STructures of the hotel insdustry

Organizational Structure in Hotels

Hotels require a wide range of specialized departments and skilled staff to operate efficiently and profitably.

General Manager (GM)

The top manager at the unit (hotel) level responsible for all departments; reports to ownership directly or through corporate hierarchy.

Executive Assistant Manager

Supports the GM and oversees the entire hotel operation when needed.

Owner-Manager

A general manager who also owns the hotel; common in small, privately-owned hotels.

Hotel Executive Workload

Hotel managers often work 60+ hours per week due to 24/7 operations; demands affect personal life.

GM Salary Factors

Determined by hotel size, ADR (Average Daily Rate), and total revenue performance.

Manager’s People Skills

Critical for leadership, community interaction, and human resource management.

Incentive Bonuses

Extra compensation for executives (including GMs), ranging from 20–40% of annual income.

Support Departments

Include legal, HR, IT, tax, and environmental experts; may be in-house or at higher corporate levels.

Corporate Titles at Property Level

Vice Presidents of marketing, HR, etc., may be used instead of “Director” depending on GM’s corporate rank.

Food and Beverage Manager

Oversees hotel dining services; one of the hotel’s main operating (line) departments.

Decline of F&B in Hotels

Many hotels now limit food service to breakfast or outsource dining entirely.

Hotel Manager (House or Resident Manager)

Oversees all operating departments except F&B; usually front-of-house operations.

Housekeeping Department

Responsible for the hotel’s core product: clean guest rooms and public areas.

Guest Room Attendants

Hotel staff who clean rooms; usually lower paid due to lack of guest interaction.

Floor Housekeeper/Supervisor

Inspects and approves cleaned rooms before making them available for sale.

Executive Housekeeper

Manages the housekeeping department in large hotels; may also handle laundry, decor, purchasing.

Turndown Service

Evening preparation of guest beds for sleep; often part of luxury hotel service.

Housekeeping & Front Desk Coordination

Essential to ensure timely availability of clean, ready rooms for new guests.

Security Department

Responsible for the safety of guests, staff, and property; importance grew with rising crime and liability.

Security Features

Electronic locks, peepholes, CCTV, smoke alarms, sprinklers, PA systems, perimeter lighting.

Rooms Manager

Oversees reservations, uniformed services, concierge, telephones, and guest services.

Reservations Department

Handles booking requests via phone, internet, fax, letter, or in-person.

Reservations Manager

Supervises the processing, confirmation, and tracking of room bookings.

Uniformed Services Department

Formerly included porters, pages, and transport clerks; now downsized to a few bellpersons or door staff.

Bell Captain

Manager of the uniformed services department; also called superintendent of services.

Concierge

From Latin "con servus" meaning "with service"; assists guests with information, services, and bookings.

US Concierge Role

Located in the lobby; provides personalized guest support such as directions, reservations, tickets.

Telephone Department

Supervised by the chief operator; manages hotel guest phone communications and wake-up calls.

Charge Operator

Connects guests, hotel systems, and external phone company; handles billing-related calls.

Message Operator

Delivers hand-typed or transcribed messages to guests.

Wake-Up Call Service

Formerly handled by the telephone department for guest alarm requests.

Guest Services Manager

Formerly called the front-office manager; oversees guest interaction and front desk activities.

Guest-Service Agents

Modern title for front desk staff; previously called room clerks or front office clerks.

Front Office Role

Considered the “hub and heart” of the hotel; connects to all departments and handles guest communication.

Receptionist

Common international title for guest-service agent.

Front-Office Cashiers

Work at front desk but report to the accounting department; handle payments and guest billing.