Back of the House refers to all areas of a hotel that are not accessible to guests and are used by staff to manage and support daily operations. These spaces are essential for delivering service but remain behind the scenes.
It is where planning, coordination, preparation, and problem solving take place to ensure the guest experience runs smoothly.
Common Back of the House areas include kitchens, stewarding sections, staff locker rooms, laundry rooms, engineering workshops, receiving docks, storage areas, administrative offices, and staff cafeterias.
Why It Matters in a Hotel
Guests may never see these areas, but their entire stay depends on what happens there.
A well managed Back of the House ensures:
• Rooms are cleaned and ready on time
• Food is prepared safely and efficiently
• Maintenance issues are resolved quickly
• Supplies are stocked properly
• Staff are coordinated and informed
When Back of the House operations are disorganized, the impact quickly reaches the guest through delays, service failures, or quality issues.
Real Hotel Scenario
Consider a 200 room city hotel operating at 95 percent occupancy.
Before guests even wake up:
• The kitchen team is preparing breakfast mise en place
• Housekeeping is assigning room attendants based on expected departures
• Engineering is responding to a plumbing issue reported overnight
• The receiving department is checking deliveries from suppliers
• Accounts is processing previous day revenue reports
The lobby appears calm and professional. However, behind the scenes, multiple departments are working simultaneously to ensure guests experience seamless service.
That coordinated effort represents Back of the House in action.
Related Departments
• Kitchen and Stewarding
• Housekeeping and Laundry
• Engineering and Maintenance
• Purchasing and Receiving
• Human Resources
• Finance and Administration
Practical Tip
Strong Back of the House management directly improves service quality.
Hotel leaders should regularly inspect and audit these areas, not only for cleanliness and safety but also for workflow efficiency. Poor layout, unclear communication channels, or inadequate storage planning often lead to operational bottlenecks that eventually affect guests.
Understanding Back of the House operations is essential for effective hotel management.
