Engineering Department
Hotel Management
Hospitality Services
Responsibilities
The engineering department is
responsible for the physical facilities of
the hotel. Their job is to keep the facility
in top condition for safety, guest
satisfaction and profitability.
Curb Appeal
The facility must be maintained and
nurtured just like the people inside!
Curb appeal is the visual attractiveness
of a building as seen from the street,
a/k/a the Silent Salesperson!
Curb Appeal
It is what often draws a guest into the
property. Once inside the furnishings and
amenities invite them to stay.
Tasks of Engineering
The tasks of this department include:
preventive maintenance
 repairs
 deep
cleaning
 groundskeeping
 capital improvements
 resource management
 emergency preparedness
Maintenance vs. Repair


Maintenance is the repair and
upkeep of the internal and external
hotel structure and equipment.
Repairs can be costly, routine
maintenance can prevent and delay
repairs.
Deep Cleaning
Deep cleaning involves extra time and
equipment. It is usually done every 3
months in guest rooms and public areas.
Housekeeping and Engineering depts.
work together to schedule and
accomplish deep cleaning tasks.
Deep Cleaning Equipment
Groundskeeping
Groundskeeping is the maintenance
and upkeep of the facility grounds and
landscape.
Capital Improvements
Capital improvement is the
process by which a hotel undergoes
renovation.
Resource management
Resource management is basically
costs control and conservation of natural
resources.
Functions of engineering
The functions of engineering are
performed in the following five
areas:
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


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building systems
building and equipment
guest rooms
public areas
recreational equipment
grounds
Engineering Dept. Goals
What does the crew do??
The crew must maintain the
electrical, ventilation, kitchen
equipment, parking lot and hotel
entrance, swimming pools/hot tubs,
exercise equipment, elevators and
escalators, roof, walls and floors,
heating/cooling, water, phone,
computer and other systems.
Engineering Tool Closet
Who is the crew?
The staff will include a chief engineer,
skilled technicians such as plumbers
and electricians, and maintenance
workers.
Maintenance staff needs to know how
to do minor repairs, basic electrical
work, basic plumbing, equipment
repairs and structural repairs.
Skills and Abilities
They must be competent with common
power tools and safety. Some
engineering depts. are responsible for
maintenance and repair of motorized
vehicles, such a vans and riding lawn
mowers.
Hours of Operation
Just like the Front Desk and
Housekeeping, Engineering is open and
working 24 hours a day!
How big is the department?
The size of this department is
dependant upon the size of the
property. A large resort property
might several buildings, one or
more swimming pools, a golf
course, tennis courts, and other
facilities. This type of large property
usually has a large engineering
department.
Daily Responsibilities
Engineering staff checking PMS
To the HVAC system & Water
softener system
Preventive Maintenance
Hotel engineers maintain many
parts of the facility by implementing
a preventive maintenance
program, (pms). A preventive
maintenance program is structured
so that engineers constantly inspect
and monitor various aspects of a
hotel to ensure that all items are in
working order.
Preventive Maintenance
These programs help find small
problems before they become
bigger and more costly problems.
Some manufacturers provide
guidelines for proper maintenance
of the equipment (similar to routine
oil changes in a car every 3000
miles).
Poolside Handicapped Lift
Routine Inspections
Routine inspections of the facilities
help identify signs of wear and tear that
could result in a breakdown, allow
comparison to previous repair records
and provide evidence that routine
maintenance did occur.
Lock out/Tag out
Purchasing
When new equipment is needed,
engineering is responsible for
researching, getting bids, and
choosing the best equipment for
the purpose and price. They
also work with insurance
companies when claims
are filed.
Engineering works very closely with
housekeeping in maintaining the
quality of the physical guest room.
Housekeepers are required to report
problems with a guest room to
engineering for repair.
Front desk staff is responsible for
reporting problems in the public
area and lobby.
The banquet/event staff is responsible
for reporting problem areas in the
banquet and event rooms.
Director of Engineering
The Director of Engineering
(DOE) position requires a fouryear university degree along with
work experience in managing
costs, staff and departmental
operations. Many people begin
their facilities management career
as entry-level employees while in
school.
EOD
Engineer on Duty (EOD) is the crew
member assigned that day to a particular
task. EODs are assigned different tasks,
such as pool maintenance
or repair, painting walls,
etc.
Example Situation
A room attendant reports a leaky
shower faucet in room #2345 to
Engineering. The DOE creates a
work order and schedules a EOD to
repair the faucet. Once repaired,
the DOE inspects the work of the
EOD and reports to Housekeeping
and Front Desk the faucet has been
repaired and the room is ready for
resale
Profit Loss
When a guest room is not available
due to maintenance or repair
needed, profit is lost. Therefore the
DOE must have a system in place
for fast, efficient repair and
maintenance.
OHSA Materials
OHSA

Occupational Health and Safety
Administration is a Federal govt.
agency that ensures worker safety.
Published materials must be
displayed for access by all
employees, posters describing
worker safety must be displayed,
etc.
Emergency Preparedness Plan
This department is responsible for
the hotel’s emergency planning
process and implementation. The
goal of emergency planning is to
ensure guest and employee safety,
security, and comfort during a wide
variety of emergency situations.
Shelter in Place??
In certain emergencies such as a
hurricane, tornado, earthquake, power
outage, or toxic chemical spill or
terrorism guests and employees may
need to Shelter in Place
or be evacuated to a
safer location.
Backup Plans
During emergency situations it
is possible to lose power or
communication abilities. So
properties must have backup
generators for power, fuel
supplies and an emergency
communication system.
 These
three (power, fuel
supplies and the emergency
communication system) need
to be routinely inspected to
ensure they are ready to be
used at any time.
Joke
A guest comment card entry
concerning the hotel’s
condition stated: “the
manager promised that I
wouldn’t find a single flea in
my bed. He was right; they
were all married with
families!”