Front office management

Unit I
Introduction and Origin of Hotel Industry - Definition - Organizational
structure of small, medium and large hotels - classification of hotels based
on location, size length of guest stay,
facilities they offer- types of accommodation {atrium concept, apart hotel
heritage hotel, resorts, limited service and full service properties}
types of operation (owner operated, partnership, company owned, referral
hotels, franchise, management contracts and chain hotels).
Unit II
Introduction and importance of front office - layout of front office and
different equipments in front office - hierachy of front office and duties and
responsibilities of
front office staff - types of rooms - traiff definition fixation - types of plans
( European, continental, American modified American and Bermuda Plan) Configuration of rooms
Unit III
Reservation - importance, enquiry, sources, modes, types, records reservation confirmation, ammendement and cancellation - over booking rights and liabilities of travel agents in room bookings
registration receiving the guest, pre registration manual and automated
registration, rooming a guest, room racks manual and computerized,
knowledge of room locations blocking of rooms, Issuing the room keys,
room check, registration records.
Unit IV
Inter department communication - house keeping, engineering and
maintenance, revenue centres, HR department, security department ,
accounts department stores Front office services - guest service, Handling Mail and message, telephone,
wake up calls, guest relation, complaints, identifying and handling
complaints, follow up

procedures, key controls, room key security system protection of funds, safe
deposit boxes, emergency procedures.
Unit V
Job description of concierge, bell captain and Bell boy - Errand cards, Flight
confirmation , Airline theater and restaurant reservation, arranging transport,
baggage handling,
F.I.Ts, G.I.Ts, V.I.Ps - Job description of front office cashier - accounts - guest
accounts, Folios, Vouchers, Ledgers, creation & Maintenance of accounts,
record
keeping systems - credit monitoring - account maintenace - Internal control front offfice cash sheet - cash/Bank.

INTRODUCTION
Hotel is the transient home away from home. Hotel industry is a hospitality
industry. Of course, hospitality is not free, but is paid for, where the payment
depends on the comforts and services provided for. Payment also depends
on the fancy and economic affordability of the customer. The hospitality
industry is nowadays a global industry, and is considered as an important
employer in countries world-wide. It now has attained a much higher status
in society and demands high standards of work ethics and efficiency from its
employees. Employment opportunities are many, and is now sought
by a vast majority of people.
The hospitality industry is part of a larger enterprise known as
the travel and tourism industry. It is one of the oldest industries in the
world. In early days, traders, explorers, missionaries and pilgrims
needed a break in their journeys requiring food, shelter and rest.
People opened their homes and kitchens to these weary travellers,
and an industry was born. Although accommodation today is varied
and their services have changed and expanded over the ages, one
thing about the hospitality industry has remained the same, guests
are always welcome! From a friendly greeting at the door, room
service, breakfast, to a host of facilities' the hospitality industry offers
travellers a home away from home.
Hospitality is defined as the friendly reception and treatment
of strangers". For most people, hospitality means entertaining guests
with courtesy and warmth. Hospitality is also an industry made up of
businesses that provide lodging, food and other services to
travellers. The main components of this industry are hotels, motels,
inns, resorts and restaurants. In a broad sense, the hospitality
industry might refer to any group engaged in tourism, entertainment,
transportation or lodging including cruise lines, airlines, railways, car
rental companies and tour operators.

However the two main segments of the hospitality industry

are the lodging industry (also called hotel industry), and the food and
beverage industry (also called restaurant industry).
10.2 HOTELS
Hotel is an establishment that provides lodging and usually
meals and other services for travelers and other paying guests. It
provides paid lodging, usually on a short-term basis. Hotels often
provide a number of additional guest services such as a restaurant,
laundery, a swimming pool o r childcare. Some hotels have
conference services and meeting rooms and encourage groups to
hold conventions, functions and meetings at their location.
A hotel may be called as an establishment where primary
business is to provide to the general public lodging facilities and
which may include one or more of the various services such as food,
beverage, laundry, uniformed services etc. Hence, hotel can also be
called as home but with a vested interest which includes commercial
activities.
Hotels are found in almost all the cities. Hotels operate
twenty four hours a day, seven days a week. The principal factor that
determines the guest attitude towards a hotel is service although
other amenities such as room, food and beverages are of equal
importance a tangible determinants.
Introduction to Hotels
137
10.2.1 Definition of Hotel
Hotels are defined in numerous ways from early times to
today. Some of the important definitions for hotels are:
Hotel refers to a house of entertainment of travellers.
Reader's Digest Dictionary
Hotel is a place where all who conduct themselves properly,
and who being able to pay and ready to pay for their entertainment,
are received, if there be accommodation for them, and who without
any stipulated engagement as to the duration of their stay or as to
the rate of compensation, are while there, supplied at a reasonable
cost with their meals, lodging and other services and attention as are
necessarily incident to the use as a temporary home.
Common Law
A hotel is an Establishment held out by the proprietor as
offering food, drink and if so required, sleeping accommodation,

without special contract to any traveller presenting himself who

appears able and willing to pay a reasonable sum for the services
and facilities provided and who is in a fit state to be received.
Hotel Proprietors Act, 1956
Building that provides lodging, meals, and other services to
the traveling public on a commercial basis.
Encyclopedia Britannica
Hotel or inn is defined as a place where a bonafide traveller
can receive food and shelter, provided he is in a position to pay for
and is in a fit condition to be received.
British law
10.2.2 Importance of Hotels
1. Hotels play an important role in most countries by providing
facilities for the transaction of business, for meetings and
conferences, for recreation and entertainment. In that sense
hotels are as essential to economies and societies as are
adequate transport, communication and retail distribution
systems for various goods and services. Through their
facilities, hotels contribute to the total output of goods and
services, which makes up the material well-being of nations
and communities.
2. In many areas hotels are important attractions for visitors who
bring with them spending power that the locals and who tend
to spend at a higher rate than they do when they are at
home. Through spending by visitors hotels thus often
contribute significantly to local economies both directly and
Accommodation
Operation
indirectly through the subsequent diffusion of the visitor
expenditure to the Govt. coffers and to other recipients in the
community.
3. In areas receiving foreign visitors, hotels are often important
foreign currency earners and in this way may contribute
significantly to their countries balance of payments. In
countries with limited export possibilities, hotels may be one
of the few prime sources of foreign currency earnings.
4. Hotels are important employers of labour. Thousands of jobs
are provided by hotels in the many occupations that make up
the hotel industries in most countries; many others in the

industry are self-employed and proprietors of smaller hotels.

The role of hotels as employers is particularly important in
areas with few alternative sources of employment, where
they contribute to regional development.
5. Hotels are also important outlets for the products of other
industries. In the building and modernization of hotels,
business is provided for the construction industry and related
trades. Equipment, furniture and furnishings are supplied to
hotels by a wide range of manufacturers. Food, drink and
other consumables are among the most significant daily hotel
purchases from farmers, fishermen, food and drink suppliers,
and from gas, electricity and water companies. In addition to
those engaged directly in hotels, much indirect employment
is, therefore, generated by hotels for those employed in
industries supplying them.
6. Hotels are an important source of amenities for local
residents. Their restaurants, bars and other facilities often
attract much local customers and many hotels have become
social centres of their communities.
10.3 HISTORY OF HOTELS
The past, present, and perhaps the future of the hotel
industry are closely linked. Today's industry is the result of centuries
of social and cultural evolution. Comfortable, sanitary lodging was
once considered only the privilege of the wealthy, but with the
industrial revolution and the spread of democracy, hospitality is not a
luxury anymore and now has become available to the common man.
Advances in transportation, enable people t to travel greater distances
faster and at less cost, paving the way for the tourism industry to
flourish. From very modest origins, the hospitality and the tourism
industries have become the two of the largest industries globally. A
world without accommodation is indispensable in modern day life.
Today the lodging industry is complex and diverse. To
understand this, we will trace the history of hotels, from the inns of
ancient times to modern luxury hotels, whose evolution has
influenced as well has been influenced by, social, economic and
cultural changes in society.
to travel greater distances
faster and at less cost, paving the way for the tourism industry to
flourish. From very modest origins, the hospitality and the tourism

industries have become the two of the largest industries globally. A

world without accommodation is indispensable in modern day life.
Today the lodging industry is complex and diverse. To
understand this, we will trace the history of hotels, from the inns of
ancient times to modern luxury hotels, whose evolution has
influenced as well has been influenced by, social, economic and
cultural changes in society.

Taverns or Inns
The earliest hotels were called taverns or inns. They go back
thousand of years, for as long as people have started travelling. The
Hebrew word for an inn is malon and means a resting place for the
night. The Greek word for inn is kataluma and means an eating room
or guest chamber. A malon did not have to be in a building, it could
be a level piece of ground near a spring where baggage could be
unloaded, animals could be watered and tethered, and people could
rest on the ground.
Caravanserais
When large camel caravans would cross the deserts in Asia,
there were hotels called caravanserais at which travellers rested and
slept. Caravanserais were established along the more travelled
routes as travel spread throughout the East. They usually consisted
of a large building constructed around a courtyard. The lower floor
was used to store goods and to provide stalls for the cattle. Usually
there was a well or large reservoir nearby. At times, bazaars and
markets were held at or near the caravanserais. In those days of
travel, the innkeeper provided very little for the traveller's comfort.
Inns in Middle Ages
During the middle ages, there were few inns or hotels except
in the cities. The church or the Lord of the Manor often established
special guest offices for pilgrims and other travellers. As roads were
built and horse drawn stagecoaches began to carry passengers
between towns and cities, inns were built at a point where the
coaches stopped. The inns in the villages or at crossroads had
limited and rough accommodations, seldom more than a common
dormitory.
Inns in the Fifteenth Century
The fifteenth century brought about fresh importance for the
inn. A new merchant class began to emerge due to an increase in

trade. This meant more traveling was necessary; therefore a

demand for more and better inns was created. Most travel was still
primarily by horseback, but toward the end of the 15th century, more
comfortable wheeled carriages came into use. The roads were rough
and difficult to travel-muddy in the spring, hot and dusty in the
summer, and often impassable in the winter.
During the fifteenth century, many monasteries closed their
guesthouses, thus creating a need for more lodgings. The inn also
began to perform a definite function in the social life of the people in
the area, as well as the traveller.
Inns in the Sixteenth Century
The inns of the sixteenth century changed little from earlier
times, although they were large and somewhat spacious.
Accommodation has improved greatly, for now a guest could often
have a private bedroom furnished with heavily carved oak furniture.
The ground floor consisted of a large hall called the parlour, which
was used as a reception room as well as a place to serve meals.
The upper floor was used for the guest rooms.
Inns in the Eighteenth Century
With more regular business, the innkeeper realized the
importance of their inns and tried to offer more comforts to the weary
traveller; they had better furnished rooms, a generous supply of food
and drink, waiters and serving maids eager to please the guests, and
large stables for the horses. Not only would the public stagecoaches
be found stopping at the inns, but also the private coaches of the
wealthy. There was a large increase in the volume of coach travel in
the eighteenth century. Tollgates were set up on some roads to
provide funds to repair and improve roads and bridge better roads
and more comfortable coaches made travel much faster, comfortable
and more appealing to a greater number of people.
Travelers found that most of the innkeepers greeted them
with a smile, and were given good meals. If the stop was overnight,
the inn offered an ideal comfortable bedroom that was neatly
furnished usually with a four-poster bed, washing table mirror etc.
The inns that could not meet the traveler's need, either through the
mismanagement or just plain rudeness, did not stay in business for
long. As travellers from Europe ventured across the Atlantic to
America, inns were built in towns and villages and along the
roadside. They became gathering places for not only the traveller but
also the local inhabitants. The inn was a place where people could

refresh themselves after work or hold evening meetings and share

the events of the day.
Emergence of Hotels
The past one hundred years have brought about dramatic
changes in modes of transportation, as well as in lodging
accommodations. People from all walks of life started to travel. As
travel increased, the train services were launched and became more
comfortable and faster. This was the time when the roadside inns
started losing business as more people started to travel by train
rather than coach. Many inns had to close while others were able to
remain open by catering more to the local people. Some inns
became strictly taverns or coffeehouses. Some of these still exist
today. London has a larger number of the old taverns than any other
large city in the world. They have changed with the times in order to
survive and are the pubs that we know today.
Travelling by train brought the traveller into the heart of a
town or city. Many hotels were built near railroad stations for the
convenience of passengers. This was the beginning of hotels, as we
know of them. Many hotels that opened in the mid-to late-1800s are
still as popular as they were when they first opened.
Figure 10.1 Three Phases of Travel
Hotels and the Government Policies
Many countries have recognised the vital importance of
accommodation industry in relation to tourism and their governments
have coordinated their activities with the industry by way of providing
attractive incentives and concessions in the form of long term loans,
liberal import licenses and tax relief, cash grants for construction and
renovation of buildings, and similar other concessions to the
accommodation industry.
The United Nations Conference on International Travel and
Tourism held in Rome in 1963 considered, in particular, problems
relating to means of accommodation. The Conference acknowledged
the importance of means of accommodation, both traditional (hotels,
motels) and supplementary (camps, youth hostels, etc.) as
incentives to international tourism. The Conference recommended
that governments should consider the possibility of including
projects, and particularly those relating to accommodation, on the list
of projects eligible for loans from industrial or other corporations, and
that, w h e r e required; they should establish special financial

corporations for tourism. It also has recommended that governments

should give sympathetic consideration to the possibility of granting
special facilities and incentives for accommodation projects.
According to the WTO Report on 'The Development of the
Accommodation Sector, tourist accommodation is used to denote
the facilities operated for short-term accommodation to guests, either
with or without service, against payment of and according to fixed
rates. For the purposes of classification, all tourist accommodations
have been divided into the following groups:
(i) Hotels and similar establishments (the hotel industry
proper) and,
(ii) Supplementary means of accommodation.
The first group usually includes hotels, motels, boarding
houses and inns, while the second includes registered private
accommodation (rented rooms, apartments, and houses), camping /
mountain huts and shelters as well as health establishments, that is
sanatoria and convalescent homes.
Present Day Hotels
The concept and the format of hotel have changed a great
deal over the years. There are different types of hotels ranging from
international hotels to resort hotels catering to the increasing and
diversified demand of the clients. The size, the facade, architectural
features and the facilities and amenities provided differ from one
establishment to another. In addition, the landscape in a particular
destination area also greatly influenced the architectural features of
a hotel. The following are the main types of hotels:
i) International Hotels
ii) Commercial Hotels
iii) Residential Hotels
iv) Resort Hotels
v) Floating Hotels
vi) Palace Hotels
vii) Capsule Hotels
viii) Heritage Hotels
ix) Guest Houses
10.4 DEVELOPMENT AND GROWTH OF HOTEL INDUSTRY IN
INDIA
Hotel Industry in Medieval Period
In India too the development of hotel industry is closely linked
to travel. In India, travel was mainly on animals (mule, horse and

camel). For rest during their travel at strategic points Dharmashalas,

Sarais, Chaupals of Panchayats, Choultry (in South India) and
temples and religious places were provided by rich people such as
Rajas, Kings, Zamindars, etc. Usually free accommodation and food
for travelers was given. During this period it was mandatory for the
state authorities to provide food and shelter to the wayside traveler.
Mussafir Khanas and Sarais
These developed during the period of Muslim Emporers.
Many famous and well known musafir khanas and sarais were
established in the Sindh province during the Arab occupation, and
also at Peshawar and Lahore. Delhi has always been traditionally
hospitable, and we find overwhelming evidence of this in the
innumerable sarais and rest houses in this ancient city. As per
Shiab-al-din Alumrai there were 2000 Khangabs and sarais in Delhi
and its suburbs. Most of these have not survived. Some of the
famous sarais in Delhi are Qutub Sarai, Ladha Sarai, Lado Sarai,
Sarban Sarai, Daud Sarai, Kallu Sarai, Arab ki Sarai, Sheikh Sarai
Sarais started developing into inns and western style hotels
with the coming of Britishers in important cities like Calcutta (Kolkata)
and Bombay (Mumbai).
As early as the 18th century, there were excellent inns
(taverns) in India. Some famous inns were: Portuguese Georges,
Parsee Georges and Paddy Georges. Some famous hotels of that
time: Albion Hotel, victory Hotel, Hope Hall, etc.
Emergence of Hotels in India
Pallanjee Pestonjee (1840) started the first luxury-hotel in
Bombay. It was famous for its excellent cuisine, beers and wines and
its excellent management. Auckland Hotel (1843) was established in
Calcutta. Later it was renamed as Great Eastern Hotel in 1858 and
later renovated at a sum of Rs.10 lacs. Esplanade Hotel (1871) was
built in Calcutta by John Wakson (Britisher), a silk drapery merchant
(also believed to be an architect and builder). The hotel had 130
rooms. Later, some Swiss and other families also owned hotels in
India. One such example was Hotel Fonseca in New Delhi which
was later demolished and Hotel Taj Mahal at Mansingh Road was
built, there.
In 1903, JRD Tata constructed the Taj Mahal Hotel in
Bombay. It was the first hotel of international standards and repute,
built by an Indian for Indians.

Hotels and Policies of Indian Government

The Government realized the importance of tourism in 1962
when there was a drop in tourist arrivals. To upgrade the hotel
industry, i ncentives were offered by the Department of Tourism
(DOT). Hotel Corporation and Tourism Corporations were
established. Ashoka Hotel Ltd. was constructed in, 1956 in a record
time of one year. Later, the Union Ministry of Housing and Welfare
constructed 3 hotels: Lodhi Hotel, Hotel Janpath and Ranjit Hotel.
The Dewan Chaman Lall Committee was set up by the Govt.
of India (Hotel Standard and Rate Structure Committee) to:
1) Lay down criteria for classification of hotels in view of
international standard.
2) Suggest guidelines for the promotion of tourism to India
and within India.
3) Suggest improvements on the existing arrangements and
availability of (sources for the promotion of national and
international tourism.
4) Suggest a rate-structure keeping in view the existing
price structure in hotel industry. Till 1963 hotels were
mainly run by private operators and only rest houses and
tourist bungalows were run by the Department of
Tourism. Hotels at Puri, Aurangabad and Ranchi were
traditionally rum by the Railways and State governments.
The State government also ran hotels at BrindabanMysore.
Formation of Three Corporations and ITDC
In 1964 three corporations were set-up by the Government of
India, viz.
1. India Tourism & Hotel Corporation,
2. India Tourism Corporation Ltd. and
3. India Tourism & Transport Corporation.
On 24th September 1966, the Government of India decided
to merge these corporations and promulgated "India Tourism
Corporation Amalgamation Order" 1966" and formed a new
corporation-India Tourism Development Corporation (ITDC) with an
authorized capital of Rs. 5 crores. Soon ITDC took over tourist
"bungalows at:
i) Mahabalipuram, Thanjavur, Madurai and Tiruchirapalli
(Tamil Nadu)
ii) Bijapur and Hassan (Karnataka)

iii) Khajuraho, Sanchi and Mandhu (Madhya Pradesh)

iv) Kullu and Manali (Himachal Pradesh)
v) Bodhgaya (Bihar)
vi) Bhubaneshwar (Orissa)
vii) Rashi Nagar (Uttar Pradesh)
viii) Ghana (Rajasthan).
10.5 CATEGORY OF HOTELS
10.5.1 International Corporate Hotels
These are large chains, which are almost household words in
the industry, such as Hilton, Inter-Continental, Hyatt, Holiday Inn,
Sheraton, etc. Some of the groups are a combination of company
owned, franchise and management contract operations while others
are entirely owned by an individual or a company. Their main
features include standardization of service, facilities and price, and
many chains endeavor to operate a hotel in most major capitals
throughout the world. Major International Hotel Chains are:
Chain Rooms Properties
Holiday Inn 2,67,677 1,375
Best Western 1,61,714 1,762
Days Inn 1,32,000 1,126
Marriott 96,349 208
Hilton 92,122 260
Sheraton 87,229 311
Ramada 84,159 506
Motel 6 63,342 551
Comfort Inn 60,053 662
Hyatt 57,000 107
Howard Johnson 56,188 451
Radisson 50,000 208
Figure 10.2 Major International Hotel Chains
10.5.2 National Hotel Companies
Some countries have national hotel companies, which
operate hotels at home and abroad, such as, the Taj and Oberoi
hotel groups. These are both Indian companies which are well
known outside India.
10.5.3 Small Hotel Groups
Not all groups of hotels are large or widely dispersed. Some
companies own a group, which may consist of no more than four to
five hotels, and they may be confined to a particular area such as the
beach resorts.

10.5.4 Independent Hotels

These are hotels which" are privately owned or independent
of any company. Many guests enjoy staying at an establishment of
this type because of the individuality of the operation. Classical
example will be Casino-cum-hotels of Los Vegas, Nevada, Macauoff
China, Genting Highlands of Malaysia and others.
10.5.5 Hotel Consortia
Independently owned hotels form a liaison which provides
them with the advantages of shared advertising costs, bulk
purchasing and referral of bookings. The guest has the advantage of
knowing each hotel in the consortium will be of similar standard and
price. Best Western Hotels is an example of worldwide network of
independently owned hotels.
10.6 MAJOR HOTEL GROUPS IN INDIA
Many small and big Indian hotel groups are operating in
various parts of India. Some of them are given below. Apart from
India, some international hotel chains such as Sheratan, Hilton,
Ramada, Sofitel, Meridien, Hyatt and Mariott are either operating or
planning to operate in India on franchise basis.
1. Welcome
Group
It is the hotel division of ITC Ltd. The logo
represents a traditional Indian welcome in the
form of Namaste in an open doorway with the
slogan Nobody gives you India like we do." The
motto of Welcome Group is "We enjoy people"
Welcome Group has hotels in various cities
such as Agra, Delhi, Aurangabad, Jaipur, Goa,
Gwalior etc.
2. Oberoi
Hotels
Rai Bahadhur M.S. Oberoi established Oberoi
Hotel Pvt. Ltd. in 1946. Many hotels like Oberoi
Intercontinental in August 1965 in New Delhi
and Oberoi Sheraton in 1973 in Bombay was
added. It is now one of the largest and reputed
hotel chains of India.
3. Hotel
Ambassador
It is one of the flagship hotel belonging to Lala

Ram Parshad who is considered as one of the

pioneers of the Hotel Industry in India (now
managed by Taj Hotel in Delhi).
4. U.P. Hotels
and
Restaurants
Ltd
Famous as Clarke's Group of Hotels, it was
established on 13th February, 1961. It started
with its flagship hotel Clarke Shiraz Agra. Later
hotels Clarkes Awadh, Clarkes Amer, and
Clarkes Varanasi at Lucknow, Jaipur and
Varanasi, respectively, were added to this chain.
5. Ritz Chain A chain belonging to R.N. Kapoor family with
hotels at Mumbai, Hyderabad, Kolkata and
Coonoor (in South India). Specialized in Italian
cuisine.
6. Spencers Started hotel business in 1912 in Calcutta.
Purchased Connimera Hotel in Madras and
opened West End in Bangalore, Malabar at
Cochin and Trivandrum, Blue Mountains at
Kotagiri in 1942 and Savoy in Ooty in 1943.
Vegetarian hotels in Madras (Geetha, Ashoka
and Ajanta) and Hotel Arakua in Bangalore.
7. Sinclairs A chain of hotel operating in eastern part of the
country with hotels at Darjeeling and Takadah.
8. Hotel
Corporation
of India (HCI)
A corporation set up in 1971. It started with its
first hotel at Bombay in 1974. Later hotels in
Delhi, Srinagar, Rajgir etc. were added to this
group.
9. Leela Group It has hotels at Mumbai and Goa
10. Asian Hotels: The group has tied up with Hyatt chain and has
two hotels in Delhi. It plans to have property in
Jaipur and Agra.
11. Apeejay
Surendra
Group

It started with its first hotel Park Calcutta in

1967. Later a large hotel was added in Delhi,
and Resort hotel at Visakhapatnam was added
to the group.
12. J.P. Hotels The group has hotels in Delhi, Agra and
Mussoorie.
13. Palaces
Converted
into Hotels
i) Maharaja Hari Singh Palace was the first to
be converted into Oberoi Hotel.
ii) Maharaja of Jaipur converted his palace
Ram Bag to Hotel.
iii) Maharaja of Udaipur was third in line (Taj)
Lake Palace in Pichola Lake.
iv) Later Jodhpur Palace (Oberoi), Jaisalmer
Palace and Bikaner Palace were also
converted into hotels.
v) Lakshmi Vilas Palace of Jaipur (of Majaraja
Bhupal Singh). Ushakiran Palace of
Gwalior.
vi) Hotel Jai Mahal Palace, Jal Mahal and Raj
Mahal Palace in Jaipur are also converted
or being converted to hotels.
vii) Chamundi Hill Palace has also been
converted to a hotel.
viii) Lalitha Mahal Palace of Mysore is a tourist
hotel. Halcyon Castle of Travancore
Maharaja is also converted into a hotel.
ix) Bolghathy Palace near Cochin P o r t
(Residence of former British Resident of
Southern States) is also converted into a
hotel.
10.7 HOTEL AS A SERVICE PROVIDER IN THE MODERN DAY
Gone are the days when people looked upon a hotel for a
bed and food. Now it provides almost everything that a guest needs.
Hotels have become service providers for the guests in all possible
ways. Competition has set into providing these services in order to
woo the guests. Every big hotel chain / group has been spending

crores of rupees in order to stay in this race.

Different services are rendered by the hotels, viz. Banquets,
convention centers, exhibition centers, restaurants, catering service,
secretarial services, corporate services, money changers, travel
desk, butler service, valet service, internet service, facility for sports
and games, massage parlour, health club, gym, shopping arcade,
swimming pool, tourist limousines, airport service, etc.
These services are either wholly owned and run by the hotel,
or owned by hotel and run on franchise by experts in the field, or
owned & run by outsiders but attached to the hotels. These services
complement each other and also help in improving the occupancy
rate of the hotels.
1. Banquet Hotels provide wide range of banquet menus.
Weddings, parties, business gathering all of
which help in improving food sales and also
work in attracting new customers.
2. Convention
Center
Meetings, seminars, conventions and other
social gatherings are arranged which in turn
attract group bookings, good occupancy and
food service.
3. Restaurant Restaurants serving different speciality cuisine
like Chinese, Korean, Italian, Continental,
Mexican, Indian (South Indian, Mughalai etc.)
are set up by hotels with the interiors suiting
those places are run to cater to the different
tastes of domestic as well as international
tourists. Catering services are also undertaken
at off-campus locations.
4. Secretarial
Service
This is an essential service for corporate clients.
The CEOs, M.Ds and Chairpersons of different
companies need this arrangement for expediting
their notes, letters and agreements,
communications etc.
5. Corporate
Service
This works as an extension to the corporate

offices of the clients. All the services needed for

handling corporate affairs are provided to make
the corporate guest feel at office away from his
office. Internet Service is the latest addition to
the corporate service list. This is available even
in small and medium sized hotels. The guest
can connect his laptop to this service and
perform his regular work / tasks.
6. Money
Changers
Where there is high proportion of foreign tourists
/ visitors, there will be the need of money
changing service. Here the hotel exchanges the
foreign currency for local currency. However it
cannot sell foreign currency. This service must
function as per the foreign exchange rules and
guidelines of the Reserve Bank of India from
time to time.
7. Travel Desk Provides car rental services, air & train ticketing
and looks after the other travel needs of the
guest. In some hotels Concierge looks after this
service too.
8. Butler
Service
A personalised service provided to the guest
and his visitors exclusively. He provides the
food and beverage and also wine service, looks
after the visitors to the guest and helps in
keeping the room tidy from time to time and also
arranges the wardrobe for the guest.
9. Valet
Service
Also a personalised service, but limited to help
at car parking and laundry facility etc. in hotels.
10. Health Club
and Sports
and Games
This is provided not only in resort or leisure
hotels but also in down town & commercial
hotels. The present corporate guest even

though a busy person wants some time out for

himself for health and pleasure reasons. Health
club, Spa, Gym, Message Parlour, Swimming
pool, billiards, bowling ally, tennis court, mini
golf course are some of the popular facilities. In
some parts of our country health tourism has
picked up at places like Himachal Pradesh and
Kerala where health spas and ayurvedic
treatments are provided. The tourist on vacation
can go back a rejuvenated person.

INTRODUCTION
At the hub of the hotel world is the reception desk where
most guest transactions take place. It is here that the guest is
received, registered and assigned a room. Information, mail,
messages, complaints and room accounts are all dealt with here.
Therefore, to a large extent, the reception team is the key to an
enjoyable and problem-free stay for the hotel guest. It is also the
centre of attraction and money generation for the establishment.
The front office department is the nerve centre, the hub and
the heart of the hotel. Front office personnel have more contact with
guests than staffs in other departments. This is the department
where the guest first checks in and finally checks out of the hotel.
The front office is the main communication centre. As it is the
major revenue generating department, it is equipped with staffs of
good quality and personality.
The front office is the show window and hence it is furnished
and maintained with good furnitures and fittings. Front office is well
designed in an orderly manner. Regardless of how the hotel is
organized, the front office is always an essential focal point.
12.2 FRONT OFFICE DEPARTMENT
The front office is the main controlling centre of all guest
services, and also coordinates the back office functions with these
services. It serves as a main channel of two way communications i.e.
from hotel to guest and guest to hotel.

Front office is the name given to all the offices situated in the
front of the house, that is, the lobby, where the guest is received,
provided information, checked-in, his luggage is handled, his
accounts are settled at departure, and his problems, complaints and
suggestions are looked after. Foreign guests use the front desk to
exchange currency, find a translator, or request other special
assistance.
The front desk often serves as the hotel control center for
guest requests concerning housekeeping or engineering issues. In
addition, it may also be a base of operations during an emergency,
such as a fire or a guest injury.
12.2.1 Front Office Functions
Front office functions include reservations, registration, room
and rate assignment, check-in, guest services, room status,
maintenance and settlement of guest accounts and creation of guest
history records. The front office compiles a n d maintains a
comprehensive data base of guest information, coordinates guest
services, and ensures guest satisfaction. These functions are
accomplished by personnel in diverse areas of the front office
department.
The main functions of the front office department are:
1. During Guest Cycle: Pre arrival, arrival, on going
responsibilities, departure and after departure
activities.
2. Guest Services: Reservations, registration,
occupancy services, checkout and history.
a. Maintain accurate room status information
b. Process future room reservations, when there is
no reservation department or when the
reservation department is closed.
c. Coordinate guest services.
d. Provide information about the hotel, the
surrounding community, and any attractions or
events of interest to guests.
3. Guest Accounting: Establishment of credit, charge
posting, night audit and settlement.
a. Maintain guest accounts and monitor credit limits.
b. Produce guest account statements and complete
proper financial settlement.

The front office functions can be well understood from the

figure given below:
Figure 12.1 Functions of Front Office
12.3 FRONT OFFICE ORGANISATION
The front office department of a hotel comprises of various
sections. Depending on the size of the hotels, the sections may vary.
In small or medium sized hotels the sections may be merged and
handled accordingly. The following are the sections of the front office
department.
1. Reservation Section is responsible for booking of rooms in
advance. It is responsible for the receiving of the room requests,
reservation analyzing and documentation of the room requests
received. This section of the department depends upon the size
of the hotel; if the hotel is small sized there may be not be a
separate section for reservations. This section is mostly found in
mid sized and large sized hotel.
2. Front Desk Section is responsible for receiving the guest,
registering of the guest, assigning of room and room keys and
remote controls for television and air conditioners if such
services are available and assistance to the guest during their
stay. They are also a source of information for government
offices.
Figure 12.2 Front Desk
3. Bell Desk is mainly responsible for luggage handling of the
guests. It consists of group of uniformed staff for guest services.
This section is maintained separately in large hotels only.
4. Travel Desk Section handles the transportation facility of the
hotel guest. It assists in the booking of air tickets, hiring of the
car and other transportation facilities. It also arranges /
organizes city tours, sight seeing tours to the guests on request.
5. Business Centres serve the guests with laptops, internet,
mobiles, facsimile, LCD projectors, and photocopier and also on
request secretarial facilities. This is the latest addition in the
large and medium sized hotels, in line with the electronic era.
Figure 12.3 Business Centre
6. Concierge Section provides information about the hotel, its
services and amenities, city, town, country, travel and transport,
banks etc. They can also handle the guest luggage and bags if
the hotel does not have the bell desk section. The receiving and
distribution of mail and message, packets, news papers and

magazines in the early mornings to guest room are also

attended to. In addition, it may also handle the hiring of the car
and booking of air tickets and other transportation facilities if
there is no travel desk in the hotel.
7. Cashiering Section is responsible for maintaining and
recording guest accounts and bills and folio of guest and either
cash or credit settlement of guest folios at the time of departure.
8. Communication and Telephone Section handles the guest
telephones and messages, both incoming and out going of the
guest.
12.3.1 Front Office Organisation Chart
Figure 12.4 Front Office Organisation Chart
The Front Office organization chart is designed according to
functions. The chart 1 2 .4 clearly defines the control and also
provides guests with more specialized attention.
Typical positions and functions under the Front Office
Department are:
1. Front Desk Agent: Registers guests, and maintains room
availability information
2. Reservation Agent: Responds to Reservation Requests
and creates Reservation Records
3. Cashier: Closes guest folios, and properly checks out the
guests.
4. Uniformed Bell Service Agent: Handles guest luggage,
escorts guests to their rooms, and assists guests for any
bit of information requested.
5. Switchboard Operator: Manages the switchboard and
coordinates wake-up calls.
6. Night Auditor: Controls the job of the Accounts
Receivable Clerk, and prepares daily reports to the
management (eg: Occupancy Report and Revenue
Report).
12.4 DUTIES & RESPONSIBILITIES OF FRONT OFFICE STAFF
12.4.1 Front Office Manager
Front Office manager must be a skilled planner who
channelizes the various resources viz. people, money, time, work
methods, materials, energy and equipment to suit the objectives of
the property. He should maintain cordial relationships between the
front office and other hotel divisions and departments by
encouraging communication between all areas of responsibility.

Basic Function: To supervise all front office personnel and ensure

proper completion of all front office duties.
Duties & Responsibilities:
1. Evaluate and decide the need of personnel in the department.
2. Participate in the selection of front office personnel.
3. Train and update staff skills.
4. Schedule the staff duties.
5. Supervise and help workloads during shifts.
6. Evaluate the job performance of each front office employee.
7. Maintain working relationships and communicate with all
departments.
8. Maintain master key control.
9. Check room status
10. Resolve guest problems quickly, efficiently and courteously
11. Update and monitor group information and requirements.
12. Review credit limit report.
13. Enforce all cash-handling, other modes of payment and credit
policies.
12.4.2 Front Desk Agent
Also designated, as Receptionist or Front office Assistant in
some hotels, is the first person a guest sees on entering the property
and the last person the guest sees on leaving.
Basic Function: To assist guests in all front office-related functions in
an efficient, courteous, and professional manner that maintains high
standards of service and hospitality.
Duties and Responsibilities:
1. Register guests and assign rooms; accommodate special
requests, if possible.
2. Assist in pre-registration and blocking of rooms for reservations.
3. Thoroughly understand and adhere to proper credit, other
modes of payment, cash handling policies and procedures.
4. Know room status, locations, types and rates.
5. Use suggestive selling techniques to sell rooms and to promote
other services of the hotel.
6. Coordinate rooms status with housekeeping department; notify
all check-outs, early check-ins, special requests etc.
7. Take reservations, modify or cancel as requested.
8. Post and file all charges to guest, master and city ledger
accounts.
9. Handle issuing and closing of safe deposit boxes for the guests.

10. Read, maintain and pass-on log and bulletin board at each shift.
11. Coordinate with engineering and maintenance division for guest
room maintenance.
12. Know all safety and emergency procedures, accident prevention
policies.
13. Report any unusual occurrences or requests to the manager.
12.4.3 Reservation Agent
Normally found in larger hotels, in smaller hotels Front office
agent handles this job.
Basic Function: To handle all future reservations, matching the
needs of the guests with the hotel.
Duties and Responsibilities:
1. Process reservations by mail, telephone, telex, cable, fax or
central reservation system referral.
2. Process reservations from the sales office, other hotel
departments and travel agents.
3. Know the type of rooms, location and layout, status, rates,
package plans, benefits etc.
4. Maintain reservation records by date and time of arrival and
alphabetical listings.
5. Process cancellations and modifications.
6. Prepare letters of confirmation and communicate to the
prospective guest / representative.
7. Know the hotels policy on guaranteed reservations and noshows.
8. Process advance deposits on reservations.
9. Prepare expected arrival lists and communicate reservation
information for front office.
10. Assist in pre-registration activities when appropriate.
11. Promote goodwill by being courteous, friendly and helpful to
guests, managers and fellow employees.
12.4.4 Switchboard Operator
They are heard by the guest but are rarely seen. They
represent the hotel through their voice on the phone. They build a
very significant image of the hotel to a prospective guest. The work
has drastically changed due to the electronic age, but the basic voice
assistance is always a warm welcome.
Basic Function: Receives and directs incoming and outgoing calls to
individual guests, staff, or departments.
Duties and Responsibilities:

1. Answer incoming calls.

2. Direct calls to guestrooms, staff, or departments through the
switchboard or PBX system.
3. Place outgoing calls.
4. Receive telephone charges from the telephone company and
forward charges to the front desk for posting.
5. Take and distribute messages for guests.
6. Log all wake-up call requests and perform wake-up call services.
7. Provide information about guest services to guests.
8. Answer questions about hotel events and activities.
9. Provide paging services to hotel guests and employees.
10. Know what action to take when an emergency call is requested
or received.
11. Be aware of all the emergency service nos. and systems relating
to the same.
12.4.5 Front Office Cashier
Basic Function: Guest accounting tasks require efficiency and
accuracy. The tasks of the front office cashier center on the guest
accounting cycle. The front office cashiers post revenue center
charges to guest accounts. The hotels revenue centers
communicate information on charge purchases to the front desk.
Cashiers then post these charges to guest accounts to ensure that
the charges will be settled at checkout. Where computerised
systems are installed, the Point of Sale operations are directly
posted to the Guest Ledger whenever the guest utilises a particular
service. The cashiers also receive payment from guests at checkout.
They coordinate the billing of credit card and direct-billed guest
accounts with the accounting division. The cashier at the close of
each shift balances all guest accounts. They also manage safedeposit
boxes / lockers, variety of banking services including foreign
exchange.
Duties and Responsibilities:
1. Operate front office posting equipment/ system.
2. Obtain the house bank and keep it balanced.
3. Complete cashier pre-shift supply checklist.
4. Take departmental readings at the beginning of the shift.
5. Complete guest check-in and checkout procedures.
6. Post charges to guest accounts.
7. Handle Paid-outs (VPO).
8. Transfer guest balances to other accounts as required.

9. Settle guest accounts in cash, credit card, Company account by

transferring balances to the respective ledgers.
10. Post non-guest ledger payments.
11. Make account adjustments.
12. Balance departmental totals and cash at close of shift.
13. Manage safe deposit box/ locker.
12.4.6 Uniformed Bell Service Staf
Basic Functions: Meeting, greeting and escorting guests to their
rooms and also the reverse of it i.e. escorting guests from their
rooms to the front desk, to their means of transport etc. They also do
errands, handle messages and page guests. They also act as the
eyes and ears of the hotels since they are strategically stationed and
also make trips to many floors and rooms. Work closely with the front
desk staff, room service employees and other hotel personnel in
providing guest assistance with luggage, transportation and
miscellaneous needs.
Duties and Responsibilities:
1. Maintain a good personal appearance at all times. Wear the
standard uniform and name tag.
2. Escort guests to and from their rooms if required and also assist
in carrying their luggage.
3. Keep the lobby directory up to date.
4. Watch for any unusual persons or activities and report them to
management.
5. Transport hotel guests to and from the airport on request. Keep
limousines and other hotel vehicles clean and in top running
condition.
6. Maintain an orderly, secure checkroom for guests.
12.4.7 Concierge
Basic Functions: They are specialized in assisting the guest
regardless of whether inquiries concern in-hotel or off-premises
attractions, facilities, services, or activities. Must provide concise and
accurate directions; make reservations for flights, theater or special
events, obtain tickets, organize special functions such as VIP
cocktail receptions and arrange for secretarial services, if needed.
Duties and Responsibilities:
1. Develop a strong knowledge of the hotels facilities and services
and of the surrounding community.
2. Provide guests with directions / information to attractions or
facilities in or outside the property.

3. Make guest reservations for air or other forms of transportation

when requested; obtain necessary itinerary and tickets.
4. Make guest reservations for the theater and other forms of
entertainment when requested, obtain necessary tickets and
provide directions to facilities.
5. Organize special functions as directed by management.
6. Arrange secretarial and other office services.
7. Coordinate guest requests for special services or equipment
with the appropriate department.
8. Check with roomed guests periodically to ascertain if they have
any special needs.
9. Handle guest complaints.
12.4.8 Night Auditor
Basic Functions: Must be skilled record keeper since the job requires
him to track room revenues, occupancy percentages, and other front
office operating statistics and prepare, a summary of the financial
performance for the day. He is basically an employee of the
accounts division. Has to verify all account postings and balances
made during the day by front desk cashiers and agents. In some
properties, he may also act as front desk agent during the night.
Duties and Responsibilities:
1. Post room charges and taxes to guest accounts.
2. Process guest charge vouchers and credit card vouchers.
3. Post guest charge purchase transactions not posted by the front
office cashier.
4. Transfer charges and deposits to master accounts.
5. Verify all account postings and balances.
6. Monitor the current status of coupon, discount, and other
promotional programmes.
7. Track room revenues, occupancy percentages, and other front
office statistics.
8. Prepare a summary of cash, cheques, credit card activities and
summary of results of operations for management.
9. Understand principles of auditing, balancing and closing out
accounts.
10. Know how to operate posting machines, other front office
equipment and computers.
11. Understand and know how to perform check-in and checkout
procedures.

12.5 FRONT OFFICE DESK LAYOUT

As the front office is the entry and exit point for a guest, the
main entrance and approach play a very important role in the
selection of hotel for a guest. A guest entering a hotel does so
through the main entrance which leads to the reception area of the
hotel which is also called the lobby of the hotel.
Figure 12.5 Lobby Layout
The lobby is elegantly designed to accommodate the front
office staffs and for the smooth service to the guests. Since the
lobby usually serves as a meeting or gathering area for guests and
their visitors it should be well planned and furnished to give a best
intuition. The lobby of the hotel includes the general circulation and
waiting area which leads to check-in, information, cashiers counter,
bell desk, travel desk, cloak rooms etc.. The above figure shows a
typical layout of a lobby. The layout may vary from hotel to hotel.
Some hotel may even have a coffee shop, restaurant and shopping
arcade.
12.6 FRONT OFFICE EQUIPMENTS AND FURNITURES
The following are the common equipments and furniture
found in the hotel lobby:
1. Front Desk
2. Bell desk and concierge desk
3. Lobby desk
4. Travel counter
5. Room and reservation racks
6. Computer, Printer, UPS and other related devices
7. Credit card imprinters
8. Telephone EPABX, PBX, PMBX, EPBX
9. Telex, Facsimile machine
10. Mail, Message and Key rack
11. Duplicate key rack
12. Time stand
13. Wake up device
14. Folio tray
15. Security monitor
16. Luggage trolley
17. Luggage net
18. Date and time punching machine
19. Bulletin boards
20. G.R. card holder

21.
22.
23.
24.
25.
26.
27.
28.
29.
30.

Mail forwarding file

Page board
Safe vault and in-room vault
Photocopying machine
Room rack
Postal weighting scale
Voucher rack
Account posting machine
Cash register
Magnetic strip reader

INTRODUCTION
A hotel mainly relies on the income generated from the
effective letting of its bedrooms for profit. A large percentage of
revenue is obtained from room sales, and out of that again, a large
proportion is contributed by the advance booking or reservation of
rooms of the hotel.
Reservation is an activity concerning the sale of room. In a
small hotel, the volume of reservation, i.e. advance booking of room
is much less as compared to a large hotel; hence this function and
subsequently the work involved in reservations can be done by the
receptionist himself at the reception counter. In a large hotel, the
volume of work of booking of rooms is quite big and hence it
becomes necessary to allocate a separate section away from the
reception counter so that the receptionist can concentrate more on
the guest services.
Reservations generally constitute both legal and moral
responsibilities on hotel and hence it is important that proper and
efficient systems are installed in the hotel. These records should be
filed in such a way that the staff is able to refer to any individual
reservation enquiry quickly. It is also important that the reservation
staff must be aware of legal requirements and implications.
13.2 RESERVATION
Reservation is the activity of booking the room in advance for
a prospective guest on his request for future, which may be from few
days to months in advance. Below is the detailed process of
reservation:
1. Conduct the reservation enquiry
2. Determine room and rate availability
3. Create the reservation record

4. Confirm the reservation record

5. Maintain the reservation record
6. Produce reservation reports.
Functions of the Reservation Section:
The main function of the reservation section is to help the
hotel in generating revenue from future and prospective room
sales.
The reservation section should receive the reservation
request from the prospective guest, check availability of
rooms, process the request and either accept it, wait list it or
deny it and communicate the decision.
Prior to Computerization Era, the main function of the
Reservation Process is only to determine basic room
availability. That is, the reservation clerk can only tell the
potential guest whether a room is reserved for him / her or
not. However, the reservation clerk can not tell the type of the
room, rate honored etc. But nowadays, with the wide use of
computer reservation (on-line reservation) with software
package programs, it is now possible to reserve a room by
room type, rate, and to accommodate all the possible special
requests of the guest. Therefore, the selling function has
largely shifted from the front office to the reservation
department. Hence, projections of Room Revenues and
Profitability Analysis became one of the main functions of the
Reservation Department.
Figure 13.1 Reservation Section
As a consequence, reservation department and
reservation agents should have sales goals to achieve
which might focus on number of room nights, average
room rate, and / or booked room revenue.
13.3 TYPES OF RESERVATIONS
13.3.1 Guaranteed Reservation
Ensures that the hotel will hold a room for the guest until a
specific time following the guests scheduled arrival date [i.e. checkin
t ime or start of the hotels day shift or any time the lodging
property chooses]. On return, the guest shall guarantee his / her
reservation of room unless reservation is properly canceled. In order
to guarantee a reservation, guests might opt for one of the following
methods:
1. Prepayment Guaranteed Reservation the hotel request the

prospective guest to either send the complete deposit or a

partial deposit and on receiving, makes the booking for the
prospective guest.
2. Credit Card Guaranteed Reservation in this case the
prospective guest gives his credit card number and details to the
hotel. The hotel confirms the room from the credit card
guarantee and then claims from the credit card company, if the
guest does not occupy the room on the said date.
3. Travel Agent Guaranteed Reservation some travel agents
have arrangement with hotel chains to book room for their
clients and executives travelling to various destination. The
travel agents are solely responsible for the reservation; they are
billed after the guests stay is completed.
4. Voucher or Miscellaneous Charge Order [MCO] - this i s a
special arrangement designed to attract return guest or new
business. This is usually provided by the hotels themselves for
their prospective guests.
5. Corporate Guaranteed Reservation in this case the
corporation or company takes the responsibility for booking for
their executives, visitors etc.
13.3.2 Non-Guaranteed Reservation
Ensures 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. In case the guest who has made the reservation
arrives after 6.00 p.m, the hotel is not bound to provide him
accommodation. Non-guaranteed reservation usually occurs when
the prospective guest does not provide any payment guarantee but
simply confirms through a letter. Reservation agents shall make
sure to encourage their guests to guarantee their reservations,
especially in the high season.
13.3.3 Tentative / Provisional Reservation
Provisional reservation is done when a request from
prospective guest is received for some future day arrival and the
hotel blocks the room for this guest, provisionally in the hotel records
such as charts and diaries and racks or computer and sends a letter
of offer to the prospective guest. The offer has a cut off date by
which the guest should send his confirmation which may be in the
form of a letter, guarantee by company, credit card or deposit
whichever the hotel may request. Once the confirmation from the
guest is received by the hotel within the cut off date, the hotel makes

the tentative booking into confirmed booking. Otherwise the tentative

booking is cancelled and the records updated.
13.4 RESERVATION ENQUIRY
Guests can communicate their reservation enquiries in any
one of the methods; in person, over the telephone, via mail, through
facsimile, telex or e-mail. Moreover, reservation inquiries can also be
made through Central Reservation System or Intersell Agency.
While getting a reservation enquiry, the reservation agent
shall obtain the following guest-related information:
i) Guests name, address and telephone number
ii) Company or travel agency name, where possible
iii) Date of arrival and departure
iv) Type and number of rooms requested
v) Desired room rate and type of room
vi) Number of people in the group, if applicable
vii) Method of payment and / or guarantee
viii) Any other special requests
Figure 13.2 Reservation Form
Most of the above mentioned information is used to create a
reservation record.
13.5 SOURCES OF RESERVATIONS
13.5.1 Central Reservation Systems
The majority of Lodging Properties belongs to one or more
Central Reservation Systems. A central reservation system is
composed of a central reservation office, member hotels connected
together via communication devices, and potential guests. Central
Reservation Office [CRO] offers its services via a 24-hours toll free
telephone number(s).
Member hotels of the central reservation system shall provide
and exchange accurate room availability data to central reservation
offices. To illustrate, central reservation offices and member hotels
shall communicate (on real time) any reservation transaction. This is
possible, nowadays, with the sophisticated communication
equipment available. These equipments shall be provided by central
reservation offices to its member hotels. Such equipment may range
from teletype, telex, facsimile machines, to personal computers or
Internet connections.
On return for the services, central reservation offices charges
a fee for the utilization of its services which might take the form of a
flat fee and a variable fee, or a flat percentage of potential room

revenue, actual room revenue, and / or Rooms Division gross profit.

Central Reservation Offices are divided into two:
i) Affiliate reservation network - this network is referred to
as the hotel chains reservation system. In fact, it is
composed of a CRO and hotels, which are members of the
same chain. The main advantages of affiliate reservation
network are:
a) Streamline the process of reservation
b) Reduce overall system costs
c) Attract business for or refer business to another chain
property
d) Affiliate reservation networks might serve, in addition
to its main function, other duties like:
Serve as an inter property communication network
Serve as an accounting transfer tool
Serve as a destination information center
Serve as a connection with Global Distribution
Systems [GDS] System including several Central
Reservation Offices connected to each other.
ii) Non-affiliate reservation network - A n o n -affiliate
reservation network is composed of a central reservation
office, potential guests, and member independent hotels.
13.5.2 Intersell Agencies
Intersell Agencies are special types of central reservation
offices contracting to handle reservation for more than one Product
Line for example handle at the same time Airline Tickets, Car Rental,
Hotel Reservation, etc. (One Call Does it All Approach!).
13.5.3 Direct Reservation System
Even though many of the five-star hotels rely heavily on
central reservation offices and intersell agencies, some potential
guests might still find it convenient, and personal to call directly the
hotel to communicate a reservation enquiry.
13.6 GROUP RESERVATIONS
Conducting a reservation request for a group shall be treated
differently than accommodating a reservation of individual guests
(i.e. Frequent Independent Traveler). The main reason is that
individual reservation requests are treated by the reservation
department, while group reservations are initiated by the Sales &
Marketing Division, and finalized through a careful coordination of
the reservation from one hand and the marketing on the other.

Below is a detailed procedure of how group reservation, in a

typical hotel, is conducted:
1. A group representative, a member of the travel agency or the
tour operator, not individuals, shall communicate group
reservations' request to the hotel's marketing department
2. Upon availability, the hotel's reservation department shall block
the requested number of rooms for this very group
3. The Hotel shall give a deadline for the group, in order to receive
their final list. That deadline is called Cut-off Date.
4. After receiving the final list, the reservation department shall
change the desired number of rooms' status from blocked to
booked (or reserved) rooms, and release the remaining rooms (if
any left) as vacant for sale.
5. If the hotel did not receive the final list by the cut-off date, then
the reservation department has all the right to cancel the group
reservation and release all the initially booked rooms into vacant
rooms. However, management shall use this right with
precautions especially when it comes to groups reserving from
travel agencies and tour operators of which the hotel is
frequently servicing.
13.7 RESERVATION AVAILABILITY
After receiving a reservation request, the hotel might accept
it, as it is, if there is room availability. If not, the reservation
department should suggest alternative room types, dates, and / or
rates, to the potential guest. If, however, the potential guest insists
on his / her previous request, the hotel should suggest an alternative
hotel. That's one of the main reasons why we need to maintain good
relationships with nearby competing hotels.
The reservation department should always compare historical
reservation volumes against actual arrivals. The main reason is to
cope with overbooking, which a situation occurring when the total
number of rooms reserved for a certain period of time exceeds the
total number of rooms available for sale, for the same period of time.
In order to cope with the overbooking problem, some
statistical and historical data should be stored and processed by the
hotel and should be continuously updated. Such data should include:
o Number of rooms reserved for a specific date
o Number of rooms occupied by stayovers (for a certain
specific date)
o Forecasted no-show-ups percentage

o Forecasted understays percentage

o Forecasted overstays percentage
o Forecasted cancellation percentage
o Number of out of order rooms for a specific date.
13.8 DEVICES USED FOR TRACKING ROOM AVAILABILITY
In order to function properly, the reservation department shall
maintain control books, wall charts, and / or a computerized system.
Whatsoever system chosen, the reservation department shall
maintain and update that system to include any reservation
transaction (i.e. whether a reservation, cancellation, or modification).
Below is a description of the three commonly used sets of equipment
to track room availability under the manual, semi-automated and
fully-automated systems:
13.8.1 Control Books
Control books are standard three-ring, loose-leaf binders with
a tally page assigned to each day of the year. Under this very
system, when a potential guest calls to have a reservation, the
reservation clerk shall check the cells corresponding to rooms. If
there is an empty cell for all the length of stay of the guest then the
reservation clerk marks it as X (i.e. reserved). If the guest is
expected to continue staying the next day, then the reservation clerk
shall mark the next day's respective room cell as O (i.e. Stayover).
Lastly, the reservation clerk is encouraged to use colors while
updating information or the cells on the control book.
13.8.2 Wall Charts
These are charts stapled on the wall depicting days of the
month versus hotel rooms. Moreover, upon need and convenience,
these charts might be customized to track appropriate room
numbers, rates, and codes, hence, is advantageous to control
books. Moreover, in this system, different colors are used to
differentiate between different reservation transactions and types of
guest reserving. Wall charts eliminates the erasures and rewriting
associated with control book, hence less errors might occur.
13.8.3 Computerized Systems
Computerized systems are by far the best systems that track
room availability. In fact, these systems control room availability data
and automatically generate many reservation-related reports in an
accurate manner. Moreover, computerized systems can itemize
room availability for future periods by open dates, closed dates,
versus special event dates. This system can also forecast room

availability for any reservation horizon needed in the future.

In the case of non-availability of room type, the system can
further suggest alternative room types, rates, or even other hotels.
13.9 RESERVATION RECORD
Each reservation department shall prepare a reservation
record, which depicts the various personal and financial data of
guests, for each reservation transaction. The aim is to identify guests
and their occupancy needs before guests arrival. Moreover, the
hotel can personalize or customize guest services and better
schedule staff accordingly.
In order to create a reservation record, the following details
are needed:
i) Guest name (and group name, if applicable)
ii) Guests home or billing address
iii) Guests telephone number, including area code
iv) Name, address, and telephone number of guests
company, if appropriate
v) Name and other pertinent information about the person
making the reservation, if not the guest
vi) Number of people in the group, and perhaps ages of
children, if any.
vii) Arrival date and time
viii) Number of nights required or expected departure date,
ix) Reservation type [Guaranteed versus Non-guaranteed]
x) Special requirements [i.e. infant, disabled guest, or nosmoking
accommodation]
xi) Additional information, if needed [i.e. late arrival,
method of transportation, flight number, room
preferences, etc.]
At the reservation process, reservation agents shall keep in
mind that a rate quoted and confirmed must be honored. Moreover,
reservation clerks should be aware of the following:
o Supplementary charges for extra services or amenities
o Minimum stay requirements, if any, for dates requested
o Special promotions in effect for dates requested, if any
o Applicable currency exchange rates, if quoting rates to
an international tourist
o Applicable room tax percentages
o Applicable service charges or gratuities
13.10 RESERVATION CONFIRMATION

The hotel should communicate with guests by telephone,

telex, mail, or e-mail a Letter of Confirmation, which confirms the
important points of the reservation agreement. This letter might be
shown at the registration process in order to accelerate the pace of
registration and to prove that the guest has the right to have a room
at the hotel.
The Hotel shall send a confirmation letter to all reserved
potential guests, whether their reservations are guaranteed or
nonguaranteed.
Below are the main points that should be communicated
in a confirmation letter:
o Name and address of the guest
o Date and time of arrival
o Room type and rate
o Length of stay
o Number of persons in a group, if any
o Reservation type [guaranteed or not]
o Reservation confirmation number
o Special requests, if any

INTRODUCTION
Guest registration is one of the first and most lasting
impressions on a hotel customer. Guest registration sets the tenor
for the stay and is, therefore a critical contact point. The front desk
should promote the warmth and hospitality of the property. Guest
registration is the point at which critical information is collected about
the customer and his / her wishes. If the bottleneck develops in a
guest registration, customer complaints arise. As a result the front
desk employees are particularly concerned with processing the
needed information quickly.
The registration procedure of the hotel is critical to the
collection of guest information and the initialization of the guest
account. Almost all the paperwork in the guest cycle is based on the
data that is recorded and verified at, or prior to, check-in.
14.2 REGISTRATION
Registration is a mandatory requirement that all guests over
the age of 16 years irrespective of Indian or foreigner, ordinary
personnel or VIP. Regardless the size of the hotel, be it small or
large guests, must provide basic information about them and fill up

either a visitors register / hotel register. The register may be a Red

Book / form or a card also called G.R. Card (Guest Registration
Card). The guest has to fill in the form and attest his signature. This
agreement between the hotel and the guest is known as a simple
contract.
14.2.1 Registration Process
The registration process has the following basic concepts.
1. Collection It is the gathering of information about the
guest such as date and time of arrival, guest
personal information (name, address,
nationality, occupation etc), purpose of visit,
date of departure.
2. Product
Matching
Assigning the right room to the guest as
desired based on availability.
3. Revenue
Management
The billing instructions i.e. mode of payment
through cash, credit card, travelers cheque etc.
4. Rooms
Management
The duration o f s t a y of the guest. The
availability of the room for resale for the next
guest.
5. Completion After the guest has registered a rate for room is
decided and a room assigned after establishing
his creditability. Then the guest along with his
luggage sent to his room. After that the
receptionist would complete the paper and
other work related to the new arrival.
14.2.2 Registration Record
The registration record is a collection of important personal
and financial guest information. A typical registration record includes:
i) Guest name and surname
ii) Guest address and telephone number
iii) Company affiliation (if applicable)
iv) Expected arrival date
v) Planned departure date or length of stay
vi) Required room rate

vii) Required room type

viii) Room number
ix) Method of payment
x) Special requests
xi) Signature of the guest.
Guest registration information details forwarded to different
areas and functions of the hotel are:
Figure 14.1 Flow of Registration Information
14.2.3 Registration Methods
Three methods are used for registration by hotels:
1. Bound Book It is a big bound book. Guest on arrival fills his
details in a line and signs in this book. It is often
used in small hotels. The disadvantages of this
book handling are:
Confidentiality of guest information cannot be
maintained. The next guest can easily access
the details of the previous guests.
The book is bulky and gets dirty and torn very
soon due to frequent usage.
Pre-registration of VIP and others cannot be
done.
Only one guest can register at a time.
2. Loose Leaf
Register
In this system, a separate loose leaflet is used
for each day instead of a consolidated / bound
register. To some extent the confidentiality of
guest information can be maintained. It is mostly
suitable for medium sized hotels. The
disadvantages of this method are:
It can be easily misplaced, if the desk clerks
are careless.
The leaflet may not be fully filled or in some
occasions single sheet may not be sufficient.
Filing also becomes a problem
Only one guest can register at a time.
3. Individual
Registration
In this system, a separate card is used for each
guest. The cards may be designed so as to serve

various purposes. It may be made in duplicate or

triplicate with the help of carbon papers so that
one copy can be sent to Government
departments and the other retained by the hotel.
The following are the advantages of this method:
The size of the card is small and quite handy.
They may also be used to serve as a guest
history card.
Complete privacy of the guest is maintained.
Many guests can be registered in the rush
hours at the same time.
14.2.4 Systems of Registration
1. Manual
System
This system is used by small hotels. In this
system, all the documents including the guest
folio, arrival notification slips, C form (to be filled
in by foreigners) are prepared and distributed
manually. The accuracy shall depend upon the
guests legible and accurate completion of the
card. This is a rather slow and time consuming
method and is prone to errors hence not suitable
for large hotels.
2. Semiautomatic
System
All those hotels which do not operate on
computer and are either medium or large in size
use this method. Office machinery such as
typewriter and various clerical equipments, racks
and filling rack etc are used in this method.
3. Automatic
System
Automatic systems use computers. They are
very efficient, accurate, and fast. It helps in
smooth and speedy check-in and the guest can
simply sign in the registration documents
generated by the computer.
4. Express
Check-in
System

In some fully automated hotels the arriving guest

can self register himself through self-registering
terminals located in the lobby. To facilitate
speedy registration process, these registration
terminals of the hotel may also be located in
airports, international bus terminals and car
rental agencies. This is a very fast method of
registration.
14.3 ROOM STATUS
At registration, check-in clerks shall contact the
housekeeping department to seek latest information about the status
of hotel rooms so that they can assign only clean and available
rooms for sale to their guests. That's why, the Front Office,
Housekeeping and Reservation Department shall maintain a high
degree of collaboration between them.
The front office and housekeeping department shall
continuously update the status of each single room. Below is the
typical housekeeping room status flow for any single room:
Occupied On-change Clean and Available for Sale
The front office and Housekeeping Department shall
frequently reconcile and compare their updated reports (especially
under the manual system) for any possible room status discrepancy.
In order to be sales minded and convince potential guests to
accept the highest priced rooms, the front office clerk shall be aware
of the characteristics of each room type, the differences within the
same room category (i.e. furnishings, amenities, and location).
14.4 ISSUING ROOM KEYS
With the issuing of room keys, the rooming process gets to
an end. However, concerning room keys, front office clerks shall
respect hotel's written policies governing guestroom key control. As
an illustration, front desk agents shall only handle the room key to
the guest without announcing and / or spelling out the room number.
This is a vital requirement to protect and ensure guest safety and
privacy. After guest is handed over his / her room key, front office
clerks shall offer bellboy assistance
14.5 FULFILLING SPECIAL REQUESTS
Front Office Department shall watch for special requests by
guests and try promptly to satisfy them. This creates a good
impression and lasting professional relationship with the guests and
increases the probability that the hotel will receive these guests for

many more times to come in the future (i.e. repeat guests). Guests'
requests are usually grouped under the following categories:
Room type
Bed type
Location
View
Amenities
14.6 ROOM AND RATE ASSIGNMENT
The hotel shall identify the room preference of the guest and
allocate an available room from the existing specific room category
(i.e. type & rate). That's why, under semi and fully automated
systems, reservation and check-in clerks shall be sales minded while
negotiating room and rate assignment with guests. This fact applies
for registration clerks under the manual system as well. Moreover,
while assigning rooms, check-in clerks shall keep an eye on hotel's
reservation commitments and not assign a room to a guest, while
that very room is pre-assigned to some other guests for the same
period of time.
14.6.1 Room Rates
While pricing rooms, the hotel shall keep in mind that rate
should be between a minimum (determined by cost structure) and a
maximum (determined by competition structure) boundary as
depicted below:
Minimum (Hurdle Rate) < Room Rate < Maximum (Rack Rate)
Cost Structure < Room Rate < Competition Structure
Rack rate: The price a hotel charges for a room before any
discount has been taken into account. The published rate for a room
sometimes set artificially high in order to accommodate and used to
calculate a variety of discounts.
Front office department shall finalize room rates with guests
during the registration process. Moreover, rack rates shall only be
applicable for walk-ins especially during the high season. Lastly,
room rates might be affected by:
a) Seasonality
b) Service level
c) Room location
d) Type of Guest and / or usage (eg. commercial,
corporate, complementary, group, family, day, and
package-plan etc.).
14.6.2 Methods of Payment

Guests, at the registration stage, shall communicate or

confirm their intended method of payment. Below are the common
methods of payments accepted by hotels:
1. Cash Guests intending to settle their accounts by cash
shall have no in-house charge privileges and,
hence, all their purchases should be paid in
advance (i.e. PIA status), which means that as
guests purchase any kind of service or product,
they shall pay for it immediately. In accordance to
cash payment, registration clerks shall prepare lists
of PIA guests and communicate them to all Point of
Sales outlets. On the other hand, paying
immediately might not suit some guests (even
though intending to settle their accounts by cash),
that's why hotels might give guest charge privileges,
on condition that they provide an imprint of a valid
card or an approved direct billing privilege at
registration.
2. Personal
Cheques
Very few hotels still accept personal cheques as
a method of payment due to the high probability
of fraud associated with this method. In fact, in
order to accept personal cheques, most hotels
necessitate that these cheques be supported by a
credit card with a cheque-cashing guarantee, that
the amount to be cashed against cheques shall
be within the hotels established limit, and
preferably accept personal cheques only during
standard business hours where banks are open.
If personal cheques are to be accepted, front
office personnel shall imprint the credit card on
the backside of the guest personal cheque and
record the Guest ID card or driving license
certificate along with the guests address and
telephone number on the face of the cheque.
3. Credit
Cards
Nowadays almost all the mid-sized and large hotels
have credit card machines. Credit cards have

become a preferable method of payment for guests

and hotels. The guest credit card is swiped on the
spot and the amount credited to the hotels account.
4. Direct
Billing
Some guests (especially VIP) do not prefer to wait
at checkout queues like other guests before
departure. They, rather, prefer, only to sign their
guest folios, go to their homes, and later receive a
certain invoice detailing their charges while they
were staying at the hotel to be settled by payment
to hotel bank accounts. In order to satisfy the needs
of this category of guests, hotels created the direct
billing process.
To be eligible for a direct billing privilege, guests
shall at pre-arrival stage or maximum at the arrival
stage fill a hotel credit application form along with
the provision of an imprint of a valid credit card. This
form is sent to the Front Office Manager or Rooms
Division Manager for approval.
5. Special
Programs
Special programs are any form of vouchers,
coupons, or any special incentive awards received
from businesses, airline companies etc

Role of the Front Office in Interdepartmental Communications

Role of the Front Office in Interdepartmental Communications
The front office plays a major role in delivering hospitality to guests. It sets
the stage for a pleasant or an unpleasant visit. The front office communicate
guests requirement to other departments, which work in close coordination
and cooperation to deliver required product and services. In order to
maintain the desired level of service, the front office department
communicate with the following department of the hotel:

1.

Marketing and Sales Department

The Front office department coordinates with the Marketing and Sales
Department for the following information:

Guest Histories

Room Reservation Record

Current Room Availability status

Group, Corporate and crew booking

Setting the Transient and bulk room sales

The front office must take every effort to keep the information on room
availability status and guest histories current and accurate.
The sales and marketing executive needs info on room availability to know
what rooms to sell in future to design marketing strategies for off season.
Sales and marketing needs info on guest types/ origins to develop marketing
strategy and target key guest segments
Sales needs FO support in selling rooms, facilities and services
FO needs info on special promotions (e.g. special rates and inclusions);
campaigns (to anticipate increased demand); etc

2.

Housekeeping Department
Housekeeping and the front office communicate about housekeeping room
status, the report on the availability of the rooms for immediate guest
occupancy. Housekeeping room status can be described in the following
communication terms:

Available Clean, or Ready: room is ready to be occupied

Occupied: guest or guests are already occupying a room

Stay over: guest will not be checking out of a room on the current day

Dirty or On-Change: guest has checked out of the room, but the
housekeeping staff has not released the room for occupancy

Out-of-Order: room is not available for occupancy because of a

mechanical malfunction
Housekeeping and the front office also communicate on the details of
potential house count (a report of the number of guests registered in the
hotel), security concerns, and requests for amenities (personal toiletry items
such as shampoo, toothpaste, and mouthwash; electrical equipment). These
issues are of immediate concern to the guest as well as to supervisors in the
hotel.

3.

Food and Beverage Department

The Front Office department coordinates with the food and beverage
department for the following information:

Arrival and departure of guests

Setting up bar in VIP rooms
Special arrangement like cookies, fruit basket, and assorted dry fruits
In house and expected VIPs and corporate guest
In house and expected groups
In house and expected crews
The scanty baggage in house guests, all points of sale are notified to
receive all payment in cash from these guests.

Groups and guests with booking of specific meal plan

4.

Maintenance or Engineering Department

The maintenance or engineering department and front office

communicate on room status and requests for maintenance service.

Front office informs the maintenance department of any work required

in guest room.

Maintenance employees must know the occupancy status of a room

before attending to plumbing, heating, or air-conditioning problems. If the
room is reserved, the two departments work out a time frame so the guest
can enter the room on arrival or be assigned to another room.
5.

Security Department

Communications between the security department and the front office

are important in providing hospitality to the guest.

These departments work together closely in maintaining guest security.

Fire safety measures and emergency communication systems as well as
procedures for routine investigation of guest security concerns require the
cooperation of these departments.
6.

Banquet Department

The banquet department, which often combines the functions of

marketing and sales department and a food and beverage department,
requires the front office to relay information to guests about scheduled
events and bill payment.

The front desk staff may also provide labour to prepare the daily
announcement board, an inside listing of the daily activities of the hotel
(time, group, and room assignment), and marquee, the curb side message
board, which includes the logo of the hotel and space for a message.

The majority of banquet guests may not be registered guests in the

hotel, the front office is a logical communications center.

The person responsible for paying the bills for a special event will also
find his or her way to the front office to settle the city ledger accounts. If the
banquet captain is not available to personally present the bill for the
function, the front desk clerk should be informed about the specifics of food
and beverage charges, gratuities, rental charges, method of payment, and
the like.

7.

Controller

The Front desk provides a daily summary of the financial transaction

after night auditing to the finance controller.

The information by the front desk helps the finance controller to make
budgets and to allocate resources for the current financial period.

Front desk provides the controller the financial data for bilind and
maintenance the credit card ledger.

8.

Human Resources Management Department

The human resources management department may rely on the front

office staff to act as an initial point of contact for potential employees in all
departments. It may even ask the front office to screen job candidates. If so,
guidelines for and training in screening methods must be provided.

Some directors of human resources management depend on the front

office to distribute application forms and other personnel-related information
to job applicants. The potential employee may ask for directions to the
personnel office at the front desk.

The human resources management department may also develop

guidelines for the front desk clerk to use in initially screening candidates.
These guidelines may include concerns about personal hygiene, completion
of an application, education requirements, experience, and citizenship
status. This information helps the executives in the human resources
management department interview potential job candidates.

Hotel Concierge Job Descriptions

The concierge is usually front and center at the hotel.

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The job of a hotel concierge is to ensure guests have everything they need
during their hotel stay. These needs may include anything from arranging
transportation to the airport, to reserving dinner reservations at the finest
restaurants. Isabelle Hogan, chef concierge at The Carlyle in New York City,
states in an online Forbes article, "The concierge makes the impossible
possible."
A Typical Day
In reality, there really is no such thing as a typical day for the hotel
concierge, since the events of each day are different. She normally sits at a
desk in or near the center of the lobby, handling incoming requests from
guests on an individual basis. During the day, she may recommend places to
eat, provide map directions for sight-seeking tourists, or ensure additional
housekeeping needs, such as extra towels or bottles of shampoo, are
provided as requested.
Work Qualities
The best candidate for the position of hotel concierge is someone who truly
enjoys working with the public in a variety of situations. He needs to not only
be well-organized, but also have the ability to multitask while keeping up
with details for many guests -- all at once. Those with calm, easy-going
natures do best, as some guests may arrive at the hotel stressed and can be
impatient.
Challenges
Guests may contact the hotel concierge in person, by phone or through
email. During high season, this can make the job hectic. Since it is important

to respond to guest requests in a timely manner, the concierge must have a

good sense of time management along with the ability to juggle many
requests. This must be done while appearing to give each guest the sense
that he has the concierges undivided attention.
Experience and Education
Although it is not required for all hotel concierge positions, schools such as
Cornell University and Michigan State University offer degrees in hotel
administration. This teaches you the fundamentals of hotel management,
which can be valuable when applying for the position of hotel concierge.
Working in the hotel industry or customer service to gain experience working
with the public is also a good place to start.
Job of Bell Captain & Bell Boy in Hotel

Bell captain is the supervisor of Bell section in hotel or resort. He provides

porter services to the guests with his team of Bell Boys. Bell Desk is situated
in the lobby area. He has got the authority on bell boys activity and
performance. Although his team (bell boys) is handling luggage and
sometime works as a messenger but their job is no of less importance. They
also play a vital role in building hotels image. Every guest service is an
important matter in hotel.
Bell Captain reports to Front Office Manager and mainly co-ordinates with
reception and cashiers. Bell Captains activity may be highlighted as follows:

To motivate bell boys towards quality guest service.

To look after trim look, cleanliness, personal grooming and hygiene of

all bell boys.

To control the bell boys movement that they do not waste time in staff
cafeteria.

To prepare the duty roster and assign duty as per requirements.

To maintain the minimum stock level of postal stamps.

To train the bell boys about reporting and watching light baggage
guest, who has got responsibilities of escaping without payment.

To co-operate the reception regarding paging a guest.

To maintain formalities of left baggage.

To brief the bell boys about crew arrival/departure.

To do other messenger duties as and when required by the

management.

Job of Bell Boys in Hotel

Bell Boys handle guest luggage at the time of arrival/departure or any
luggage movement as and when required in the hotel. They report the Bell
Captain, shift duty Manager/Lobby manager. Bell desk is their work station
but they can move any areas of the hotel in case of the necessity for luggage
handling. There must be someone at the bell desk all the time of meeting the
guest service at any time. They work 8 hours a shift, round the clock. They
co-ordinate mainly with reception and Front office Cash.
Following duties are to be done by Bell Boys:

Carrying guest luggage during arrival/departure or as and when

required. While escorting a new guest with his luggage up to the room,
the bell boys should inform the guest about room details.

Providing postal services to the guests.

Keeping left baggage in luggage store room after maintaining register

book or log book.

Checking the guest room while bringing down guest luggage at the
time of departure whether mini bar and everything else are ok.

Co operating the reception to page in-house guest by paging board as

and when required.

Co operating the reception to check room physically to determine the

discrepancy report.

Reporting the reception about light baggage guest.

Going outside to bring postal stamps or posting mail for guest or

management

Errand Cards formats used in hotels

Errand cards is used to track the guest luggage movements in the hotel .
Separate errand card is filled up at the time of check in and check out of the
guest .
Below you can see sample format of arrival and departure errand card used
in hotels.
Errand Cards are basically used in hotels to track the guest arrival and
departure .Sepaerate errand cards are filled up at the time ot checkin and
checkout of the guest e.g arrival errand card and departure card.

SOP Bell Desk Guest luggage handling procedure

SOP Number: FO 31
Department: Front office Bell Desk
Date Issued: 07-Aug-2014
Time to Train: 30 Minutes
On Guest arrival:

As soon as a taxi (or any other transportation) stops in front of the

hotel / porch, Bell Personal or Door man should open the passenger
door.

Greet the guest: "Welcome to [Your hotel name], I am [your name] do

you need some help with your luggage?"

Help the guest to get out of the taxi (if needed).

Take the luggage from the trunk (ensure with the guest that nothing is
missing).

Ask for guest name: "May I have your name Sir / Madam?"

Tag the luggage.

Escort or guide the guest to the reception area or to the reception floor.

Inform the guest that you will be taking care of their luggage.

If the reception is located on another area or floor then, Check the PMS
and find out what room has been allocated to the guest.

Write down the room number on to the luggage tag.

Check with the FO team if the check-in formality is completed.

If the room is ready then place the luggage on the luggage rack in the
room.

If the room is not ready, then store the luggage in the store room on
the designated arrival shelve and update the Daily luggage register or
log book with the details.

Escort the guest to the room if required and send the luggage by the
staff elevator only.

On Guest Departure:

Collect the luggage from the guest room.

Try to have a casual conversation with the guest on the way down:
"Mr / Ms. [Guest Name] I hope you enjoyed your stay with us. Would
you need a taxi to airport?"

If the guest ask the luggage to be stored, tag the luggage accordingly
(guest name, room number, date and time of collection) and get the
guest signature on the - Long term luggage request form.

Store the luggage on the designated departure area.

If the guest is leaving the Hotel immediately after completing the

check-out procedure, then bring the luggage to portico.

If taxi is waiting then load the luggage to the taxi and request the
guest to verify the loaded luggage.

Update the departure luggage movement on the Daily Luggage

movement register or log book.

Luggage Storage Room:

Luggage room should be always organized and neat.

The luggage room is divided in 3 areas, arrival, departure, long term

storage.

Each luggage has to be tagged using luggage tag (Sl no, Guest name,
date, room no, guests signature and time of collection).

A phone number or email address must be on the long term storage

luggage form.

Long term luggage storage register has to be completed and signed by

the guest.

Following questions need to be asked while keeping in Items for long

storage:
a) Fragile Items

Ask the guest if there are any fragile items in their suitcase,

If yes, mark Fragile on the luggage tag.

b) Perishable

For items who need to be kept cool (medication, food) check with
Food and beverage kitchen.

Record where the items are stored in the luggage register.

For long term luggage storage ensure with the guest that there are no
perishable items inside the luggage.

Security & Safety

Always keep the luggage room closed and dry.

Do not leave guests alone in the luggage room.

Remind the guest to keep their valuable item with them (Jewellery,
phone, wallet, camera, Ipad etc.)

Log down in the bell desk log book and also on errand card each
luggage handling done (Arrival, Departure, Stored) etc.

FIT stands for Free Independent Travelers (or Tourists).

It means a small number of tourists (usually fewer than 5 persons or couples)
who take packaged tours at a time of their own choice. They eschew mass
tourism and the holiday package concept promoted by Travel operators, in
favour of a more individualistic approach to travel.

On contrary, GIT stands for Group Inclusive Tour.

It is a travel program with a special fare and specific requirements (usually a
minimum number of persons often more than 5 persons traveling as a group
throughout the tour).

Based on above differences, the rate for FIT is often higher than GIT.
FIT tour is recommended for couples or family because the rate is not much
higher but you receive much care and attention from the tour operators.
They also customize the itinerary to meet your needs and interests.

If you travel alone, you'd better join GIT because you can save money, enjoy
the tour with other people so you will not be alone in a strange country.

Job description of front office cashier

Front Office Cashier
Basic Function: Guest accounting tasks require efficiency and
accuracy. The tasks of the front office cashier center on the guest
accounting cycle. The front office cashiers post revenue center
charges to guest accounts. The hotels revenue centers
communicate information on charge purchases to the front desk.
Cashiers then post these charges to guest accounts to ensure that
the charges will be settled at checkout. Where computerised
systems are installed, the Point of Sale operations are directly
posted to the Guest Ledger whenever the guest utilises a particular
service. The cashiers also receive payment from guests at checkout.
They coordinate the billing of credit card and direct-billed guest
accounts with the accounting division. The cashier at the close of
each shift balances all guest accounts. They also manage safedeposit
boxes / lockers, variety of banking services including foreign
exchange.
Duties and Responsibilities:
1. Operate front office posting equipment/ system.
2. Obtain the house bank and keep it balanced.
3. Complete cashier pre-shift supply checklist.
4. Take departmental readings at the beginning of the shift.
5. Complete guest check-in and checkout procedures.
6. Post charges to guest accounts.
7. Handle Paid-outs (VPO).
8. Transfer guest balances to other accounts as required.
9. Settle guest accounts in cash, credit card, Company account by
transferring balances to
the respective ledgers.
10. Post non-guest ledger payments.
11. Make account adjustments.
12. Balance departmental totals and cash at close of shift.
13. Manage safe deposit box/ locker.

INTRODUCTION
The hotels profitability not only relies on efficient room selling,
professional attitude and standard of services provided to its guest
but also mainly o n the accurate guest accounting system and
procedures followed. It is the responsibility of front office to prepare
the guests bill, present it, and ensure that it is paid. This involves a
lot of record keeping, for a guest may incur a large number of
separate charges during his stay, from the cost of room and various
meals through to telephone, laundry and entertainment.
The process is complicated by the fact that the hotel industry
traditionally gives a guest credit facilities during his stay. The
amounts involved can be quite substantial: a room for one night
coupled with an evenings business meeting entertaining company
staff in a top class city centre hotel can amount to several hundred
rupees. In contrast to many other businesses, this credit often may
have to be extended to relative unknowns at short notice.
15.2 GUEST ACCOUNTING
An account is a record of a business transaction and on this
document financial data are recorded and summarized.
The term guest accounting from hotel point of view means
knowledge of what is to be received from the guest and what is paid
by the guest. To have updated information of the same, it is
important that at all times during the guest cycle, an efficient system
is used. Various systems such as manual, semi-automatic or fully
automatic system may be used depending upon the size and type of
the hotel.
The objective of the guest accounting procedures is as
follows:
To maintain accurate and up-to-date guest accounts.
To ensure that payment is received promptly and in full.
To provide management with accurate and up-to-date
financial reports.
15.2.1 Guest Bill
The guest bill is updated immediately as it is received from
the various departments / sales outlets. It is very important to
maintain and record all upto the minute details of the accounts of the
guest. A person who checks into a hotel is usually entitled to credit
facilities for his purchases of accommodation, food and beverages,
telephone and other facilities. The following picture shows the

sources of guest bill.

Figure 15.1 Information Flow for Guest Bill
15.2.2 Guest Bill Communication Methods
Speed and accuracy in preparing and maintaining of guest
account is very important so as to avoid any late charges. This is
possible only when there is very effective communication system
between the billing section and sales outlet. Depending upon the
type of hotel the communication methods can be:
1. Manual In small hotels, a bell boy or a waiter or a person
from the department where sale has taken place
rushes to the billing counter for entry into the
guest folio.
2. Mechanical Some medium or large sized hotels have
pneumatic tubes (pressure suction tubes) for
sending signed vouchers of the guest from the
department or outlet selling the service or
commodity to the billing counter.
3. Fully
Automatic
System
From the point of sale terminal (POS) the entry is
made to the centralized computer server where
the guest folio is updated and stored. This
method is very efficient and convenient and is
widely used today in almost all the medium sized
and large hotels.
15.3 PROCESS OF GUEST ACCOUNTING
The process of guest accounting is based on the following
concepts:
1. Financial transaction, creation and maintenance of
accurate accounting details.
2. Making of necessary documents and recording of
transaction on relevant documents.
3. Ensuring internal control, checking and establishing the
accuracy of the recorded transaction.
4. Settlement of the accounts, which may be by cash or
credit payment.
15.3.1 Types of Financial Transaction
Financial transactions are generally of three types:
1. Accounts

Receivable
When a guest goes to the bar or restaurant (and
consumes drinks or food) or avails laundry
facilities, or makes telephone calls, etc, and does
not pay cash but signs a voucher (an undertaking
that he agrees to the specified amount and shall
pay later) and also the room charges etc. are all
examples of financial transaction where amount
is to be received by the hotel from the guest
(guest has to pay) and these are called 'accounts
receivable for the hotel. Any 'returned checks
and charge backs' (may be his previous skipper
account) etc. are also examples of the same.
2. Accounts
Payable
These are those transactions where the guest
pays to the hotel against his outstanding; for
example, he pays against his bill amount in part
or full. Also this type of transaction would include
any allowances or discount given by the hotel to
guest and a transfer amount, etc. Such
transactions are not very common usually. Such
financial transactions will reduce the outstanding
balance to be paid by the guest.
3. Cash
Transaction
Cash Transaction means that the guest pays
cash to the hotel. For example, when a guest
goes to a bar or restaurant and is served with
drinks or food and then presented a check for the
same, he pays cash for that check. Such
transactions neither increase nor decrease the
guest's outstanding balance.
15.3.2 Preparing of Documents
Documents are those where the financial transactions of the
guests are recorded, as it is humanly not possible to always
remember all the transactions made by all the guests. Various
documents are generated during the process of guest accounting.
The types of documents generated also depend upon the system
used, but some documents will always be there no matter whatever

system is followed.
1. Vouchers Vouchers are also called checks. A document to
detail transactions at point of sales and meant to
transmit transactional information to front office of
guest charges which need posting. When a guest
consumes some services / facilities / goods of the
hotel from any of its departments or sections, the
concerned department prepares the voucher. This
is a support document of the financial transaction.
When the guest signs the voucher / check for the
amount of goods / services consumed by him the
voucher is sent to the front office bill clerk to be
posted to the guest account card / guest folio.
Commonly used vouchers in hotels are cash
voucher, charge voucher, transfer voucher,
allowance voucher, check out voucher, credit card
vouchers, paid out vouchers, etc.
2. Folios A folio is a document which is initiated at the time
of arrival of the guest normally and all guest
transactions are recorded on it, which increase or
decrease the balance of account. This is also
called as 'guest accounts card' and is prepared for
every guest and room. In some hotels, it is also
called guest weekly bill. All accounts receivable,
payable and paid out transactions are entered in
this document. The information about the value,
time and date and the place of financial
transaction is communicated by the concerned
section / department through signed voucher /
check). Following are the different types of folios
that are used by the hotels.
Individual guest account card or folio:
Maintained to record transaction made by
individual or independent guest with the
hotel. Also called as Guest Folio.
Group folio: One folio for the whole group and
this folio is required for recording all the
transactions made by the group (which are
part of the package of the group). This is also
called as 'Master Folio'.

 Semi-permanent or Non-guest folio: In this

folio the credit financial transaction made by
non-resident guests with the hotel are
recorded. Also known as 'city account card'
or 'non-resident guest account card'.
Employee folio: As the name suggests the
financial transactions (if any) made by the
employees are recorded in this folio. These
folios help in calculating incentives to the
employees.
Permanent / Companies / Airlines / Agents
folio: Separate folios are maintained for all
the companies, agencies and organizations
with whom the hotel has permanent billing
arrangements.
3. Postings Posting is the process of recording transaction on
the folio. Posting will result in a new balance of
account. The posting may be done by hand
writing method (manually) by machine such as
NCR (semi automatic system) or through
computers (fully automatic system).
4. VTL VTL (Visitors' Tabular Ledger) is also called the
'tab' by some hotels. It is another document used
in small hotels. It shows debits and credits
activities of the guest account.
5. Account
Aging
Report
A document telling and supervising the receivable
account from the guest which have aged over a
specific period of time. Account aging refers to the
method(s) of tracking past due accounts based on
the dates the charges were incurred. To illustrate,
credit card payment accounts usually have ages
of maximum one month. However, some other
non-guest accounts (eg. late charges, disputed
bills, bad cheques and skippers accounts) might
have ages measured in months, and even years.
Below, is the terminology associated with each
account age:

 Less than 30 days Current Accounts

30 to 90 days Overdue Accounts
Older than 90 days Delinquent Accounts
6. Sales
Journals
A document which records cash sales of a
department
7. Cash
Receipts
A document issued by the cashier to the guest
when the cashier receives payment from the
guest and then entered in cash register receipt
ledger
15.3.3 Checking and Ensuring Accuracy
This stage of accounting process is also called as 'auditing'.
Usually auditing is done during the night by Night Auditor when the
business is relatively slow and hence the process is called Night
Auditing. This stage of the process is important to ensure the
accuracy of accounts balance so that if there is any discrepancy
between outstanding folio balances and departmental balances then
the same may be sorted out without any delay. For an account to be
correct it is important that the total outstanding guest balance should
be equal to the sum of respective department's charged sale.
15.3.4 Settlement of Account
It is a very important phase of guest accounting process. This
phase is involved in a major activity of 'zeroing out' the folio balance
i.e. the outstanding debit balance is neutralized by the settlement of
credit balance. The settlement can be either by cash payment by the
guest or by credit card charge or by transferring the account to
company account. In the last two cases, the balance account is
transferred to city ledger account.
15.4 CREDIT CONTROL
The term credit control refers to the various measures taken
by a hotel to ensure that guests settle their account in full either
themselves or someone else on their behalf (which may be credit
card company, an airlines, a corporate office or any other agency or
person) and does that within a specified period of time. Various
steps that will help in credit control are to be taken at various stages,
by various personnel of the hotel.
15.4.1 Objectives of Credit Control Measures

i) To avoid and prevent loss due to walk-outs. Here the

term walk-out include all those guests who knowingly or
unknowingly or by mistake leave the hotel without
paying/ settling their bills.
ii) To reduce the problems of inconvenience which the
cashier (who will not have verification of bills), the
house keeper (who won't know the room status) and
the management (who may decide to start legal
proceeding) etc. will face because of a walk-out guest.
iii) To prevent late settlement of guests accounts. The
delay in payment can cause cashflow problems for the
hotel and if there are many such cases the hotel may
find itself in difficult situation to operate, and bad debts
may increase.
iv) To avoid guest dissatisfaction, embarrassment and
annoyance at the check out time when all of a sudden a
departure guest is informed that the hotel does not
accept any particular company's credit and or that the
hotel does not accept that particular currency in which
he wishes to pay or his total bill is above the credit limit
of the credit card company and the company refuses to
approve a higher limit.
15.4.2 Common Causes for Unpaid Account Balance
i) Guest is not explained clearly as to which credit cards
are accepted and that which are the acceptable
currencies, and if the bill exceeds the credit limit then
he will have to pay the balance in cash.
ii) Communication gap between credit department and
cashier- for example failure of the credit department in
timely communication to cashier that the bill amount of
guest has exceeded the limit.
iii) Negligence and carelessness for example ignoring to
look at the black list. To avoid such problems, it is
important that the guests are given clear instructions at
the time of check-in, timely notification of the exceeding
of credit limit, reference to black list frequently, and
making sure that the guests who come with company
credit facility and other such credit facilities such as
airlines, and travel agents etc, understand that they
have to sign their billing statement, before leaving the

hotel at checkout time, and finally it is important that all

the concerned departments and sections etc must
follow the credit policy of the hotel very strictly and
religiously.
15.5 CASH CONTROL
Like credit control cash control in a hotel is also of great
importance. Cash control involves that all the transactions which the
guest makes in cash with various sales sections of the hotel are
recorded immediately and cash collected. All the cash is kept
properly under lock and key and under the supervision of cashier.
The petty cash is also controlled and a proper check on that is made
since hotels don't encourage credit sales, and for proper cash sales,
the cash control becomes all the more important for a hotel. Usually
cash sales should be encouraged at areas such as health club,
swimming pool and car parking etc. Payment in hard currency,
travelers cheques and bank drafts are considered to be cash sales.
Whenever a guest pays cash it is mandatory for the cashier to make
cash receipt and hand it over to the guest. The cash collected every
day must be sent to the bank for deposit