Front Office Operations 1

MODULE MATERIALS

List of Modules

No. MODULE
MODULE TITLE
CODE
Information Sheet FO 313-1.1
1. The Front Office Organization FO 313-1

Information Sheet FO 313-1.2 FO 313-2

2 Accommodation Types
Information Sheet FO 313-3 FO 313-3
3 The Front Office Terminologies

Information Sheet FO 313-4 FO 313-4

4 The Front Office Forms and Equipment

Information Sheet FO 313-5 FO 313-5

5 Guest Cycle

Information Sheet FO 313-6 FO 313-6

6 The Guest Reservation Process

Information Sheet FO 313-7 FO 313-7

7 The Guest Registration Process

Information Sheet FO 313-8 FO 313-8

8 Processing Guests Requests

Information Sheet FO 313-9 FO 313-9

9 Processing Guest Check-out

Bachelor of Technical Bulacan Date Developed:

Vocational Teacher June 2020
Polytechnic Date Revised: Page 1 of 8
Education
College September 2020
Front Office Developed by:
Accounting System Document No. Anne O. Santos Revision # 01
40-FO 313
FO 313
 MODULE CONTENT

COURSE TITLE: Front Office Operations 1

MODULE TITLE The Front Office Terminologies
NOMINAL DURATION: 6 hours
SPECIFIC LEARNING OBJECTIVES:
At the end of this module you MUST be able to:
1. Identify the different front office terminologies;
2. Differentiate room rate plans;

TOPIC:
Front office terminologies
ASSESSMENT METHOD/S:
Synchronous
Lectures given through Online chat in virtual classroom via Zoom Meeting
rooms, Google Meet, etc.
Asynchronous
Tasks/assignments/lesson/coursework delivered by web, email, and message
boards that are posted in online forums
Recorded Power point Presentation of lessons uploaded in platforms for students
to access

REFERENCE/S:
 Ismail, Ahmed. Front Office Operation and Management; 2005
 Roldan, Amelia. Introduction to Hotel and Front Office Operation; 2008
 Setupmyhotel.com
 Hotel Front Office Management, Third Edition; James A. Bardi, Ed.D.,
 Hospitality 4th Edition; John R. Walker

Date Developed:
Bachelor of Technical Bulacan June 2020
Vocational Teacher Page 2 of 8
Polytechnic Date Revised:
Education September 2020
College
Front Office Developed by:
Accounting System Document No. Anne O. Santos Revision # 01
40-FO 313
FO 313
 Information Sheet FO 313-3
The Front Office Terminologies

Learning Objectives:
After reading this INFORMATION SHEET, YOU MUST be able to:
1. Identify the different front office terminologies;
2. Differentiate room rate plans;

Introduction
There are different terminologies used in front office to have an efficient
communication system among its personnel as well as the other departments.
American Plan (AP) – A billing arrangement under which room charges include
the guestroom and three neals, also called as full board/full pension.

European Plan (EP) – a billing arrangement under which meals are priced
separately or room only pla

Modified American Plan (MAP) – a billing arrangement under which the daily
rate is including room and two meals, generally Breakfast and dinner.

Continental Plan (CP) – one of the most common/preferred billing arrangement

which includes room and continental breakfast

All-Inclusive (AI) – AI normally stands for all-inclusive rates ie rate which are
inclusive of all applicable taxes and service charge

Rack Rate- the published tariff for each room type/category in a hotel

Registration Card- a printed form for a registration record.

Reservation Status – an indicator of a room’s long-term availability for

assignment

Room Rate – the price of hotel charges for overnight accommodations

Skipper – a guest who leaves with no intention of pating for the room

Scanty Baggage – a guest who checks-in to the hotel with very less or no luggage

Date Developed:
Bachelor of Technical Bulacan June 2020
Vocational Teacher Page 3 of 8
Polytechnic Date Revised:
Education September 2020
College
Front Office Developed by:
Accounting System Document No. Anne O. Santos Revision # 01
40-FO 313
FO 313
Walk-in -a guest who arrives at a hotel without reservation

Walking- turning away a guest who has a reservation because of a lack of room
availability

Due out- guests expected to check-out on a given day who have not yet done so

Credit limit/house limit – a limit assigned by the hotel to a guest or company

accounts

Upselling- a sales technique whereby a guest is offered a more expensive room

than what he or she reserved or originally requested, and then persuaded to rent
the room based on the room’s features, benefits and his or her needs.

Block- an agreed upon number of roomsset aside for members of a group

planning to stay in a hotel

Confirmation Number – a code that provides a unique reference to a reservation

record and assures the guest that the reservation record exists

Confirmed Booking – when reservation is guaranteed with a credit card, deposit,

company/TA voucher etc

Tentative Booking- when the reservation is waiting for bookers confirmation

Waitlisted booking- reservation kept on hold due to the hotel is overbooked

Cancellation date- indicates the date when the reservation was manually
cancelled

No show- a guest who made a room reservation but did not register or check-in

Long stay- a guest who stays more than a certain number of days e.g. more
than 7 days

Overbooking – accepting more reservations than there are available rooms

Guest Cycle – a division of the flow of business through a hotel thatidentifies

thephysical contacts and financial exchanges between he guest and the hotel

Guest Folio- a form(paper or electronic) used to chart transactions on an

account assigned to an individual person or guest room

Date Developed:
Bachelor of Technical Bulacan June 2020
Vocational Teacher Page 4 of 8
Polytechnic Date Revised:
Education September 2020
College
Front Office Developed by:
Accounting System Document No. Anne O. Santos Revision # 01
40-FO 313
FO 313
Late Charge – a transaction requiring posting to a guest account that does not
reach the front office for posting before the guest checks-out or done the final
settlement

PMS – property management system

POS- Point of Sale System (used in restaurants/outlets)

ARR – average rack rate (average room rate (ARR)= total room revenue/total
rooms sold)

ADR – average daily rate (Average Daily rate (ADR) = total room revenue/total
rooms sold

AGR – (the average rate per guest )average rate per guest = total room
revenue/total number of guests)

APR – (average guest per room) Average guest per room= total number of
guests/number of rooms sold

OCC Percentage – hotel occupancy percentage or occupancy ratio calculation

RevPar – Revenue per available rooms (RevPar) = total room revenue/total

number of available rooms for sale

Hotel Room Rates

Determining a standard room rate is one of the challenging and hard jobs for
hoteliers as designated room rate must be capable of generating revenue and
compensate other costs of the hotel, such as administrative costs, overhead and
utility costs.
Room rates can be defined as the price or cost that is charged by the hotel or
lodging industry for overnight lodging.

Date Developed:
Bachelor of Technical Bulacan June 2020
Vocational Teacher Page 5 of 8
Polytechnic Date Revised:
Education September 2020
College
Front Office Developed by:
Accounting System Document No. Anne O. Santos Revision # 01
40-FO 313
FO 313
Some Special room rate categories are:

Room Rate Categories Description

Commercial rates Commercial room rates are given to

the business representative of a
particular company where a special
rate can be generated through their
group traveling

Government Rate A discunt or special rate which is

negotiated with government
organization for their foreign visitors
and traveling official staffs

Corporate rates Corporate rates are offered to existing

business guests of the hotel.
Generally, two types of business
guests stay in the hotel, such as
frequent guests who often visit or stay
in the hotel and corporate guests who
have given a constant rate

Frequent traveler rate Hotel developed frequent travelr

program to offer frequent tarveler rate
to those who frequently visit the hotel
due to repetitive business

Family rates Special room rates are offered at

particular season with a view to
attract family with their children

Membership rates Hotel offer membership rate (50% of

the rack rate) in order to attract the
potential members of large
organizations

Group rates Group rates are developed for a large

number of groups. The travel agent
works as negotiator between the fornt
office and the group

Industry rates A negotiated special rate for the

officials or staffs of the travel
industry, for example: travel agents,
hoteliers of other hotels are often
extended the professional courtesy of
discounted rates

Date Developed:
Bachelor of Technical Bulacan June 2020
Vocational Teacher Page 6 of 8
Polytechnic Date Revised:
Education September 2020
College
Front Office Developed by:
Accounting System Document No. Anne O. Santos Revision # 01
40-FO 313
FO 313
Half-day rate Half day rate room rate is calculated
based on duration of guest stay. It ius
basically developed for those travelers
who book room for half day or less

Complimentary rate Complimentary rates are preserved

for the special guests as fringe benefit.
Front office department also could
provide complimentary rates to tour
directors or tour organizer to
establish long term relationship

Airline contact rate Hotel offer discount rate to the

airlines crews to generate high volume
of business

Package rates Package room rates include goods and

service with reasonable room rate
during low sales periods. Such
packages are often advertised and
promoted in order to attract guests

Package Rate could be different types:

American Plan American plan comprises of meal (breakfast

and dinner) with lucrative room rate)

Meeting Packages This package includes coffee breaks, meals,

audiovisual equipment with the cost of the
meeting room and sleeping room)

Continental Plan Continental plan comprises of continental

breakfast and cost of the room

The All-Suite Plan A comparatively new package rate which

includes breakfast and cocktails in the
evening with room rate

The Honeymoon Package A honeymoon package comprises of

complimentary champagne, a cheese basket,
flowers and complimentary breakfast

European Plan Though European meal is often mistaken as

the package but in European Plan, meals are
separately charged from room rate

Date Developed:
Bachelor of Technical Bulacan June 2020
Vocational Teacher Page 7 of 8
Polytechnic Date Revised:
Education September 2020
College
Front Office Developed by:
Accounting System Document No. Anne O. Santos Revision # 01
40-FO 313
FO 313
 Date Developed:
Bachelor of Technical Bulacan June 2020
Vocational Teacher Page 8 of 8
Polytechnic Date Revised:
Education September 2020
College
Front Office Developed by:
Accounting System Document No. Anne O. Santos Revision # 01
40-FO 313
FO 313