Introduction to the Hospitality Industry

ENTERTAINMENT & RECREATION

HOSPITALITY MANAGEMENT 1.ATTRACTIONS
2.GAMING
This involves the planning, organizing, directing and 3.PARKS
controlling of human and material resources within 4.CLUBS
lodging,

HOSPITALITY INDUSTRY TRAVEL AND TOURISM

Hospitality industry comprises of business that
provide accommodation, travel, food and beverage
and entertainment to the traveling public. restaurants,
travel and tourism.
HOSPITALITY INDUSTRY
1.One of the fastest growing sectors of the economy
of our time today.
2.A multi-billion dollar enterprise.
3.Diverse enough for people to work in different areas
of interest and still be employed within the industry
1. TRANSPORTATIONS
2.TRAVEL AGENCIES
3.TOUR OPERATORS
CAREER OPPORTUNITIES
Until the late 1950’s, management personnel in the
hospitality industry were not normally college
educated. Those who are interested in hospitality
management typically began their careers by taking
lower-level jobs to learn the business and eventually
worked their way up through the organization.
CAREER OPPORTUNITIES

CHARACTERISTICS OF THE HOSPITALITY
INDUSTRY
• Hospitality business are open 365 days a year and
twenty-four hours a day.
• It depends heavily on shift work (morning and
afternoon)
Until the late 1950’s, management personnel in the
hospitality industry were not normally college
educated. Those who are interested in hospitality
management typically began their careers by taking
lower-level jobs to learn the business and eventually
worked their way up through the organization.
EXPERIENCE REQUIREMENTS

• Has a graveyard shift (starts from 10:00 pm and until
6:00 am)
• Produce guest satisfaction
• Products of the hospitality business are intangible
Still important consideration to many employers, and
a number of students have found that good work
experience gained while attending classes has been
instrumental in their finding good jobs after
graduation.

and perishable.
Entry Level Management Position
SCOPE OF THE HOSPITALITY INDUSTRY
In hotels, individuals might be given such job titles as;
LODGING SEGMENT
1.HOTELS 1.Managers
2.INNS 2.Assistant Managers
3.MOTELS 3.Supervisors
4.PENSIONS 4.Service Associates
5.RESORTS

FOOD AND BEVERAGES

1.RESTAURANTS
2.FASTFOOD
3.CATERING
Entry Level Management Position (cont.)
In restaurants and similar foodservice operations
might carry such title as;
1.Managers
2.Management Trainee
3.Assistant Manager
4.Dining Room Manager
5.Steward
6.Bar Manager
7.Banquet Manager
8.Service Staff
QUALIFICATIONS AND EMPLOYER ASSESSMENT
• ATTITUDE AND CHARACTER
• COMMUNICATION SKILLS
• SKILLS AND EXPERIENCE
History of the Lodging Industry
Ancient History
• Classic Greek and Roman Days
– In ancient Greece, hospitality was provided by
certain
elements of religion: missionaries, priests and pilgrims
formed a very large part of the traveling public.
– The accommodations were meager, providing only
shelter and the barest of sustenance.
– In the earliest times, they were operated by slaves
who
belonged to the temples or holy places.
– Gradually, freemen replaced the slaves, but even
they were
considered to be of low social prestige.
– In ancient Rome, the inns were large mansions.
Owners of these inns would not allow guests to
stay unless they carried a “letter of eviction.”
Which was permission to travel from government
officials.
– Inns and taverns were well established
throughout the empire. Their taverns were called
“tabernas,” and the attached inn was called a
“caponas.” but the general quality of the taverns
and inns available to the public was poor.
Taverns in Roman Days
– In early days in the Near East, caravans crossing
vast desserts,
stopped at caravansaries. These were
accommodations that
surrounded large courtyards.
– These were simple structures consisting of four
walls that
provided protection against marauding enemies who
attacked under cover of darkness.
– Within the walls, platforms were constructed upon
which
the traveler’s slept.
Caravansary
• In the last years of the Roman Empire, taverns and
inns provided
shelter for traveling merchants, actors, and scholars.
• Accommodations were still primitive. There were
rooms for people
but no stables for the horses, more often there were
stables but no
rooms.
» The high point of this era in terms of hospitality was
the development of the post houses along caravan
routes.
» In his writings, Marco Polo described post houses
known as yams as apartments suitable for a king
Bible Reference
The most famous inn is the one in Bethlehem. The
great crowds reporting there to pay their taxes had
overburdened the lodging industry of the small town.
In the old testament, we are told about Jacob and
his
brother traveling in Judea, going to an inn, and
foddering their mounts (feeding domesticated
livestock.) to these inns, travelers would bring their
own supplies.
They are similar to khans, or rest houses, found in
the Middle East today.
Middle Ages
• The term hostelers, meaning “inn holders” were not
used until 1473.
The term may have come from the Old French word
ostel.
• Gradually, “hostelers” shifted from “owner” of the inn
to”inn-servant.”
The h is sometimes dropped to “ostel.”
• The term hostel, meaning inn was not used until the
1800s.
• In modern usage hostels are accommodations of
lesser quality, and
hostelers are guests who stays at the hostels
• During the Crusades, the hotel industry grew. The
design was fairly
standard. The enclosed courtyard was surrounded by
the kitchen,
tavern and public rooms on the front façade. On each
side, winging out
from the front, were the sleeping rooms. Along the
back of the building
were stables.
Colonial Period
• Public coach service was put into effect around
1650. The
coaches ran between major cities and stopped
wherever
passengers wanted, similar to the way bus lines
operate today.
• Coach inns were built along the routes primarily at
points where
teams of horses were changed. The British use the
term ordinary
to describe such inns.
• The United States Postal Service, established in
1710, called its primary routes between major towns
along the Atlantic Coast Post roads.
• With the establishment of these post roads,
entrepreneurial farmers converted their farm houses
into inns. Passengers from the coaches slept in the
hostel’s long room with their feet towards the fire.
Public coach
Nineteenth Century
The introduction of railroads had great influence on
the hotel/motel industry. In the early 1800s, as train
tracks were laid throughout the Western world, depot
hotels began to arise.
In most cases the hotel was connected directly to
the train station.
Similarly, think of the masses of hostels around
airports today with shuttle busses carrying
passengers directly to their lodgings.
Railroads
Spas and Resorts
• Spa, which are mineral springs or pools are
believed to be medicinal or healthful, have been
tourist sites since Roman days.
The advent of trains caused beautiful resorts.
The most famous spa in the 1830s was Saratoga
Springs, New York.
• Spas at Baden, Germany; Marienbad, Bohemia; and
Vichy, France, which has been popular for centuries,
became more accessible to the public via rail.
• In 1841, Englishman Thomas Cook arrange his first
tour. It was a one-day train excursions. He is
considered the first travel agent, by
1856 he was taking groups of North Americans to
hotel on his
“Cook’s Tour of Europe”.
• Another benchmark for the hotel industry in the 19th
century was
the opening of the Tremont Hotel (Tremont House) in
Boston.
• It was the first luxury hotel and boasted the first
indoor toilets and the first private bedrooms with locks
on the doors
• The Tremont also had a version of today’s bellhop,
then called a “rotunda man.”
• In 1889, the famous Swiss hotelier Cesar Ritz
became manager at the Savoy in London. Eventually,
he opened his own London Ritz and subsequently
opened famed luxury hotels in Paris, New York and
other countries.
Tremont House
Twentieth Century
 A bed with a bath for a dollar and a half. This was
the motto that lead the hotel industry into the 20th
century. Ellsworth Milton Statler opened his first
hotel in Buffalo, New York, in 1907.
 Individual rooms with private baths and Statler’s
ability to cater to business travelers set this hotel
apart.
 Statler’s name is legendary in the hotel industry
today.
 First major hotel chain to have a bathroom in every
room
Other noteworthy innkeepers
• Conrad Hilton, “King of the Innkeepers,” opened his
first hotel, the Mobley in Texas in 1919. From there
the Dallas Hilton opened in 1925. Today the familiar
Hilton is seen in almost every major city.
• John Willard Marriot Sr. is the founder of the Marriot
Hotel Chain.
• Kemmon Wilson, founder of Holiday Inns.
Tourist Courts
 The automobile led the hotel industry into a
booming business in the 1920s.
 The term motel, coined from “motor hotel.” goes
back to the time when a farmer owning land along the
major routes would build wooded 10 foot by 10 foot
cabins along the road in front of his property.
 A car would pulled right of the cabin, where a
traveler could spend the evening.
 The owners of these motels soon expanded to
perhaps, 15 cabins. These were called tourist courts.
 These businesses proved profitable during the free
economy of the 1920s.
Tourist Courts
Advent of Air Travel
 At the end of World War II, a new mode of
transportation had matured. Air travel was now
available to the masses, and business was booming,.
 Conventions and conferences became an integral
part of successful commerce. Companies opened
regional and branch offices. Thus business travelers,
in their vast numbers, became the most important
lodging guests.
 The advent of air travel prompted resort hotels to
spring up around the world.
 Many resorts offered package plans, some in
conjunction with the airlines where one price pays for
airfare and accommodations.
Dimensions of Lodging
Lodging Properties Defined
• An establishment that charges fees for providing
furnished sleeping accommodations to persons who
are temporarily away from home
• An establishment that provide food, beverages,
cleaning services, and a range of other services
Hotel Buffet Area
Cleaning Services
Housekeeping Services
Laundry Services
Other Services
Hotel Gym Hotel Spa
Hotel Conference Rooms Hotel Concierge
Basic Terminology for Lodging Facilities
Hotel
Refers to multistoried lodging facilities which range in
size from 20 rooms to hundred of rooms
Motel
A lodging establishment that caters to travelers with
automobiles and provides self-service parking on
premises.
Inn
This refers to a small, typically rural, lodging
establishment that may or may not serve food.
Lodge
This refers to a lodging establishment associated with
particular type of outdoor activity, such as ski lodge or
hunting lodge.
Resorts
A lodging facilities usually located at popular locations
which offer recreational such as golf, tennis, or casino
gambling
Guest House / Tourist Homes
Refers to privately owned homes where the owners
rent individual bedrooms to visitors.
Bed and Breakfast or B&Bs
This refers to guest house in the United Kingdom and
North America; they are smaller; more intimate; and
less expensive than hotels and motels.
Condominium (Condos)
This refers to apartments in high-rise buildings
located mostly on recreational areas.
Dormitory
This refers to a lodging facility affiliated with some
educational or other institution that provides sleeping
accommodation for those in residence.
Nursing Home
This refers to a residential facility that provides
lodging and food service for people requiring nursing
or related care.
Classifications of Lodging
Establishments
• Size
• Target Markets
• Quality Ranking
• Ownership and Affiliation
• Levels of Service
Hotel Size
• Small Hotel - Under 150 rooms
• Medium Hotel - 150 to 299 rooms
• Large Hotel - 300 to 600 rooms
• Very Large Hotel - More than 600 rooms
Target Markets
• - Two of the most important marketing challenges a
hospitality
property encounters faces are: "Who stays at our
property?“
and "Who else can we attract?“
Commercial Hotels
• Located in downtown or business districts, areas
that are
convenient and of interest to their target markets.
Commercial hotels form the largest group of hotel
types.
Airport Hotels
• hotels appeared near airports and typical target
markets include business clientele, airline passengers
with overnight travel layovers or cancelled flights, and
airline personnel.
Suite Hotels
• These hotels feature guestrooms with a living room
or parlor area and a separate bedroom.
Extended-Stay Hotels
• Extended-stay hotels are similar to suite hotels, but
usually offer more complete kitchen amenities in the
guestroom. Extended-stay hotels are designed for
travellers who intend to stay five nights or longer and
require reduced hotel services.
Residential Hotels
• Residential hotels provide long-term or permanent
accommodations for people in urban or suburban
areas.
Resort Hotels
• Guests often choose resort hotels as their planned
destination or vacation spot, setting resorts apart from
other types of lodging operations. A resort may be
located in the mountains, on an island, or in some
other exotic location away from crowded residential
areas.
Bed-and-Breakfast Hotels
• B&Bs range from houses with a few rooms
converted to overnight facilities to small commercial
buildings with 20 to 30 guestrooms.
Vacation Ownership and Condominium
Hotels
• Referred to as timeshare or vacation-interval hotels.
Vacation ownership properties typically attract
individuals who purchase the ownership of
accommodations for a specific period of time—
usually one or two weeks a year.
• Condominium hotels are similar to vacation
ownership hotels. The difference between the two lies
in the type of ownership involved.
Casino Hotels
• Hotels with gambling facilities and the guestrooms
and food and beverage operations in casino hotels
may be quite
Luxurious, their function is secondary to, and
supportive of, casino operations
Conference Centers
• Specifically designed to handle group meetings.
Meetings are their focal point, conference centers
typically place great emphasis on providing all the
services and equipment necessary to ensure a
meeting's success.
Convention Hotels
• designed to accommodate large conventions—often
offer as many as 2,000 rooms or more.
Quality Ranking
Ownership and Affiliation
 Independent / Single Owner Hotels: They do
not have identifiable ownership or
management affiliation with other properties.
Example of the same would be family owned
and operated hotel that is not following any
corporate policies or procedures.

Ownership and Affiliation
• Chain hotels: Hotels which are part of a hotel chain
and these kinds of ownership usually imposes certain
minimum standards, rules,
policies and procedures to restrict affiliate activities. In
general the more centralised the organisation the
stronger the control over the individual property.
Levels Of service
• World class service: These are also called luxury /
Five Start hotels, they target top business executives,
entertainment celebrities, high- ranking political
figures, and wealthy clientele as their primary
markets. They provide upscale restaurants and
lounges, Valet, concierge services and also private
dining facilities.
• Mid-Range Service: Hotels offering mid-range or
otherwise 3 to 4-star hotels service appeal the largest
segment of the travelling public. This kind of hotels
does not provide elaborate service and have a
adequate staffing. They also provide uniformed
service, food and beverage room service, in-room
entertainment's and also Wi-Fi etc.
• Budget / Limited Service: These hotels provide
clean, comfortable, safe, inexpensive rooms and meet
the basic need of guests. Budget hotels appeal
primarily to budget-minded travellers who want a
room with minimum services and amenities required
for the comfortable stay, without unnecessary paying
additional cost for costly services.
Introduction to Hotel Industry
Functions of the Hotel
The primary function of a hotel is to provide lodging
accommodations.
Classifications of Hotel
Departments
Classification which are commonly used in describing
the nature of hotel departments:
1. ‘Revenue centered’ and ‘Cost centered’
Departments; and
2. ‘Front-of-the-house’ and ‘Back-of-the-house’
Departments.
Revenue Centers
Departments or units which generate direct income to
the hotel through the provision of goods and services
to guests, e.g. front desk, restaurants, room service,
gift shop and business center.
Cost Centers
• Interpreted as ‘support centers’, mainly assist the
functioning of revenue centers with no generations of
any direct income for the hotel, e.g. human resources,
purchasing, accounting and engineering departments.
Front-of-the-House
Refers to those departments or areas which are
accessible and visible by guests, e.g. front desk
counters, restaurants concierge and bell services.
They are the points of service encounters where
service staff usually have direct contacts and
interactions with guests.
Back-of-the-House
Refers to those departments or areas which rarely
have staff-to- guest interactions, e.g. kitchen,
housekeeping, human resources and engineering
departments.
It should be emphasized that some
‘back-of-the-house’ positions would
also come across and interact with
guests. For example, a room attendant
may meet a guest while cleaning the
guest rooms. However, they are not
considered as ‘front-of the-house’
positions since their major duty is room
cleaning rather than communicating
with their guests.
Organization of Hotel Departments and Their
Function
The day-to-day operations of a hotel are the key
factors determining the success or failure of its
service. It is necessary to understand the structure of
hotels in order to get an overview of how the
organization fits together.
The Duties of Key Executives
General Manager
The main responsibilities of the general
manager (GM) include:
• Providing leadership to the management team;
• Coordinating the work of all departments;
• Participating in the formulation of hotel policies and
strategies;
• Leading the hotel staff in meeting the financial,
environmental and community responsibilities; and
• Assuming full responsibilities for the overall
performance of the hotel.
Resident Manager
The main responsibilities of the resident manager
include:
• Holding a major responsibility in developing and
executing plans developed by the owner(s), the
general manager and other members of the
management team;
• Checking on operations, providing feedback and
offering assistance when needed;
• Completing, reviewing and summarizing statistical
reports and sharing them with the general manager;
and
• Assuming responsibilities for the daily operations
and management of the hotel.
Functions of Major Hotel Departments
Rooms Division
The rooms division of a hotel includes a variety of
departments, including reservations, front desk,
housekeeping, concierge, guest services, and
security. This department attends to the needs of the
guests, from their first contact and reservations to
check-out.
Engineering
The engineering department is responsible for
maintaining the physical plant of the hotel such as
electricity, plumbing, air conditioning, heating and
elevator systems; and for overseeing all mechanical
and technical conditions of the hotel.
Security
Security is an important concern in every hotel. The
security department is responsible for implementing
procedures which aim at protecting the safety and
security of hotel guests, visitors, hotel employees and
the hotel itself. Examples include monitoring
surveillance equipment, patrolling the hotel premises
and maintaining security alarm systems.
Human Resources
The human resources (personnel and training)
department is responsible for hiring, orientation,
training, wages and benefit administration, labour
relations, employee relations, and staff development.
Food and Beverage
The food and beverage (F&B) department provides
food and beverage services to the hotel guests and
visitors through a variety of outlets and
facilities/services. Examples include lounge, bar,
coffee shop, restaurants, banquet service, room
service (also called in-room dining) and cake shop.
Sales and Marketing
The main functions of the sales and marketing
department involve generating new businesses for the
hotel, coordinating advertising, as well as sales
promotions and public relations activities aiming at
enhancing the hotel’s image.
Accounts
The accounts department is headed by the financial
controller who, as a key member of the management
team, can guide the hotel to an increasing profitability
through better control and asset management. In
addition, this department is responsible for monitoring
all of the financial activities of a hotel.
Rooms Division
The Rooms Division
• is the heart of the hotel, notably responsible for the
guest first and last impression.
• the “nerve center” for the most operations
• most responsible for the hotel’s main product, the
sleeping rooms.
Rooms Division Manager
• This position was used to be called as Resident
Manager, however, some hotels still use the title until
now, while other hotels also use the Director of
Rooms title.
• Rooms Division Manager is presently used by most
hotels because of the longstanding responsibilities for
coordinating the operations of room-related hotel
functions.
Functions of the Rooms Division Manager
• Manages the areas of the hotel rooms division
• Supervises employees engaged in the operations of
the front and back areas of the hotel
• Ensures proper staffing, purchasing, and budgeting
• Maintains open communications with other divisions
and within his/her division
• Monitors availability of control systems
• Develops monthly plans
Department Heads of the Rooms Division
• The areas of the rooms division are also managed
by department heads. There lookout is to manage
and control the system of their specific area to ensure
the safety of the hotel’s operations, workers, as well
as, guests. These heads are directly reporting to the
Rooms Division Manager or the Hotel’s Resident
Manager.
• The department heads significantly work hand in
hand to ensure that the hotel operations, especially
the entire Rooms Division operation, is running
smoothly in accordance with the company standard
operating procedures while considering the hotel’s
ultimate goal - that is to give satisfaction to guests.
Front Office Manager
– This person is responsible for a large
portion of the most visible aspects
of hotel’s daily operations. S/he
oversees the functions and
performances of the front desk and
the uniform services.
Functions of the Front Office
• To sell rooms, which includes
registering the guests and assigning
rooms
• To provide services such as handling mail,
telegrams and messages for guests and furnishing
information about the hotel, the community, and any
special attractions or events
• To keep accounts, determine credit, render bills and
receive payments.
Director of Services
• “behind-the-scenes” version of the front office
manager.
• responsible in the housekeeping and laundry
operations where.
• carries a vital role in the rooms division, thus,
interaction with the Front Office Manager is significant
for a smooth flow of hotel operations.
HOUSEKEEPING
This department is responsible for the cleanliness of
the hotel. And responsible for cleaning the following
areas:
• Public Areas – lobby, restrooms, offices, reception
areas, employee locker room, and more
• Guestrooms – elevators, corridors, stairs,
guestroom
• Laundry – preparation area, supply area, guest
linen storage area
The staffs under the Front Office
Manager are the following:
Front Desk Manager
Responsible for the daily operations of the front desk
and closely communicating with housekeeping
department
Front Desk Supervisor
• Ensures the quality and efficiency of front desk
activities while supervising the works of the front desk
staff
Front Desk Clerk
Ensures efficient guest check-in and checkout.
Bell Captain
Leads and supervises the bell staff, and ensures
staffing levels are adequate
Bell Staff
Assist guests to front desk for registration, to their
rooms, and out of their rooms during check-out
Doorperson
Greets and assists guests arriving at the hotel
Valet Supervisor
Also called as Garage Supervisor; supervises the
valet parking and parking/garage staff
Parking Attendant
Parks, cares, drives, and retrieves guests’ vehicle
PBX Supervisor
Closely monitors the hotel switchboard and the staff
of this unit
PBX Operator
Ensures smooth flow of internal and external hotel’s
telephone communications
Concierge Manager
• Monitors and manages staff in providing assistance
to guests on their personal requests
The following are the staffs reporting to the
Director of Services:
Executive Housekeeper
Responsible for the daily operations of the
housekeeping department and closely coordinating
with front desk
Assistant Executive Housekeeper
Ensures quality and efficiency of housekeeping
activities (guest rooms cleaning and other areas for
maintenance) while supervising the works of the
housekeeping staffs
Senior Housekeeper
Ensures standards of cleanliness are maintained and
works closely with housekeepers
Room Attendant
Cleans and prepares guestroom
Laundry Manager
• Responsible in supervising, monitoring, and
managing the internal laundry operation of the hotel
Linen Attendant
• Monitors and ensures adequate supplies of linens,
uniforms, and towels
Tailor/Seamstress
Ensures that employee uniforms are properly cleaned
and arranged and repairs linens when needed
Security and Loss Prevention
The security division is responsible for maintaining
security alarm systems and implementing procedures
aimed at protecting the personal property of guests
and employees and the hotel itself.
Front OfficeOperations
The Guest Cycle
• Pre-arrival
• Arrival
• Occupancy
• Departure
Pre-arrival
• Guests choose their hotels during this stage of the
guest cycle
• Hotel choice is affected by: type of travel (business
or pleasure); previous experiences with the hotel;
advertisements and promotions; company travel
policy;
recommendations from travel agents, friends, or
business associates; the hotel’s location and
reputation; frequent traveler rewards programs;
preconceptions based on the hotel’s name or chain
affiliation; ease of making reservations; hotel’s
reservations agent or website
• When a guest makes a reservation, a reservation
record is created, which initiates the guest cycle
Arrival
– Includes registration and rooming functions
– During this stage of the guest cycle, the guest
establishes a business and legal relationship with the
hotel
– In world-class, upscale, convention, casino, and
resort hotels, uniformed staff greet guests at the
property’s entrance
– The front desk agent should determine the guest’s
reservation status before starting the registration
process
– Guests without reservations (walk-ins) present a
sales opportunity
– When a guest presents a form of identification
and/or a payment card during check-in, that is proof of
intent to establish an innkeeper-guest legal
relationship
– Gathering guest information during registration
helps the hotel satisfy guest needs
– Front desk agents must be sensitive to accessibility
issues when checking in guests with disabilities
– Registration is complete when the guest has
established a method of payment and departure date;
the guest is then issued a room key and allowed to
proceed to the room.
Occupancy
– During the occupancy stage of the guest cycle, the
front desk is responsible for coordinating services for
guests
– A major objective during this stage is to serve
guests so well that they will want to come back to the
hotel
– Guest complaints should be resolved as quickly as
possible
– Security is of concern throughout every stage of the
guest cycle but especially during the occupancy stage
– Hotel goods and services are purchased by guests
during this stage of the guest cycle
– Front desk accounting records for guests must be
periodically reviewed for accuracy during this stage
Departure
– The final stage of the guest cycle; guest services
and guest accounting aspects are completed during
this stage
– At check-out, the guest vacates the room, receives
an account receipt, returns the room key(s), and
leaves the hotel
– Once the guest checks out, the front office system
automatically updates the guestroom’s availability
status and closes the guest’s account
– Guests should be asked during check-out how they
enjoyed their stays
– During the check-out process, a guest history file is
automatically created or added to; this file is a
collection of guest history records
– Late charges occur if charges are not posted to a
guest account until after the guest checks out
Room Status Terms
• Occupied (O): A guest is currently registered to
guest the room.
• Complimentary: The room is occupied but the
guest is assessed no charge for its use.
• Stay-Over: The guest is not expected to check-out
today and will remain at least one more night.
• On-Change: The guest has departed, but the room
has not yet been cleaned and readied for re-sale.
• Do Not Disturb (DND): The guest has requested
not to be disturbed.
• Out of Service (OOS ): Rooms kept under out of
service are not deducted from the hotel inventory.
This is a temporary blocking and reasons may be bulb
fuse, TV remote not working, Kettle not working etc.
These rooms are not assigned to the guest once
these small maintenance issues are fixed.
• Sleep-out: A guest is registered to the room, but the
bed has not been used.
• Skipper: the guest has left the hotel without making
arrangements to settle his or her account.
• Sleeper: the guest is registered to the room, but the
bed has not been used. The guest has settled his or
her account and left the hotel, but the front office staff
has failed to properly update the room’s status.
• Vacant and ready: the room has been cleaned and
inspected and it ready for an arriving guest
• Out-of-order (OOO): The room cannot assign a
guest. A room may be out-of-order for a variety of
reasons including the need for maintenance,
refurbishing and extensive cleaning.
• Lock-out (LO): the room has been locked so that
the guest cannot re-enter until he or she is cleared by
a hotel official.
• DNCO (did not check out): the guest made
arrangements to settle his other bill (and thus not a
skipper), but has left without informing the front desk.
• VC - Vacant and Clean - Room is Vacant and
Cleaned by the housekeeper.
• VD - Vacant and Dirty - Room is Vacant and Dirty.
• VR - Vacant and Ready - Room is Vacant and
Ready for Check-in
Room Status Terms
• Due out: the room is expected to become vacant
after the following guest checks-out.
• Check-out: the guest has settled his or her account,
returned the room keys, and left the hotel.
• Late check-out: the guest has requested and is
being allowed to check out later than the normal/
standard departure time of the hotel.
• MUR - Make-Up Room
• NS - No Show - A guest who made a room
reservation but did not register or Check-in.
• OC - Occupied and Clean - Room is Occupied and
Cleaned by the Housekeeping.
• OD - Occupied and Dirty - Room is Occupied and
yet to be cleaned by the housekeeping.
Types of Rooms
Single Room
• A room that sleeps only one person and has been
fitted with a single, double or queen-size bed.
Twin Room
• A room that can accommodate two persons with two
twin beds.
Double Room
• A room that can accommodate two persons with a
double or queen-size bed.
Double-Double Room
• A room that can accommodate two to four persons
with two twin, double or queen-size beds.
Triple room
• A room that can accommodate three persons and
has been be fitted with three twin beds, one double
bed and one twin bed or two double beds.
Suite
• A room with one or more bedrooms and a living
space. The bedrooms might be singles, doubles or
twin doubles.
President Suite
• The most expensive room provided by a hotel.
Usually, only none president suite is available in one
single hotel property. Similar to the normal suites, a
president suite always has one or more bedrooms
and a living space with strong emphasis on grand in-
room decoration, high quality amenities and supplies,
and tailor-made services (e.g. personal butler during
the stay).
Connecting Room
• Two rooms that are side by side and
have a connecting door between
them.
Adjoining Room
Rooms that are side by side, but do not have a
connecting door between them.
Adjacent Room
Rooms close by or across the corridor, but are not
side by side.
Types of Bed
Single / Twin (39”x75”)
• Designed for one person only; single and twin beds
sized the same; the term ‘twin beds’ implies they are
in pairs and the room type is always described as
‘twin room’.
Double (54”x75”)
• Designed for two persons; easily confused with the
term ‘twin beds’ in Chinese translation.
Queen (60”x80”)
• Designed for two persons; wider and longer than
double beds for better comfort of guests.
King (78”x80”)
• Designed for two persons; wider than queen beds
for better comfort of guests.
Roll-away Bed
• Extra bed temporarily added according to guests’
requests; extra charges are usually required.
Baby Cot
• Provided to those guests who bring along with their
babies; usually requested in advance by guests in
their reservations.
Types of Room Rates
• Rack Rate- The standard rate charged for the room
only.
• Corporate Rate-Room rate offered to executive
personnel who are regular guests or employees of a
corporation that has a contract rate with the hotel
which reflects all businesses from that corporation.
• Commercial Rate- Room rate offered to executive
personnel of an enterprise who have infrequent visit.
• Airline Rate- The rate agreed between an individual
airline and the hotel as determined by the volume of
business the hotel obtains from the airline.
• Group Rate- Room rate given to bookings for a
large group of people made through a travel agent or
professional organisation.
• Children’s Rate -Each hotel has a specific age limit
for the child to stay with their parents in the same
room free of charge or at a nominal rate.
• Package rate- Room rate, which includes goods
and services and the rental of a room, is developed
by the hotel to attract guests in during low sales
periods.
• Complimentary rate (Comp)- Guest is assessed no
charge for staying in a hotel. The management of the
hotel may
• grant comp rooms for guests who are tour directors,
local dignitaries, executives from
• the hotel’s head office and so on.
The Front Desk
– Most front office functions are performed at the front
desk
– Guests register, request information and services,
relate complaints, settle accounts, and check out at
the front desk
– Most front desks are prominently located in the
hotel lobby
– Front desk design should provide front desk agents
with easy access to the equipment, forms, and
supplies necessary to efficiently serve guests
– There are straight-line, circular, and semicircular
front desk
– Some hotels have experimented with a no-front-
desk lobby arrangement
– At least a portion of the front desk must be
accessible to guests with disabilities
– In some hotels, the front desk features items for
purchase that guests may need while traveling
– Support devices at the front desk may include
computers, point-of- sale terminals, electronic
payment readers, and security monitors
Front Office Documents
Pre-Arrival Documents
• Reservation files
• Reservation confirmations
Arrival Documents
• Registration records
• Credit verification/authorization
Occupancy Documents
• Guest folios
• Vouchers (charge, allowance, transfer, paid-out)
Departure documents
• Guest folios
• Payment card vouchers, cash vouchers, transfer
vouchers
• Guest history files
Property Management System (PMS)
• hotel property management system was defined as
a platform that enabled a hotel or group of hotels to
manage front-office capabilities, such as booking
reservations, guest check-in/check-out, room
assignment, managing room rates, and billing. Hotel
PMS delivered a software platform that replaced time-
intensive, paper and spread sheet-heavy processes.
Room Reservations
• Reservation is defined as blocking of room for a
guest for particular period of time.
• It is a booking in advance for a space for a specified
period of time. E.g. Hotel ballroom, restaurant
booking, airline seat, a theatre seat, a hotel
guestroom, a doctor’s appointment.
• It is beneficial for hotel to maximize room revenue
and plan.
• The guest also benefits as he can get secure place
to stay and will not be in trouble during peak season
time, if rooms are not available at last moment.
What is a reservation?
• From a guest’s point of view, the most important
outcome of the reservations process is having a
guestroom ready and waiting when the guest arrives.
• To achieve these outcomes, the hotel must have
efficient reservation procedures in place.
Introduction
• Conduct reservation inquiry.
• Determine room and rate availability.
• Create reservation record.
• Confirm reservation record.
• Maintain reservation record.
• Produce reservation reports.
• Research, plan, and monitor reservations.
Reservation Activities
Types of Reservations
1. Guaranteed Reservation:
Insures that the hotel will hold a room for the guest
until a specific time of guest’s scheduled arrival date.
The guest must provide us a method of payment. If
the guest does not show up or cancel properly, the
guest will be charged for one night accommodation.
In order to guarantee a reservation, guests can
choose one of the following methods:
The reservation can be guaranteed by
• Prepayment
• Credit card
• Advance deposit
• Travel agent voucher/miscellaneous charge order
(MCO)
• Corporate (direct billing account) Guaranteed
Reservations
2. Non-guaranteed Reservation:
• Insures that the hotel agrees to hold a room for the
guest until a stated reservation cancellation hour
(Usually 6 p.m.) on the day of arrival.
• It is common for hotels planning on full occupancy or
nearing full occupancy to accept only guaranteed
reservation once a specified number of expected
arrivals is achieved.
Reservation Inquiry
• Guests can communicate their reservation inquiries
in person, over the telephone, via mail, through
facsimile, telex, e-mail...
• While getting a reservation inquiry, the reservation
staff shall obtain the following guest-related
information:
• Guest’s name, address and telephone number
• Company or travel agency name
• Date of arrival and departure
• Type and number of rooms requested
• Desired room rate
• Number of people in the group, if applicable
• Method of payment and/or guarantee
• Any other special requests
• Most of the above mentioned information is used to
create a reservation record.
The seven steps reservation sales process
1. Greet the caller. ( thank you for calling Holiday inn.
This is Mary speaking How can I help you today?)
2. Identify caller’s need ( arrival date, departure date,
preference ....)
3. Provide an overview of the hotel’s feature ( number
of restaurant, swimming pool )
4. Make a room recommendation and room rate.
5. Ask for the sales ( Would you like me to book the
reservation for you?
6. Create a reservation record according to the hotel
procedures.
7. Thank the caller. Closing a call as warmly as
opening a call, leaves the caller with a sense of
confidence that they have made the correct decision.
Sources of Reservations
• Central Reservation System
• Global Distribution System
• Intersell Agencies (for example flight centre)
• Property Direct
• Internet
Central Reservation System(CRS)
A central (or computerised) reservation system that
controls and maintains the reservations for several
hotels in one location, and automatically redirects the
reservation to the required hotel.
• The majority of hotel groups belong to one or more
Central
• A central reservation system is composed of a
central reservation office, member hotels connected
together via communication devices, and potential
guests.
• It exchanges room availability information with
members hotel.
• Central Reservation Office [CRO] offers its services
via a 24-hours toll free telephone number(s) [Green
Numbers].
Global Distribution Systems Types of groups
• Tour groups
• Computerized system by which reservation- related • Conference/convention
information is stored and retrieved for multiple • Charity groups (fund raising)
organizations. • Flight crews
• School groups
• Global Distribution Systems [GDS]- System • Sporting groups
including several Central Reservation Offices
connected to each other. Group Bookings

• Selling hotel rooms is accomplished by Business

Pleasure
connecting the hotel reservation system with the GDS
Education
system.
Family
• GDSs have become a powerful force in hotel Religious
reservation . Special events (e.g.Olympic Games)

Property Direct Reservation System

Reasons for Travel
Even though many of the five-star hotels rely heavily
on central reservation offices and intersell agencies, F.I.T. – free/fully independent traveller
some potential guests still find it convenient, and Group
personal to call directly the hotel to communicate a Corporate
reservation inquiry. Government
Package
Property direct reservations are made in a several
ways
Types of Market Sources
· Telephone
· Mail • Location
· Property-to-property • Hotel Rating (Star/Flag/Crown)
· FAX Room attributes/aspects
· E-mail Hotel facilities
• Competition
•Internet distribution systems (IDSs) enable • Time of year
travelers from many different market segments to use • Intended client
desktop and mobile devices to reserve hotel rooms,
book flights, and select rental cars
Room Rate Factors
•Examples of IDSs include Expedia, Hotels.com,
• Know your product
Orbitz, Hotwire, Priceline, and Travelocity
• Know your guest
•Individual hotel websites commonly feature user- • Match the guest to the best alternative
friendly and secure procedures for making and paying • Be aware you are part of the sales team
for reservations • Always sell the product before the price

•Hotel websites also feature marketing tools such as

links to hotel products and services, and photographs
and virtual tours of the property Internet Distribution
Systems
Five steps to selling
 Know your product
 Know your guest
 Match the guest to the best alternative
 Be aware you are part of the sales team
 Always sell the product before the price
Cancellation 3) Miscommunications with external reservation
systems:
 Retrieve original reservation Book a guest in the wrong hotel
 Note date and time cancellation received
 Record contact name of person cancelling
 Update manual and computer records Reservation Form
 File cancelled reservation
• Reservation form is important & base document for
 Apply cancellation fee as per hotel policy
any reservation system.
 Thank caller
• Hotel design own form based on need. This is a sort
of check list of information that must be collected from
Amendments guest before making any booking by hotel.
• In case of written mode, the request may come in
 Retrieve original reservation
various forms & styles such as letter, telex, fax,etC
 Note date and time amendment received
 Record contact name of person amending
 Update manual and computer records “ Use all your efforts, even when the possibilities play
 File amended reservation against you”
 Thank caller - Arnold palmer

Types of reports “ your talents and abilities will improve over time, but
for that you have to start”
 Occupancy - Martin Luther King
 Arrivals
 Cancellations “The man well prepared for the struggle has achieved
 Special requests half a triumph”
 V.I.P.S - Miguel Cervantes
 Black lists
“SET TOUGH GOALS AND DO NOT STOP UNTIL
Market Segments YOU GET THERE”
- Bo Jackson
Guest history
Types of Reports
“Bad” debts (previous accounts remain STUDY HARD, WORK WELL, DREAM BIG AND
unsettled) SOAR HIGH MY DEAR BHSM 1103.
Malicious damage to hotel property
<3 ate Ynah
Theft of hotel property
Verbal/physical assault of staff members

Black List

1. Errors in a reservation record:

a. Record a wrong arrival or departure date
b. Misspell the guest’s name or reverse it
c. Reserve for the caller instead of the guest
Potential Reservation Problems

2) Misunderstandings due to industry jargon:

Confirmed versus guaranteed reservation
Double room versus 2 beds
Connecting rooms versus adjacent rooms