HOTEL SERVICES

Every hotel offers numerous services so there are different departments in it. They are the front office, the bell service, the housekeeping, the telephone department and the security department.

The front office is in the lobby of a hotel. It consists of the reservation department and the reception desk or the front desk. The front office clerks organize a nice welcome to guests. The reservation department is responsible for booking of the hotel rooms. The front desk is responsible for sale of rooms, guest registration, key service, message and mail service, guest accounts.

Each employee in the front office has a special task. The booking clerk arranges a booking. The receptionist meeting the guests, he helps to check in. He asks them to fill in a registration form. A hotel guest can get messages and mail. There is a rack with message boxes behind the counter. And there is also a key drop at the desk. The cashier helps the guests with accounts.

The bell service is responsible for showing the rooms, the luggage and running errands for guests. At the head of the bell service is the bell captain. The bell captain’s post is next to the front desk. The bell captain directs bellmen.

The room clerk gives the guest’s room number and key to the bellman. The bellman escorts the guest to his room and shows it explaining how to use the room appliances. In many hotels the bellman carries the guest’s luggage. But some hotels have porters for such purposes.

The housekeeping service is responsible for cleaning guests’ rooms. At the head of it is the housekeeper. He supervises the chambermaids. Chambermaids prepare the rooms before the guests check in. They use master keys to provide security for the hotel rooms. The guests having checked out, the housekeeper inspects the rooms. He informs the front desk if everything is in order. He also informs which rooms are occupied or vacant.

Phones are necessary for guests. There is usually the regular pay phone and the house phone. The house phone is the system of phones throughout the hotel.

The operator controls all in-coming and out-going calls operating the switchboard. He connects the guest with any hotel service and handles outside calls too. They may be local, long-distance and international. The guests may ask the operator to connect them or dial direct.

The security department protects the guests from all dangers: robbery and burglary, fire or flood. At the head of it is the security officer. This department is in charge of guests’ valuables in a safe-deposit box. The security department provides fire drills for all hotel employees. Each hotel employee knows all emergency exits. In case of an injury there are first aid kits throughout the hotel. The security department is in charge of them too.

Слова и выражения к тексту

 

bell service	служба посыльных
front office	отделы бронирования, приема и обслуживания гостиницы
bell captain	старший посыльный, заведующий службой посыльных
housekeeper	заведующий службой горничных
check in	регистрировать
check out	выезжать из гостиницы
run errands	выполнять поручения
appliances	электрические бытовые приборы
switchboard	коммутатор
robbery	кража
burglary	кража со взломом
valuables	ценности
safe-deposit box	индивидуальный сейф
fire drill	пожарное учение
emergency exit	аварийный выход
first aid kit	аптечка

Упражнение 9. Ответьте на вопросы к тексту.

1. Have you ever stayed in a hotel? What services have you used?

2. How does the front office act?

3. What is the reservation department in charge of?

4. What is the main activity of the front desk?

5. Enumerate the front office employees and their tasks.

6. What does the bell service provide?

7. Who supervises bellmen?

8. What do bellmen do?

9. How does the housekeeping service work?

10. How can guests make calls?

11. What is the security department responsible for?