Food and travel has always remained at the pinnacle for people. Hotel and tourism industry are the fastest growing industries of the World and is estimated to provide employment to 52.8% employees by 2028. Due to the development of technology hotels are striving to provide contact less services to the guests especially after this Pandemic.
Development of hotels
In the ancient Times, this industry didn’t exist like it Exists today but the commencement of food and accommodation was started over a long period of time, it existed in the forms of Dharamshalas, inns, guest houses, dak bungalows, lounges and so on. Mughals and Britishers had a great impact on this sector.
How did it expanded its roots all over?
The Indian Tourism Development corporation was set up in 1966 with the vision of expanding India as a tourist destination. Tourism and hotels always go hand in hand they both can’t exist independently. There is no fun to travel without food and accommodation.
The rapid development in transportation, globalisation and advancement in technology led to the expansion of this industry. The Taj and Oberoi hotels were made after independence. Since then, this trend is never ending.
The influence of France and westernisation has made amendments in the hotels as well as the lifestyle of people. When it comes to travel the first objective is to find an accomodation for living and eating. But now it’s really difficult for the people to choose hotels due to distinct features which are really attractive. It’s a dilemma to choose a hotel by the services provided. Everything has glorified perfection. The staff, the food, the interior, the services, the amenities and the location.
There are so many types of hotels which I’m going to explain in the next blog. As well as there are other types of alternative accommodations such as lodges, youth hostels, railway or airport rooms, sarais and so on.
How does hotels manage everything or there are some sub bodies?
The question which arises on every Mind when a person has never been to a hotel for accommodation it’s really confusing to guess about its functioning. Some relate hotel management with cooking and some with restuarants and some with reception it’s really beyond this. There are so many departments, handling a single hotel satisfying the guest and for repeat business.
Front office
The department which people assume as reception is the front office department which is divided into many sections:- reservation department, accounts department, night auditing department, reception department, telephone department, safety and security department , maintainance department & bell desk. The First step is the reservation, then comes check in, during stay, check out and post departure. The duty of this department is to reserve and allot rooms, handle complains, post charges to the guest account, depart guests and most importantly, provide them the best of the services possible.
The food production department
Those people who assume that the food is cooked by a chef in a kitchen and served is all about the food department? Well, you all are wrong. Large hotels have ample of satellite kitchens and one main kitchen in which there is mis en pla (Pre preparation of food) . There are not only two chefs (Head chef and sous chef) there are tandoor cooks, non vegetarian cooks, vegetarian cooks, south indian cooks, mithai cooks, fish cooks, soup cooks, sauce cooks, roast cooks, pastry Cooks, Garde manger and assistant cooks.
The food and beverage department
Food cooked by the specialised chef is served by this department and people who assume that there is one manager and rest are waiters. You all are again living in a misconception this department is also beyond your thinking. A restaurant is divided into various sections for easy and fast service as well as management. There is a restaurant manager, head waiter, station head waiter, station waiter, junior station waiter, waiter, wine waiter, barman, porters, secretary, banquet head waiters and sales administrator. It also has a another department associated with it that is food and beverage control.
The housekeeping department
This department is always presumed for cleaning and again it is far more than it. It is not all about cleaning apart from this it’s about decorating and designing a guest room according to the guest preferences. There are not only cleaners in the department it also follows a hierarchy similar to others:- Executive housekeeper, assistant housekeeping, floor supervisor, laundry supervisor, linen room supervisor, public area supervisor, florist, guest room assistant and other assistants too. There is a desk control room which examines the functioning of the entire department.
Hotels are managed by all these departments every department knows it’s duties and does everything in an extraordinary manner to provide the best services in every way. Hotels are using every sought of technology and practices to satisfy and please their guests.
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