Hotel facility management: what is it and what are the benefits

Facility management is a concept of fundamental importance in the hospitality sector. It determines the quality of the services that an accommodation facility is able to offer its customers.

But those who work in the field of hotel facility management, know very well how difficult it is to control all the aspects (operational, organizational and functional) that come into play. From room cleaning to the maintenance of the plants, from catering to the management of the personnel, and so on.

If you are also involved in the management and/or maintenance of hotels, residences and accommodation facilities in general, and you are looking for a tool that helps you simplify your work, I recommend you evaluate a facility management software. This is a powerful and innovative system that allows you to monitor assets, plan activities and solve problems from a single centralized platform, while improving productivity, and reducing time and costs related to management.

To learn more about hotel facility management, continue reading the article and find out what are the advantages of this process and the most important aspects that you will have to consider when managing a hotel.

What is the role of facility management in a hotel?

Hotel facility management is the process aimed at the management and control of all those activities that are not part of the “core business” of a hotel (such as the maintenance of buildings and facilities or cleaning and security services). They are most frequently entrusted to specialized external companies, to allow the owners of the hotels to focus on their guests experience.

For companies operating in the hoteling sector, the core business (generally known as the set of activities that serve to fulfill the main purpose of an organization) consists of attracting customers to increase the sale and marketing of rooms, proposing special packages or additional services, and taking better care of marketing and advertising.

All these activities require considerable commitment and constant attention from those directly involved, as well as the implementation of appropriate strategies to meet the customers needs and expectations.

And it is precisely here that the importance of hotel facility management comes into play. It allows you to “delegate” to qualified professionals the management of all those services that apparently seem secondary or accessory, but which are actually essential to ensure the proper functioning of the structure.

Hotel facility management: room cleaning services

The ten main functions of hotel facility management

Hotel facility management includes the tools and processes that help to improve the functionality, safety and efficiency of a hotel facility, not only from a physical point of view but also in reference to the quality of the services offered.

Among the most significant aspects that a hotel facility manager could be called upon to address, we find, for example, the below:

1. the maintenance of the assets, through preventive or corrective actions that have the purpose of keeping up and running the functional characteristics of the buildings that host the hotel activities, and of all the facilities and equipment contained therein (air conditioning, water-sanitary system, lighting, elevators, Wi-Fi system, etc.);
2. room, bathrooms, shared spaces and outdoor areas cleaning and hygiene services. It is essential to ensure the well-being and satisfaction of customers, and to increase the standards of safety and quality of the structure;
3. the management of personnel, starting from their selection and training, up to the assignment of tasks and the organisation of work shifts;
4. supply chain management, including all operations aimed at inventory control and tracking orders, supplies and deliveries;
5. the implementation of safety protocols, necessary to deal with emergency situations with maximum efficiency, and to protect guests and staff from risks and dangers of various kinds (fire risk, electrical risk, external intrusions, etc.);
6. catering, both daily and extraordinary (i.e. linked to the performance of particular events), which involves the supply of cooks and staff for the kitchen and for the room, the supply of food and products, the management of the bar, the organization of catering, etc.;
7. the management of recreational facilities, such as swimming pools, gyms, wellness centres and SPAS;
8. reception, concierge and porterage services, essential to ensure guests the best possible reception, through the management of arrivals and departures, the allocation of rooms, luggage storage, the care of the lobby, etc.;
9. conference preparations, which include the planning and operational management of all aspects related to the organization of events, including the management of spaces, the installation of technological equipment, the preparation and printing of information material, assistance to participants, etc.;
10. the management of booking and check-in/check-out operations, as well as the implementation of systems that allow you to view guest complaints and send immediate requests for intervention/cleaning/maintenance.

Hotel facility management: maintenance of recreational facilities

What is the process of hospitality facilities management?

Coordinating the above-mentioned activities requires facility managers a considerable effort in the hotel management sector. Moreover, they need to
develop processes that make it easier to achieve the main objectives of the hotel sector, that is, to guarantee guests a pleasant, relaxing and positive experience, and minimize the occurrence of problems, inconveniences and unforeseen events (just think of the malfunction of the air conditioning in the summer period or the presence of dirty, old-fashioned and unwelcoming rooms).

The hotel facility management processes aim to include the activities that guarantee the correct functioning of the structure within an integrated and efficient management, which is developed through four phases.

1. analysis of the needs of the facility, through a careful preliminary investigation;
2. prediction of critical issues, so as to anticipate problems;
3. timely and effectiveorganization of interventions;
4. development of actions aimed at solving problems and unforeseen events.

To optimize the management of hotel facilities, it becomes important to get help from specialized software that, through their features, allow you to simplify

• planning and tracking of activities;
• asset monitoring;
• problem resolution;
• the management of requests for intervention;
• the creation of work orders;
• the production of reports;
• the management of notifications;
• communication with the other professionals involved.

What are the benefits facility management in hotels?

Effective and integrated hotel facilities management creates significant benefits not only for guests, but also for the staff involved.
Properly implementing a hotel facility management process allows, in fact, to

• extend the life cycle of resources;
• control management times and costs;
• reduce waste (of food, energy, etc.);
• improve users well-being;
• ensure high standards of quality and safety;
• minimise the risk of emergencies;

If you are a professional working in the hotel facility management sector and you want to streamline and optimize your work, my suggestion is that you rely on a enterprise facility management software. A centralized cloud platform could allow you to view your assets and your interventions through 2D maps or 3D BIM models from any device and automatically track all your management activities.