What are SOPs in the Hotel Industry?
Hotel SOPs are an essential set of written down instructions in hotel management, that staff use to execute operational procedures and maintain service standards. By having well-developed SOPs in your hotel it is possible to provide more consistent and higher-quality services and products.
Why are Hotel SOPs important in Hospitality?
SOPs in hotels are important for a number of reasons, namely:
Standardization
- Maintaining consistency and quality of your service and ensure it is perceived well by the guest;
- Gain efficiency in your work operations, which will save your hotel time and money.
Safety
- It is essential to have a plan in place for emergency situations. The SOPs intent to alert the hotel team of how to proceed and resolve any circumstances in a safe and effective way;
Which hotel departments benefit the most from SOPs ?
- Food & Beverage – e.g. table service, guest interaction. food preparation and the opening and closing routines;
- Food safety & handling – food manipulation and hygiene practices when cooking;
- Front Office – check-in procedures, concierge services and guest reservations;
- Housekeeping – preparing the rooms, turndown service and handling complaints;
- Maintenance & engineering – preventative maintenance of the hotel´s spaces, emergency breakdown situations and housekeeping requests;
- Marketing and Sales – dealing with bookings, setting rates, preparing the marketing plan and advertising the hotel or resort.
Which are the steps to follow when writing SOPs?
- Undertake research and detect which departments and tasks need the application of an SOP;
- Register your findings and review what procedures are applicable to your hotel.
- Difference exist depending on the brand standards and star or service level (e.g. a 5-star luxury hotel offers vastly different services compared to a hostel, requiring more SOPs to cover those additional services);
- Implementation;
- Re-evaluation of the procedures;
- Communicate with the team what can be improved.
It is important to re-evaluate and improve SOPs to ensure high efficiency and service levels.
Make sure not to overlook the importance of SOPs in hotels, as it forms the base of your hotel operations and can make or break the performance of your business.
