Hotel Engineering and Maintenance: Key Aspects
Hotel Engineering & Maintenance (E&M)
The goal of the E&M department is to ensure that the hotel premises are properly defined and designed, according to the hotel’s type and concept, for the comfort of guests and the greatest efficiency, functionality, ecological principles, and operational sustainability. This “ensemble” must function in optimal conditions.
Working tool (the hotel): its premises, grounds, buildings, and contents, including technical concerns, equipment, furniture, and decoration.
The E&M department is also responsible for managing and controlling the electricity, water, and fuels required to operate the property.
From the administrative point of view, E&M is divided into:
Property management, Repairs & Maintenance, and Landscaping.
Property Management: Electricity, Water, Gas, and Fuel-oil.
Electrical panels, boilers, hydro-pneumatic systems, water and other tanks, air-conditioned and other technical utilities & appliances related to the hotel operation.
Repairs & Maintenance are performed in two instances: Preventive maintenance and Corrective maintenance.
Preventive Maintenance is the execution of programmed maintenance, following previous planning: buildings, technical utilities/appliances, equipment, fixtures, furniture, and grounds of the hotel property.
The preventive maintenance schedule is planned together with the concerned department heads in order to avoid operational disruption.
Corrective Maintenance is performed when needed, due to unexpected physical malfunctions or damages. It must be solved as soon as possible.
Maintenance outsourcing: The maintenance of technically sophisticated and specialized equipment is usually performed by external agents, most usually provided by their supplier: Elevators, Telecommunications, Sound & video systems, Computer technology.
Landscaping takes care of the grounds and land surrounding the hotel buildings, as well as outdoor sports and leisure activities. The care of grounds and gardens consist of planting, growing, and fertilizing.
The E&M Team
The chief engineer is directly responsible for his/her department to the hotel management (Line Accountability).
The corporate or regional Technical Services director is responsible for establishing the department’s policies and procedures to be applied in the individual hotels (Staff accountability) and further, may supervise that these are followed. However, he has no executive responsibility for the individual property’s performance.
The E&M team: some trades may be combined or outsourced. Storekeeper (Spare parts and expendables), Plumber/boiler man, Electrician, Air conditioning technician, Refrigeration technician, Electro-mechanical/welding, painting, masonry, carpentry, upholstery, and gardening.
Budgets & Operational Reports
The E&M department head elaborates the (yearly) budget defined by the Uniform System of Accounts for the Lodging Industry – USALI, with the following information:
- Energies consumption: Electricity, Water, Gas, and Fuels
- Property management – Repairs & Maintenance with Payroll
- Expendables (Spare parts and supplies)
- External maintenance contracts
- Repairs & maintenance expenses
- Statistics
- Capital Expenditure (Capex) Budgeting (acquisitions, investments)
The yearly budget also includes an acquisitions’ budget, that submits to approval new technical utilities and equipment and/or those that need to be replaced.
Hotel Physical Premises
The design and concept of the hotel physical premises are conditioned to its defined characteristics:
- Location (city, rural…)
- Existing infrastructures
- Climate (tropical…)
- Concept (full services, limited services, apartment-hotel…)
- Type of operation/market (business, cultural, resort…)
- Services available to guests (restaurants, bars, disco, conventions & banquets center…)
- Operational areas and outlets
- Category (Deluxe, 5 stars…)
- Type of construction (horizontal, vertical…)
- Size/capacity
Hotel Circulation Schemes
The hotel flow and/or circulation of guests/clients, staff, and goods must be conceived rationally. The efficiency and profitability of the property may depend on this factor.
Housekeeping/linen room area, F&B circulation flows, Technical and Services – Engineering & Maintenance