards
Key-cards have the capability of being randomly coded at the
point of registration, which re-emphasizes the guest perception of
room security. Key-card control is computer-based and therefore
creates the necessary audit trail automatically. Master keys can be
changed in a matter of a few keystrokes and lost key-cards are
easily removed from the system. One of the best security features is
the ability of the computer to investigate each door lock and get a

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printout of everyone who accessed a particular room. This
dramatically cuts down on theft from the rooms by hotel employees.
The security advantage of the key-cards has made it popular
and many medium and large sized hotels are adopting this key-card
system.
CHECK YOUR PROGRESS
1. What is a key?
2. What are the three types of keys found?
3. Name the different master keys in a hotel.
4. Write short account on key card.
5. Key consists of how many parts? What are they?
6. Enumerate the limitations of metal key.
8.7 LET US SUM UP
Hotel owners need to establish procedures for its staff to
follow that will help ensure the safe and secure functioning of the
operation. All employees should know the security procedures to
protect the guests and the property. The guestroom doors and
windows must be fortified to prevent forced entry. Installation of
burglar proof door locking system and key control are vital to ensure
guestroom safety against theft.
A system of key control is essential to the security of a
lodging property. All keys whether metal or electronic should be
adequately controlled. Most lodging establishments use emergency
keys, master keys and guestroom keys.
Metal keys are being replaced by electronically coded key-
cards. It is normally a flat, rectangular piece of plastic which stores a
digital signature that is used to control locks. There are several
popular types of key-cards in use, viz. hole-card, bar code card,
magnetic stripe card, smart-card, etc.
1. Familiarise with different types of keys available in the hotel, its
accessibility and security arrangement
8.9 KEY WORDS
Key Card A plastic card which stores digital signature
that is used to control locks.
Emergency Key The key used to open all guestrooms, even
when they are double locked.
Grand Master Key Key that opens all locks in a hotel (including
laundry and linen rooms).
Master Key A key which is designed to open a set of
locks.

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117
Burglar A thief who enters a building with intent to
steal
Fortify Make strong and secure
Weary Causing fatigue; tiresome
Sanctuary Something that physically protects, especially
from danger
Asset A valuable item that is owned
Opportunist One who takes advantage of any opportunity
to achieve an end, often with no regard for
principles or consequences
1. What are the guiding principles in key control systems?
2. Discuss about the existing key types and key control systems
operational in your place of work.
3. Enumerate different types of keys.
1. A key is a device which is used to open a lock.
2. Emergency keys, master keys and guestroom keys.
3. Grand master key, floor supervisor’s master key and
housekeeping staff master key.
4. A key-card is a plastic card which stores a digital signature that is
used with electronic access control locks. There are several
popular type of key-cards in use and include the mechanical
holecard, bar code, magnetic stripe, smart card (embedded with
a read / write electronic microchip), and RFID proximity cards.
5. Key consists of two parts. They are the blade and the bow.
6. The limitations of the metal key are as follows:
i) Metal keys require a hotel to maintain an elaborate key
control system with daily inventories of master key and E-Key
checkout logs for the staff.
ii) The guest has no way of knowing that an adequate key
control system is in place.
iii) Metal keys can be easily duplicated. And if a master key is
duplicated, the security of the rooms is seriously
compromised.
iv) If a room key or master key turns up missing, the affected
locks must be changed. This incident creates an on-going
maintenance problem and expense for a hotel.

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8.11 REFERENCES
1. Ellis, Raymond C. and Stipanuk, David M. (1999), Security and
Loss Prevention Management, Lansing MI.
Housekeeping Principles and Practice, Edward Arnold, London.
4. Louis A. Tyska, Lawrence J. Fennelly (2000), Physical Security
150 Things You Should Know, Elsevier.
5. Bill Phillips (2005), The Complete Book of Locks and
Locksmithing, McGraw-Hill Professional.

LESSON 9
ORGANISATIONAL STRUCTURE OF
HOUSEKEEPING DEPARTMENT
CONTENTS
9.1 Introduction
9.2 OrganisationalStructureofHousekeepingDepartment
9.3 Duties and Responsibilities of Housekeeping Staffs
9.3.1 Executive Housekeeper
9.3.2 Public Area Supervisor
9.3.3 Floor Supervisor
9.3.4 Uniform / Linen Room Supervisor
9.3.5 Night Supervisor
9.3.6 Room Attendant
9.3.7 Uniform / Linen Room Attendant
9.3.8 Cloak Room Attendant
9.3.9 Tailor / Upholsterer
9.3.10Head Gardener
9.3.11Houseman
9.3.12Gardener
9.4 Let Us Sum Up
9.6 Key Words
9.8 References
following:
Ø Organisationalstructureofhousekeepingdepartment
Ø Duties and responsibilities of each housekeeping staffs.
9.1 INTRODUCTION
The success and credibility of the hotels depends solely on
their in-house professionally skilled team. Top quality service, with
dedicated, trained, intelligent, sincere, honest and motivated staff is
what is important for a hotel housekeeping department. This team
succeeds in building and maintaining the image and reputation of the
hotel and creating and sustaining regular and previlaged guest visits.
For providing excellent and satisfying quality service, lot of
effort has to be made towards organizing and training the

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housekeeping staffs continuously. Additionally, the trained staff must
be retained ensuring the consistency and staff dedication remains
focused through various methods of training and motivation.
The largest work force of the hotel is in the housekeeping
department. It would be appropriate at this stage to understand the
hierarchy, duties and responsibilities of all the housekeeping staffs
for effective communication and coordination.
9.2 ORGANIZATIONAL STRUCTURE OF HOUSEKEEPING
DEPARTMENT
The organizational structure of the housekeeping department
mainly depends on the activities and the size of the hotel. The charts
below show the organizational of structure of the large and medium
sized hotels. In the small hotels one or more jobs are integrated and
handled by the few housekeeping personnels.
Figure 9.1 Organization Chart of a Large Hotel

Organisational Structure
of Housekeeping
Department
123
Figure 9.2 Organization Chart of a Medium Sized Hotel
1. Executive
Housekeeper
Responsible and accountable for the total
cleanliness, maintenance and aesthetic upkeep
of the hotel. This is achieved with the resources
of manpower, materials, machines, money,
space and time available to him.
2. Assistant
Housekeeper
May be one for each shift of a large hotel. He
may be the housekeeper of a small hotel or the
only deputy to the Executive Housekeeper of a
medium-sized hotel. He manages the resources
given by the Executive Housekeeper to achieve
the common objectives of cleanliness,
maintenance and attractiveness in a given shift.
His accountability normally ends on the
completion of his shift.
3. Uniform
Room
Supervisor
A non-management person solely responsible
for providing clean serviceable uniforms to the
staff of the hotel. As the hotel staff are all
practically in uniforms his / her task is enormous
and demanding as he / she has to keep an
inventory control on various stages of use, such
as, when sorted ones are handed over, or those
which are being washed or dry-cleaned in the
laundry.
4. Uniform
Room
Attendants
The uniform supervisor is assisted by attendants
who actually do the issue of uniforms in
e x c h a n g e f o r soiled ones for onward
transmission to the laundry. These attendants
are in actual contact with the staff.
5. Linen Room
Supervisors
A non-management person solely responsible
for the acquisition, storage, issue and
cleanliness of linen in its various forms. His job

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is a mammoth task because he keeps track of all
linen as they would number in thousands.
6. Linen Room
Attendant
Assists the supervisor by actually issuing linen
and filling such records as necessary.
7. Tailor /
Seamstress
Tailor or seamstress personnel are responsible
for stitching and mending t h e l i n e n and
upholsterys.
8. Helpers They are to be found both in Uniforms and linen
Rooms and do the physical work of transporting,
counting and bundling of uniforms and linen.
9. Floor
Supervisor
Responsible for the cleanliness, maintenance
and presentability of the guest floors attached to
him in a shift. His scope encompasses guest
rooms, corridors, staircases and floor pantries of
the allotted floor.
10. Public Area
Supervisor
Responsible for the cleanliness, maintenance
and presentability of all public areas which
include restaurants, bars, banquet halls, garden,
administrative offices, shopping arcade, health
club, swimming pool, main entrances and car
park areas.
11. Room
Attendants
Known also as chamber maids or room boys.
They do the actual cleaning of guest rooms and
bathrooms allotted to them. They are not
responsible for the cleanliness of corridors,
guest elevators or floor pantries.
12. Head
Houseman
Supervises the work allotted to Houseman,
especially those in public areas. In medium-
sized hotels he could be the person in charge of
housekeeping on night shifts.
13. Housemen Usually handy men who do the heavy physical
cleaning required in guest rooms and public
areas. Their job would include vacuuming,
shifting of furniture, cleaning of windows panes,
mopping, braising, sweeping, etc.
14. Desk Control
Supervisor
Is the hub of information dissemination in
housekeeping and is thus the critical person in
housekeeping operations. The Housekeeping
Desk must be manned 24 hours as guests and
staff will contact this desk to transmit or receive
information. It is the Desk Control Supervisor
who co-ordinates with the front office for
information on departure rooms and handing
over cleared rooms. The Desk also receives
complaints on maintenance from Housekeeping
supervisors spread all over the hotel.

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125
15. Runner He is a person who goes from one guest room to
another collecting or delivering guest laundry.
16. Clack Room
Attendants
Cloak room attendants are persons responsible
for the supply of clean dry towels, soaps and
perfumeries, prescribed by the management for
the guest rooms.
17. Hat-
Checkers
This is a service provided by superior hotels in
cold climates. A hat-check room is where hat
and heavy overcoats are deposited by guests as
soon as they enter the hotel lobby so as to spare
them the inconvenience of carrying them around
in the hotel. The hat-checker would carefully
label these guest articles and hang and store
them correctly so as to return them to the guests
when they are leaving the hotel.
18. Night
Supervisor
They handle all aspect of housekeeping at night
including desk control operations, issue of linen
and uniform in an emergency, etc. His area of
activity extends over guest rooms, public areas
as also linen and uniform rooms. He is solely
responsible and accountable at night for smooth
housekeeping through his night brigade and has
larger decision-making authority than other
supervisors as he is the housekeeper for the
night.
19. Horticulturist Many hotels may contract horticultural work to
an outside agency. However, a large number of
large hotels have professionally trained
Horticulturists who maintain the gardens of the
hotels as well as supply flowers from the garden
for interior decorations and floral arrangements.
Flowers are used in banquet functions, guest
rooms, restaurants, lobbies, offices, etc. The
Horticulturist would have to ensure smooth
supply of flowers as well as assist the
Housekeeper in flower arrangements.
20. Head
Gardener
Supervises the brigade of gardeners in
maintaining hotel garden and keeping them
contemporary each season.
21. Gardeners Does the actual digging, planting, watering, etc.
of gardens on a day-to-day basis.
9.3 DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES OF HOUSEKEEPING
STAFFS
9.3.1 ExecutiveHousekeeper

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1. Supervise and be responsible for cleanliness, order and
appearance of the hotel rooms and public areas, annexes,
cottages, facilities, service corridors, linen and uniform
rooms, shopping arcades and employees.
2. Schedule, recruit, train, and recommend hiring, discharging
and discipline of all department employees through
management and in accordance with labor regulations.
3. Prepare reports as required.
4. Participate in all department head meetings. Supervise
preparation of maintenance requisitions and maintain follow-
up file to ensure that all public areas and guest
accommodations do not deteriorate from standard.
5. Train all employees to perform their best in the standard
procedures as applicable to their job positions.
6. Develop and recommend standard procedures for new tasks
or changed conditions.
7. Inspect personally, and supervise inspections by Assistants
of all areas in a frequent and unvarying schedule.
8. Pay particular attention on inspection to the presence, of
odors and pests and appropriate control measures.
9. Work closely with the General Manager on day-to-day
Housekeeping requirements.
10. Supervise linen stock and recommend the maintenance of
adequate quantities of cleaning equipments and cleaning
supplies with due regard to delivery requirements and import
restrictions on cleaning equipments. Develop and supervise
the maintenance of the lost and found procedure including
the disbursement of unclaimed articles to employees.
11. Prepare the annual housekeeping budget for submission to
the General Manager. Identify reliable suppliers of
housekeeping materials including carpets, linen, etc, and
recommend them to the Purchase Department. Develop
Housekeeping Systems and Procedures and see that they
are followed diligently. Plan, control and supervise
horticulturalrequirementsandcommitments.
9.3.2 Public Area Supervisor
1. Check all public areas against area check-lists and see that
they meet the standards of cleanliness stipulated.
2. Remove furniture, curtains and other fixtures, which require
repairs, mending, spotting, washing, etc.
3. Maintain a regular and complete advance scheduled
programme for cleaning public areas after receiving the final
concurrence of the Executive Housekeeper.
4. Prepare schedule for the chandelier cleaning crew.
5. Prepare Schedule for the carpet shampoo crew.
6. Inspect staff turnout.

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7. Train new recruits.
8. Submit performance appraisals of staff working under his /
her control.
9. Clean safety and security systems in public areas, e.g. locks,
shutters, etc.
10. Account for furniture movements, if any.
11. Initiate and follow-up maintenance orders for public areas/
service areas under his / her control.
12. Check and control equipment like hovers, floor washing
machines, floor polishing machine, carpet shampoo and
beating machines and ensure that they are used correctly
and maintained properly.
9.3.3 Floor Supervisor
1. Assign duties to the floor housemen and room attendants.
2. Inspect each room completed by Room Attendants according
to specified room checklist and ensure that they meet the
standards of the establishment in terms of cleaning,
functional and aesthetic value.
3. Check par stocks of linen and guest supplies and cleaning
supplies on floors and ensure timely delivery of soiled linen to
laundry and requisition for fresh linen from linen room and
guest supplies / cleaning supplies from the stores.
4. Train Room Attendants and Housemen for maximum
productivity and standards of efficiency.
5. Submit performance appraisals periodically for each staff
under his / her control.
6. Check all safety systems on the allotted floors.
7. Liaise with security on security aspects on guest floors.
8. Account for movement of linen from his / her floors.
9. Prepare housekeeping occupancy lists for front Office.
10. Check all maids’ carts to ensure it is well stocked with linen
and supplies and as per standards stipulated.
11. Follow upon maintenance orders sent to Engineering.
9.3.4 Uniform / Linen Room Supervisor
1. Schedule linen / uniform room staff.
2. Check periodically the condition of uniform and hotel linen.
3. Assign daily work to tailors.
4. Devise and maintain an effective control system to issue
clean linen and uniforms.

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5. Co-ordinate closely with the laundry department to ensure
timely supply of fresh uniforms and linen.
6. Conduct periodic inventories of linen and uniforms.
7. Ensure that all linen, uniforms needing stitching, mending is
immediately attended to before being sent to the Laundry
Department.
8. Ensure that the Linen Room is kept neat and clean.
9. Ensure that all linen, uniforms and materials are neatly and
systematically stacked and arranged and properly labelled.
10. Train the staff to perform their duties effectively and,
efficiently.
11. Maintain all relevant records in respect of material, uniforms /
linen-storage and movement.
9.3.5 Night Supervisor
Supervises all night force engaged in cleaning public areas
and guest rooms of hotel. His duties and responsibilities are same as
that of the floor supervisor and public area supervisor.
9.3.6 Room Attendant
1. Clean guest bathrooms and replenish supplies.
2. Clean guest bedroom and replenish supplies as per room
checklist.
3. Report missing or broken hotel property to the Floor
Supervisor.
4. Maintain a polite, dignified and helpful and pleasing attitude
towards the guests.
5. Attend daily briefings and give attendance.
6. Receive allocation of floor and rooms.
7. Replenish maid cart with guest supplies, detergents and
linen.
8. Count soiled linen handed over to floor linen room.
9. Hand over lost and found articles to Supervisor
10. Make physical check of rooms for preparing the house
keeping occupancy list.
11. Check that all bulbs and switches are working. In case of
defect or fuse, report the same to the Floor Supervisor.
12. Change the water glasses daily and fill the water flasks.
13. Turn down beds in the evening and draw the curtains.
Remove and dispose off refuse and rubbish at the assigned
area.

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14. Return keys to the Housekeeping Department before going
off duty.
15. Ensure that Housemen polish guest shoes and assist the Bell
Boys in carrying guest luggage when required.
16. Prepare room checklist.
9.3.7 Uniform / Linen Room Attendant
1. Issue uniforms to all hotel employees on a one-to-one basis.
2. Count soiled uniforms / linen received and deliver the same
to the laundry department.
3. Maintain records of linen and uniforms movements.
4. Store uniform and linen according to prescribed methods.
Check for damages when receiving dirty uniforms.
5. Check for fitness of uniforms as per norms laid down before
issuing.
9.3.8 Cloak Room Attendant
1. Take soiled hand towels to the linen room for replacement.
2. Maintain adequate stocks of soap, detergents and hand
towels to meet demands at peak level.
3. Maintain shoe-shine kit and clean guest shoes, if required.
4. Maintain all cupboards and fixtures installed in the cloak
room.
5. Maintain a polite, dignified and helpful attitude to guests.
6. Report any plumbing deficiencies to Public Area Supervisor.
7. See that clack rooms are immaculately clean. Faucets should
be sparkling, wash basins dry and environment free of
unpleasant odour.
8. Supply the guest with towels, soap, comb, brush and powder.
9. Sweep, wash and scrub the floors.
10. Clear the soiled linen periodically from the baskets.
11. Brush the guest’s jacket, if requested.
9.3.9 Tailor / Upholsterer
1. Mend all damaged linen.
2. Mend all damaged uniforms.
3. Refurnish all damaged upholstery handed over by the
Supervisor.
4. Estimate the requirements of material and request the Linen
Room Supervisor to requisition it from stores.
5. Collect material from the stores and take to the work area
assigned.
6. Pre-shrink all materials which have a tendency to shrink.
7. Cut the fabric as per requirement of each particular item.

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8. Check the quality of springs, in the cots and replace, if
necessary under directions of the Linen Room Supervisor.
9. Fasten springs properly with strings and place the foam in
position.
10. Keep the work area assigned neat and tidy.
11. Store systematically all items, i,e, needle, thread, etc.
Prepare requisition for replenishment of stock and render
accounts of the same.
12. Render account of material consumed and balance left over
should be handed back to stores.
9.3.10 Head Gardener
1. Ensure that the prescribed landscaping is carried out in the
garden.
2. Be knowledgeable about seasonality of plants and their
maintenanceconditions.
3. Brief on the work, schedule and allot duties to gardeners to
meet daily exigencies.
4. Dig-up landscaped areas for fresh planting.
5. Procure seeds from reliable sources at least cost.
6. Procure, control and supervise the usage of manure and
fertilizers.
7. Ensure that seeds planted are done so with consideration for
ultimate aesthetic appeal and survival.
8. Ensure that gardeners follow the watering fertilizing and
maintenance schedules, reporting any water shortage
problems and suggesting alternatives.
9. Cut, prune, trim hedges, bushes, flowers to enhance
aesthetic appeal.
10. Maintain nursery at optimum conditions and ensure steady
supply of saplings for planting.
11. Provide the hotel with flowers, garlands, wreaths, bouquets
as required. Also grow, supply and maintain indoor plants for
the hotel.
12. Ensure that lawns are well maintained, healthy and kept
clean at all times.
13. Train and motivate gardeners.
14. Ensure that gardeners handle garden tools and machines
properly and carefully.
9.3.11 Houseman
1. Hoover carpets.
2. Shift beds, chairs, heavy furniture for cleaning carpets.
3. Beat carpets and shift from one area to another.
4. Clean swimming pool when assigned.
5. Clean all surfaces including garden paths, etc.
6. Polish all brassware.

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7. Clean all windows, door and ventilators.
8. Clean and replenish linen in the floor and pool area.
9. Do all heavy cleaning like shaft cleaning, terrace cleaning,
etc.
9.3.12 Gardener
1. Take daily briefing from Head Gardener.
2. Maintain landscaped area properly and also prepare for fresh
planting.
3. Plant seeds and saplings as per conditions and concept
prescribed.
4. Apply manure and fertilizers economically ensuring proper
coverage.
5. Perform spraying of insecticides and fungicides to control or
as prophylactic measure against pest and disease incidence
as directed by the Head Gardner.
6. Water all gardened areas as per daily schedule and routine.
7. Maintain the nursery as instructed.
8. Cut, trim, Prune hedges, buses, flowers to enhance aesthetic
appeal.
9. Prepare such flowers potted plants, wreath, bouquets, etc, as
required by the Hotel.
10. Maintain indoor plants as per schedule when assigned.
11. Utilize garden tools correctly.
12. Be punctual and regular.
CHECK YOUR PROGRESS
1. Name some important positions in the Housekeeping
Department.
2. What is the role of an Executive Housekeeper in a hotel?
3. What are the duties and responsibilities of a Public Area
Supervisor?
9.4 LET US SUM UP
The success of the hotels depends solely on their staffs. For
providing excellent and quality service, lot of effort has to be made
towards organizing and training the housekeeping staffs. The largest
work force of the hotel is in the housekeeping department.
The organizational structure of the housekeeping department
mainly depends on the activities and the size of the hotel. Generally,
the housekeeping department shall have staffs like Executive
Housekeeper, Assistant Housekeeper, Uniform Room Supervisor,
Uniform Room Attendants, Linen Room Supervisors, Linen Room
Attendants, Tailor / Seamstress, Helpers, Floor Supervisor, Public
Area Supervisor, Room Attendants, Head Houseman, Desk Control

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Supervisor, Runner, Cloak Room Attendants, Hat-Checkers, Night
Supervisor,Horticulturist, Head Gardener, Gardeners.
1. Prepare a suitable flow chart of organizational structure suitable
for our hotel.
2. Visit a few nearby hotel and study their organization chart and
staffing pattern.
9.6 KEY WORDS
Hierarchy Categorization of a group of people according to
ability or status
Mending Clothes and other articles that must be repaired
Corridors A narrow hallway, passageway, or gallery, often with
rooms or apartments opening onto it.
Arcade A series of arches supported by columns, piers, or
pillars, either freestanding or attached to a wall to
form a gallery
Mopping Applying hot bitumen with a mop or mechanical
applicator on the felt of a built-up roof membrane, on
a roof-deck, or the like.
Perfumeries A substance that emits and diffuses a fragrant odor,
especially a volatile liquid distilled from flowers or
prepared synthetically
Upholsterer Fabric, stuffing, and other materials used in
upholstering
1. Briefly describe the duties and responsibilities of the
housekeeping staffs.
2. Enumerate the importance of the housekeeping department.
3. Explain in detail the duties and responsibilities of the Executive
Housekeeper and Uniform / Linen Room Supervisor.
1. Some of the important positions of Housekeeping Department
are Executive Housekeeper, Assistant Housekeeper, Uniform
Room Supervisor, Uniform Room Attendants, Linen Room
Supervisors, Linen Room Attendants, Tailor / Seamstress,
Helpers, Floor Supervisor, Public Area Supervisor, Room
Attendants, Head Houseman, Desk Control Supervisor, Runner,
Cloak Room Attendants, Hat-Checkers, Night Supervisor,
Horticulturist,HeadGardener,Gardeners.
2. The Executive Housekeeper is responsible and accountable for
the total cleanliness, maintenance and aesthetic upkeep of the
hotel.

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3. The Public Area Supervisor is responsible for the cleanliness,
maintenance and presentability of all public areas which include
restaurants, bars, banquet halls, garden, administrative offices,
shopping arcade, health club, swimming pool, main entrances
and car park areas.
9.8 REFERENCES

LESSON 10
INTRODUCTION TO HOTELS
CONTENTS
10.1 Introduction
10.2 Hotels
10.2.1 Definition of Hotel
10.2.2 Importance of Hotel
10.3 History of Hotels
10.4 Development and Growth of Hotel Industry in India
10.5 Category of Hotels
10.5.1 International Corporate Hotels
10.5.2 National Hotel Companies
10.5.3 Small Hotel Groups
10.5.4 Independent Hotels
10.5.5 Hotel Consortia
10.6 Major Hotel Groups in India
10.7 Hotel as a Service Provider in the Modern Day
10.8 Let us Sum Up
10.10 Key Words
10.12 References
following:
Ø Hotels, history of hotels, development and growth of
hotel industry in India,
Ø Category of hotels,
Ø International corporate hotels and
Ø Major hotel groups in India.
10.1 INTRODUCTION
Hotel is the transient home away from home. Hotel industry is
a hospitality industry. Of course, hospitality is not free, but is paid for,
where the payment depends on the comforts and services provided
for. Payment also depends on the fancy and economic affordability
of the customer. The hospitality industry is nowadays a global
industry, and is considered as an important employer in countries
world-wide. It now has attained a much higher status in society and
demands high standards of work ethics and efficiency from its

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employees. Employment opportunities are many, and is now sought
by a vast majority of people.
The hospitality industry is part of a larger enterprise known as
the travel and tourism industry. It is one of the oldest industries in the
world. In early days, traders, explorers, missionaries and pilgrims
needed a break in their journeys requiring food, shelter and rest.
People opened their homes and kitchens to these weary travellers,
and an industry was born. Although accommodation today is varied
and their services have changed and expanded over the ages, one
thing about the hospitality industry has remained the same, guests
are always welcome! From a friendly greeting at the door, room
service, breakfast, to a host of facilities' the hospitality industry offers
travellers a home away from home.
Hospitality is defined as “the friendly reception and treatment
of strangers". For most people, hospitality means entertaining guests
with courtesy and warmth. Hospitality is also an industry made up of
businesses that provide lodging, food and other services to
travellers. The main components of this industry are hotels, motels,
inns, resorts and restaurants. In a broad sense, the hospitality
industry might refer to any group engaged in tourism, entertainment,
transportation or lodging including cruise lines, airlines, railways, car
rental companies and tour operators.
However the two main segments of the hospitality industry
are the lodging industry (also called hotel industry), and the food and
beverage industry (also called restaurant industry).
10.2 HOTELS
Hotel is an establishment that provides lodging and usually
meals and other services for travelers and other paying guests. It
provides paid lodging, usually on a short-term basis. Hotels often
provide a number of additional guest services such as a restaurant,
laundery, a swimming pool o r childcare. Some hotels have
conference services and meeting rooms and encourage groups to
hold conventions, functions and meetings at their location.
A hotel may be called as an establishment where primary
business is to provide to the general public lodging facilities and
which may include one or more of the various services such as food,
beverage, laundry, uniformed services etc. Hence, hotel can also be
called as home but with a vested interest which includes commercial
activities.
Hotels are found in almost all the cities. Hotels operate
twenty four hours a day, seven days a week. The principal factor that
determines the guest attitude towards a hotel is service although
other amenities such as room, food and beverages are of equal
importance a tangible determinants.

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10.2.1 Definition of Hotel
Hotels are defined in numerous ways from early times to
today. Some of the important definitions for hotels are:
Hotel refers to a house of entertainment of travellers.
Reader's Digest Dictionary
Hotel is a place where all who conduct themselves properly,
and who being able to pay and ready to pay for their entertainment,
are received, if there be accommodation for them, and who without
any stipulated engagement as to the duration of their stay or as to
the rate of compensation, are while there, supplied at a reasonable
cost with their meals, lodging and other services and attention as are
necessarily incident to the use as a temporary home.
Common Law
A hotel is an Establishment held out by the proprietor as
offering food, drink and if so required, sleeping accommodation,
without special contract to any traveller presenting himself who
appears able and willing to pay a reasonable sum for the services
and facilities provided and who is in a fit state to be received.
Hotel Proprietors Act, 1956
Building that provides lodging, meals, and other services to
the traveling public on a commercial basis.
Encyclopedia Britannica
Hotel or inn is defined as a place where a bonafide traveller
can receive food and shelter, provided he is in a position to pay for
and is in a fit condition to be received.
British law
10.2.2 Importance of Hotels
1. Hotels play an important role in most countries by providing
facilities for the transaction of business, for meetings and
conferences, for recreation and entertainment. In that sense
hotels are as essential to economies and societies as are
adequate transport, communication and retail distribution
systems for various goods and services. Through their
facilities, hotels contribute to the total output of goods and
services, which makes up the material well-being of nations
and communities.
2. In many areas hotels are important attractions for visitors who
bring with them spending power that the locals and who tend
to spend at a higher rate than they do when they are at
home. Through spending by visitors hotels thus often
contribute significantly to local economies both directly and

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indirectly through the subsequent diffusion of the visitor
expenditure to the Govt. coffers and to other recipients in the
community.
3. In areas receiving foreign visitors, hotels are often important
foreign currency earners and in this way may contribute
significantly to their countries’ balance of payments. In
countries with limited export possibilities, hotels may be one
of the few prime sources of foreign currency earnings.
4. Hotels are important employers of labour. Thousands of jobs
are provided by hotels in the many occupations that make up
the hotel industries in most countries; many others in the
industry are self-employed and proprietors of smaller hotels.
The role of hotels as employers is particularly important in
areas with few alternative sources of employment, where
they contribute to regional development.
5. Hotels are also important outlets for the products of other
industries. In the building and modernization of hotels,
business is provided for the construction industry and related
trades. Equipment, furniture and furnishings are supplied to
hotels by a wide range of manufacturers. Food, drink and
other consumables are among the most significant daily hotel
purchases from farmers, fishermen, food and drink suppliers,
and from gas, electricity and water companies. In addition to
those engaged directly in hotels, much indirect employment
is, therefore, generated by hotels for those employed in
industries supplying them.
6. Hotels are an important source of amenities for local
residents. Their restaurants, bars and other facilities often
attract much local customers and many hotels have become
social centres of their communities.
10.3 HISTORY OF HOTELS
The past, present, and perhaps the future of the hotel
industry are closely linked. Today's industry is the result of centuries
of social and cultural evolution. Comfortable, sanitary lodging was
once considered only the privilege of the wealthy, but with the
industrial revolution and the spread of democracy, hospitality is not a
luxury anymore and now has become available to the common man.
Advances in transportation, enable people to travel greater distances
faster and at less cost, paving the way for the tourism industry to
flourish. From very modest origins, the hospitality and the tourism
industries have become the two of the largest industries globally. A
world without accommodation is indispensable in modern day life.
Today the lodging industry is complex and diverse. To
understand this, we will trace the history of hotels, from the inns of
ancient times to modern luxury hotels, whose evolution has
influenced as well has been influenced by, social, economic and
cultural changes in society.

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Taverns or Inns
The earliest hotels were called taverns or inns. They go back
thousand of years, for as long as people have started travelling. The
Hebrew word for an inn is malon and means a resting place for the
night. The Greek word for inn is kataluma and means an eating room
or guest chamber. A malon did not have to be in a building, it could
be a level piece of ground near a spring where baggage could be
unloaded, animals could be watered and tethered, and people could
rest on the ground.
Caravanserais
When large camel caravans would cross the deserts in Asia,
there were hotels called caravanserais at which travellers rested and
slept. Caravanserais were established along the more travelled
routes as travel spread throughout the East. They usually consisted
of a large building constructed around a courtyard. The lower floor
was used to store goods and to provide stalls for the cattle. Usually
there was a well or large reservoir nearby. At times, bazaars and
markets were held at or near the caravanserais. In those days of
travel, the innkeeper provided very little for the traveller's comfort.
Inns in Middle Ages
During the middle ages, there were few inns or hotels except
in the cities. The church or the Lord of the Manor often established
special guest offices for pilgrims and other travellers. As roads were
built and horse drawn stagecoaches began to carry passengers
between towns and cities, inns were built at a point where the
coaches stopped. The inns in the villages or at crossroads had
limited and rough accommodations, seldom more than a common
dormitory.
Inns in the Fifteenth Century
The fifteenth century brought about fresh importance for the
inn. A new merchant class began to emerge due to an increase in
trade. This meant more traveling was necessary; therefore a
demand for more and better inns was created. Most travel was still
primarily by horseback, but toward the end of the 15th century, more
comfortable wheeled carriages came into use. The roads were rough
and difficult to travel-muddy in the spring, hot and dusty in the
summer, and often impassable in the winter.
During the fifteenth century, many monasteries closed their
guesthouses, thus creating a need for more lodgings. The inn also
began to perform a definite function in the social life of the people in
the area, as well as the traveller.
Inns in the Sixteenth Century
The inns of the sixteenth century changed little from earlier
times, although they were large and somewhat spacious.

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Accommodation has improved greatly, for now a guest could often
have a private bedroom furnished with heavily carved oak furniture.
The ground floor consisted of a large hall called the parlour, which
was used as a reception room as well as a place to serve meals.
The upper floor was used for the guest rooms.
Inns in the Eighteenth Century
With more regular business, the innkeeper realized the
importance of their inns and tried to offer more comforts to the weary
traveller; they had better furnished rooms, a generous supply of food
and drink, waiters and serving maids eager to please the guests, and
large stables for the horses. Not only would the public stagecoaches
be found stopping at the inns, but also the private coaches of the
wealthy. There was a large increase in the volume of coach travel in
the eighteenth century. Tollgates were set up on some roads to
provide funds to repair and improve roads and bridge better roads
and more comfortable coaches made travel much faster, comfortable
and more appealing to a greater number of people.
Travelers found that most of the innkeepers greeted them
with a smile, and were given good meals. If the stop was overnight,
the inn offered an ideal comfortable bedroom that was neatly
furnished usually with a four-poster bed, washing table mirror etc.
The inns that could not meet the traveler's need, either through the
mismanagement or just plain rudeness, did not stay in business for
long. As travellers from Europe ventured across the Atlantic to
America, inns were built in towns and villages and along the
roadside. They became gathering places for not only the traveller but
also the local inhabitants. The inn was a place where people could
refresh themselves after work or hold evening meetings and share
the events of the day.
Emergence of Hotels
The past one hundred years have brought about dramatic
changes in modes of transportation, as well as in lodging
accommodations. People from all walks of life started to travel. As
travel increased, the train services were launched and became more
comfortable and faster. This was the time when the roadside inns
started losing business as more people started to travel by train
rather than coach. Many inns had to close while others were able to
remain open by catering more to the local people. Some inns
became strictly taverns or coffeehouses. Some of these still exist
today. London has a larger number of the old taverns than any other
large city in the world. They have changed with the times in order to
survive and are the pubs that we know today.
Travelling by train brought the traveller into the heart of a
town or city. Many hotels were built near railroad stations for the
convenience of passengers. This was the beginning of hotels, as we
know of them. Many hotels that opened in the mid-to late-1800s are
still as popular as they were when they first opened.

141
Figure 10.1 Three Phases of Travel
Hotels and the Government Policies
Many countries have recognised the vital importance of
accommodation industry in relation to tourism and their governments
have coordinated their activities with the industry by way of providing
attractive incentives and concessions in the form of long term loans,
liberal import licenses and tax relief, cash grants for construction and
renovation of buildings, and similar other concessions to the
accommodation industry.
The United Nations Conference on International Travel and
Tourism held in Rome in 1963 considered, in particular, problems
relating to means of accommodation.TheConferenceacknowledged
the importance of means of accommodation, both traditional (hotels,
motels) and supplementary (camps, youth hostels, etc.) as
incentives to international tourism. The Conference recommended
that governments should consider the possibility of including
projects, and particularly those relating to accommodation, on the list
of projects eligible for loans from industrial or other corporations, and
that, w h e r e required; they should establish special financial
corporations for tourism. It also has recommended that governments
should give sympathetic consideration to the possibility of granting
special facilities and incentives for accommodation projects.
According to the WTO Report on 'The Development of the
Accommodation Sector,’ tourist accommodation is used to denote
the facilities operated for short-term accommodation to guests, either
with or without service, against payment of and according to fixed
rates. For the purposes of classification, all tourist accommodations
have been divided into the following groups:
(i) Hotels and similar establishments (the hotel industry
proper) and,
(ii) Supplementarymeansofaccommodation.
The first group usually includes hotels, motels, boarding
houses and inns, while the second includes registered private
accommodation(rented rooms, apartments, and houses), camping /

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mountain huts and shelters as well as health establishments, that is
sanatoria and convalescent homes.
Present Day Hotels
The concept and the format of hotel have changed a great
deal over the years. There are different types of hotels ranging from
international hotels to resort hotels catering to the increasing and
diversified demand of the clients. The size, the facade, architectural
features and the facilities and amenities provided differ from one
establishment to another. In addition, the landscape in a particular
destination area also greatly influenced the architectural features of
a hotel. The following are the main types of hotels:
i) International Hotels
ii) Commercial Hotels
iii) Residential Hotels
iv) Resort Hotels
v) Floating Hotels
vi) Palace Hotels
vii) Capsule Hotels
viii) Heritage Hotels
ix) Guest Houses
10.4 DEVELOPMENT AND GROWTH OF HOTEL INDUSTRY IN
INDIA
Hotel Industry in Medieval Period
In India too the development of hotel industry is closely linked
to travel. In India, travel was mainly on animals (mule, horse and
camel). For rest during their travel at strategic points Dharmashalas,
Sarais, Chaupals of Panchayats, Choultry (in South India) and
temples and religious places were provided by rich people such as
Rajas, Kings, Zamindars, etc. Usually free accommodation and food
for travelers was given. During this period it was mandatory for the
state authorities to provide food and shelter to the wayside traveler.
Mussafir Khanas and Sarais
These developed during the period of Muslim Emporers.
Many famous and well known musafir khanas and sarais were
established in the Sindh province during the Arab occupation, and
also at Peshawar and Lahore. Delhi has always been traditionally
hospitable, and we find overwhelming evidence of this in the
innumerable sarais and rest houses in this ancient city. As per
Shiab-al-din Alumrai there were 2000 Khangabs and sarais in Delhi
and its suburbs. Most of these have not survived. Some of the
famous sarais in Delhi are Qutub Sarai, Ladha Sarai, Lado Sarai,
Sarban Sarai, Daud Sarai, Kallu Sarai, Arab ki Sarai, Sheikh Sarai
Sarais started developing into inns and western style hotels
with the coming of Britishers in important cities like Calcutta (Kolkata)
and Bombay (Mumbai).

143
As early as the 18th
century, there were excellent inns
(taverns) in India. Some famous inns were: Portuguese Georges,
Parsee Georges and Paddy Georges. Some famous hotels of that
time: Albion Hotel, victory Hotel, Hope Hall, etc.
Emergence of Hotels in India
Pallanjee Pestonjee (1840) started the first luxury-hotel in
Bombay. It was famous for its excellent cuisine, beers and wines and
its excellent management. Auckland Hotel (1843) was established in
Calcutta. Later it was renamed as Great Eastern Hotel in 1858 and
later renovated at a sum of Rs.10 lacs. Esplanade Hotel (1871) was
built in Calcutta by John Wakson (Britisher), a silk drapery merchant
(also believed to be an architect and builder). The hotel had 130
rooms. Later, some Swiss and other families also owned hotels in
India. One such example was Hotel Fonseca in New Delhi which
was later demolished and Hotel Taj Mahal at Mansingh Road was
built, there.
In 1903, JRD Tata constructed the Taj Mahal Hotel in
Bombay. It was the first hotel of international standards and repute,
built by an Indian for Indians.
Hotels and Policies of Indian Government
The Government realized the importance of tourism in 1962
when there was a drop in tourist arrivals. To upgrade the hotel
industry, i ncentives were offered by the Department of Tourism
(DOT). Hotel Corporation and Tourism Corporations were
established. Ashoka Hotel Ltd. was constructed in, 1956 in a record
time of one year. Later, the Union Ministry of Housing and Welfare
constructed 3 hotels: Lodhi Hotel, Hotel Janpath and Ranjit Hotel.
The Dewan Chaman Lall Committee was set up by the Govt.
of India (Hotel Standard and Rate Structure Committee) to:
1) Lay down criteria for classification of hotels in view of
international standard.
2) Suggest guidelines for the promotion of tourism to India
and within India.
3) Suggest improvements on the existing arrangements and
availability of (sources for the promotion of national and
international tourism.
4) Suggest a rate-structure keeping in view the existing
price structure in hotel industry. Till 1963 hotels were
mainly run by private operators and only rest houses and
tourist bungalows were run by the Department of
Tourism. Hotels at Puri, Aurangabad and Ranchi were
traditionally rum by the Railways and State governments.
The State government also ran hotels at Brindaban-
Mysore.

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Formation of Three Corporations and ITDC
In 1964 three corporations were set-up by the Government of
India, viz.
1. India Tourism & Hotel Corporation,
2. India Tourism Corporation Ltd. and
3. India Tourism & Transport Corporation.
On 24th September 1966, the Government of India decided
to merge these corporations and promulgated "India Tourism
Corporation Amalgamation Order" 1966" and formed a new
corporation-India Tourism Development Corporation (ITDC) with an
authorized capital of Rs. 5 crores. Soon ITDC took over tourist
"bungalows at:
i) Mahabalipuram, Thanjavur, Madurai and Tiruchirapalli
(Tamil Nadu)
ii) Bijapur and Hassan (Karnataka)
iii) Khajuraho, Sanchi and Mandhu (Madhya Pradesh)
iv) Kullu and Manali (Himachal Pradesh)
v) Bodhgaya (Bihar)
vi) Bhubaneshwar (Orissa)
vii) Rashi Nagar (Uttar Pradesh)
viii) Ghana (Rajasthan).
10.5 CATEGORY OF HOTELS
10.5.1 InternationalCorporateHotels
These are large chains, which are almost household words in
the industry, such as Hilton, Inter-Continental, Hyatt, Holiday Inn,
Sheraton, etc. Some of the groups are a combination of company
owned, franchise and management contract operations while others
are entirely owned by an individual or a company. Their main
features include standardization of service, facilities and price, and
many chains endeavor to operate a hotel in most major capitals
throughout the world. Major International Hotel Chains are:
Chain Rooms Properties
Holiday Inn 2,67,677 1,375
Best Western 1,61,714 1,762
Days Inn 1,32,000 1,126
Marriott 96,349 208
Hilton 92,122 260
Sheraton 87,229 311
Ramada 84,159 506
Motel 6 63,342 551
Comfort Inn 60,053 662
Hyatt 57,000 107
Howard Johnson 56,188 451
Radisson 50,000 208
Figure 10.2 Major International Hotel Chains

145
10.5.2 National Hotel Companies
Some countries have national hotel companies, which
operate hotels at home and abroad, such as, the Taj and Oberoi
hotel groups. These are both Indian companies which are well
known outside India.
10.5.3 Small Hotel Groups
Not all groups of hotels are large or widely dispersed. Some
companies own a group, which may consist of no more than four to
five hotels, and they may be confined to a particular area such as the
beach resorts.
10.5.4 Independent Hotels
These are hotels which" are privately owned or independent
of any company. Many guests enjoy staying at an establishment of
this type because of the individuality of the operation. Classical
example will be Casino-cum-hotels of Los Vegas, Nevada, Macau-
off China, Genting Highlands of Malaysia and others.
10.5.5 Hotel Consortia
Independently owned hotels form a liaison which provides
them with the advantages of shared advertising costs, bulk
purchasing and referral of bookings. The guest has the advantage of
knowing each hotel in the consortium will be of similar standard and
price. Best Western Hotels is an example of worldwide network of
independently owned hotels.
10.6 MAJOR HOTEL GROUPS IN INDIA
Many small and big Indian hotel groups are operating in
various parts of India. Some of them are given below. Apart from
India, some international hotel chains such as Sheratan, Hilton,
Ramada, Sofitel, Meridien, Hyatt and Mariott are either operating or
planning to operate in India on franchise basis.
1. Welcome
Group
It is the hotel division of ITC Ltd. The logo
represents a traditional Indian welcome in the
form of Namaste in an open doorway with the
slogan “Nobody gives you India like we do." The
motto of Welcome Group is "We enjoy people"
Welcome Group has hotels in various cities
such as Agra, Delhi, Aurangabad, Jaipur, Goa,
Gwalior etc.
2. Oberoi
Hotels
Rai Bahadhur M.S. Oberoi established Oberoi
Hotel Pvt. Ltd. in 1946. Many hotels like Oberoi
Intercontinental in August 1965 in New Delhi
and Oberoi Sheraton in 1973 in Bombay was
added. It is now one of the largest and reputed
hotel chains of India.

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3. Hotel
Ambassador
It is one of the flagship hotel belonging to Lala
Ram Parshad who is considered as one of the
pioneers of the Hotel Industry in India (now
managed by Taj Hotel in Delhi).
4. U.P. Hotels
and
Restaurants
Ltd
Famous as Clarke's Group of Hotels, it was
established on 13th February, 1961. It started
with its flagship hotel Clarke Shiraz Agra. Later
hotels – Clarke’s Awadh, Clarke’s Amer, and
Clarke’s Varanasi at Lucknow, Jaipur and
Varanasi, respectively, were added to this chain.
5. Ritz Chain A chain belonging to R.N. Kapoor family with
hotels at Mumbai, Hyderabad, Kolkata and
Coonoor (in South India). Specialized in Italian
cuisine.
6. Spencers Started hotel business in 1912 in Calcutta.
Purchased Connimera Hotel in Madras and
opened West End in Bangalore, Malabar at
Cochin and Trivandrum, Blue Mountains at
Kotagiri in 1942 and Savoy in Ooty in 1943.
Vegetarian hotels in Madras (Geetha, Ashoka
and Ajanta) and Hotel Arakua in Bangalore.
7. Sinclairs A chain of hotel operating in eastern part of the
country with hotels at Darjeeling and Takadah.
8. Hotel
Corporation
of India (HCI)
A corporation set up in 1971. It started with its
first hotel at Bombay in 1974. Later hotels in
Delhi, Srinagar, Rajgir etc. were added to this
group.
9. Leela Group It has hotels at Mumbai and Goa
10. Asian Hotels: The group has tied up with Hyatt chain and has
two hotels in Delhi. It plans to have property in
Jaipur and Agra.
11. Apeejay
Surendra
Group
It started with its first hotel Park Calcutta in
1967. Later a large hotel was added in Delhi,
and Resort hotel at Visakhapatnam was added
to the group.
12. J.P. Hotels The group has hotels in Delhi, Agra and
Mussoorie.
13. Palaces
Converted
into Hotels
i) Maharaja Hari Singh Palace was the first to
be converted into Oberoi Hotel.
ii) Maharaja of Jaipur converted his palace
Ram Bag to Hotel.
iii) Maharaja of Udaipur was third in line (Taj)
Lake Palace in Pichola Lake.

147
iv) Later Jodhpur Palace (Oberoi), Jaisalmer
Palace and Bikaner Palace were also
converted into hotels.
v) Lakshmi Vilas Palace of Jaipur (of Majaraja
Bhupal Singh). Ushakiran Palace of
Gwalior.
vi) Hotel Jai Mahal Palace, Jal Mahal and Raj
Mahal Palace in Jaipur are also converted
or being converted to hotels.
vii) Chamundi Hill Palace has also been
converted to a hotel.
viii) Lalitha Mahal Palace of Mysore is a tourist
hotel. Halcyon Castle of Travancore
Maharaja is also converted into a hotel.
ix) Bolghathy Palace near Cochin P o r t
(Residence of former British Resident of
Southern States) is also converted into a
hotel.
10.7 HOTEL AS A SERVICE PROVIDER IN THE MODERN DAY
Gone are the days when people looked upon a hotel for a
bed and food. Now it provides almost everything that a guest needs.
Hotels have become service providers for the guests in all possible
ways. Competition has set into providing these services in order to
woo the guests. Every big hotel chain / group has been spending
crores of rupees in order to stay in this race.
Different services are rendered by the hotels, viz. Banquets,
convention centers, exhibition centers, restaurants, catering service,
secretarial services, corporate services, money changers, travel
desk, butler service, valet service, internet service, facility for sports
and games, massage parlour, health club, gym, shopping arcade,
swimming pool, tourist limousines, airport service, etc.
These services are either wholly owned and run by the hotel,
or owned by hotel and run on franchise by experts in the field, or
owned & run by outsiders but attached to the hotels. These services
complement each other and also help in improving the occupancy
rate of the hotels.
1. Banquet Hotels provide wide range of banquet menus.
Weddings, parties, business gathering all of
which help in improving food sales and also
work in attracting new customers.
2. Convention
Center
Meetings, seminars, conventions and other
social gatherings are arranged which in turn
attract group bookings, good occupancy and
food service.

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3. Restaurant Restaurants serving different speciality cuisine
like Chinese, Korean, Italian, Continental,
Mexican, Indian (South Indian, Mughalai etc.)
are set up by hotels with the interiors suiting
those places are run to cater to the different
tastes of domestic as well as international
tourists. Catering services are also undertaken
at off-campus locations.
4. Secretarial
Service
This is an essential service for corporate clients.
The CEOs, M.Ds and Chairpersons of different
companies need this arrangement for expediting
their notes, letters and agreements,
communications etc.
5. Corporate
Service
This works as an extension to the corporate
offices of the clients. All the services needed for
handling corporate affairs are provided to make
the corporate guest feel at “office away from his
office.” Internet Service is the latest addition to
the corporate service list. This is available even
in small and medium sized hotels. The guest
can connect his laptop to this service and
perform his regular work / tasks.
6. Money
Changers
Where there is high proportion of foreign tourists
/ visitors, there will be the need of money
changing service. Here the hotel exchanges the
foreign currency for local currency. However it
cannot sell foreign currency. This service must
function as per the foreign exchange rules and
guidelines of the Reserve Bank of India from
time to time.
7. Travel Desk Provides car rental services, air & train ticketing
and looks after the other travel needs of the
guest. In some hotels Concierge looks after this
service too.
8. Butler
Service
A personalised service provided to the guest
and his visitors exclusively. He provides the
food and beverage and also wine service, looks
after the visitors to the guest and helps in
keeping the room tidy from time to time and also
arranges the wardrobe for the guest.
9. Valet
Service
Also a personalised service, but limited to help
at car parking and laundry facility etc. in hotels.
10. Health Club
and Sports
and Games
This is provided not only in resort or leisure
hotels but also in down town & commercial
hotels. The present corporate guest even
though a busy person wants some time out for
himself for health and pleasure reasons. Health
club, Spa, Gym, Message Parlour, Swimming

149
pool, billiards, bowling ally, tennis court, mini
golf course are some of the popular facilities. In
some parts of our country health tourism has
picked up at places like Himachal Pradesh and
Kerala where health spas and ayurvedic
treatments are provided. The tourist on vacation
can go back a rejuvenated person.
CHECK YOUR PROGRESS
1. Define hospitality.
2. What are the two main segments of hospitality industry?
3. How Encyclopedia Britannica defines a hotel?
4. What are taverns?
5. List the main types of present day hotels.
6. List some of the tourist bungalows of ITDC.
7. Name some of the cities where you could find the hotels of
Welcome Group.
8. What are the facilities and the services that are provide by the
present day hotels?
10.8 LET US SUM UP
The hospitality industry is part of a larger enterprise known
as the travel and tourism industry. The two main segments of the
hospitality industry are the lodging industry (also called hotel
industry) and the food and beverage industry (also called restaurant
industry).
Some of the earliest known hotels are taverns or inns,
caravanserais, etc. where travelers rested and slept. During the
middle ages, the churches across the world established guest offices
for pilgrims and travelers. The merchant class hotels began to
emerge in 15th
century due to increase in trade. The inns of the 16th
century provided private rooms to the visitors. The present day
hotels started emerging from the late 18th
century. The past one
hundred years have brought about dramatic changes in modes of
transportation, as well as in lodging accommodations. Hotels are
built near the railway stations and bus stands for the convenience of
passengers.
For the purposes of classification, all tourist accommodations
have been divided into two groups, viz. hotels and similar
establishments such as hotels, motels, boarding houses and inns
and the supplementary means of accommodation which includes
rented rooms, apartments, houses, camping / mountain huts and
shelters as well as health establishments (sanatoria and
convalescent homes). Present day hotels ranges from international
hotels to resort hotels catering to the increasing and diversified
demand of the clients. The hotels are catagorised into International
Hotels, Commercial Hotels, Residential Hotels, Resort Hotels,

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Floating Hotels, Palace Hotels, Capsule Hotels, Heritage Hotels and
Guest Houses.
In India, the development of hotel industry is closely linked to
travel. For rest, the travelers stayed at dharmashalas, choultries,
temples and other religious places free of cost. Musafir khanas and
sarais were established during the Arab occupation. Sarais are later
developed as inns by the British Rulers in cities like Calcutta and
Bombay. Some of the inns developed by British rulers include
Parsee Georges, Paddy Georges, Albion Hotel, Victory Hotel, Hope
Hall, etc. Some of the oldest hotels in India: Pallanjee Pestonjee
(1840), Bombay, Auckland Hotel (1843), Calcutta, Esplanade Hotel
(1871), Calcutta, Taj Mahal Hotel (1903), Bombay. The Govt. of
India opened Ashoka Hotel, Vigyan Bhawan, Lodhi Hotel, Hotel
Janpath and Ranjit Hotel. In 1966, the Government of India,
established the India Tourism Development Corporation (ITDC).
Today, hotels are classified into International Corporate
Hotels, National Hotel Companies, Small Hotel Groups, Independent
Hotels a n d Hotel Consortia. Some of the major hotel group
companies in India are: Welcome Group, Oberoi Hotels,
Ambassador Hotels, UP Hotels and Restaurants Ltd., Ritz Chain,
Spencers, Sinclairs, Hotel Corporation of India Ltd., Leela Group,
Asian Hotel, Apeejay Surendra Group and Palaces Converted into
Hotels.
Today, hotels provide facilities and services such as
banquets, convention centers, exhibition centers, restaurants,
catering services, secretarial services, corporate services, money
changers, travel desk, butler service, valet service, internet service,
facility for sports and games, massage parlour, health club, gym,
shopping arcade, swimming pool, touist limousines, airport service,
train and bus depot pick-up, etc.
1. Visit a hotel in your town and note down the facilities and the
services that the hotel provides to guests.
2. Make a list of hotels of your town / city with name, promoting
group, address, telephone number, facilities available, etc.
10.10 KEY WORDS
Pilgrims A religious devotee who journeys to a shrine or
sacred place
Dormitory A room providing sleeping quarters for a number of
persons
Tollgates A gate barring passage to a road, tunnel, or bridge
until a toll is collected
Sanatoria A resort for improvement or maintenance of health,
especially for convalescents. Also called
sanitarium.

151
Valet An employee, as in a hotel or on a ship, who
performs personal services for guests or
passengers
Spa A resort providing therapeutic baths.
1. Explain in your own words the need and importance of hotels.
2. Give a brief description about the history of hotels.
3. Development and growth of hotel industry in India – Explain.
4. Enumerate the various categories of hotels.
5. Give a brief note about some of the major hotel groups of India.
1. Hospitality is defined as “the friendly reception and treatment of
strangers".
2. The two main segments of the hospitality industry are the lodging
industry (also called hotel industry), and the food and beverage
industry (also called restaurant industry).
3. Building that provides lodging, meals, and other services to the
traveling public on a commercial basis.
4. The earliest hotels were called taverns or inns.
5. The present day types of hotels are International Hotels,
Commercial Hotels, Residential Hotels, Resort Hotels, Floating
Hotels, Palace Hotels, Capsule Hotels, Heritage Hotels and
Guest Houses.
6. ITDC bungalows are at Mahabalipuram,Thanjavur,Maduraiand
Tiruchirapalli in Tamil Nadu, Bijapur and Hassan in Karnataka,
Khajuraho, Sanchi and Mandhu in Madhya Pradesh Kullu and
Manali in Himachal Pradesh, Bodhgaya in Bihar, Bhubaneshwar
in Orissa, Rashi Nagar in Uttar Pradesh and Ghana in Rajasthan.
7. Agra, Delhi, Aurangabad, Jaipur, Goa and Gwalior.
8. Present day hotels provide facilities and services such as
banquets, convention centers, exhibition centers, restaurants,
catering service, secretarial services, corporate services, money
changers, travel desk, butler service, valet service, internet
service, facility for sports and games, massage parlour, health
club, gym, shopping arcade, swimming pool, tourist limousines,
pick-up and drop services to airports, railway stations, bus
depots, etc.

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10.12 REFERENCES
1. M. Zulfikar (1998), Introduction to Tourism and Hotel Industry,
Sangam Books Ltd.
2. S.K. Bhatnagar (2002), Front Office Management, Frank Bros. &
Co. (Publishers) Ltd.
3. Alan T. Stutts, James Wortman (2005), Hotel and Lodging
Management: An Introduction, Wiley.
4. Tom Powers, Clayton W. Barrows (2002), Introduction to the
Hospitality Industry, Wiley.

LESSON 11
CLASSIFICATION OF HOTELS
CONTENTS
11.1 Introduction
11.2 Classification of Hotels
11.2.1 Classification According to
Facilities and Amenities
11.2.2 Classification According to Star Ranking
11.2.2.1 Five Star Category
11.2.2.2 Four Star Category
11.2.2.3 Three Star Category
11.2.2.4 Two Star Category
11.2.2.5 One Star Category
11.2.3 According to Ownership and Management
11.2.4 According to Type of Plan (Tariff Pattern)
11.2.5 According to Size
11.2.6 According to Visitors Stop-Over
11.2.7 According to its Relationship with Transport
11.2.8 According to Type of Patronage
11.2.9 According to Length of Operating Period
11.2.10 According to Location
11.2.11 According to Purpose
11.3 Rates and Meal Plan
11.3.1 Tariff Based on Room Category
11.3.2 Tariff Based on Bedding
11.3.3 Tariff Based on Special Rates
11.3.4 Tariff Based on Meal Plan
11.4 Hotel Guests
11.4.1 Guest Classification
11.5 Let us Sum Up
11.7 Key Words
11.9 References
following:
Ø Various classifications of hotels
Ø Rates and meal plan
Ø Hotel guests.

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11.1 INTRODUCTION
Development in the field of transportation, communication
and increase in population had effect on the growth, type and
location of hotels and supplementary accommodation. To day, we
find many hotels and catering establishments of varied character,
size and nature operating in different cities and tourist centers.
Classification of these hotels and supplementary units within the
industry is a complicated task.
Hotels are of various types depending on number of factors
like the nature and facilities offered, size, location etc. Classification
in the real sense separates accommodation into different categories
or class on the basis of objective criteria, for example, by the type of
accommodation, such as hotels, motels, tourist lodges, holiday
camps etc. It seeks to present information about tourist
accommodation units in a form, which enables the user to find
information he requires. Information thus obtained will help to
compare w i t h identical classifi c a t i o n a n d thus, separates
accommodation according to physical features.
11.2 CLASSIFICATION OF HOTELS
In a system of classification, hotels are ideally grouped into
reasonably homogenous sections according to their important
general characteristics. Any classification of the industry into its
component sections is bound to be rough one as has been observed
that hotels and catering services are in joint demand. Therefore, an
attempt is made here to create such groups of undertakings which
only share some common characteristics.
Hotel is an establishment selling service: food, drink and
shelter. The value and the potentiality of a hotel are assessed by the
size, location, number of rooms and other revenue earning points it
possesses. The classification of hotels within the industry is a
complicated task. Hotels can be classified on different basis.
11.2.1 Classification According to Facilities and Amenities
Based on the facilities and amenities provided by a hotel,
they are generally classified into five main types:
1. Economy / Limited Service Hotels - These types of hotels
provide efficient, clean, private rooms with attached bath. The
furnishings and decor are moderate. Initially these hotels did
not have telephones or television in the rooms; but now most
of them have it. Food and beverage service may not be
available, and bell attendants, door attendants and concierge
facilities are absent. To maintain these economy hotels, they
are located on inexpensive real estate areas and constructed
at relatively low cost. Operating costs are kept low by
eliminating food and beverage service and employing
minimum staff to service the guests.

Classification
of Hotels
155
2. Mid-Market Hotels - The modem mid-market hotel is a
descendant of the first commercial hotel, offering comfortable
accommodation with private baths, on-premises food and
beverage service and uniformed bell staff. These hotels, also
called standard or tourist class hotels, offer above average
luxury and comfort, professionally designed decor and may
also have scenic views or advantageous locations.
3. All-suite Hotels - The all-suite hotel was invented to
compete with first-class hotels by offering above-average
facilities at mid-market rates. A typical all suite hotel offers
separate sleeping and living areas, along with other benefits
like a kitchenette and a stocked bar. Some hotels offer food
and beverage service and employ bell staff. A variation of the
all-suite hotel, the condominium hotel is a fully equipped
apartment complex that rents accommodations for a short
period. A typical condominium hotel is located in a resort area
and marketed as an alternative to full-service hotels.
4. First-Class or Executive Hotels - A typical first-class hotel
is luxurious or semi-luxurious, with exceptional comfort and
decor, highly trained staff and above average food and
beverages. These hotels are also referred to as executive or
superior hotels, often having luxury suites, two or more dining
rooms and a cocktail lounge. Many accommodations have
excellent views, refrigerators and fully stocked bars.
5. Luxury or Deluxe Hotels - These hotels represent the
highest standard of excellence in the level of luxury and
comfort, cleanliness and efficiency, staff specialisation,
competence and courtesy, diversity and quality of food and
beverage service. A typical deluxe hotel has at least 10% of
its space reserved for luxury suites, two or more dining
rooms, usually a gourmet-style dining room, and a family-
style restaurant. Most of these hotels have excellent views,
location and ambience. Some hotels offering a very high level
of luxury are referred as grand-deluxe.
11.2.2 Classification According to Star Ranking
The Department of Tourism classifies functioning hotels
under the star system, into five categories from 1-star to 5-star. For
this purpose a permanent Committee, the Hotel and Restaurant
Approval and Classification Committee (HRACC) has been set up
which inspects the applicant hotels to assess their suitability or
otherwise for award of the star category applied for. Based on the
recommendations of the HRACC, deserving hotels are awarded the
appropriate star category and are placed on the approved list of the
Department. Approved hotels become eligible to various fiscal reliefs
and benefits. The Department intercedes on behalf of such hotels
whenever necessary to ensure that their needs get priority
consideration from various concerned authorities. These hotels also
get worldwide publicity through tourist literature published by the
Department of Tourism and distributed by the Government of India
Tourist Offices in India and abroad. Approved hotels become eligible

Accommodation
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for obtaining foreign exchange for their import of essential equipment
and provisions and for their over seas advertising, publicity and
promotion under the Hotel Incentive Quota Scheme.
To be eligible to apply for classification, a functioning hotel
must fulfill the following minimum basic requirements:
i) The hotel must have at-least 10 lettable bedrooms.
ii) All rooms should have proper ventilation and ceiling fans.
iii) Carpet areas in respect of rooms and areas of bathrooms
should by and large adhere to the following limits prescribed:
Failure to satisfy these conditions will disqualify a hotel for
consideration. The general features, facilities and services expected
of hotels in the different star categories are broadly described here:
Category of Hotel Area Standards
Single Room 180 sq.ft
Double Room 200 sq.ft
5-Star / 5-Star Deluxe
Hotels (Fully Air
conditioned)
Bathrooms 45 sq.ft
4-Star & 3-Star Hotels
(Air-conditioned/ Non-
A/c)
Bathrooms 36 sq.ft
(Extra area may be provided if twin beds are to be provided)
2-Star & 1-Star Hotels
(Air-conditioned / Non-
A/c)
Bathrooms
30 sq.ft or subject
to local bylaws
Note: All rooms should have proper ventilation and ceiling fans
Figure 11.1 Categories of Hotels
11.2.2.1 Five Star Category
General Features - The facade, architectural features and general
construction of the hotel building should have the distinctive qualities
of a luxury hotel of this category .The locality, including the
immediate approach and environs should be suitable for a luxury
hotel of this category and there should be adequate parking space
for cars. The hotel should have at least 25 lettable bedrooms, all with
attached bathrooms with long bath or the most modern shower
chambers. All public rooms and private rooms should be fully air-
conditioned and should be well equipped with superior quality
carpets, curtains, furniture, fittings etc., in good taste. It would be
advisable to employ the services of professionally qualified and
experienced interior designers of repute for this purpose. There

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should be an adequate number of efficient lifts in the building of
more than two stories (including the ground floor) with 24 hours
service. There should be a well-designed and properly equipped
swimming pool. There should be a well-designated lobby and ladies'
and gentlemen's cloakroom equipped with fittings and furniture of the
highest standard.
Facilities - There should be a reception, cash and information
counter attended by highly qualified, trained and experienced
personnel and conference facilities in the form of one each or more
of the conference rooms, banquet halls and private dining rooms.
There should be bookstall, beauty parlor, barbershop, recognised
travel agency, florist and a shop for toilet requisites and medicines
on the premises. There should be a telephone in each room and
telephone for use of guests and visitors and provision for a radio or
relayed music and a TV set in each room. There should be a well-
equipped, well-furnished and well-maintained dining room /
restaurant on the premises and wherever permissible by law, there
should be an elegant, well equipped bar / permit room. The kitchen,
pantry and cold storage should be professionally designed to ensure
efficiency of operation and should be well equipped.
Services - The hotel should offer both International and Indian
Cuisine and the food and beverage service should be of the highest
standard. Glassware, cutlery, silver, tablewear and all necessary
accessories should be of best quality and standard. There should be
professionally qualified, highly trained, experienced, efficient and
courteous staff in smart, clean uniforms, and the staff coming in
contact with guests should understand English. The supervisory staff
knowing at least one continental language should be rotated on duty
at all times. There should be 24-hour service for reception,
information and telephones. There should be provision for reliable
laundry and dry cleaning services. Housekeeping, at the hotel,
should be of the highest possible standard and there should be
plentiful supply of linen, blankets, towels etc., which should be of the
highest quality available. Each bedroom should be provided with a
good vacuum jug/ thermos flask with ice cold boiled drinking water
except where centrally chilled purified drinking water is provided.
There should be a special restaurant / dining room where facilities
for dancing, orchestra are available.
11.2.2.2 Four Star Category
General Features - The facade, architectural features and general
construction of the building should be distinctive and the locality
including the immediate approach and the environs should be
suitable for a hotel of this category. There should be adequate
parking facilities for cars. The hotel should have atleast 25 lettable
bedrooms all with attached bathrooms. At least 50% of the
bathrooms must have long baths or the most modern shower
chambers, with 24-hour service of hot and cold running water. All
public rooms and private rooms should be fully air conditioned and
should be well furnished with carpets, curtains, furniture, fittings etc,
in good taste. It would be advisable to employ the services of
professionally qualified and experienced interior designer of repute

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for this purpose. There should be an adequate number of efficient
lifts in building of more than 2 stories (including the ground floor).
There should be a well-designated lobby and ladies: and
gentlemen's cloakrooms equipped with fittings of a standard befitting
a hotel of this category.
Facilities - There should be a reception, cash and information
counter attended by trained and experienced personnel. There
should be a bookstall, recognised travel agency, money changing
and safe deposit facilities and a left luggage room on the premises.
There should be a telephone in each room for the use of guests and
visitors and provision for a radio or relayed music in each room.
There should be a well-equipped, well-furnished and well-maintained
dining room / restaurant on the premises and wherever permissible
by law, there should be an elegant, well-equipped bar / permit room.
The kitchen, pantry, cold storage should be professionally designed
to ensure efficiency of operation and should be well equipped.
Service - The hotel should offer both international and Indian cuisine
and food and beverage service should be of the highest standards.
There should be professionally qualified, highly trained, experienced,
efficient and courteous staff in smart, clean uniform and the staff
coming into contact of the guests should possess good knowledge of
English. It will be desirable for some of the staff to possess
knowledge of foreign language and staff knowing at least one
continental language should be rotated on duty at all times. There
should be 24 hours service for reception, information and
telephones. There should be provision of reliable laundry and dry
cleaning services. Housekeeping at the hotel should be of the
highest possible standard and there should be plentiful supply of
linen, blankets, towels etc. that should be of the highest quality
available. Similarly, the cutlery and glassware should be of the
highest quality available. Each bedroom should be provided with a
vacuum jug (flask with ice cold, boiled drinking water. There should
be a special restaurant / dining room where facilities for dancing,
orchestra are provided.
11.2.2.3 Three Star Category
General Features - The architectural features and general
construction of the building should be of a very good standard and
the locality, including the immediate approach and environs should
be suitable for a very good hotel and there should be adequate
parking facilities for cars. The hotel should have at least 20 lettable
bedrooms all with attached bathrooms with bath tubs and / or
showers and should be modern in design and equipped with fittings
of a good standard with hot and cold running water. At least 50% of
the rooms should be air-conditioned and the furniture and furnishings
such as carpets, curtains, etc., should be of a very good standard
and design. There should be adequate number of lifts in the building
with more than two stories (including the ground floor). There should
be a well furnished equipped lounge and separate ladies and
gentlemen's cloak rooms equipped with fittings of a good standard.

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Facilities - There should be a reception and information counter
attended by qualified and experienced staff and a bookstall,
recognised travel agency, money changing and safe deposit facilities
on the premises. There should be a telephone in each room (except
in seasonal hotels where there would be a call bell in each room and
a telephone on each floor for the use of hotel guests) and a
telephone for the use of guests and visitors to the hotel. There
should be a well-equipped and well-maintained air-conditioned
dining rooms / restaurant and where ever permissible by law, there
should be a bar / permit room. The kitchen, pantry and cold storage
should be clean and organised for orderliness and efficiency.
Service - The hotel should offer good quality cuisine both Indian as
well as continental and the food and beverage service should be of
good standard. There should be qualified, trained, experienced,
efficient and courteous staff in smart and clean uniforms and the
supervisory staff coming in contact with the guests should
understand English. The senior staff should possess a good
knowledge of English. There should be provision for laundry and dry
cleaning service. Housekeeping at the hotel should be of a very
good standard and there should be adequate supply of linen,
blankets, towels etc., of good quality. Similarly, cutlery, crockery,
glassware should be of good quality. Each bedroom should be
provided with vacuum jug / thermos flask with cold boiled drinking
water. The hotel should provide orchestra and ball room facilities and
should attempt to present speciallychoreographedIndianCabarets.
11.2.2.4 Two Star Category
General Features - The building should be well constructed and the
locality and environs including the approach should be suitable for a
good hotel. The hotel should have at least 10 lettable bedrooms of
which at least 75% should have attached bathrooms with showers
and a common bathroom for every four of the remaining rooms and
should be with modern sanitation and running cold water with
adequate supply of hot water, soap and toilet papers. 25% of the
rooms should be air-conditioned (where there should be heating
arrangements in all the rooms) and all rooms must be properly
ventilated, clean, and comfortable with all the necessary items of
furniture. There should be a well-furnished lounge.
Facilities - There should be a reception counter with a telephone.
There should be a telephone or call bell in each room and there
should be a telephone on each floor unless each room has a
separate telephone. There should be a well-maintained and well-
equipped dining room / restaurant serving clean, wholesome food
and a clean, hygienic and well-equipped kitchen and pantry.
Service - There should be experienced, courteous and efficient staff
in smart and clean uniforms. The supervisory staff coming in contact
with guests should understand English. There should be provision
for laundry and dry cleaning services. Housekeeping at the hotel
should be of a good standard and good quality linen, blanket, towels
etc., should be provided. Similarly, crockery, cutlery and glasswares
should be of a good quality.

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11.2.2.5 One Star Category
General Features - The general construction of building should be
in a good locality and environs, including immediate approach should
be suitable. The hotel should have at least 10 lettable bedrooms of
which at least 25% should have attached bathrooms with a common
bathroom for every four of the remaining rooms. At least 25% of the
bathrooms should have western style W/Cs. All bathrooms should
have modern sanitation and running cold water with adequate supply
of hot water, soap and toilet paper. The rooms should be properly
ventilated and should have clean and comfortable bed and furniture.
Facilities - There should be a reception counter with a telephone
and a telephone for the use of guests and visitors. There should be a
clean and moderately well equipped dining room / restaurant serving
clean, wholesome food and there should be a clean, well-equipped
kitchen and pantry.
Service - There should be experienced, courteous and efficient staff
in smart and clean uniforms and the senior staff coming in contact
with guests should possess working knowledge of English.
Housekeeping at the hotel should be of a good standard and clean
and good quality linen, blankets, towel, etc., should be supplied.
Similarly, crockery, cutlery and glassware should be of good quality.
11.2.3 According to Ownership and Management
1. Independent Hotels (hotel consortia / cooperation) - These
hotels are on ownership basis and do not have any affiliation
or contract through any other property. And also they do not
have any tie-up with any other hotels with regards to policy,
procedures and financial obligations. The advantage in this
type of hotel is that they need not maintain a particular image
and they are not bound to maintain any set targets, but can
independently adapt quickly to the changing trends.
2. Chain / Group Hotels (public owned / franchise) - There are
many single owner hotels, yet more and more hotels and
motels are now getting affiliated to each other. This gives
them the advantage of a large central organization providing
reservation system, management services, financial strength,
expertise, manpower specialities, merchandises and
promotional help.
3. Management Contractual Hotel – is another type of chain
organization which manages properties owned by other
individuals or partners. The contract is entered on long term
basis between the owner and the operator and usually as per
the contract:
§ owner retains the legal and financial responsibilities
§ operator pays for the operating expenses and collects
from the owner an agreed upon fees
§ owner is responsible for paying taxes, insurance and
servicing debt.

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11.2.4 According to Type of Plan (Tariff Pattern)
1. European Plan - In this case only the lodging i.e. bed is
offered. Thus the charges are made for lodging only. The
guest is free to take or not to take teas, breakfast, and meals
in the hotel. He has a choice of eating out at any other good
restaurant. The guest is booked to pay for lodging only and is
charged separately for all other things or services he enjoys
or consumes. This system is generally followed by youth
hostels or hotels which are situated in metropolitan cities. In
India most of the hotels are being run on European plan.
Almost all the public sector hotels are run on this basis.
2. Continental Plan - In the case of continental plan, bed and
breakfast are included in the tariff charges. Thus bed is
offered along with breakfast and the guest is, however, free
to take his meal and tea as he likes. Thus the guest tariff
includes lodging and ‘bed and breakfast’ and for other he is
separately billed.
3. American Plan - Hotel where American plan is prevalent,
boarding and lodging is provided in the charge. The tariff
fixed includes board and lodging. It is an all inclusive full
board tariff. Accommodation and three meals daily are
included in the price of the room. It includes bed, breakfast
and two principal meals and evening tea. It does not include
EMT or coffee after lunch, or dinner. The needs are usually
'table d'hote menu'. It is also known as 'full pension'. This
analysis is mostly used at those tourist resorts, which are not
situated in big cities.
4. Modified American Plan - The tourists mostly prefer this
plan, as it is comparatively more flexible. It is offered in most
of the good hotels and is normally by arrangement. It includes
hotel accommodation, breakfast and either lunch or dinner in
the price of the room. Thus, in this type of accommodation
bed and breakfast and along with it one principal meal, lunch
or dinner at the discretion of the guest is also included. It
generally includes continental breakfast and either 'table
d’hôte lunch or dinner in the room rates. It is also known as
'demi-pension'. It has been observed that the Indian style
local hoteIs in India follow the European plan. However, and
the western style hotels operating in India which cater the
foreign tourists, operates on the American plan.
11.2.5 According to Size
Classification is made based on the number of lettable
rooms. It can be indicated either by rooms as is done in America or
by the number of beds as is done in Europe.
· Small hotels: 25 rooms or less
· Average hotels: 25 rooms to 90 rooms
· Above average hotels: 80 rooms to 250 rooms
· Large hotels: 250 rooms and above

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11.2.6 According to Visitors Stop-over
1. Residential Hotels - Residential hotels are also called as
apartment hotels or apartment house. Room in a residential
hotel is sold on a monthly or yearly basis. Rooms may be
furnished or unfurnished, single or suite. Almost all residential
hotels operate a restaurant, offer telephone service, laundry
and valet service. Advance rents are usually collected while
other charges are billed weekly. These types of hotels
normally operate on European plan. Recent developments in
this area include cooperative hotels and condominiums in
which the tenants own the apartment and pay the
management a fee for maintenance.
2. Semi Residential Hotels - These hotels provide
accommodation to guests on weekly or monthly basis like
residential hotels as well as on per day basis like transient
hotels. Reduced rates are provided to long staying guests.
Transient guests who want to take advantage of reduced
rates for longer stay also come to such establishments.
3. Transient / Transit Hotels - Hotel guests who fall under the
category of transient guests are those who are en route
guests i.e. who are in the process of moving from one
destination to another and stop at the hotel for a short period
of time as against a terminal guest who has reached his final
destination. Hence hotels, which cater to a transient / transit
guest are called transient hotels. They find their origin in
olden days inns. Examples of transient hotels are motels,
motor hotels, airport hotels etc.
4. Resort Hotels - Resort hotels are located at resort places
such as islands, exotic locations, hill stations, beaches and
health resorts and spas i.e. summer resorts, winter sports
resorts and all season resorts etc. with breathtaking beauty
and typical scenery. People go to these places for relaxation,
to enjoy themselves, and to get away from the hectic and
demanding city life or for health reasons away from hectic city
life or to pursue a specific interest / activity.
11.2.7 According to its Relationship with Transport
1. Motels - Motels, motor hotels and motor courts are designed
to serve the needs of motorists. They must provide car
parking, garage, accommodation, rest facilities and
recreational facilities and hence motels are generally
equipped with filling stations, motor garage, service stations,
accessories, elevator service to automobile entrants,
restaurants etc. The tariff is very low as compared to city
hotels. They have easy access from highways, being located
on highways or at road junctions. Motel accommodation is
ranked with hotels in general in many countries.

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2. Railway Hotels - These type of hotels are located near the
railway stations. These hotels provide temporary lodging and
food to the railway passengers. Mostly owned by the railway
authorities.
3. Airport Hotels - The location of airports far away from cities,
the growth of the airline industry, the increase in air traffic and
the postponement or cancellation of flights has made the
airlines companies responsible to take care of hundreds of
transit passengers and built the hotels near the airports. The
glaring example of such hotels is the Centaur Hotel at Delhi
and Bombay owned by Hotel Corporation of India, a,
subsidiary of Air India. These hotels get business from other
travelers who require a place to rest while waiting for
connecting flights. Many travelers prefer to arrive at the
airport the night before and get a good night rest at these
airport hotels. In addition to room, restaurant facilities, coffee
shop and main dinning room, most hotels have added
banquet and meeting rooms to attract the social functions
and meetings from companies located nearby, in order to run
their business profitably. In most of the big cities these hotels
are favorite location for area meetings, as it result in saving in
taxi fares and times.
4. Floating Hotels - This type of hotels are located on the
surface of water such as sea, lake etc. Such hotels provide
exclusive and exotic atmosphere. All the facilities of a first
class hotel are there in this category of hotels. In many
countries old luxury ships have been converted into floating
hotels. In India in Kashmir valley, houseboats are used as
first class luxury hotels. They provide wonderful experience to
a tourist. The First Floating Hotel of India, a Rs. 31 crore
hotel with four storeys, will be operational in Kolkata very
soon. The hotel with a coffee shop and 73 rooms and three
suites can be called as the First Floating Hotel of India.
11.2.8 According Type of Patronage
· Hotels catering to women only
· Hotels catering to families only
· Hotels catering to commercial men only
· Hotels catering to high society or affluent category only
· Hotels catering to retired people only
· Hotels catering to students only
11.2.9 According to Length of Operating Period
· Seasonal hotels
· Two-seasonal hotels
· Year around hotels
11.2.10 According to Location
· Resort hotels.

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· Suburban hotels
· Airport hotels (Airtel)
· Sea side hotels or Beach hotels or Coastal hotels
· Transient hotels
· Country hotels
· Floating Hotels
· City hotels
· Highway hotels
· Town center hotels (down-town hotels)
· Space resorts
· Hill or mountain hotels
· Ski resorts / Ski lodges
· Boatels
· Hotels
· Inland hotels
11.2.11 According to Purpose
· International hotels
· Commercial hotels.
· Hostels
· Business hotels
· Holiday hotels
· Transient hotels
· Resort hotels
· Motels
· Inns
· Clubs
· Convention hotels
11.3 RATES AND MEAL PLAN
The main source of income for a hotel is by the sale of room
space. In the hotel industry, all rooms are not the same. There are
various types of rooms depending on the size, location and category
of the hotel. The types of and rates of rooms not only differ from
hotel to hotel but also within the hotel, depending on real estate and
construction costs. The level of luxury and the type of bedding also
determines the room rate to be charged. Various terms, codes and
descriptions have been created by various hotels worldwide to
represent room tariffs and types. In the past it was difficult as
different hotels used different codes. Due to computerisation the
room types and codes have become standardised. Normally, hotels
have four rate categories:
1. Rack Rates Rack rates are normal room rates. It is based on
the category of the room, type of bedding and
occupancy. Unless specified, guests are quoted
the rack rates and are charged for the same.
2. Group and
Tour Rates
Group and Tour rates are a discounted room rate
for an organisation, which has blocked a large

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number of rooms. Most hotels have group rates
that are lower than the rack rates. This rate is
generally extended to a trade association or
fraternal organisation that has scheduled a
meeting, seminar or conference at the hotel.
Discounts are also offered to a tour operator, in
return for a commitment to purchase a minimum
number of rooms over a given period of time.
They are usually regular customers for the hotel.
3. Special and
Promotional
Rates
Special and promotional rates are offered to
corporate travellers, traveling sales
representatives, military personnel, airlines staff
or other regular clients. Some times special rates
are also offered along with an advertising
campaign or to promote the hotel during lean
periods.
4. Package
Rates
Package rates are offered to the public along
with other services such as banquet or a ball, or
recreational facilities or a special event. Such a
package normally includes accommodation,
tickets to the concerned event, transportation
from hotel to the venue and back and pick-up
service. Other popular packages offered by
hotels are honeymoon, weekend, Christmas,
New Year or any other special event and sports
activity. The package rate is normally lower than
the combined component or rack rate.
11.3.1 Tariff Based on Room Category
The tariff also varies as per room categories. Every
hospitality establishment has different types of rooms available but
the most common type of rooms available in large hotels are A -
Deluxe (Maximum Rate), B - Superior (Moderate Rate), C - Standard
(Minimum Rate), D - E conomy (Promotional rate). T h e
accommodation is also categorized depending on occupancy rates
charged accordingly. Su - Suite, S - Single occupancy, D - Double
occupancy.
Category Type of Accommodation
1. Deluxe
Room
offers the best location in the hotel and offers
best view, highest level of comfort with matching
furnishings and decor. The amenities include a
fully stocked bar or refrigerator and the room has
king or queen beds.
2. Superior
Room
is a medium rate room usually located on the
ground floor with a good view and may have a
double king or queen bed.
3. Standard is a regular room consisting of one or two double

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Room beds, a queen bed or two twin beds. They may
not have either a good view or a good location.
4. Economy
Room
generally a room reserved for promotional or
discounted rates and may have under sized
beds, small floor plan or a mediocre location.
5. Suite normally consists of two rooms -a living room
and a sleeping room. It may some times also
have a kitchenette or conference room. The
other amenities provided are a stocked bar and
refrigerator.
11.3.2 Tariff Based on Bedding
Besides the variation in the rooms and tariff, the bedding also
normally has following categories. They are K-King-sized bed; Q-
Queen sized bed, D-Double bed, T-Twin bed and S-Single Bed.
1. King-sized
Bed
is the latest style and is equal to two twin beds
side by side. One or two king beds are normally
provided in deluxe rooms or suites.
2. Queen-sized
Bed
A queen bed is about 10 to 25% smaller than the
king sized bed, but 25% bigger than the standard
bed. A queen bed may be provided in any
category of rooms, as some hotels do not
distinguish between queen beds and double
beds.
3. Double Bed The standard sized double bed is about 25%
smaller than the queen bed and is provided in
any room category.
4. Twin Bed The twin bed is about half the size of a king bed
and a room normally has two twin beds.
5. Single Bed A single bed may refer to one twin bed or one
bed of any size provided in a room, which is
rented out for single occupancy.
11.3.3 Tariff Based on Special Rates
A number of hotels offer special discounted rates as under:
1. Corporate
Rate
This rate is given to corporate travellers, who
normally form the cream of a hotel's occupancy.
To earn this discount, the company may have to
guarantee a minimum number of rooms to be
occupied during a particular period. Some hotels
offer this corporate rate to any business traveller
irrespective of the employer.

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2. Government
Rate
This rate is normally given to employees of the
government, usually on the basis of a contract
between the government department and the
hotel. Discounted rate may also be given to
government personnel holding a valid ID t o
encourage regular business.
3. Military Rate This is offered to personnel of the armed forces,
either on the basis of a contract or to encourage
repeat business.
4. Agent Rate This rate is offered to travel agents and airline
personnel, which may not be valid during the
peak seasons.
5. Salesperson
Rate
These rates are mostly offered at motels to
traveling salespersons during the off-season.
6. Local
Business
Rate
These rates may be offered to preferred
business houses in the local community, which
includes a discount and guaranteed availability.
7. Day Rate This rate is applicable to guests who stay only
during the day without staying overnight.
8. Package
Rates
These rates are often offered during the lean
season or as a promotional venture. These
include weekend packages or promotional
packages like a three night’s and two days stay
which include meals and other recreational
facilities.
9. Group and
Tour
Discount
The hotel, normally offers group and tour
discounts to increase or maintain occupancy
throughout the year in return for a commitment to
purchase a fixed number of rooms.
10. Guaranteed
Availability
If a hotel normally has a high occupancy rate, the
group rate offered may be only guaranteed
availability of a fixed number of rooms, without
offering a discount.
11.3.4 Tariff Based on Meal Plan
The meal plans are usually of five types.
1. European
Plan
Under this plan the room rate charged does not
include any meals, which must be purchased
separately.
2. American
Plan
This has two types:
Full American Plan – under this plan the room
rates include all three meals, but exclude

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beverages, which must be purchased separately.
Modified American Plan - Here the room rate
includes two meals (normally continental
breakfast and dinner), excluding alcoholic
beverages, which must be purchased separately.
3. Continental
Plan
Under this, room rate includes continental
breakfast.
4. Bed And
Breakfast
Plan
Under this plan, the room rate includes a full
breakfast.
11.4 HOTEL GUESTS
A hotel customer or client is called a guest because the hotel
offers homely and professional service to him, and establishes an
intimate relationship with him during his stay.
Hotel guests may be defined as “people who have, who are,
or who will be availing the services of hotel, for a particular period in
order to satisfy their demand for accommodation, food and beverage
or entertainment, for which they are willing and able to pay”.
Guest relation is the integral part of the hotel industry. It is a
means for the management to reach out to the guest and convey to
him the feeling of warmth and welcome.
11.4.1 Guest Classification
A guest may be classified under following headings:
1. Guests on the basis of presence in the hotel: an
expected guest, an in-house guest and check out guest.
2. Guests on the basis of recognition: regular guest , V.I.P.,
special attention and distinguished guest and new guests
3. Guests on the basis of revenue: paying guests and
Complimentary Guests.
CHECK YOUR PROGRESS
1. What are the different categories of star hotels?
2. Classify hotels according to facilities and amenities.
3. How the guests are classified?
11.5 LET US SUM UP
Hotels are of various types depending on number of factors
like the nature and facilities offered, size, location, etc. Hotel can be
classified into Economy / Limited Service Hotels, Mid-Market Hotels,

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All-suite Hotels, First-Class or Executive Hotels, Luxury or Deluxe
Hotels. According to ownership and management, hotels can be
classified into Independent Hotels, Chain / Group Hotels and
Management Contractual Hotels. According to type of plan (tariff
pattern), hotels are classified into European Plan, Continental Plan,
American Plan/ Modified American Plan and ‘Bed and Breakfast
Plan’. According to the size, hotels are grouped into small hotels,
average hotels, above average hotels and large hotels. According to
visitors stop-over, hotels are grouped into Residential Hotels, Semi
Residential Hotels, Transient / Transit Hotels and Resort Hotels.
According to its relationship with transport, hotels are grouped into
Motels, Railway Hotels, Airport Hotels and Floating Hotels.
According to the type of patronage, hotels can be exclusively
for women, families, commercial men, high society or affluent
category, retired people and students. According to the Length of
operating period, the hotels may be seasonal, two-seasonal or year
around hotels. Based on the location, hotels may be called Resort
hotels, Suburban hotels, Airport hotels (Airtel), Sea side hotel or
Beach hotels or Coastal hotels, Transient hotels, Country hotels,
Floating hotels, City hotels, Highway hotels, Town center hotels,
Space resorts, Hill or Mountain hotels, Ski resorts / Ski lodges,
Boatels, Hotels and Inland hotels. Hotels can also be of types such
as International, Commercial, Hostels, Business, Holiday, Transient,
Resort, Motels, Inns, Clubs and Convention hotels.
Normally hotels have four categories of rates, viz. rack rates,
group and tour rates, special and promotional rates, and package
rates. The tariff also varies as per room categories and bedding. A
number of hotels offer special discounted rates for Companies,
Government, Military Tour, Agent and Salesperson. The meal plans
are usually of five types, viz. European plan, American plan (full and
modified), Continental plan and ‘Bed and Breakfast’ plan. Guest
relation is the integral part of the hotel industry. A guest may be
classified on the basis of presence in the hotel, on the basis of
recognition and on the basis of revenue (paying and
complementary).
1. Collect pictures of famous hotels worldwide from magazines
and other means and prepare a scrap book for future
reference.
2. Find out the prominent hotels / hotel chains in various countries
throughout the world.
3. Find out the 5 star and 3 star hotels in your metro.
4. Visit nearby various class hotels and note down the reasons for
category classifications.
11.7 KEY WORDS
Meal The food served and eaten in one sitting

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Lodge To provide with temporary quarters, especially for
sleeping
Kitchenette A small kitchen
Condominium A building or complex in which units of property,
such as apartments, are owned by individuals and
common parts of the property, such as the grounds
and building structure, are owned jointly by the unit
owners
Gourmet A connoisseur of fine food and drink
Cloakroom A room for checking packages or baggage, as in a
theater, railway station, or airport
Franchise Authorization granted to someone to sell or
distribute a company's goods or services in certain
area
1. Hold discussions and prepare a report outlining the additional
facilities and improvements needed to seek upgradation of
present star relating to a higher one.
2. What are the various classifications of the hotels?
3. How hotels are categoried according to norms of
accommodation provided to the guests and what are the
differences among them?
4. How hotels are classified according to mode of travel?
1. The different types of star hotels are five star hotels, four star
hotels, three star hotels, two star hotels and one star hotels.
2. Economy / Limited Service Hotels, Mid-Market Hotels, All-suite
Hotels, First-Class or Executive Hotels and Luxury or deluxe
hotels.
3. Guests may be classified on the basis of presence in the hotel,
recognition and revenue.
11.9 REFERENCES
1. M. Zulfikar (1998), Introduction to Tourism and Hotel Industry,
Sangam Books Ltd.
4. Tom Powers, Clayton W. Barrows (2002), Introduction to the
Hospitality Industry, Wiley.

LESSON 12
FRONT OFFICE DEPARTMENT
CONTENTS
12.1 Introduction
12.2 Front Office Department
12.2.1 Front Office Functions
12.3 Front Office Organisation
12.3.1 Front Office Organisation Chart
12.4 Duties & Responsibilities of Front Office Staff
12.4.1 Front Office Manager
12.4.2 Front Desk Agent
12.4.3 Reservation Agent
12.4.4 Switchboard Operator
12.4.5 Front Office Cashier
12.4.6 Uniformed Service Staff
12.4.7 Concierge
12.4.8 Night Auditor
12.5 Front Office Desk Layout
12.6 Front Office Equipments and Furniture
12.7 Let us Sum Up
12.9 Key Words
12.11 References
following:
Ø Front office department and its functions
Ø Front office organization
Ø Duties and responsibilities of front office staffs
Ø Front office desk layout and equipments.
12.1 INTRODUCTION
At the hub of the hotel world is the reception desk where
most guest transactions take place. It is here that the guest is
received, registered and assigned a room. Information, mail,
messages, complaints and room accounts are all dealt with here.
Therefore, to a large extent, the reception team is the key to an
enjoyable and problem-free stay for the hotel guest. It is also the
centre of attraction and money generation for the establishment.

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The front office department is the nerve centre, the hub and
the heart of the hotel. Front office personnel have more contact with
guests than staffs in other departments. This is the department
where the guest first checks in and finally checks out of the hotel.
The front office is the main communication centre. As it is the
major revenue generating department, it is equipped with staffs of
good quality and personality.
The front office is the show window and hence it is furnished
and maintained with good furnitures and fittings. Front office is well
designed in an orderly manner. Regardless of how the hotel is
organized, the front office is always an essential “focal point”.
12.2 FRONT OFFICE DEPARTMENT
The front office is the main controlling centre of all guest
services, and also coordinates the back office functions with these
services. It serves as a main channel of two way communications i.e.
from hotel to guest and guest to hotel.
Front office is the name given to all the offices situated in the
front of the house, that is, the lobby, where the guest is received,
provided information, checked-in, his luggage is handled, his
accounts are settled at departure, and his problems, complaints and
suggestions are looked after. Foreign guests use the front desk to
exchange currency, find a translator, or request other special
assistance.
The front desk often serves as the hotel control center for
guest requests concerning housekeeping or engineering issues. In
addition, it may also be a base of operations during an emergency,
such as a fire or a guest injury.
12.2.1 Front Office Functions
Front office functions include reservations, registration, room
and rate assignment, check-in, guest services, room status,
maintenance and settlement of guest accounts and creation of guest
history records. The front office compiles a n d maintains a
comprehensive data base of guest information, coordinates guest
services, and ensures guest satisfaction. These functions are
accomplished by personnel in diverse areas of the front office
department.
The main functions of the front office department are:
1. During Guest Cycle: Pre arrival, arrival, on going
responsibilities, departure and after departure
activities.
2. Guest Services: Reservations, registration,
occupancy services, checkout and history.

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a. Maintain accurate room status information
b. Process future room reservations, when there is
no reservation department or when the
reservation department is closed.
c. Coordinate guest services.
d. Provide information about the hotel, the
surrounding community, and any attractions or
events of interest to guests.
3. Guest Accounting: Establishment of credit, charge
posting, night audit and settlement.
a. Maintain guest accounts and monitor credit limits.
b. Produce guest account statements and complete
proper financial settlement.
The front office functions can be well understood from the
figure given below:
Figure 12.1 Functions of Front Office
12.3 FRONT OFFICE ORGANISATION
The front office department of a hotel comprises of various
sections. Depending on the size of the hotels, the sections may vary.
In small or medium sized hotels the sections may be merged and
handled accordingly. The following are the sections of the front office
department.
1. Reservation Section is responsible for booking of rooms in
advance. It is responsible for the receiving of the room requests,
reservation analyzing and documentation of the room requests
received. This section of the department depends upon the size
of the hotel; if the hotel is small sized there may be not be a

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separate section for reservations. This section is mostly found in
mid sized and large sized hotel.
2. Front Desk Section is responsible for receiving the guest,
registering of the guest, assigning of room and room keys and
remote controls for television and air conditioners if such
services are available and assistance to the guest during their
stay. They are also a source of information for government
offices.
Figure 12.2 Front Desk
3. Bell Desk is mainly responsible for luggage handling of the
guests. It consists of group of uniformed staff for guest services.
This section is maintained separately in large hotels only.
4. Travel Desk Section handles the transportation facility of the
hotel guest. It assists in the booking of air tickets, hiring of the
car and other transportation facilities. It also arranges /
organizes city tours, sight seeing tours to the guests on request.
5. Business Centres serve the guests with laptops, internet,
mobiles, facsimile, LCD projectors, and photocopier and also on
request secretarial facilities. This is the latest addition in the
large and medium sized hotels, in line with the electronic era.
Figure 12.3 Business Centre

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6. Concierge Section provides information about the hotel, its
services and amenities, city, town, country, travel and transport,
banks etc. They can also handle the guest luggage and bags if
the hotel does not have the bell desk section. The receiving and
distribution of mail and message, packets, news papers and
magazines in the early mornings to guest room are also
attended to. In addition, it may also handle the hiring of the car
and booking of air tickets and other transportation facilities if
there is no travel desk in the hotel.
7. Cashiering Section is responsible for maintaining and
recording guest accounts and bills and folio of guest and either
cash or credit settlement of guest folios at the time of departure.
8. Communication and Telephone Section handles the guest
telephones and messages, both incoming and out going of the
guest.
12.3.1 Front Office Organisation Chart
Figure 12.4 Front Office Organisation Chart
The Front Office organization chart is designed according to
functions. The chart 12.4 clearly defines the control and also
provides guests with more specialized attention.
Typical positions and functions under the Front Office
Department are:
1. Front Desk Agent: Registers guests, and maintains room
availability information
2. Reservation Agent: Responds to Reservation Requests
and creates Reservation Records
3. Cashier: Closes guest folios, and properly checks out the
guests.
4. Uniformed Bell Service Agent: Handles guest luggage,
escorts guests to their rooms, and assists guests for any
bit of information requested.

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5. Switchboard Operator: Manages the switchboard and
coordinates wake-up calls.
6. Night Auditor: Controls the job of the Accounts
Receivable Clerk, and prepares daily reports to the
management (eg: Occupancy Report and Revenue
Report).
12.4 DUTIES & RESPONSIBILITIES OF FRONT OFFICE STAFF
12.4.1 Front Office Manager
Front Office manager must be a skilled planner who
channelizes the various resources viz. people, money, time, work
methods, materials, energy and equipment to suit the objectives of
the property. He should maintain cordial relationships between the
front office and other hotel divisions and departments by
encouraging communication between all areas of responsibility.
Basic Function: To supervise all front office personnel and ensure
proper completion of all front office duties.
Duties & Responsibilities:
1. Evaluate and decide the need of personnel in the department.
2. Participate in the selection of front office personnel.
3. Train and update staff skills.
4. Schedule the staff duties.
5. Supervise and help workloads during shifts.
6. Evaluate the job performance of each front office employee.
7. Maintain working relationships and communicate with all
departments.
8. Maintain master key control.
9. Check room status
10. Resolve guest problems quickly, efficiently and courteously
11. Update and monitor group information and requirements.
12. Review credit limit report.
13. Enforce all cash-handling, other modes of payment and credit
policies.
12.4.2 Front Desk Agent
Also designated, as Receptionist or Front office Assistant in
some hotels, is the first person a guest sees on entering the property
and the last person the guest sees on leaving.
Basic Function: To assist guests in all front office-related functions in
an efficient, courteous, and professional manner that maintains high
standards of service and hospitality.
Duties and Responsibilities:

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1. Register guests and assign rooms; accommodate special
requests, if possible.
2. Assist in pre-registration and blocking of rooms for reservations.
3. Thoroughly understand and adhere to proper credit, other
modes of payment, cash handling policies and procedures.
4. Know room status, locations, types and rates.
5. Use suggestive selling techniques to sell rooms and to promote
other services of the hotel.
6. Coordinate rooms’ status with housekeeping department; notify
all check-outs, early check-ins, special requests etc.
7. Take reservations, modify or cancel as requested.
8. Post and file all charges to guest, master and city ledger
accounts.
9. Handle issuing and closing of safe deposit boxes for the guests.
10. Read, maintain and pass-on log and bulletin board at each shift.
11. Coordinate with engineering and maintenance division for guest
room maintenance.
12. Know all safety and emergency procedures, accident prevention
policies.
13. Report any unusual occurrences or requests to the manager.
12.4.3 Reservation Agent
Normally found in larger hotels, in smaller hotels Front office
agent handles this job.
Basic Function: To handle all future reservations, matching the
needs of the guests with the hotel.
1. Process reservations by mail, telephone, telex, cable, fax or
central reservation system referral.
2. Process reservations from the sales office, other hotel
departments and travel agents.
3. Know the type of rooms, location and layout, status, rates,
package plans, benefits etc.
4. Maintain reservation records by date and time of arrival and
alphabetical listings.
5. Processcancellationsandmodifications.
6. Prepare letters of confirmation and communicate to the
prospective guest / representative.
7. Know the hotel’s policy on guaranteed reservations and no-
shows.
8. Process advance deposits on reservations.
9. Prepare expected arrival lists and communicate reservation
information for front office.
10. Assist in pre-registration activities when appropriate.
11. Promote goodwill by being courteous, friendly and helpful to
guests, managers and fellow employees.

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12.4.4 Switchboard Operator
They are heard by the guest but are rarely seen. They
represent the hotel through their voice on the phone. They build a
very significant image of the hotel to a prospective guest. The work
has drastically changed due to the electronic age, but the basic voice
assistance is always a warm welcome.
Basic Function: Receives and directs incoming and outgoing calls to
individual guests, staff, or departments.
1. Answer incoming calls.
2. Direct calls to guestrooms, staff, or departments through the
switchboard or PBX system.
3. Place outgoing calls.
4. Receive telephone charges from the telephone company and
forward charges to the front desk for posting.
5. Take and distribute messages for guests.
6. Log all wake-up call requests and perform wake-up call services.
7. Provide information about guest services to guests.
8. Answer questions about hotel events and activities.
9. Provide paging services to hotel guests and employees.
10. Know what action to take when an emergency call is requested
or received.
11. Be aware of all the emergency service nos. and systems relating
to the same.
12.4.5 Front Office Cashier
Basic Function: Guest accounting tasks require efficiency and
accuracy. The tasks of the front office cashier center on the guest
accounting cycle. The front office cashiers post revenue center
charges to guest accounts. The hotel’s revenue centers
communicate information on charge purchases to the front desk.
Cashiers then post these charges to guest accounts to ensure that
the charges will be settled at checkout. Where computerised
systems are installed, the Point of Sale operations are directly
posted to the Guest Ledger whenever the guest utilises a particular
service. The cashiers also receive payment from guests at checkout.
They coordinate the billing of credit card and direct-billed guest
accounts with the accounting division. The cashier at the close of
each shift balances all guest accounts. They also manage safe-
deposit boxes / lockers, variety of banking services including foreign
exchange.
1. Operate front office posting equipment/ system.

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2. Obtain the house bank and keep it balanced.
3. Complete cashier pre-shift supply checklist.
4. Take departmental readings at the beginning of the shift.
5. Complete guest check-in and checkout procedures.
6. Post charges to guest accounts.
7. Handle Paid-outs (VPO).
8. Transfer guest balances to other accounts as required.
9. Settle guest accounts in cash, credit card, Company account by
transferring balances to the respective ledgers.
10. Post non-guest ledger payments.
11. Make account adjustments.
12. Balance departmental totals and cash at close of shift.
13. Manage safe deposit box/ locker.
12.4.6 Uniformed Bell Service Staff
Basic Functions: Meeting, greeting and escorting guests to their
rooms and also the reverse of it i.e. escorting guests from their
rooms to the front desk, to their means of transport etc. They also do
errands, handle messages and page guests. They also act as the
eyes and ears of the hotels since they are strategically stationed and
also make trips to many floors and rooms. Work closely with the front
desk staff, room service employees and other hotel personnel in
providing guest assistance with luggage, transportation and
miscellaneous needs.
1. Maintain a good personal appearance at all times. Wear the
standard uniform and name tag.
2. Escort guests to and from their rooms if required and also assist
in carrying their luggage.
3. Keep the lobby directory up to date.
4. Watch for any unusual persons or activities and report them to
management.
5. Transport hotel guests to and from the airport on request. Keep
limousines and other hotel vehicles clean and in top running
condition.
6. Maintain an orderly, secure checkroom for guests.
12.4.7 Concierge
Basic Functions: They are specialized in assisting the guest –
regardless of whether inquiries concern in-hotel or off-premises
attractions, facilities, services, or activities. Must provide concise and
accurate directions; make reservations for flights, theater or special
events, obtain tickets, organize special functions such as VIP
cocktail receptions and arrange for secretarial services, if needed.

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1. Develop a strong knowledge of the hotel’s facilities and services
and of the surroundingcommunity.
2. Provide guests with directions / information to attractions or
facilities in or outside the property.
3. Make guest reservations for air or other forms of transportation
when requested; obtain necessary itinerary and tickets.
4. Make guest reservations for the theater and other forms of
entertainment when requested, obtain necessary tickets and
provide directions to facilities.
5. Organize special functions as directed by management.
6. Arrange secretarial and other office services.
7. Coordinate guest requests for special services or equipment
with the appropriate department.
8. Check with roomed guests periodically to ascertain if they have
any special needs.
9. Handle guest complaints.
12.4.8 Night Auditor
Basic Functions: Must be skilled record keeper since the job requires
him to track room revenues, occupancy percentages, and other front
office operating statistics and prepare, a summary of the financial
performance for the day. He is basically an employee of the
accounts division. Has to verify all account postings and balances
made during the day by front desk cashiers and agents. In some
properties, he may also act as front desk agent during the night.
1. Post room charges and taxes to guest accounts.
2. Process guest charge vouchers and credit card vouchers.
3. Post guest charge purchase transactions not posted by the front
office cashier.
4. Transfer charges and deposits to master accounts.
5. Verify all account postings and balances.
6. Monitor the current status of coupon, discount, and other
promotional programmes.
7. Track room revenues, occupancy percentages, and other front
office statistics.
8. Prepare a summary of cash, cheques, credit card activities and
summary of results of operations for management.
9. Understand principles of auditing, balancing and closing out
accounts.
10. Know how to operate posting machines, other front office
equipment and computers.

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11. Understand and know how to perform check-in and checkout
procedures.
12.5 FRONT OFFICE DESK LAYOUT
As the front office is the entry and exit point for a guest, the
main entrance and approach play a very important role in the
selection of hotel for a guest. A guest entering a hotel does so
through the main entrance which leads to the reception area of the
hotel which is also called the lobby of the hotel.
Figure 12.5 Lobby Layout
The lobby is elegantly designed to accommodate the front
office staffs and for the smooth service to the guests. Since the
lobby usually serves as a meeting or gathering area for guests and
their visitors it should be well planned and furnished to give a best
intuition. The lobby of the hotel includes the general circulation and
waiting area which leads to check-in, information, cashiers counter,
bell desk, travel desk, cloak rooms etc.. The above figure shows a
typical layout of a lobby. The layout may vary from hotel to hotel.
Some hotel may even have a coffee shop, restaurant and shopping
arcade.
12.6 FRONT OFFICE EQUIPMENTS AND FURNITURES
The following are the common equipments and furniture
found in the hotel lobby:
1. Front Desk
2. Bell desk and concierge desk
3. Lobby desk
4. Travel counter
5. Room and reservation racks

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6. Computer, Printer, UPS and other related devices
7. Credit card imprinters
8. Telephone – EPABX, PBX, PMBX, EPBX
9. Telex, Facsimile machine
10. Mail, Message and Key rack
11. Duplicate key rack
12. Time stand
13. Wake up device
14. Folio tray
15. Security monitor
16. Luggage trolley
17. Luggage net
18. Date and time punching machine
19. Bulletin boards
20. G.R. card holder
21. Mail forwarding file
22. Page board
23. Safe vault and in-room vault
24. Photocopyingmachine
25. Room rack
26. Postal weighting scale
27. Voucher rack
28. Account posting machine
29. Cash register
30. Magnetic strip reader
CHECK YOUR PROGRESS
1. What are the main functions of the front office department?
2. What are the sections of the front office department?
3. What is the basic function of a Front Office Manager?
12.7 LET US SUM UP
The front office department is the nerve centre of the hotel.
This is the department where the guest first checks-in and finally
checks-out of the hotel. The front office is also the main controlling
centre of all room services. The front office functions include
reservations, registration, room and rate assignment, guest services,
room status maintenance, settlement of guest accounts and creation
of guest history records.
The front office department of a hotel comprises of the
following sections: Reservation section, Front desk section, Bell
desk, Travel desk, Concierge section, Cashiering section,
Communication and telephone section, and Business centres. The
Front Office Manager must be a skilled planner who channelises the

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various resources viz. people, money, time, work methods,
materials, energy and equipment to suit the objectives of the
property. The Front Desk Agent (Receptionist or Front office
Assistant) is the first person a guest sees on entering the hotel and
the last person the guest sees on leaving.
The front office lobby is elegantly designed to accommodate
the staffs and for the smooth service to the guests. The common
equipments and furniture found in the hotel lobby include front desk,
bell desk and concierge desk, lobby desk, travel counter, room and
reservation racks, computer, printer, credit card imprinters,
telephone, telex, facsimile machine, mail, message and key rack,
duplicate key rack, time stand, wake up device, folio tray, security
service monitor, luggage trolley, luggage net, sate and time punching
machine, bulletin boards, G.R. card holder, mail forwarding file, page
board, safe vault and in-room vault, photocopying machine, room
rack, postal weighting scale, voucher rack, account posting machine,
cash register and magnetic strip reader.
1. Visit a hotel near by and take a list of office equipments and
furniture found in the front office lobby.
2. Visit a hotel, interview the Front Office Manage and take a note
of his duties and responsibilities.
12.9 KEY WORDS
Audit To examine, verify, or correct
Amenity The quality of being pleasant or attractive facilities
available.
Folio A large sheet of paper folded once in the middle,
making two leaves or four pages of a book or
manuscript
Telex A communications system consisting of
teletypewriters connected to a telephonic network to
send and receive signals
Prospective Likely or expected to happen
Ledger A book in which the monetary transactions of a
business are posted in the form of debits and credits
Lockers A small, usually metal compartment that can be
locked, especially one at a public place for the
safekeeping of clothing and valuables
1. Explain in your own words about the front office department and
its functions.
2. Give a brief description about the duties and responsibilities of
the front office staffs.

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3. What are the equipments that you find in a front office
department?
1. The main functions of the front office department include pre
arrival, arrival, on going responsibilities, departure and after
departureactivities,reservations,registration,occupancy
services, checkout and history, maintain guest accounts and
monitor credit limits.
2. The front office department of a hotel comprises of the following
sections: Reservation section, Front desk section, Bell desk,
Travel desk, Concierge section, Cashiering section,
Communication and telephone section, and Business centres.
3. The basic function of the Front Office Manager is to supervise all
front office personnel and ensure proper completion of all front
office duties.
12.11 REFERENCES
2. James A. Bardi (2002), Hotel Front Office Management, Wiley.
3. Ahmed Ismail (2002), Front office operations and management,
Thomson Delmar Learning.
4. Michael L. Kasavana and Richard M. Brooks (2005), Managing
Front Office Operations, Educational Institute of American Hotel
& Motel.

LESSON 13
RESERVATION
CONTENTS
13.1 Introduction
13.2 Reservation
13.3 Types of Reservations
13.3.1 Guaranteed Reservation
13.3.2 Non-Guaranteed Reservation
13.3.3 Tentative / Provisional Reservation
13.4 Reservation Enquiry
13.5 Sources of Reservations
13.5.1 Central Reservation Systems
13.5.2 Intersell Agencies
13.5.3 Direct Reservation System
13.6 Group Reservations
13.7 ReservationAvailability
13.8 Devices Used for Tracking Room Availability
13.8.1 Control Books
13.8.2 Wall Charts
13.8.3 ComputerizedSystems
13.9 Reservation Record
13.10 ReservationConfirmation
13.11 Let us Sum Up
13.13 Key Words
13.15 References
following:
Ø Reservation and its types
Ø Sources of reservation
Ø Reservation availability
Ø Equipment tracking room availability
Ø Reservation records and confirmation.
13.1 INTRODUCTION
A hotel mainly relies on the income generated from the
effective letting of its bedrooms for profit. A large percentage of

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revenue is obtained from room sales, and out of that again, a large
proportion is contributed by the advance booking or reservation of
rooms of the hotel.
Reservation is an activity concerning the sale of room. In a
small hotel, the volume of reservation, i.e. advance booking of room
is much less as compared to a large hotel; hence this function and
subsequently the work involved in reservations can be done by the
receptionist himself at the reception counter. In a large hotel, the
volume of work of booking of rooms is quite big and hence it
becomes necessary to allocate a separate section away from the
reception counter so that the receptionist can concentrate more on
the guest services.
Reservations generally constitute both legal and moral
responsibilities on hotel and hence it is important that proper and
efficient systems are installed in the hotel. These records should be
filed in such a way that the staff is able to refer to any individual
reservation enquiry quickly. It is also important that the reservation
staff must be aware of legal requirements and implications.
13.2 RESERVATION
Reservation is the activity of booking the room in advance for
a prospective guest on his request for future, which may be from few
days to months in advance. Below is the detailed process of
reservation:
1. Conduct the reservation enquiry
2. Determine room and rate availability
3. Create the reservation record
4. Confirm the reservation record
5. Maintain the reservation record
6. Produce reservation reports.
Functions of the Reservation Section:
· The main function of the reservation section is to help the
hotel in generating revenue from future and prospective room
sales.
· The reservation section should receive the reservation
request from the prospective guest, check availability of
rooms, process the request and either accept it, wait list it or
deny it and communicate the decision.
· Prior to Computerization Era, the main function of the
Reservation Process is only to determine basic room
availability. That is, the reservation clerk can only tell the
potential guest whether a room is reserved for him / her or
not. However, the reservation clerk can not tell the type of the
room, rate honored etc. But nowadays, with the wide use of

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187
computer reservation (on-line reservation) with software
package programs, it is now possible to reserve a room by
room type, rate, and to accommodate all the possible special
requests of the guest. Therefore, the selling function has
largely shifted from the front office to the reservation
department. Hence, projections of Room Revenues and
Profitability Analysis became one of the main functions of the
ReservationDepartment.
Figure 13.1 Reservation Section
· As a consequence, reservation department and
reservation agents should have sales goals to achieve
which might focus on number of room nights, average
room rate, and / or booked room revenue.
13.3 TYPES OF RESERVATIONS
13.3.1 Guaranteed Reservation
Ensures that the hotel will hold a room for the guest until a
specific time following the guest’s scheduled arrival date [i.e. check-
in time or start of the hotel’s day shift or any time the lodging
property chooses]. On return, the guest shall guarantee his / her
reservation of room unless reservation is properly canceled. In order
to guarantee a reservation, guests might opt for one of the following
methods:
1. Prepayment Guaranteed Reservation – the hotel request the
prospective guest to either send the complete deposit or a
partial deposit and on receiving, makes the booking for the
prospective guest.
2. Credit Card Guaranteed Reservation – in this case the
prospective guest gives his credit card number and details to the
hotel. The hotel confirms the room from the credit card
guarantee and then claims from the credit card company, if the
guest does not occupy the room on the said date.

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3. Travel Agent Guaranteed Reservation – some travel agents
have arrangement with hotel chains to book room for their
clients and executives travelling to various destination. The
travel agents are solely responsible for the reservation; they are
billed after the guest’s stay is completed.
4. Voucher or Miscellaneous Charge Order [MCO] - this is a
special arrangement designed to attract return guest or new
business. This is usually provided by the hotels themselves for
their prospective guests.
5. Corporate Guaranteed Reservation – in this case the
corporation or company takes the responsibility for booking for
their executives, visitors etc.
13.3.2 Non-Guaranteed Reservation
Ensures that the hotel agrees to hold a room for the guest
until a stated reservation cancellation hour (usually 6 p.m.) on the
day of arrival. In case the guest who has made the reservation
arrives after 6.00 p.m, the hotel is not bound to provide him
accommodation. Non-guaranteed reservation usually occurs when
the prospective guest does not provide any payment guarantee but
simply confirms through a letter. Reservation agents shall make
sure to encourage their guests to guarantee their reservations,
especially in the high season.
13.3.3 Tentative / Provisional Reservation
Provisional reservation is done when a request from
prospective guest is received for some future day arrival and the
hotel blocks the room for this guest, provisionally in the hotel records
such as charts and diaries and racks or computer and sends a letter
of offer to the prospective guest. The offer has a cut off date by
which the guest should send his confirmation which may be in the
form of a letter, guarantee by company, credit card or deposit
whichever the hotel may request. Once the confirmation from the
guest is received by the hotel within the cut off date, the hotel makes
the tentative booking into confirmed booking. Otherwise the tentative
booking is cancelled and the records updated.
13.4 RESERVATION ENQUIRY
Guests can communicate their reservation enquiries in any
one of the methods; in person, over the telephone, via mail, through
facsimile, telex or e-mail. Moreover, reservation inquiries can also be
made through Central Reservation System or Intersell Agency.
While getting a reservation enquiry, the reservation agent
shall obtain the following guest-related information:
i) Guest’s name, address and telephone number
ii) Company or travel agency name, where possible

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iii) Date of arrival and departure
iv) Type and number of rooms requested
v) Desired room rate and type of room
vi) Number of people in the group, if applicable
vii) Method of payment and / or guarantee
viii) Any other special requests
Figure 13.2 Reservation Form
Most of the above mentioned information is used to create a
reservation record.
13.5 SOURCES OF RESERVATIONS
13.5.1 Central Reservation Systems
The majority of Lodging Properties belongs to one or more
Central Reservation Systems. A central reservation system is
composed of a central reservation office, member hotels connected
together via communication devices, and potential guests. Central
Reservation Office [CRO] offers its services via a 24-hours toll free
telephone number(s).
Member hotels of the central reservation system shall provide
and exchange accurate room availability data to central reservation
offices. To illustrate, central reservation offices and member hotels
shall communicate (on real time) any reservation transaction. This is
possible, nowadays, with the sophisticated communication
equipment available. These equipments shall be provided by central
reservation offices to its member hotels. Such equipment may range
from teletype, telex, facsimile machines, to personal computers or
Internet connections.
On return for the services, central reservation offices charges
a fee for the utilization of its services which might take the form of a
flat fee and a variable fee, or a flat percentage of potential room
revenue, actual room revenue, and / or Rooms Division gross profit.
Central Reservation Offices are divided into two:

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i) Affiliate reservation network - this network is referred to
as the hotel chain’s reservation system. In fact, it is
composed of a CRO and hotels, which are members of the
same chain. The main advantages of affiliate reservation
network are:
a) Streamline the process of reservation
b) Reduce overall system costs
c) Attract business for or refer business to another chain
property
d) Affiliate reservation networks might serve, in addition
to its main function, other duties like:
· Serve as an inter property communication network
· Serve as an accounting transfer tool
· Serve as a destination information center
· Serve as a connection with Global Distribution
Systems [GDS] System including several Central
Reservation Offices connected to each other.
ii) Non-affiliate reservation network - A n o n -affiliate
reservation network is composed of a central reservation
office, potential guests, and member independent hotels.
13.5.2 Intersell Agencies
Intersell Agencies are special types of central reservation
offices contracting to handle reservation for more than one Product
Line for example handle at the same time Airline Tickets, Car Rental,
Hotel Reservation, etc. (“One Call Does it All Approach!”).
13.5.3 Direct Reservation System
Even though many of the five-star hotels rely heavily on
central reservation offices and intersell agencies, some potential
guests might still find it convenient, and personal to call directly the
hotel to communicate a reservation enquiry.
13.6 GROUP RESERVATIONS
Conducting a reservation request for a group shall be treated
differently than accommodating a reservation of individual guests
(i.e. Frequent Independent Traveler). The main reason is that
individual reservation requests are treated by the reservation
department, while group reservations are initiated by the Sales &
Marketing Division, and finalized through a careful coordination of
the reservation from one hand and the marketing on the other.
Below is a detailed procedure of how group reservation, in a
typical hotel, is conducted:

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1. A group representative, a member of the travel agency or the
tour operator, not individuals, shall communicate group
reservations' request to the hotel's marketing department
2. Upon availability, the hotel's reservation department shall block
the requested number of rooms for this very group
3. The Hotel shall give a deadline for the group, in order to receive
their final list. That deadline is called Cut-off Date.
4. After receiving the final list, the reservation department shall
change the desired number of rooms' status from blocked to
booked (or reserved) rooms, and release the remaining rooms (if
any left) as vacant for sale.
5. If the hotel did not receive the final list by the cut-off date, then
the reservation department has all the right to cancel the group
reservation and release all the initially booked rooms into vacant
rooms. However, management shall use this right with
precautions especially when it comes to groups reserving from
travel agencies and tour operators of which the hotel is
frequently servicing.
13.7 RESERVATIONAVAILABILITY
After receiving a reservation request, the hotel might accept
it, as it is, if there is room availability. If not, the reservation
department should suggest alternative room types, dates, and / or
rates, to the potential guest. If, however, the potential guest insists
on his / her previous request, the hotel should suggest an alternative
hotel. That's one of the main reasons why we need to maintain good
relationships with nearby competing hotels.
The reservation department should always compare historical
reservation volumes against actual arrivals. The main reason is to
cope with overbooking, which a situation occurring when the total
number of rooms reserved for a certain period of time exceeds the
total number of rooms available for sale, for the same period of time.
In order to cope with the overbooking problem, some
statistical and historical data should be stored and processed by the
hotel and should be continuously updated. Such data should include:
o Number of rooms reserved for a specific date
o Number of rooms occupied by stayovers (for a certain
specific date)
o Forecasted no-show-ups percentage
o Forecastedunderstayspercentage
o Forecasted overstays percentage
o Forecasted cancellation percentage
o Number of out of order rooms for a specific date.
13.8 DEVICES USED FOR TRACKING ROOM AVAILABILITY

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In order to function properly, the reservation department shall
maintain control books, wall charts, and / or a computerized system.
Whatsoever system chosen, the reservation department shall
maintain and update that system to include any reservation
transaction (i.e. whether a reservation, cancellation, or modification).
Below is a description of the three commonly used sets of equipment
to track room availability under the manual, semi-automated and
fully-automated systems:
13.8.1 Control Books
Control books are standard three-ring, loose-leaf binders with
a tally page assigned to each day of the year. Under this very
system, when a potential guest calls to have a reservation, the
reservation clerk shall check the cells corresponding to rooms. If
there is an empty cell for all the length of stay of the guest then the
reservation clerk marks it as X (i.e. reserved). If the guest is
expected to continue staying the next day, then the reservation clerk
shall mark the next day's respective room cell as O (i.e. Stayover).
Lastly, the reservation clerk is encouraged to use colors while
updating information or the cells on the control book.
13.8.2 Wall Charts
These are charts stapled on the wall depicting days of the
month versus hotel rooms. Moreover, upon need and convenience,
these charts might be customized to track appropriate room
numbers, rates, and codes, hence, is advantageous to control
books. Moreover, in this system, different colors are used to
differentiate between different reservation transactions and types of
guest reserving. Wall charts eliminates the erasures and rewriting
associated with control book, hence less errors might occur.
13.8.3 Computerized Systems
Computerized systems are by far the best systems that track
room availability. In fact, these systems control room availability data
and automatically generate many reservation-related reports in an
accurate manner. Moreover, computerized systems can itemize
room availability for future periods by open dates, closed dates,
versus special event dates. This system can also forecast room
availability for any reservation horizon needed in the future.
In the case of non-availability of room type, the system can
further suggest alternative room types, rates, or even other hotels.
13.9 RESERVATION RECORD
Each reservation department shall prepare a reservation
record, which depicts the various personal and financial data of
guests, for each reservation transaction. The aim is to identify guests
and their occupancy needs before guest’s arrival. Moreover, the
hotel can personalize or customize guest services and better
schedule staff accordingly.

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In order to create a reservation record, the following details
are needed:
i) Guest name (and group name, if applicable)
ii) Guest’s home or billing address
iii) Guest’s telephone number, including area code
iv) Name, address, and telephone number of guest’s
company, if appropriate
v) Name and other pertinent information about the person
making the reservation, if not the guest
vi) Number of people in the group, and perhaps ages of
children, if any.
vii) Arrival date and time
viii) Number of nights required or expected departure date,
ix) Reservation type [Guaranteed versus Non-guaranteed]
x) Special requirements [i.e. infant, disabled guest, or no-
smokingaccommodation]
xi) Additional information, if needed [i.e. late arrival,
method of transportation, flight number, room
preferences, etc.]
At the reservation process, reservation agents shall keep in
mind that a rate quoted and confirmed must be honored. Moreover,
reservation clerks should be aware of the following:
o Supplementary charges for extra services or amenities
o Minimum stay requirements, if any, for dates requested
o Special promotions in effect for dates requested, if any
o Applicable currency exchange rates, if quoting rates to
an international tourist
o Applicable room tax percentages
o Applicable service charges or gratuities
13.10 RESERVATION CONFIRMATION
The hotel should communicate with guests by telephone,
telex, mail, or e-mail a Letter of Confirmation, which confirms the
important points of the reservation agreement. This letter might be
shown at the registration process in order to accelerate the pace of
registration and to prove that the guest has the right to have a room
at the hotel.
The Hotel shall send a confirmation letter to all reserved
potential guests, whether their reservations are guaranteed or non-
guaranteed. Below are the main points that should be communicated
in a confirmation letter:
o Name and address of the guest
o Date and time of arrival

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o Room type and rate
o Length of stay
o Number of persons in a group, if any
o Reservation type [guaranteed or not]
o Reservation confirmation number
o Special requests, if any.
CHECK YOUR PROGRESS
1. What is reservation?
2. List the process of reservation.
3. What are the types of reservation?
4. What are the guest-related informations required for reservation?
5. What are the merits of the computrised reservation system?
13.11 LET US SUM UP
Hotels depend on the income generated from the sale of its
bedrooms. Reservation is an activity concerning the sale of room.
Reservations are done by the receptionist at the reception counter.
In large hotels, it is done by a separate section.
Reservation is the activity of booking the room in advance for
a prospective guest. The process of reservation includes c onduct
the reservation enquiry, d etermine room and rate availability,
create the reservation record, c onfirm the reservation record,
maintain the reservation record and produce reservation reports.
Reservations are of many types, viz. prepayment guaranteed
reservation, credit card guaranteed reservation, travel agent
guaranteed reservation, voucher or miscellaneous charge order,
corporate guaranteed reservation, non-guaranteed reservation,
tentative / provisional reservation, etc.
While getting a reservation enquiry, the reservation staff shall
obtain the guest-related information such as guest’s name, address
and telephone number, company or travel agency name, where
possible, date of arrival and departure, type and number of rooms
requested, desired room rate an type of room, number of people
in the group, if applicable, method of payment and / or guarantee
and any other special requests. In order to track the room
availability, control books, wall charts and other computerized
systems are being used in hotels.
1. Visit a hotel near by and take a note of their reservation system.
2. Prepare a register of your own for carrying out reservation.

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13.13 KEY WORDS
Reservation Booking, appointment, or date to perform some
activity at a particular time and place
Tracking Monitoring a process or the results of an action
Enquiry A close examination of a matter in a search for
information
Computerize To enter, process, or store and retrieve (information)
in a computer or system of computers
Provisional For the time being - tentative
Affiliate Closely connected or associated
Precaution Careful forethought to avoid risk
Overbooking A term used to describe the sale of access to a
service which exceeds the capacity of the service
Forecast To calculate or estimate something in advance
1. Enumerate the types of reservation.
2. Explain in your own words about the reservation enquiry.
3. What is group reservation?
4. Explain in detail about the devices used in tracking the room
availability.
5. Explain:
i) Reservation record
ii) Reservationconfirmation.
1. Reservation is the activity of booking the room in advance for a
prospective guest.
2. The process of reservation includes conduction of reservation
enquiry, determination of room and rate availability, creation
of reservation record, confirmation of reservation record,
maintenance of reservation record and generation of
reservation reports.
3. Reservations are of many types, viz. prepayment guaranteed
reservation, credit card guaranteed reservation, travel agent
guaranteed reservation, voucher or miscellaneous charge order,
corporate guaranteed reservation, non-guaranteedreservation,
tentative / provisional reservation, etc.

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CHECK YOUR PROGRESS – ANSWER (contd)
4. Guest-related information such as guest’s name, address and
telephone number, company or travel agency name, date of
arrival and departure, type and number of rooms requested,
desired room rate and type of room, number of people in the
group, method of payment and / or guarantee are required for
reservation.
5. Computerized reservation systems are the best systems since
that track room availability. These systems control room
availability data and automatically generate many reservation-
related reports in an accurate manner. This system can also
forecast room availability for any reservation horizon needed in
the future. In the case of non-availability of room type, the
system can further suggest alternative room types, rates, or
even other nearby hotels.
13.15 REFERENCES
& Motel.
3. Michael L. Kasavana, Richard M. Brooks (2001), Managing Front
Office Operations (Coursebook), Educational Institute of
American Hotels.

LESSON 14
REGISTRATION
CONTENTS
14.1 Introduction
14.2 Registration
14.2.1 Registration Process
14.2.2 Registration Record
14.2.3 Registration Methods
14.2.4 Systems of Registration
14.3 Room Status
14.4 Issuing Room Keys
14.5 Fulfilling Special Requests
14.6 Room Rate Assignment
14.6.1 Room Rates
14.6.2 Methods of Payment
14.7 Let Us Sum Up
14.9 Key Words
14.11 References
following:
Ø Registration processing and records
Ø Methods and systems of registration
Ø Issuing room keys and fulfilling special requests
Ø Room rates and room assignments
Ø Methods of payments.
14.1 INTRODUCTION
Guest registration is one of the first and most lasting
impressions on a hotel customer. Guest registration sets the tenor
for the stay and is, therefore a critical contact point. The front desk
should promote the warmth and hospitality of the property. Guest
registration is the point at which critical information is collected about
the customer and his / her wishes. If the bottleneck develops in a
guest registration, customer complaints arise. As a result the front
desk employees are particularly concerned with processing the
needed information quickly.

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The registration procedure of the hotel is critical to the
collection of guest information and the initialization of the guest
account. Almost all the paperwork in the guest cycle is based on the
data that is recorded and verified at, or prior to, check-in.
14.2 REGISTRATION
Registration is a mandatory requirement that all guests over
the age of 16 years – irrespective of Indian or foreigner, ordinary
personnel or VIP. Regardless the size of the hotel, be it small or
large guests, must provide basic information about them and fill up
either a visitors register / hotel register. The register may be a Red
Book / form or a card also called G.R. Card (Guest Registration
Card). The guest has to fill in the form and attest his signature. This
agreement between the hotel and the guest is known as a simple
contract.
14.2.1 Registration Process
The registration process has the following basic concepts.
1. Collection It is the gathering of information about the
guest such as date and time of arrival, guest
personal information (name, address,
nationality, occupation etc), purpose of visit,
date of departure.
2. Product
Matching
Assigning the right room to the guest as
desired based on availability.
3. Revenue
Management
The billing instructions i.e. mode of payment
through cash, credit card, travelers cheque etc.
4. Rooms
Management
The duration o f s t a y of the guest. The
availability of the room for resale for the next
guest.
5. Completion After the guest has registered a rate for room is
decided and a room assigned after establishing
his creditability. Then the guest along with his
luggage sent to his room. After that the
receptionist would complete the paper and
other work related to the new arrival.
14.2.2 Registration Record
The registration record is a collection of important personal
and financial guest information. A typical registration record includes:
i) Guest name and surname
ii) Guest address and telephone number
iii) Company affiliation (if applicable)

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iv) Expected arrival date
v) Planned departure date or length of stay
vi) Required room rate
vii) Required room type
viii) Room number
ix) Method of payment
x) Special requests
xi) Signature of the guest.
Guest registration information details forwarded to different
areas and functions of the hotel are:
Figure 14.1 Flow of Registration Information
14.2.3 Registration Methods
Three methods are used for registration by hotels:
1. Bound Book It is a big bound book. Guest on arrival fills his
details in a line and signs in this book. It is often
used in small hotels. The disadvantages of this
book handling are:
· Confidentiality of guest information cannot be
maintained. The next guest can easily access
the details of the previous guests.
· The book is bulky and gets dirty and torn very
soon due to frequent usage.
· Pre-registration of VIP and others cannot be
done.
· Only one guest can register at a time.
2. Loose Leaf
Register
In this system, a separate loose leaflet is used
for each day instead of a consolidated / bound
register. To some extent the confidentiality of
guest information can be maintained. It is mostly
suitable for medium sized hotels. The
disadvantages of this method are:
· It can be easily misplaced, if the desk clerks
are careless.

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· The leaflet may not be fully filled or in some
occasions single sheet may not be sufficient.
· Filing also becomes a problem
· Only one guest can register at a time.
3. Individual
Registration
In this system, a separate card is used for each
guest. The cards may be designed so as to serve
various purposes. It may be made in duplicate or
triplicate with the help of carbon papers so that
one copy can be sent to Government
departments and the other retained by the hotel.
The following are the advantages of this method:
· The size of the card is small and quite handy.
· They may also be used to serve as a guest
history card.
· Complete privacy of the guest is maintained.
· Many guests can be registered in the rush
hours at the same time.
14.2.4 Systems of Registration
1. Manual
System
This system is used by small hotels. In this
system, all the documents including the guest
folio, arrival notification slips, C form (to be filled
in by foreigners) are prepared and distributed
manually. The accuracy shall depend upon the
guest’s legible and accurate completion of the
card. This is a rather slow and time consuming
method and is prone to errors hence not suitable
for large hotels.
2. Semi-
automatic
System
All those hotels which do not operate on
computer and are either medium or large in size
use this method. Office machinery such as
typewriter and various clerical equipments, racks
and filling rack etc are used in this method.
3. Automatic
System
Automatic systems use computers. They are
very efficient, accurate, and fast. It helps in
smooth and speedy check-in and the guest can
simply sign in the registration documents
generated by the computer.
4. Express
Check-in
System
In some fully automated hotels the arriving guest
can self register himself through self-registering
terminals located in the lobby. To facilitate
speedy registration process, these registration
terminals of the hotel may also be located in
airports, international bus terminals and car
rental agencies. This is a very fast method of
registration.

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14.3 ROOM STATUS
At registration, check-in clerks shall contact the
housekeeping department to seek latest information about the status
of hotel rooms so that they can assign only clean and available
rooms for sale to their guests. That's why, the Front Office,
Housekeeping and Reservation Department shall maintain a high
degree of collaboration between them.
The front office and housekeeping department shall
continuously update the status of each single room. Below is the
typical housekeeping room status flow for any single room:
Occupied On-change Clean and Available for Sale
The front office and Housekeeping Department shall
frequently reconcile and compare their updated reports (especially
under the manual system) for any possible room status discrepancy.
In order to be sales minded and convince potential guests to
accept the highest priced rooms, the front office clerk shall be aware
of the characteristics of each room type, the differences within the
same room category (i.e. furnishings, amenities, and location).
14.4 ISSUING ROOM KEYS
With the issuing of room keys, the rooming process gets to
an end. However, concerning room keys, front office clerks shall
respect hotel's written policies governing guestroom key control. As
an illustration, front desk agents shall only handle the room key to
the guest without announcing and / or spelling out the room number.
This is a vital requirement to protect and ensure guest safety and
privacy. After guest is handed over his / her room key, front office
clerks shall offer bellboy assistance
14.5 FULFILLING SPECIAL REQUESTS
Front Office Department shall watch for special requests by
guests and try promptly to satisfy them. This creates a good
impression and lasting professional relationship with the guests and
increases the probability that the hotel will receive these guests for
many more times to come in the future (i.e. repeat guests). Guests'
requests are usually grouped under the following categories:
· Room type
· Bed type
· Location
· View
· Amenities

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14.6 ROOM AND RATE ASSIGNMENT
The hotel shall identify the room preference of the guest and
allocate an available room from the existing specific room category
(i.e. type & rate). That's why, under semi and fully automated
systems, reservation and check-in clerks shall be sales minded while
negotiating room and rate assignment with guests. This fact applies
for registration clerks under the manual system as well. Moreover,
while assigning rooms, check-in clerks shall keep an eye on hotel's
reservation commitments and not assign a room to a guest, while
that very room is pre-assigned to some other guests for the same
period of time.
14.6.1 Room Rates
While pricing rooms, the hotel shall keep in mind that rate
should be between a minimum (determined by cost structure) and a
maximum (determined by competition structure) boundary as
depicted below:
Minimum (Hurdle Rate) < Room Rate < Maximum (Rack Rate)
Cost Structure < Room Rate < Competition Structure
Rack rate: The price a hotel charges for a room before any
discount has been taken into account. The published rate for a room
sometimes set artificially high in order to accommodate and used to
calculate a variety of discounts.
Front office department shall finalize room rates with guests
during the registration process. Moreover, rack rates shall only be
applicable for walk-ins especially during the high season. Lastly,
room rates might be affected by:
a) Seasonality
b) Service level
c) Room location
d) Type of Guest and / or usage (eg. commercial,
corporate, complementary, group, family, day, and
package-plan etc.).
14.6.2 Methods of Payment
Guests, at the registration stage, shall communicate or
confirm their intended method of payment. Below are the common
methods of payments accepted by hotels:
1. Cash Guests intending to settle their accounts by cash
shall have no in-house charge privileges and,
hence, all their purchases should be paid in
advance (i.e. PIA status), which means that as

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guests purchase any kind of service or product,
they shall pay for it immediately. In accordance to
cash payment, registration clerks shall prepare lists
of PIA guests and communicate them to all Point of
Sales outlets. On the other hand, paying
immediately might not suit some guests (even
though intending to settle their accounts by cash),
that's why hotels might give guest charge privileges,
on condition that they provide an imprint of a valid
card or an approved direct billing privilege at
registration.
2. Personal
Cheques
Very few hotels still accept personal cheques as
a method of payment due to the high probability
of fraud associated with this method. In fact, in
order to accept personal cheques, most hotels
necessitate that these cheques be supported by a
credit card with a cheque-cashing guarantee, that
the amount to be cashed against cheques shall
be within the hotel’s established limit, and
preferably accept personal cheques only during
standard business hours where banks are open.
If personal cheques are to be accepted, front
office personnel shall imprint the credit card on
the backside of the guest personal cheque and
record the Guest ID card or driving license
certificate along with the guest’s address and
telephone number on the face of the cheque.
3. Credit
Cards
Nowadays almost all the mid-sized and large hotels
have credit card machines. Credit cards have
become a preferable method of payment for guests
and hotels. The guest credit card is swiped on the
spot and the amount credited to the hotel’s account.
4. Direct
Billing
Some guests (especially VIP) do not prefer to wait
at checkout queues like other guests before
departure. They, rather, prefer, only to sign their
guest folios, go to their homes, and later receive a
certain invoice detailing their charges while they
were staying at the hotel to be settled by payment
to hotel bank accounts. In order to satisfy the needs
of this category of guests, hotels created the direct
billing process.
To be eligible for a direct billing privilege, guests
shall at pre-arrival stage or maximum at the arrival
stage fill a hotel credit application form along with
the provision of an imprint of a valid credit card. This
form is sent to the Front Office Manager or Rooms
Division Manager for approval.
5. Special
Programs
Special programs are any form of vouchers,
coupons, or any special incentive awards received

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from businesses, airline companies etc.
CHECK YOUR PROGRESS
1. What is registration?
2. What are the steps involved in registration?
3. What are the information generally collected from the guests?
4. What are self-registeringterminals?
5. What are the factors that affect the room rates?
14.7 LET US SUM UP
Registration is a mandatory requirement that all guests. The
guests provide personal and financial information by filling-in the
form and / or answering the questions. The information collected is
recorded in a register or computer for providing better service to the
guests.
The registration process involves several steps which include
collection of information, assigning right room, providing billing
information, sale of rooms and completion of check-in. A typical
registration record includes guest name and surname, guest address
and telephone number, company affiliation (if applicable), expected
arrival date, planned departure date or length of stay, required room
rate, required room type, room number, method of payment, special
requests (if any) and signature of the guest.
Three methods are used for registration by hotels, viz. bound
book, loose leaf register and individual registration. These
registrations include manual system, semi-automatic system,
automatic system and express check-in system. Front Office
Department finalize room rates with guests during the registration
process. The room rates might be based on seasonality, service
level, room location and type of guest and / or usage.
The common methods of payments accepted by hotels are
cash, cheques, credit card, direct billing and special programs.
With the issuing of room key, the registration process gets to
an end. The Front Office Department shall watch for special requests
by guests and try promptly to satisfy them. Guests' requests are
usually grouped under categories such as room type, bed type,
location, view and amenities.
1. Visit a hotel and take a note of their registration process.
2. Prepare a proforma for the collection of information from the
guest.

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14.9 KEY WORDS
Registration The act of registering. An entry in a register
Hospitality Cordial and generous reception of or disposition
toward guests
Creditable Worthy of trust
Complementary Forming or serving as a complement
Cheque A cheque is a negotiable instrument instructing
a financial institution to pay a specific amount
of a specific currency from a specific account
held in the depositor's name with that institution.
1. Enumerate the registration process.
2. What are the methods through which payments can be made in
a hotel?
3. How will you fulfill the special requests of the guests?
4. Explain the merits and de-merits of self-registrationterminals.
5. Give a report on the manual and computerized registration
process.
1. Registration is the process of collection and recording of
personal and financial information of the guests for providing the
required service to the guests.
2. The registration process involves several steps which include
collection of information, assigning right room, providing billing
information, sale of rooms and completion of check-in.
3. Informations such as guest name and surname, address and
telephone number, company affiliation (if applicable), expected
arrival date, planned departure date or length of stay, required
room rate, required room type, room number, method of
payment, special requests (if any) and signature are collected
from the guest.
4. In some fully automated hotels the arriving guest can register
himself through the self-registering terminals located in the
lobby. To facilitate speedy registration process these terminals
are sometime located in airports, bus terminals and car rental
agencies.
5. The factors that affect the room rates are season, service level,
room location and type of land / or usage.

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14.11 REFERENCES
1. James A. Bardi (2002), Hotel Front Office Management, Wiley.
2. Ahmed Ismail (2002), Front office operations and management,
Thomson Delmar Learning.
& Motel.

LESSON 15
GUEST ACCOUNTING
CONTENTS
15.1 Introduction
15.2 Guest Accounting
15.2.1 Guest Bill
15.2.2 Guest Bill Communication Methods
15.3 Process of Guest Accounting
15.3.1 Types of Financial Transaction
15.3.2 Preparing of Documents
15.3.3 Checking and Ensuring Accuracy
15.3.4 Settlement of Account
15.4 Credit Control
15.4.1 Objectives of Credit Control Measures
15.4.2 Common Causes for Unpaid
Account Balance
15.5 Cash Control
15.6 Let Us Sum Up
15.8 Key Words
15.10 References
following:
Ø Guest billing and billing methods
Ø Processing of guest account
Ø Credit control and cash control.
15.1 INTRODUCTION
The hotels profitability not only relies on efficient room selling,
professional attitude and standard of services provided to its guest
but also mainly o n the accurate guest accounting system and
procedures followed. It is the responsibility of front office to prepare
the guest’s bill, present it, and ensure that it is paid. This involves a
lot of record keeping, for a guest may incur a large number of
separate charges during his stay, from the cost of room and various
meals through to telephone, laundry and entertainment.
The process is complicated by the fact that the hotel industry
traditionally gives a guest credit facilities during his stay. The

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amounts involved can be quite substantial: a room for one night
coupled with an evening’s business meeting entertaining company
staff in a top class city centre hotel can amount to several hundred
rupees. In contrast to many other businesses, this credit often may
have to be extended to relative unknowns at short notice.
15.2 GUEST ACCOUNTING
An account is a record of a business transaction and on this
document financial data are recorded and summarized.
The term guest accounting from hotel point of view means
knowledge of what is to be received from the guest and what is paid
by the guest. To have updated information of the same, it is
important that at all times during the guest cycle, an efficient system
is used. Various systems such as manual, semi-automatic or fully
automatic system may be used depending upon the size and type of
the hotel.
The objective of the guest accounting procedures is as
follows:
· To maintain accurate and up-to-date guest accounts.
· To ensure that payment is received promptly and in full.
· To provide management with accurate and up-to-date
financial reports.
15.2.1 Guest Bill
The guest bill is updated immediately as it is received from
the various departments / sales outlets. It is very important to
maintain and record all upto the minute details of the accounts of the
guest. A person who checks into a hotel is usually entitled to credit
facilities for his purchases of accommodation, food and beverages,
telephone and other facilities. The following picture shows the
sources of guest bill.
Figure 15.1 Information Flow for Guest Bill

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211
15.2.2 Guest Bill Communication Methods
Speed and accuracy in preparing and maintaining of guest
account is very important so as to avoid any late charges. This is
possible only when there is very effective communication system
between the billing section and sales outlet. Depending upon the
type of hotel the communication methods can be:
1. Manual In small hotels, a bell boy or a waiter or a person
from the department where sale has taken place
rushes to the billing counter for entry into the
guest folio.
2. Mechanical Some medium or large sized hotels have
pneumatic tubes (pressure suction tubes) for
sending signed vouchers of the guest from the
department or outlet selling the service or
commodity to the billing counter.
3. Fully
Automatic
System
From the point of sale terminal (POS) the entry is
made to the centralized computer server where
the guest folio is updated and stored. This
method is very efficient and convenient and is
widely used today in almost all the medium sized
and large hotels.
15.3 PROCESS OF GUEST ACCOUNTING
The process of guest accounting is based on the following
concepts:
1. Financial transaction, creation and maintenance of
accurate accounting details.
2. Making of necessary documents and recording of
transaction on relevant documents.
3. Ensuring internal control, checking and establishing the
accuracy of the recorded transaction.
4. Settlement of the accounts, which may be by cash or
credit payment.
15.3.1 Types of Financial Transaction
Financial transactions are generally of three types:
1. Accounts
Receivable
When a guest goes to the bar or restaurant (and
consumes drinks or food) or avails laundry
facilities, or makes telephone calls, etc, and does
not pay cash but signs a voucher (an undertaking
that he agrees to the specified amount and shall
pay later) and also the room charges etc. are all
examples of financial transaction where amount
is to be received by the hotel from the guest

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(guest has to pay) and these are called 'accounts
receivable for the hotel. Any 'returned checks
and charge backs' (may be his previous skipper
account) etc. are also examples of the same.
2. Accounts
Payable
These are those transactions where the guest
pays to the hotel against his outstanding; for
example, he pays against his bill amount in part
or full. Also this type of transaction would include
any allowances or discount given by the hotel to
guest and a transfer amount, etc. Such
transactions are not very common usually. Such
financial transactions will reduce the outstanding
balance to be paid by the guest.
3. Cash
Transaction
Cash Transaction means that the guest pays
cash to the hotel. For example, when a guest
goes to a bar or restaurant and is served with
drinks or food and then presented a check for the
same, he pays cash for that check. Such
transactions neither increase nor decrease the
guest's outstanding balance.
15.3.2 Preparing of Documents
Documents are those where the financial transactions of the
guests are recorded, as it is humanly not possible to always
remember all the transactions made by all the guests. Various
documents are generated during the process of guest accounting.
The types of documents generated also depend upon the system
used, but some documents will always be there no matter whatever
system is followed.
1. Vouchers Vouchers are also called checks. A document to
detail transactions at point of sales and meant to
transmit transactional information to front office of
guest charges which need posting. When a guest
consumes some services / facilities / goods of the
hotel from any of its departments or sections, the
concerned department prepares the voucher. This
is a support document of the financial transaction.
When the guest signs the voucher / check for the
amount of goods / services consumed by him the
voucher is sent to the front office bill clerk to be
posted to the guest account card / guest folio.
Commonly used vouchers in hotels are cash
voucher, charge voucher, transfer voucher,
allowance voucher, check out voucher, credit card
vouchers, paid out vouchers, etc.
2. Folios A folio is a document which is initiated at the time
of arrival of the guest normally and all guest
transactions are recorded on it, which increase or
decrease the balance of account. This is also

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213
called as 'guest accounts card' and is prepared for
every guest and room. In some hotels, it is also
called guest weekly bill. All accounts receivable,
payable and paid out transactions are entered in
this document. The information about the value,
time and date and the place of financial
transaction is communicated by the concerned
section / department through signed voucher /
check). Following are the different types of folios
that are used by the hotels.
· Individual guest account card or folio:
Maintained to record transaction made by
individual or independent guest with the
hotel. Also called as Guest Folio.
· Group folio: One folio for the whole group and
this folio is required for recording all the
transactions made by the group (which are
part of the package of the group). This is also
called as 'Master Folio'.
· Semi-permanent or Non-guest folio: In this
folio the credit financial transaction made by
non-resident guests with the hotel are
recorded. Also known as 'city account card'
or 'non-resident guest account card'.
· Employee folio: As the name suggests the
financial transactions (if any) made by the
employees are recorded in this folio. These
folios help in calculating incentives to the
employees.
· Permanent / Companies / Airlines / Agents
folio: Separate folios are maintained for all
the companies, agencies and organizations
with whom the hotel has permanent billing
arrangements.
3. Postings Posting is the process of recording transaction on
the folio. Posting will result in a new balance of
account. The posting may be done by hand
writing method (manually) by machine such as
NCR (semi automatic system) or through
computers (fully automatic system).
4. VTL VTL (Visitors' Tabular Ledger) is also called the
'tab' by some hotels. It is another document used
in small hotels. It shows debits and credits
activities of the guest account.
5. Account
Aging
Report
A document telling and supervising the receivable
account from the guest which have aged over a
specific period of time. Account aging refers to the
method(s) of tracking past due accounts based on
the dates the charges were incurred. To illustrate,

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credit card payment accounts usually have ages
of maximum one month. However, some other
non-guest accounts (eg. late charges, disputed
bills, bad cheques and skippers accounts) might
have ages measured in months, and even years.
Below, is the terminology associated with each
account age:
· Less than 30 days Current Accounts
· 30 to 90 days Overdue Accounts
· Older than 90 days Delinquent Accounts
6. Sales
Journals
A document which records cash sales of a
department
7. Cash
Receipts
A document issued by the cashier to the guest
when the cashier receives payment from the
guest and then entered in cash register receipt
ledger
15.3.3 Checking and Ensuring Accuracy
This stage of accounting process is also called as 'auditing'.
Usually auditing is done during the night by Night Auditor when the
business is relatively slow and hence the process is called Night
Auditing. This stage of the process is important to ensure the
accuracy of accounts balance so that if there is any discrepancy
between outstanding folio balances and departmental balances then
the same may be sorted out without any delay. For an account to be
correct it is important that the total outstanding guest balance should
be equal to the sum of respective department's charged sale.
15.3.4 Settlement of Account
It is a very important phase of guest accounting process. This
phase is involved in a major activity of 'zeroing out' the folio balance
i.e. the outstanding debit balance is neutralized by the settlement of
credit balance. The settlement can be either by cash payment by the
guest or by credit card charge or by transferring the account to
company account. In the last two cases, the balance account is
transferred to city ledger account.
15.4 CREDIT CONTROL
The term credit control refers to the various measures taken
by a hotel to ensure that guests settle their account in full either
themselves or someone else on their behalf (which may be credit
card company, an airlines, a corporate office or any other agency or
person) and does that within a specified period of time. Various
steps that will help in credit control are to be taken at various stages,
by various personnel of the hotel.

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215
15.4.1 Objectives of Credit Control Measures
i) To avoid and prevent loss due to walk-outs. Here the
term walk-out include all those guests who knowingly or
unknowingly or by mistake leave the hotel without
paying/ settling their bills.
ii) To reduce the problems of inconvenience which the
cashier (who will not have verification of bills), the
house keeper (who won't know the room status) and
the management (who may decide to start legal
proceeding) etc. will face because of a walk-out guest.
iii) To prevent late settlement of guests accounts. The
delay in payment can cause cashflow problems for the
hotel and if there are many such cases the hotel may
find itself in difficult situation to operate, and bad debts
may increase.
iv) To avoid guest dissatisfaction, embarrassment and
annoyance at the check out time when all of a sudden a
departure guest is informed that the hotel does not
accept any particular company's credit and or that the
hotel does not accept that particular currency in which
he wishes to pay or his total bill is above the credit limit
of the credit card company and the company refuses to
approve a higher limit.
15.4.2 Common Causes for Unpaid Account Balance
i) Guest is not explained clearly as to which credit cards
are accepted and that which are the acceptable
currencies, and if the bill exceeds the credit limit then
he will have to pay the balance in cash.
ii) Communication gap between credit department and
cashier- for example failure of the credit department in
timely communication to cashier that the bill amount of
guest has exceeded the limit.
iii) Negligence and carelessness for example ignoring to
look at the black list. To avoid such problems, it is
important that the guests are given clear instructions at
the time of check-in, timely notification of the exceeding
of credit limit, reference to black list frequently, and
making sure that the guests who come with company
credit facility and other such credit facilities such as
airlines, and travel agents etc, understand that they
have to sign their billing statement, before leaving the
hotel at checkout time, and finally it is important that all
the concerned departments and sections etc must
follow the credit policy of the hotel very strictly and
religiously.

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15.5 CASH CONTROL
Like credit control cash control in a hotel is also of great
importance. Cash control involves that all the transactions which the
guest makes in cash with various sales sections of the hotel are
recorded immediately and cash collected. All the cash is kept
properly under lock and key and under the supervision of cashier.
The petty cash is also controlled and a proper check on that is made
since hotels don't encourage credit sales, and for proper cash sales,
the cash control becomes all the more important for a hotel. Usually
cash sales should be encouraged at areas such as health club,
swimming pool and car parking etc. Payment in hard currency,
traveler’s cheques and bank drafts are considered to be cash sales.
Whenever a guest pays cash it is mandatory for the cashier to make
cash receipt and hand it over to the guest. The cash collected every
day must be sent to the bank for deposit.
CHECK YOUR PROGRESS
1. Define guest accounting.
2. What are the objectives of guest accounting.
3. How will you communicate about the bill to the guest?
4. What are the documents that are associated with the guest
accounting?
5. What is credit control?
15.6 LET US SUM UP
Guest accounting means what is the amount that need to be
received and what is the amount paid by the guest. To have updated
information of accounts, it is important to have an efficient system of
amount collection from the guests. Systems such as manual, semi-
automatic or fully automatic system may be adopted depending upon
the size and type of the hotel. The objective of the guest accounting
procedures is to maintain accurate and up-to-date guest accounts, to
ensure that payment is received promptly and in full and to provide
management with accurate and up-to-date financial reports.
Depending upon the size of the hotel, the communication
methods for billing can be of type manual, mechanical or fully
automated. The process of guest accounting is based on the
financial transaction, creation and maintenance of accurate
accounting details, making of necessary documents and recording of
transaction on relevant documents, ensuring internal control,
checking and establishing the accuracy of the recorded transaction
and settlement of the accounts, which may be by cash payment or
credit payment.
Financial transactions are generally of three types, viz.
accounts receivable, accounts payable and cash transaction.
Documents associated with financial transactions include vouchers,
folios, postings, visitors' tabular ledger, account ageing report, sales

Guest Accounting
217
journal and cash receipts. Credit and cash control in a hotel is also of
great importance for a smooth functioning of a hotel.
1. Visit a hotel and take a note on their guest accounting
procedures.
2. Visit another hotel and take a note on their credit control and
cash control policy.
15.8 KEY WORDS
Billing The procedure of preparing a financial statement. The
act of requesting payment for money owed
Credit The positive balance or amount remaining in a
person's account
Accounting The bookkeeping methods involved in making a
financial record of business transactions and in the
preparation of statements concerning the assets,
liabilities, and operating results of a business
Voucher A written record of expenditure, disbursement, or
completed transaction
Posting The act of transferring an account, as from the journal
to the ledger
Ledger A book to which the record of accounts is transferred
as final entry from original postings
Auditing An examination of records or financial accounts to
check their accuracy
1. What is meant by credit control? What are the objectives of
credit control measures?
2. How accounts are classified according to periods of
outstanding?
3. What are the different types of folios used at the front office?
4. What is guest accounting? Explain the process of guest
accounting.
1. The term guest accounting from hotel point of view means
knowledge of what is to be received from the guest and what is
paid for by the guest.
2. The objective of the guest accounting is to maintain accurate
and up-to-date guest accounts, to ensure that payment is
received promptly and in full and to to provide management with
accurate and up-to-date financial reports.

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CHECK YOUR PROGRESS – ANSWER (contd.)
3. The communication methods for billing can be of type manual,
mechanical or fully automated.
4. Documents associated with financial transactions include
vouchers, folios, postings, visitors' tabular ledger, account
ageing report, sales journal and cash receipts.
5. The term credit control refers to the various measures taken by
a hotel to ensure that guests settle their account in full either
themselves or someone else on their behalf (which may be
credit card company, an airlines, a corporate office or any other
agency or person) within a specified period of time.
15.10 REFERENCES
1. Ahmed, M.N, Hotel Accounting, Anmol Publications Pvt. Ltd.
2. Peter Abbott, Sue Lewry (1999), Front Office: Procedures, Social
Skills, Yield and Management, Butterworth-Heinemann.
& Motel.

LESSON 16
SAFETY AND SECURITY
CONTENTS
16.1 Introduction
16.2 Security System
16.2.1 Safety and Security Measures
16.3 Types of Security
16.3.1 Physical Aspects
16.3.2 Security Aspects of Persons
16.3.3 Security Aspects of Systems
16.4 Handling Security Threats
16.5 Let Us Sum Up
16.7 Key Words
16.9 References
following:
Ø Safety and security,
Ø Security system and types and
Ø Methods for handling security threats.
16.1 INTRODUCTION
Security has always been a concern for hotels worldwide.
Security of guest and his property and the hotel property as well is of
great concern for the hotel. In India very few cases (hardly any) have
been filed in the civil court asking for compensation for alleged
security deficiencies whereas in the U.S. hundreds of cases of
negligence leading to law suits for large sums (thousands of dollars)
are filed. A hotel would always prefer to have an out-of-court
settlement to not only avoid money and time wastage but also to
keep itself from controversy and save its reputation. At any
reasonable cost, the hotel management would want the complaint
withdrawn.
16.2 SECURITY SYSTEM
The hotel should have a proper security system to protect the
human beings (guests and the staffs), physical resources and assets

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(buildings, equipments, appliances) and also the belongings of the
guests i.e. his luggage and property and sometimes even pets.
There are two types of security threats hotels should be
concerned with:
1. Threats that might affect a guest’s health, comfort or
wellbeing.
2. Threats that affect the hotel directly, in particular its
fixtures and fittings, its revenue and its reputation.
Therefore, it is important for the hotel management to select
reputable and reliable system and agency or agencies which will
provide protection against all such threats which will create problem
for the hotel.
16.2.1 Safety and Security Measures
1. Resident card (identity card) has to be provided to the
employees and insisted to use them regularly at all
times during work.
2. Key control system should be employed. Bellboy errand
card should be instituted.
3. Maintain record of master key used by staff.
4. Housekeeper’s occupancy report to be made regularly.
Proper procedure of checking keys in rack should be
followed.
5. Double lock system, magic eye and a door chain
system to be installed.
6. Proper “left luggage system” to be followed.
7. Safety lockers for guest valuables should be provided.
8. Smoke detectors to be installed.
9. Install modern and efficient fire fighting system.
10. Proper regular maintenance of equipment, appliances
and building should be carried out.
11. Install close circuit camera at parking and other
strategic areas in the hotel.
12. Fire escape route must be designed and highlighted.
13. Frequent patrolling by the security staff must be made.
14. Security frisking (body check) if needed (without
offending the guest).
15. Heavy drapes to be drawn during night on windows and
exposed glass panels to cut out external light.
16. Computer and data processing security installed (for
safeguarding of computer information, so that it does
not reach the competitors and protection against virus
in the programme.)

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221
17. Preferably use computerized magnetic keys or room
keys.
18. Employ a house detective.
16.3 TYPES OF SECURITY
Security can be classified under following aspects:
1. Physical aspects
2. Security of persons (guest and staff)
3. Security of systems
16.3.1 Physical Aspects
Physical aspects of security can further be sub-divided into
two parts:
(i) internal and
(ii) external.
Internal Security:
· Against theft (close circuit camera and burglars’
alarms).
· Fire security (smoke detectors, fire alarm, water
sprinklers, fire extinguishers).
· Proper lighting of corridors, fire escape, basement and
other areas).
· Safeguarding assets (proper inventory, regular physical
checks, etc.)
· Keeping track of unwanted guests.
External Security:
· Proper lighting of boundary and outside of the building.
· Proper fencing of the building.
· Fencing of pool area to avoid accidents at night.
· Planting of shrubbery can also help in restricting
perimeter access into the properly.
· Avoid poisonous and thorny bushes, barbed wire and
electric fencing.
· Manning of service gates to restrict entry.
· Fixing of closed circuit T.V. cameras.
16.3.2 Security Aspects of Persons
Security aspects of persons can further be subdivided into
two parts:

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(i) staff and
(ii) guests.
Staff:
A fourteen points effective programme for staffs is suggested
as follows:
i) Rigorous recruitment and selection procedure: References
checked, properly screened etc.
ii) Identification of staff: Issue identity badges and use distinct
uniform for easy identification.
iii) Key control: Maid should carry the key in her possession and
issuance and return should be properly recorded.
iv) Red tag system: Proper system for hotel property being taken
out.
v) Training: Proper training to employees to note unusual things,
safety drills and fire fighting skills.
vi) Adherence to management policy of security: An employee
disregarding company policy should not be confirmed.
vii) Trash handling: Trash should be checked to see if employees
are smuggling out things out of hotel with trash.
viii) Employees’ parking: Proper checking of employees’ vehicles
at the time of going off duty. If possible it should be isolated
from the main parking/ guest parking.
ix) Locker inspection: From time to time surprise checking of
staff lockers.
x) Inventory records of linen, stores and other items.
xi) Bring in experts (snoops): Hire an outsider, bring him as a
guest to check and report about the culprit staffs.
xii) Security consciousness: Guest should be told to be careful
about his property.
xiii) Entrust employees: Employees should be asked to report
about suspected persons - guests with scanty baggage etc.
xiv) Set example: Management should follow these rules and
should encourage employees to follow the same.
Guests:
i) A guest suspected of taking away hotel property should be
charged on the bill. Not many guests will protest if told they
are being charged for souvenirs.
ii) Scanty baggage guest should be carefully watched.
iii) Rooms should not be opened for guests coming and saying
that they have left their keys inside unless their identity is
established.

Safety and Security
223
iv) Personal belongings of guest may be stolen, guest may be
subjected to criminal assault, etc
v) Employee should be instructed not to divulge information
about guests to outsiders.
vi) Any suspicious person roaming in corridor must be
immediately reported.
vii) Housekeeping staff should ensure never to leave keys lying
exposed on unattended carts in corridors.
16.3.3 Security Aspect of Systems
Security aspect of systems in hotel is equally important to
physical and persons’ security. The objective of such security is to
safeguard the assets of the hotel. Systems, procedures and the
policies followed properly shall safeguard the assets and shall
increase the life span of equipment.
i) Record all losses and missing items immediately.
ii) Inventory control should be proper.
iii) Auditing should be done on regular basis.
iv) Proper system for cash receipts and disbursements should
be created and followed.
16.4 HANDLING SECURITY THREATS
1) Protecting Guests from Fire
One of the major threats is that of fire. Although we have not
had loss of life in hotels in India (perhaps as a result of our methods
of construction and the absence of wall to wall carpeting) hotels here
are also bound by law to take necessary fire safety precautions.
Figure 16.1 Fire Alarm System
A front office manager is duty bound to ensure that he is
satisfied with a hotel’s:

Accommodation
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· fire detection systems
· fire containment provisions
· escape procedures
· fire-fighting equipment
2) Terrorist Threats
There is little, if anything, a front office manager and his staff
may do if there is some kind of threat from terrorist attack. However,
bomb threats are received by someone at the front line - a
telephonist or a front office clerk - and a procedure must be in place
to ensure that all the information that can be gathered about the
nature of the threat is recorded thoroughly investigated.
3) Threats to Privacy
It is the duty of front office to protect the privacy of its guests
even and perhaps especially if they are in the public eye. However, it
is not only the privacy of VIP guests that must be respected but also
every one of our guests is entitled to his or her own privacy. Steps
must be taken to ensure that information about our guests is not
divulged to outsiders. Giving room numbers to individuals other than
the persons being accommodated in those rooms is unethical and
should be avoided at all costs.
4) Threats to Guests’ Property
Although the hotelier’s liability is limited, it is in the interests of
protecting the reputation of the hotel to ensure the safety of its
guests and their property – if anything to protect the reputation of the
hotel. If the hotel is in an unsafe area, or in an area frequented by
unscrupulous characters, guests should be made aware of this,
especially if they intend to venture out of the hotel at night.
5) Confidence Tricksters or Conmen
There is very little a hotel can do if a confidence trickster
makes his way into a guest’s “life”. These types of people often settle
their own room accounts and are simply guests from a hotel point of
view. However, when the identity of a conman is known the hotel is
ethically bound to blacklist him and refuse him accommodation in the
hotel, perhaps even inform the police as a community service
gesture.
6) Misbehaving Guests
Guests themselves may also threaten each other’s
enjoyment. If a traveller turns up in a drunken state asking for a room
a hotel is entitled to refuse him on the grounds that he is not in a fit
state to be received. This is true even if he already has a booking /
reservation, as he has broken one of the implied conditions of the
contract. Similarly if the guest misbehaves throughout his stay the
hotel is not obliged to let him stay. When guests complain about
being kept awake by a noisy couple or a drunkard next door, it is not

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225
good enough to tell a disturbed guest that “nothing can be done
about that.” One must employ considerable tact in dealing with such
situations and settle problems satisfactorily.
7) Protecting Staff
Staff should be able to work in a harmonious and secure
environment. In this sense, all measures taken to protect guests will
provide further security for employees. Some guests are
unscrupulous and although it is highly unlikely that guests will rob
staff property some guests may make the integrity of the staff
questionable. Unfortunately this may happen to female staff who
refuse sexual advances from guests. It is in the interest of the hotel
to protect its staff by ensuring that the integrity of employees is
safeguarded and it would be unwise for a manager to immediately
accept the guest’s complaint without hearing the employee’s version
of events.
8) Theft from Hotel
It is unfortunate that even the wealthiest of guests may have
a propensity to pilfer a hotel’s property as a souvenir. This normally
happens at check out when a guest leaves the hotel with a variety of
items – virtually anything that is not securely fastened down: soap,
towels, mats, sheets, blankets, coathangers, lamps, trouser presses,
electric kettles, TV sets and even plumbing fixtures.
9) Walk-outs, Skippers or Runners
There are a number of guests who leave without paying bills.
These guests can generally be divided into three groups:
· The ‘accidentals’ - these are guests who simply forget to
pay, often their extras bills. Most of these guests do not
intend to leave the hotel without paying – they simply
believe their account is being settled by someone else.
When contacted these guests pay their bill immediately
and are highly embarrassed. The hotel should deal with
them tactfully and courteously.
· ‘Opportunists’. These guests check in with the intention of
paying their bill on departure, but when they realise that
they can get away with not paying their bill (or simply a
transaction that should have found itself on their bill – eg.
last minute breakfast or minibar consumption) they make
a run for it.
· ‘Premeditators’. These are guests who, from the start,
have the intention of leaving the hotel without paying.
Some of these guests go into considerable lengths in
order to avoid paying. These guests generally stay for
short periods and will move to other hotels as soon as
payment is demanded. Experienced room staff can often
detect premeditated walkouts.

Accommodation
Operation
226
10) Immorality
An immoral contract, under our law, is void. A contract must
be based on a lawful consideration (Section 966 of the Civil Code) –
if it is not, then it may not be enforceable in a court of law. It is in the
interest of a hotel to discourage prostitution, not only because the
hotel has a reputation to protect but also because prostitution may
bring about a number of difficulties. Similarly a hotel must ensure
that other illegal practices, such as illegal gambling, are not
conducted on its premises.
CHECK YOUR PROGRESS
1. What are the types of threats that a hotel generally face with?
2. How will you classify the security?
3. What are the things that need to be taken care for the protection
of a hotel from fire?
16.5 LET US SUM UP
Security of guest and their property is of great concern for the
hotel. The hotel should have proper security system to protect the
guests and the staffs, buildings, equipments, appliances and also the
belongings of the guests such as luggage, vehicle and sometimes
pets. There are two types of security threats hotels are concerned
with, viz. threats that might affect a guest’s health, comfort or well
being, and threats that affect the hotel directly, in particular its
fixtures and fittings, its revenue and its reputation. Therefore, it is
important for the hotel management to select a reputable and
reliable that system and agency or agencies which will provide
adequate protection against all such threats which will create
problem for the hotel.
Security can be classified under physical aspects, security of
persons (guest and staff) and security of systems. The physical
aspects o f security can further be subdivided into internal and
external. Security aspects of persons can further be subdivided into
staff and guests. Security aspect of systems in hotel is equally
important to physical and persons’ security. The objective of such
security is to safeguard the assets of the hotel.
One of the major threats is that of fire. The Front Office
Manager must always have a watch on the fire detection systems,
fire containment provisions, escape procedures and fire-fighting
equipment of the hotel. Apart form the above, the hotel must provide
safety and security from terrorist attacks, threats on privacy, threats
on guests’ property, confidence tricksters or conmen, misbehaving
guests / staffs, theft, skippers or runners and immoral activities.

Safety and Security
227
1. Imagine you are the unlucky Receptionist at a hotel in Mumbai.
How would you respond to requests for accommodation from
these ‘chance’ guests?
· A person suffering from a potentially dangerous
infectious disease.
· A minor
· A vagrant in ragged, dirty and possibly verminous
clothing
· A person who is drunk
· A couple who does not appear to be married
· A person who insists on being accompanied by a
large and aggressive dog.
16.7 KEY WORDS
Security Physical safeguards to insure safety to people
and properties
Complaint A formal charge, made under oath, of a crime
or other such offense
Appliances A device or instrument designed to perform a
specific function, especially an electrical
device, such as a toaster, for household use
Patrolling The act of moving about an area especially by
an authorized and trained person or group, for
purposes of observation, inspection, or
security
Frisking To search (a person) for something concealed,
especially a weapon, by passing the hands
quickly over clothes or through pockets
Alarm An electrical, electronic, or mechanical device
that serves to warn of danger by means of a
sound or signal
Shrubbery A row or border of short statured shrubs,
allowed to grow naturally
Trickster A person who cheats
Conman A swindler who victim defrauds after gaining
his or her confidence.
1. What is the need of having a security system in hotels?
2. What are the types of security?
3. What are the methods through which security threats can be
handled?

Accommodation
Operation
228
1. The hotels are concerned with the threats such as threats that
might affect a guest’s health, comfort or wellbeing and threats
that affect the hotel directly, in particular its fixtures and fittings,
its revenue and its reputation.
2. Security can be classified under physical aspects, security of
persons (guest and staff) and security of systems.
3. The following has to be ensured to protect the hotel from fire
accident:
i) fire detection systems
ii) fire containment provisions
iii) escape procedures
iv) fire-fighting equipment.
16.9 REFERENCES
1. Abbott P. and Lewry S. (1991), Front Office: Procedures, social
skills and management, ButterworthHeinemann.
2. Go et al (1996), Human Resource Management in the Hospitality
Industry, Wiley.
3. Kasavana M. and Brooks R. ( 1995), Managing Front Office
Operations Fourth Edition, Educational Institute.

Accommodation management notes

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Accommodation management notes