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Front of house (hotel)
Front of house (FOH) is the part of a hotel that deals directly with guests: reception, concierge, reservations, porters and guest relations.
1 min read · Updated: September 28, 2026
Front of house covers the guest’s whole journey on site, from arrival and check-in through requests during the stay to check-out and settling the bill. It is led by the front office manager or front of house manager. Unlike back of house, its work is visible to guests and has the biggest effect on reviews.
How it works in practice
Example: at a 150-room London hotel the FOH team includes a front office manager, receptionists on three shifts, a night auditor, concierges, porters and a reservations team. In a small hotel the same roles are covered by two or three people at the desk, who check guests in, answer the phone and reply to emails at the same time.
How technology helps
With hotelspot, part of the front of house workload moves to technology: the AI Concierge answers guests 24/7, guests can check in on the Digital Pod screen, and requests from the guest app go straight to the right team.
Frequently asked questions
- What does front of house mean in a hotel?
- The guest-facing departments: reception, concierge, reservations, porters and guest relations.
- What is the difference between front of house and back of house?
- Front of house works directly with guests, while back of house supports the hotel behind the scenes, for example kitchens, laundry, finance and maintenance.
