Regardless of the numbers of workers, hotel employment itself falls into two broad categories that are traditionally referred to as front of the house and back of the house
Jobs in the front of the house include management, the various jobs at the check-in desk(the front desk), accounting, sales and promotion, baggage handling, car attendants, and special services. It should be noted that some front- of-the-house employees - those in accounting or sales and promotion, have little or no contact with the public. Jobs in the back of the house include food and beverage preparation and service, housekeeping, laundry and valet service, engineering, and maintenance. Some of the employees in this group - restaurant or room-service waiters and chambermaids, for example - have frequent, although rather limited, contact with guests.
The front desk is the term that designates the counter where the guests register, pick up their keys and mail, request information, deposit their valuables, and pay their bills. It is also called the reception area.
In a small hotel or motel, all of these different functions may be handled by one or two people, but a large hotel assigns several people to clearly defined jobs at the front desk. The front desk is located in the lobby of the hotel. For the convenience of guests, the front desk is almost always located near the hotel's main entrance. In a large hotel, it is divided into sections. One section is the registration desk, where guests register or sign in. A second section is the area where the guests pick up their keys, mail and messages. The third section is an information desk, where the guests can ask for information or make local travel arrangements. The fourth section is the cashier's desk. The primary job of front-desk personnel is to take care of the check-in and check-out procedures and to provide helpful information to the guests : order that their stay in the hotel may be comfortable and convenient. In the eyes of most customers, the front-desk employees are the representatives of the hotel. Their ability to work smoothly is an important factor in the success of the hotel.
