Front Office

Hotel Management | Grade

12
Front office

The front office is a vital department in a hotel,

located at the entrance to serve as the first
point of contact for guests. It is responsible for
managing reservations, registrations, and room
assignments, creating the initial impression of the
hotel's service and hospitality. The front office staff
ensures continuous guest interaction, handles
complaints, settles accounts, provides information,
and manages luggage.
Functions of front office

1. To provide information about the hotel and local attractions.

2. To handle incoming and outgoing mail and messages efficiently.
3. To prepare guest bills and process payments accurately.
4. To maintain meticulous guest accounts for proper record-keeping.
5. To address guest complaints promptly and analyze them for improvement.
6. To ensure guest satisfaction by delivering exceptional service.
7. To manage room reservations according to guest preferences.
8. To handle all incoming and outgoing calls professionally.
9. To maintain up-to-date room status information for efficient operations.
10.To assist with luggage transportation during guest arrivals and departures.
Registration

Registration is a crucial process in hotels, occurring before and

after guest arrival. It involves assigning rooms, gathering
necessary guest information on a registration card, and ensuring
legal compliance. It formalizes the contract between the guest
and the hotel, guaranteeing safe accommodations in exchange
for payment. While typically done upon arrival, VIPs, CIPs, and
groups may pre-register. The registration form acts as legal
documentation for both parties. This process safeguards against
legal issues for both the hotel and the guest.
Importance of
registration
1. To comply with legal regulations, not maintaining registration records is illegal, as per
government regulations.
2. To aid governmental monitoring of people's movements within the country.
3. To promptly inform guest kin in unforeseen situations like accidents or deaths, based on
registration information.
4. To use registration details to send correspondence to guests post-checkout.
5. To serve as legal proof of the guest's presence at the hotel.
6. To utilize collected information for market analysis and creating marketing strategies.
7. To help in creating and updating guest history cards.
8. To serve as evidence for legal purposes.
Figure of registration
card
Information obtained for
registration
1. Full name of the guest 9. Home address
2. Nationality 10.Date of birth
3. Contact information 11.Number of rooms needed, room type, and room
4. Dates of arrival and departure plan
5. Payment method 12.Next destination
6. Purpose of stay 13.Reservation source
7. Registration number 14.Forwarding address (if any)
8. Organization name (if applicable)
Exclusively for foreigners

1. Passport number
2. Passport issue place
3. Passport issue date
4. Passport expiry date
5. Visa number
6. Visa expiry date
Registration process
Step 1 Pre-registration activities

Receiving guests and creating

Step 2
records

Step 3 Assigning the room and rate to the

guest

Step 4 Establishing the mode of payment

Step 5 Issuing the guest room keys

Escorting the guest to the room

Step 6
1. Pre-registration activities

Pre-registration activities are essential tasks performed by front desk agents before a guest's
arrival to streamline the check-in process. These activities involve pre-printing all guest
information on registration cards based on reservation details, preparing amenities vouchers
for items like fruits and flowers, and creating guest folios. By completing these steps in
advance, the registration process becomes more efficient, allowing front desk staff to
manage busy check-in hours smoothly.

Pre-registration is particularly beneficial for groups, VIPs, and CIPs, ensuring that rooms are
assigned quickly and housekeeping is aware of room readiness prior to guest arrival.
2. Creating registration record

Upon a guest's arrival at a hotel, they typically proceed to the reception area where a
receptionist welcomes them and addresses their queries. The guest is then given a
registration card to fill out, providing essential information such as their name, address,
arrival and departure dates, nationality, room details, purpose of visit, passport details for
foreigners, travel details, mode of payment etc.

The guest's signature on the registration card completes and formalizes the registration
record. This information is crucial for creating other hotel records, including the guest folio,
arrival notification slip, and guest history card.
3.Assigning the room to the guest

After completing the registration record, the next step is to assign a room to the guest based
on their reservation details or preferences. For guests with pre-registrations or reservations,
this process is straightforward as room type, rate, and payment method have been pre-
determined. These guests are immediately escorted to their rooms upon arrival.

For walk-in guests, the receptionist must check room availability and ensure the guest agrees
to the room rate, payment method, and hotel facilities. Special requests are also considered,
and the hotel may require advance payment to avoid potential issues with non-paying
guests.
4. Establishing the modes of
payment
After assigning the room, the modes of payment and credit privileges should be recorded on
the registration card. For guests with reservations, this may have already been discussed. For
FIT (Free Independent Traveler) guests, declaring the mode of payment is crucial to ensure
the hotel knows in advance how the guest intends to settle the bill—whether by cheque,
foreign exchange, credit card, or billing to a company.

Walk-in guests are often required to make an advance payment in cash to prevent potential
issues with non-payment. Although the mode of payment can be changed from what was
initially communicated, cash and major credit cards are the most widely accepted.
5. Issuing the guestroom key

Once the mode of payment is established, the guestroom key is issued, completing the
registration process. Typically, the room key is issued along with a key card, which serves as
proof of guest identification to hotel staff. In some cases, new guests are also given a hotel
map along with their key. Key cards are necessary for collecting keys from reception and are
carefully controlled to ensure the security of both the guest and the property.

5. Escorting the guest to the

room
After issuing the key, the guest is escorted to their room, often by a bellboy who carries the
guest's luggage and leads the way. The bellboy explains the hotel's facilities and room
amenities during the walk. In many hotels, VIP and CIP guests are escorted by a guest
relations officer or the front office manager to ensure a personalized welcome.
Guest check-in and check-out
procedure
Check-In

Check-in of the guest refers to the process of registering and assigning a

room to the guest after verifying their details and mode of payment. This
process, carried out by the receptionist in close coordination with the bell
desk, begins upon the guest's arrival at the reception.

It includes receiving and welcoming the guest, completing registration

formalities, assigning the room, issuing the guestroom key, and escorting
the guest to their room. In large hotels, guest check-in typically takes place
after 12 noon.
Procedures of check-in

1. Upon the guest's arrival, the door attendant signals the bell boy at the bell desk.
2. The bell boy greets the guest and collects their luggage from the vehicle.
3. The bell boy brings the luggage to the lobby and attaches luggage tags.
4. The bell boy waits at the bell desk while the guest registers at the reception.
5. The receptionist welcomes the guest and checks for a confirmed reservation.
6. For confirmed reservations, the guest verifies and signs the pre-filled registration card;
otherwise, a new card is filled out.
7. The receptionist assigns a room after verifying the registration card.
8. The front office agent issues the room keys and instructs the bell boy to escort the guest.
9. The bell boy escorts the guest to the room, places the luggage inside, and explains room
amenities.
10. The bell boy offers further assistance, wishes the guest a pleasant stay, and returns to
the bell desk.
Check-out

Check-out refers to the guest's departure from the hotel

after settling their bill at the front office cash counter.
The front office cashier handles the check-out process.

Guests come to the cash counter, settle their bills,

return their room keys, and clear their luggage. In large
hotels, the standard check-out time is 12 noon. This is
the final step in the guest cycle at the hotel.
Procedures of check-out

1. Guest calls front desk to check out.

2. Bell captain notes room number on departure errand card and gives it to receptionist
3. Desk agent sends bell boy to transfer luggage to lobby.
4. Bell boy sends departure notification slip to concerned departments.
5. Cashier updates guest folio based on final bill.
6. Bell boy announces himself at guest room door.
7. Bell boy enters, greets guest, collects luggage, and checks room.
8. Bell boy collects key and allows guest to lead the way out.
9. Luggage is taken to bell desk while guest settles bill.
10.If amenities are missing, bell boy informs front desk for action.
11.After bill settlement, bell boy receives luggage out pass.
12.Luggage is taken to waiting vehicle.
13.Bell boy wishes guest farewell and returns to bell desk.
 Hotel C.D.E

Departure Errand Card

Reception Cashier Information Departure Date and

Room No.
Time

Bell Boy Name: Call Time:

Name of Guest: Room No:
Articles
Suitcase Hand Bag Package Briefcase Overcoat

Others

Baggage brought down by Baggage loaded by

Signature
Signature

Departure Errand Card

Group check-in and check-out procedures
Group check-in procedure

1. Front office prepares a group list with details of each guest.

2. Rooms are blocked according to the group's requirements,
preferably on the same floor.
3. Rooming list is prepared, listing names of group members and
their room numbers.
4. Keys are arranged by room number and placed in envelopes for
the group leader.
5. Pre-registration is completed based on received information,
organized alphabetically.
6. Bell desk is informed to arrange bellboys for luggage delivery to
rooms.
7. Coordination is made with F&B service for welcome drinks upon group
arrival.
8. Bellboys handle luggage upon group arrival, tagging it according to the
rooming list.
9. Front office agent escorts group leader to complete registration at
reception.
10. Registration forms and room keys are handed over to group leader for
distribution.
11. Once signed registration cards are returned, guests proceed to their
rooms.
12. Front office cashier prepares a master folio for the group and
individual folios for each member.
13. Copies of the rooming list (arrival notification slip) are distributed to
relevant departments to inform them of the group's arrival.
Group check-out procedure

1. Ensure there are enough staff members available at the front

desk to handle the group's departure.
2. Make sure to have the list of rooms assigned to the group
members ready and organized.
3. The front office cashier needs to update the master bill with
any remaining charges and prepare the final bills that will be
presented to the group.
4. If any guests have used extra services or facilities during
their stay, individual bills should be prepared and settled
accordingly.
5. Present the consolidated bill to the group leader for review and signature.
This signed document, along with relevant vouchers, is then sent to the
accounts department to collect payment from the group's travel agent.
6. Ensure that all luggage belonging to the group is gathered and moved to the
lobby area.
7. Once the group's transportation arrives, the bell staff is responsible for
loading all luggage onto the vehicle.
Front office accounting
Accounting involves collecting, recording, summarizing, and analyzing financial information
from business transactions.

In hotels, front office accounting, managed by the cashier, handles guest financial
transactions.
This includes maintaining and settling guest accounts promptly and accurately. Timely
posting of transactions is crucial for preparing correct bills and ensuring prompt payment,
contributing to efficient hotel operations and guest satisfaction. Therefore, maintaining
accurate and up-to-date guest accounts is essential for effective hotel management.
Functions of front office accounting system

1. Creating and maintaining guest and non-guest accounts accurately.

2. Tracking the financial transactions of guests throughout the guest cycle.
3. Monitoring the credit limit of guests and requesting deposits for high
outstanding balances.
4. Preparing high balance reports for collection and informing management
about them.
5. Providing information to management for departmental revenue
generation.
6. Maintaining control over cash and credit transactions.
Types of front office accounting

1. Guest account

A guest account records all financial transactions of resident or in-house guests during their
hotel stay. It is created upon registration or check-in by the front office, detailing all charges
incurred by the guest. A final bill, based on the guest's folio, is prepared and presented for
settlement upon departure.

Guests are typically provided with credit facilities for using hotel services and facilities. The
hotel sets a maximum limit for these facilities, known as the house limit. If a guest's credit
balance exceeds this limit, the front desk cashier may request partial or full payment of the
outstanding balance.
2. Non-guest account

A non-guest account, also known as a city account or city ledger, documents financial
transactions between the hotel and individuals who are not staying as resident guests. The
front desk cashier manages this ledger, recording transactions with local residents who have
been extended credit for using hotel services.

Skipper's accounts, where guests leave without paying, are transferred to the city ledger and
remain pending for a specified period. Eventually, they may be written off as bad debt.
Accounts of guests whose bills are not settled directly, such as those billed to companies or
travel agencies, are transferred to the city ledger.
Occupancy ratios

The occupancy ratio is a longstanding method used to assess hotel

performance, calculated as the ratio of rented or utilized space to the total
available space. To compute the occupancy ratio, the following data is
needed:
a. Total number of available rooms for sale
b. Number of rooms actually sold
c. Total number of guests (house count)
d. Total revenue generated from room sales
Front office calculations

a. Occupancy percentage

Occupancy percentage is the ratio of the total number of occupied rooms to the total
number of rooms available for sale.

Occupancy percentage =
b. House count

House count refers to the total number of guests currently staying in the hotel.
It is calculated by:

House rent = Previous day's house count - Today's departure + Today's arrival

c. Average room rate

It refers to the average income generated per occupied room during a specified period.

ARR =
d. Average room rate per person

It is the average earning per person staying in the

hotel.

Average room rate per person =

e. Local occupancy percentage

It is a percentage that indicates the proportion of local residents staying in the hotel out of
the total number of guests.

Local occupancy percentage =

Visitor's tabular ledger (VTL)

VTL, also known as Visitor's Tabular Ledger or tab sheet, is a form of loose-leaf
ledger used in hotels to record daily transactions with guests. It tracks charges
incurred by guests for goods and services provided by the hotel. Each guest has
a separate VTL created upon check-in, managed by the front office cashier.

The VTL includes rows and columns detailing charges for meals, beverages,
telephone calls, laundry, and room service. It is closed upon guest check-out, and
a new sheet is started daily for ongoing transactions.
Information provided by VTL

1. The overall revenue of the hotel and each department.

2. The services utilized by guests.
3. The cash payments made by guests and any allowances
granted to them.
4. The total outstanding balance of departing guests
transferred to the city ledger or other guest accounts.
 Hotel Virat K.

Visitor's Tabular
Name:
Ledger
Room No.:

Folio No.

Room Break Room Grand

Date Lunch Dinner Beverage Laundry Misc. City ledger Daily total C/F Adv. Allowance
Rent fast service total

Specimen of Visitor’s tabular

ledger
VTL posting procedure

The VTL is updated daily and audited by the night auditor nightly. Upon guest arrival,
expenses across various hotel outlets and departments are promptly recorded in the VTL
with detailed entries. The following procedures are followed for posting guest expenses in
the VTL:
1. Use block letters to write the guest's name.
2. Preferably use a pencil instead of ink or ballpoint pen
3. Immediately record detailed information such as room number, number of guests, meal
plan, rate, etc., upon opening the account.
4. Ensure handwriting is legible and neat.
5. Use dashes instead of writing "No" or "Not" if there are no transactions.
6. Record all transactions accurately according to the bills or vouchers sent by
the outlets.
7. Enter the total amounts in the respective debit and credit columns.
8. Record cash deposits or advances made by the guest under the cash deposit
column.
9. List guest charges in the debit column under the appropriate heading.
10.For unsettled bills at check-out, record charges under the "city ledger"
column for later collection.
11.When a guest pays another's bill, enter the amount in the transfer column
on the outgoing guest's account (credit side) and on the paying guest's
account (debit side).
12.If the VTL includes tax and service charge columns, calculate the subtotal
with tax and VAT, and determine the grand total including cash carried
forward.
Advantages of VTL

1. The daily visitor tabular sheet shows the names of all registered guests
and the number of rooms occupied at a glance.
2. All personal accounts of registered customers and their transactions are
recorded in the daily VTL, allowing for quick access to detailed guest
account information.
3. Direct posting saves time.
4. Bills can be easily generated using the VTL.
5. At departure, settling accounts is easy since each guest's account is kept
up-to-date.
6. Departments send original bill copies for posting, so the cashier has them
available for verification if needed.
7. The VTL shows the credit status of each guest.
8. Column totals reflect the sales of each item.
9. Departmental income can be calculated by totaling each heading at the end of
the VTL.
10.Allowances provided to guests can be checked and calculated.
Disadvantages of VTL

1. It is large and cumbersome to handle.

2. Having too many closely spaced columns increases the risk of posting
errors.
3. There is no room for explanations or notes.
4. Since the VTL is in loose sheets, there is a high chance of them getting
lost.
Procedure for preparing guest's
bill
1. Prepare bills in duplicate.
2. Check the room number carefully.
3. Retrieve the guest folio.
4. Calculate the correct number of room nights and determine if a late check-out
charge applies.
5. Enter the guest's credit transactions on the master bill in the order they
occurred.
6. Record the method of payment (cash, credit/debit card, bill to company, etc.).
7. Present the bill to the guest along with supporting vouchers for review.
8. Once the guest verifies the charges and makes the payment, give the first copy
of the bill to the guest.
9. File the second copy in the night auditor's file.
Specimen of guest
bill
Hotel Watson Bros.
S. No: Pokhara
Guest Bill
[Please collect a receipt while paying cash]
Arrival date:……………………………………
Rate::……………………………………
Have you returned your room key and Departure date::…………………………………… No. of
safe deposit locker key? person::……………………………………
Room type::…………………………………… Guest
folio No. :……………………………………
Name: Room No:
S.N. Description Amount
Rs. P.

Total
VAT%
Cashier:...........................................
Deposit
Company:.................................... Allowance
Address:........................................ Grand Total
Bills are due on presentation.
Amount in words……………………………. …………………………….
Guest history card (GHC)

Generally, hotels maintain a guest record containing details such as previous

arrival and departure dates, room types and rates, guest preferences,
expenditure, and special requests which is known as the guest history card
(GHC). GHC is typically prepared for VIPs, CIPs, and corporate clients, serving
the following purposes:

a. It provides current marketing data.

b. Demographic information such as age, gender, income, occupation, and
marital status helps in developing new marketing strategies.
c. Knowledge of guest preferences helps in providing better service.
d. GHC reveals the frequency of guest visits.
 Hotel Pabin

Guest History Card

Name: ……………………………. …………………………….
Company:……………………………. …………………………….
Designation:……………………………. …………………………….
Address::……………………………. …………………………….
Credit: :……………………………. ……………………………. Date
of Birth::……………………………. …………………………….
Marriage Anniversary::……………………………. …………………………….

Special
S.No. Arrived Room Rate Departed Amount Remarks
Instructions

4 Sample of guest history card

5
Mode of payment

The mode of payment refers to the various methods guests use to settle their bills when they
depart from the hotel. The bill is typically presented to the guest at the time of departure or
after seven days for longer stays. When a guest checks in, it is important to clarify the
payment methods during registration to avoid complications when settling the bill.

Upon checkout, guests usually pay their bills with cash or a credit card. However, in some
instances, the charges may be billed to a company account, paid with a traveler’s cheque, or
settled through a travel agent or airline voucher.
Thank you!