INTRODUCTION
TO TOURISM, HOSPITALITY AND HOTEL INDUSTRY
·
TOURISM AND ITS IMPORTANCE
·
HOSPITALITY - ORIGIN, EVOLUTION AND
GROWTH
·
BRIEF INTRODUCTION TO HOTEL’S CORE
AREAS WITH SPECIAL REFERENCE TO FRONT OFFICE
TOURISM
AND ITS IMPORTANCE
Tourism is recognized as a global
industry today. It is sizeable & complex industry, in the last 40 years
tourism has been taken a rapid and continuous growth. The multifaceted nature
of tourism & its various links with the manufacturing and retail sectors &
its numerous seasonal or unofficial businesses make it extremely difficult to
asses its market size.
An integrated amalgamation of those businesses and agencies which
totally or in part provide the means of transport, goods, services, and other
facilities for travel outside of the home community for any purpose not related
to day to day activity.
INTER-RELATIONSHIP WITHIN THE TRAVEL AND
TOURISM INDUSTRY
An important unique feature of the travel and
tourism industry is the inter relationships of the various parts of the whole.
A trip may consists of a flight, car rental, stay in a hotel, several
restaurant meals and some gift purchases.
WHY
PEOPLE TRAVEL?
1.
Recreation 12.
Adventure
2.
Culture 13. Heritage
3.
Business
14.
Attractions
4.
Visiting
friends & relatives (VFR)
5.
Health
6. Enlightment, education
7. Beauty, nature, national parks
8. Religion
9. Indulgence
10. Festivals
11. Shopping
The following table shows the businesses that
make up travel and tourism industry.
|
Accommodation Travel Agencies Luggage
Hotels Tour Companies Construction/Real Estate
Motels
Hostels Hotel/Restaurant
Suppliers Distillers/Brewers/Bottles
Caravans
Camping Taxi
Services
Auto/Aircraft Manufacturers
Transportation Cameras And Film Motor Fuel Producers
Airlines Maps,
Travel Books Clothing
Manufacturers
Cruise Ships
Rail Shopping
Malls Communication
Networks
Car Rental
Bus Coaches Service Stations Education/Training
Institutes
Attractions Sporting
Events
Recreation/Sporting
Equipment
Man Made Banking Services Food Producers
Natural
Reservation Systems Advertising Media
Food And Beverage
Auto Clubs
Cartographers/Printers
Restaurants
Fast Food Souvenirs
Wine Merchants
|
Tourism
goals
The tourism goals set will be
tempered by the constraints already discussed. Typical tourism goals are:
Economic: to optimize their contribution of
tourism and recreation to economic prosperity, full employment, regional
economic development, and improved international balance of payments.
Consumer: to make opportunity for and the
benefits of travel and recreation universally accessible to residents and
visitors
·
To
contribute to the personal growth and education of the population and encourage
their appreciation of the geography, history and ethnic diversity of the nation
·
To
encourage free and welcome entry of the foreigners, while balancing this goal with the need to monitor
persons and goods entering the country with laws protecting public health
Environment
and natural resource:
To protect and preserve the
historical and cultural foundations of a nation and as a living part of community
life and development, and to ensure an opportunity to the future generations to
enjoy the rich heritage of a nation.
·
To
ensure the compatibility of tourism recreational and activity policies with
other national interest in energy development and conservation, environmental
protection and judicial use of natural resources.
Government
operations: to
harmonize to a maximum extent possible all federal activities supporting
tourism and recreation :to support the needs of the general public and private
sectors of the industries involved with tourism and recreation: to take a
leadership role of those concerned with tourism, recreation, and national
heritage conservation.
International tourism
Different people will define
international tourism in different ways. One way to look at international
tourism is in the context of domestic tourism. In the simplest sense, domestic
tourism refers to people traveling within their own country. In contrast
international tourism refers to people traveling out side their own country.
But international tourism is much
more than simply traveling beyond the borders of ones own country.
International tourism encompasses all the services required for the tourist-including
those in the country of origin, the destination and the stops made en route.
Companies other than airlines or cruise lines are involved. International
tourism integrates many public, private, and government agencies including airport
authorities, border and custom agencies harbors and ports, and public transaction
systems. In addition both public and private attractions including lodging operations
have a stake in satisfying the volume of demand of international tourism.
International tourism provides
employment for millions of people around the world. As tourism expands on a
global scale .so too will the number of people employed in tourism related
businesses. International travels benefits the nations through cultural, social
and economic exchange. Such contacts also foster the exchange of ideas which can
result in economic activity and diversification. This is especially the case
when tourism introduces new technologies, encourages foreign investment, and
results in selective relocation of business personnel.
All things considered, tourism is
not without cost. It can degrade the environment as well as dislocate and
disrupt societies and cultures. The development of facilities, transportation systems,
and amenities to service tourists can be very destructive to the environment.
Scenic views and wonders can be destroyed, and the quality of air and water can
be degraded. International tourism can also disrupt local norms and cultures by
importing new manners of dress, codes of conduct and social interactions that
are often very different from those of native culture.
HOSPITALITY - ORIGIN, EVOLUTION AND GROWTH
The hotel industry is undergoing
many changes the demand for hotels is affected as the economic fortune of
countries, region, cities rise and fall. Each year companies and hotel change
ownership and new companies & brands enter the market place. Brand names
that are popular today may not be there in the next decade. For example: the
popular ITDC chain of hotels has been diluted over time with change of
ownership and new brands taking over.
Origin
No one knows exactly when the first
inns opened: but certainly the first inns were private homes that offered
accommodations to travelers. By 500 BC ancient cites in Greece, Egypt, China,
had a number of establishment that offered food and drink as well as beds to
travelers. In France, large building that had rooms to let by the day, week, or
longer were called ‘hotel garni’. The
word ‘hotel’ was first used in
England in about 1760 by the Fifth Duke of Devonshire to name a lodging
establishment in London.
In 1794 the first hotel in the
United States opened – the 70-room city hotel in Broadway in New York City.
Over the decades, names like, Cesar Ritz (France), Ellsworth Statler, Conrad
Hilton, Ernest Henderson (of the Sheraton chain), Kemmons Wilson (of the Holiday
Inn chain) are anonymous with the growth and development of the hotel industry.
While development were in full swing
in the new world, India still under the British rule was ignorant to all these progress
but for one man. JRD Tata founded the first hotel in India with the opening of ‘Taj
Mahal’, Mumbai in 1904. MS Oberoi on the other hand launched the Oberoi chain
under East India Company and in independent India chains such as ITC Windsor
Sheraton, the Leela group, ITDC, The Park, The Grand, Clarke group; Mahindra
hospitality pioneered the hospitality sector.
Evolution
& growth
In 1960’s the development of new
locations fuelled the expansion of the hotel industry. Prior to that time
hotels were built primarily in city center and resort areas as commerce and
industry spread from urban center’s to rural suburban and airport locations,
hotel companies like Hilton, Sheraton, Marriot recognized opportunities to
develop their brands in these new location.
In the 1970’s intense competition
among established and emerging hotel chains created a need for chains to better
differentiate their product. Some did this with architecture and décor. For
example, the atrium lobby became the Hyatt’s signature of its regency brand.
Hotel company adopts distinctive motifs- Ritz Carlton décor was traditions, Hyatt’s
was contemporary.
Pampering the hotel guests was the
strategy of the 1980’s, room and bathroom amenities specialties soaps, sewing
kits, ,mouth wash, shampoo, and a variety of other personal care items could be
found in most hotels what ever the rate category. Ofcourse the higher rate
hotel provided the most elaborate amenity package. Some first class and luxury
hotels set aside one or more guest floors as club area. For higher rate club
guest could enjoy a number of special services including an exclusive club desk
for check in and checkout and complimentary, afternoon tea, evening cocktails
and before bed snacks served in the clubs private lounge. Exercise room even
complete spa facilities were added to many hotels to satisfy travelers growing
interest in physical fitness. Hotels with predominantly business traveler
markets added business centre to provide secretarial and translating services
as well as computer and fax facilities.
In the early 90’s the concept of
quality service as a differentiating factor came to the forth. Hotel companies
implemented quality assurance program and referred to the quality of service in
their advertising, as the 1990’s progresses, the industry emphasized innovation
and new business strategies. Segmentation was one of the most important
strategies implemented by many hotel chains to increase their market share.
At the end of the 20th
century and the beginning of the 21st, mergers, acquisitions and
joint ventures changed lodgings competitive environment globally. In India for
example, The Oberoi tower in Mumbai tied up with Hilton International.
BRIEF INTRODUCTION TO HOTEL’S CORE AREAS WITH SPECIAL
REFERENCE TO FRONT OFFICE
In order to attract and serve the
guests and make a reasonable profit, hotels are organized into functional areas
or divisions based on the services it provides. Within each division, there are
specialized functions. The rooms division handles reservations, check-ins and
check-out activities, housekeeping tasks, bell desk and telecommunication
services. The food and beverage department takes care of restaurants & rooms
food services, lounge service and so on.
The divisions in a hotel can be
categorized as revenue centers or cost centers. Revenue centers generate income
for the hotel through the sale of services or products to guests. Cost centers,
also known as support centers, do not generate revenue directly; instead, they
support the proper functioning of revenue centers.
Revenue
Centers Cost Centers
Rooms
Marketing
Food & beverage Engineering
Communications Accounting
Fitness & Recreation
facilities Human
resources
Travel desk/space rental
Security Stores/Purchase
Laundry Security
style='margin-left:27.0pt;text-align:center'>
INTRODUCTION
TO TOURISM, HOSPITALITY AND HOTEL INDUSTRY
·
TOURISM AND ITS IMPORTANCE
·
HOSPITALITY - ORIGIN, EVOLUTION AND
GROWTH
·
BRIEF INTRODUCTION TO HOTEL’S CORE
AREAS WITH SPECIAL REFERENCE TO FRONT OFFICE
TOURISM
AND ITS IMPORTANCE
Tourism is recognized as a global
industry today. It is sizeable & complex industry, in the last 40 years
tourism has been taken a rapid and continuous growth. The multifaceted nature
of tourism & its various links with the manufacturing and retail sectors &
its numerous seasonal or unofficial businesses make it extremely difficult to
asses its market size.
An integrated amalgamation of those businesses and agencies which
totally or in part provide the means of transport, goods, services, and other
facilities for travel outside of the home community for any purpose not related
to day to day activity.
INTER-RELATIONSHIP WITHIN THE TRAVEL AND
TOURISM INDUSTRY
An important unique feature of the travel and
tourism industry is the inter relationships of the various parts of the whole.
A trip may consists of a flight, car rental, stay in a hotel, several
restaurant meals and some gift purchases.
WHY
PEOPLE TRAVEL?
1.
Recreation 12.
Adventure
2.
Culture 13. Heritage
3.
Business
14.
Attractions
4.
Visiting
friends & relatives (VFR)
5.
Health
6. Enlightment, education
7. Beauty, nature, national parks
8. Religion
9. Indulgence
10. Festivals
11. Shopping
The following table shows the businesses that
make up travel and tourism industry.
|
Accommodation Travel Agencies Luggage
Hotels Tour Companies Construction/Real Estate
Motels
Hostels Hotel/Restaurant
Suppliers Distillers/Brewers/Bottles
Caravans
Camping Taxi
Services
Auto/Aircraft Manufacturers
Transportation Cameras And Film Motor Fuel Producers
Airlines Maps,
Travel Books Clothing
Manufacturers
Cruise Ships
Rail Shopping
Malls Communication
Networks
Car Rental
Bus Coaches Service Stations Education/Training
Institutes
Attractions Sporting
Events
Recreation/Sporting
Equipment
Man Made Banking Services Food Producers
Natural
Reservation Systems Advertising Media
Food And Beverage
Auto Clubs
Cartographers/Printers
Restaurants
Fast Food Souvenirs
Wine Merchants
|
Tourism
goals
The tourism goals set will be
tempered by the constraints already discussed. Typical tourism goals are:
Economic: to optimize their contribution of
tourism and recreation to economic prosperity, full employment, regional
economic development, and improved international balance of payments.
Consumer: to make opportunity for and the
benefits of travel and recreation universally accessible to residents and
visitors
·
To
contribute to the personal growth and education of the population and encourage
their appreciation of the geography, history and ethnic diversity of the nation
·
To
encourage free and welcome entry of the foreigners, while balancing this goal with the need to monitor
persons and goods entering the country with laws protecting public health
Environment
and natural resource:
To protect and preserve the
historical and cultural foundations of a nation and as a living part of community
life and development, and to ensure an opportunity to the future generations to
enjoy the rich heritage of a nation.
·
To
ensure the compatibility of tourism recreational and activity policies with
other national interest in energy development and conservation, environmental
protection and judicial use of natural resources.
Government
operations: to
harmonize to a maximum extent possible all federal activities supporting
tourism and recreation :to support the needs of the general public and private
sectors of the industries involved with tourism and recreation: to take a
leadership role of those concerned with tourism, recreation, and national
heritage conservation.
International tourism
Different people will define
international tourism in different ways. One way to look at international
tourism is in the context of domestic tourism. In the simplest sense, domestic
tourism refers to people traveling within their own country. In contrast
international tourism refers to people traveling out side their own country.
But international tourism is much
more than simply traveling beyond the borders of ones own country.
International tourism encompasses all the services required for the tourist-including
those in the country of origin, the destination and the stops made en route.
Companies other than airlines or cruise lines are involved. International
tourism integrates many public, private, and government agencies including airport
authorities, border and custom agencies harbors and ports, and public transaction
systems. In addition both public and private attractions including lodging operations
have a stake in satisfying the volume of demand of international tourism.
International tourism provides
employment for millions of people around the world. As tourism expands on a
global scale .so too will the number of people employed in tourism related
businesses. International travels benefits the nations through cultural, social
and economic exchange. Such contacts also foster the exchange of ideas which can
result in economic activity and diversification. This is especially the case
when tourism introduces new technologies, encourages foreign investment, and
results in selective relocation of business personnel.
All things considered, tourism is
not without cost. It can degrade the environment as well as dislocate and
disrupt societies and cultures. The development of facilities, transportation systems,
and amenities to service tourists can be very destructive to the environment.
Scenic views and wonders can be destroyed, and the quality of air and water can
be degraded. International tourism can also disrupt local norms and cultures by
importing new manners of dress, codes of conduct and social interactions that
are often very different from those of native culture.
HOSPITALITY - ORIGIN, EVOLUTION AND GROWTH
The hotel industry is undergoing
many changes the demand for hotels is affected as the economic fortune of
countries, region, cities rise and fall. Each year companies and hotel change
ownership and new companies & brands enter the market place. Brand names
that are popular today may not be there in the next decade. For example: the
popular ITDC chain of hotels has been diluted over time with change of
ownership and new brands taking over.
Origin
No one knows exactly when the first
inns opened: but certainly the first inns were private homes that offered
accommodations to travelers. By 500 BC ancient cites in Greece, Egypt, China,
had a number of establishment that offered food and drink as well as beds to
travelers. In France, large building that had rooms to let by the day, week, or
longer were called ‘hotel garni’. The
word ‘hotel’ was first used in
England in about 1760 by the Fifth Duke of Devonshire to name a lodging
establishment in London.
In 1794 the first hotel in the
United States opened – the 70-room city hotel in Broadway in New York City.
Over the decades, names like, Cesar Ritz (France), Ellsworth Statler, Conrad
Hilton, Ernest Henderson (of the Sheraton chain), Kemmons Wilson (of the Holiday
Inn chain) are anonymous with the growth and development of the hotel industry.
While development were in full swing
in the new world, India still under the British rule was ignorant to all these progress
but for one man. JRD Tata founded the first hotel in India with the opening of ‘Taj
Mahal’, Mumbai in 1904. MS Oberoi on the other hand launched the Oberoi chain
under East India Company and in independent India chains such as ITC Windsor
Sheraton, the Leela group, ITDC, The Park, The Grand, Clarke group; Mahindra
hospitality pioneered the hospitality sector.
Evolution
& growth
In 1960’s the development of new
locations fuelled the expansion of the hotel industry. Prior to that time
hotels were built primarily in city center and resort areas as commerce and
industry spread from urban center’s to rural suburban and airport locations,
hotel companies like Hilton, Sheraton, Marriot recognized opportunities to
develop their brands in these new location.
In the 1970’s intense competition
among established and emerging hotel chains created a need for chains to better
differentiate their product. Some did this with architecture and décor. For
example, the atrium lobby became the Hyatt’s signature of its regency brand.
Hotel company adopts distinctive motifs- Ritz Carlton décor was traditions, Hyatt’s
was contemporary.
Pampering the hotel guests was the
strategy of the 1980’s, room and bathroom amenities specialties soaps, sewing
kits, ,mouth wash, shampoo, and a variety of other personal care items could be
found in most hotels what ever the rate category. Ofcourse the higher rate
hotel provided the most elaborate amenity package. Some first class and luxury
hotels set aside one or more guest floors as club area. For higher rate club
guest could enjoy a number of special services including an exclusive club desk
for check in and checkout and complimentary, afternoon tea, evening cocktails
and before bed snacks served in the clubs private lounge. Exercise room even
complete spa facilities were added to many hotels to satisfy travelers growing
interest in physical fitness. Hotels with predominantly business traveler
markets added business centre to provide secretarial and translating services
as well as computer and fax facilities.
In the early 90’s the concept of
quality service as a differentiating factor came to the forth. Hotel companies
implemented quality assurance program and referred to the quality of service in
their advertising, as the 1990’s progresses, the industry emphasized innovation
and new business strategies. Segmentation was one of the most important
strategies implemented by many hotel chains to increase their market share.
At the end of the 20th
century and the beginning of the 21st, mergers, acquisitions and
joint ventures changed lodgings competitive environment globally. In India for
example, The Oberoi tower in Mumbai tied up with Hilton International.
BRIEF INTRODUCTION TO HOTEL’S CORE AREAS WITH SPECIAL
REFERENCE TO FRONT OFFICE
In order to attract and serve the
guests and make a reasonable profit, hotels are organized into functional areas
or divisions based on the services it provides. Within each division, there are
specialized functions. The rooms division handles reservations, check-ins and
check-out activities, housekeeping tasks, bell desk and telecommunication
services. The food and beverage department takes care of restaurants & rooms
food services, lounge service and so on.
The divisions in a hotel can be
categorized as revenue centers or cost centers. Revenue centers generate income
for the hotel through the sale of services or products to guests. Cost centers,
also known as support centers, do not generate revenue directly; instead, they
support the proper functioning of revenue centers.
Revenue
Centers Cost Centers
Rooms
Marketing
Food & beverage Engineering
Communications Accounting
Fitness & Recreation
facilities Human
resources
Travel desk/space rental
Security Stores/Purchase
Laundry Security
FRONT
OFFICE HIERARCHY OF A LARGE HOTEL
ACCOMMODATIONS
MANAGER
FRONT OFFICE
MANAGER
¯ (SECY)
ASSISTANT
FRONT OFFICE MANAGER
RECEPTION RESERVATION LOBBY CASHIER TELEPHONE
MANAGER MANAGER MANAGER OPERATOR
INFORMATION RESERVATION ASSISTANT
ASSISTANT ASSISTANT CASHIER
SR
RECEPTIONIST STENOGRAPHER CLERKS
AIRPORT REPRESENTATIVE RECEPTIONIST GUEST RELATION
EXECUTIVE BELL CAPTAIN
TRAINEES
UNIFORM STAFF
DOORMAN BELLBOYS CHAUFFEURS
BUSINESS CENTER
EXECUTIVE
Types
of rooms
Single: meant for one person with a single
bed of size 39”*81”.
Double: meant for two persons & size
of the double bed in the room is 57”*81
Twin bedded: room having two identical single
beds size of the bed is same as the single bed.
Triple room: meant for 3 persons
Quad room: for 4 persons
Cabana: a room on the beach or by the pool
separated from the main house and sometimes furnished as sleeping room.
Adjoining room: are rooms next to each other, but
not necessarily communicating
Corner room: an outside room on the corner of
the building having two exposures
Hospitality: for entertainment
Studio room; a bed approximately 36”*75” without
headboard or footboard that serves a s a sofa during the day is called studio
bed the room with a studio bed is called a studio room.
Penthouse: situated on the terrace of the
hotel generally meant for retired or rich guests.
Interconnecting rooms: two rooms having an interconnecting
door
Duplex: Two floors of rooms or a split level
of rooms connected through an internal staircase. One room could be used as a
bedroom while the other is generally used as a living room.
Efficiency: accommodations that include
kitchen facilities
Parlor: a sitting or living room not used
as bedroom
Salon: the European designation for parlor
Siberia: jargon for a very undesirable room,
one sold only after the house fills and then only after the guest has been alerted
to its location and condition
Hollywood twin bedded
room: 2 single beds
with a single head board meant for 2 persons.
Twin double room: two double beds meant for 4
persons i.e. families.
Single-suite: a set of two or more rooms well
furnished
Suite: expensive room having good furnishing
and a lot of amenities normally with a living room, bedrooms and kitchenette.
Junior suite: one large room sometime with half
partition furnished as both parlor and bed room
Lanai: Hawaiian term for veranda, a room
with a porch or balcony usually overlooking garden or water.
Physically challenged
room: it is the room
meant for handicapped person.
FRONT OFFICE SYSTEMS
Before the 1920s, technology in the front
office was almost non-existent and manual operations were the rule in lodging
operations.
The semi-automated operations through the
early 1970s laid much of the groundwork for the development of the automated
operations in the late 1970s.The following overviews, based on the phase of the
traditional guest cycle, represent the evolution of front office record-keeping
systems.
NON-AUTOMATED
SYSTEM
Non-automated front office record keeping systems
relied solely on handwritten forms.
Pre arrival activities: reservations agents entered requests into a loose-leaf notebook or onto
index cards. Non-automated hotels typically accepted reservations for no more
than six months into the future and they were unlikely to commit space beyond
that time. Reservation confirmation,pre-registrationn activities and occupancy forecasts
were not common in non-automated hotels since they were very laborious to
develop and maintain. Reservation information may also have been placed on a
density chart or graph to illustrate future room availabilities and help
managers to identify high and low room demand periods. A density board was
usually setup as a matrix, with days of the month for rows and number of
available rooms for columns. As rooms were blocked or booked , the matrix cells
that that corresponded to the dates of stay and number of rooms were coloured
in. These coloured squares reflect the density or concentration of rooms
reserved.
Arrival activities: Upon arrival, guests were asked to sign a page in a registration book
or complete a registration card. Room assignments were made using a manual card
replacement technique involving room rack, and sometimes, colour coded flags
indicating the housekeeping status for each room for the property. Room rack is
an array of metal file pockets that displayed guest and room status information
in room number order. The registration card is often time-stamped during
check-in and placed in the room rack to indicate occupancy.
Occupancy activities: Multiple copy registration slips, which may have been part of the
registration card, allowed copies of the guest’s personal data to be
distributed to the room rack, switch-board operator and uniformed service
personnel. The original registration card often doubled as a guest account
folio. Revenue outlets send sent documentation (vouchers) of charges to the
front desk for posting to guest folios. The revenue outlets also maintained a
sales record of all the charged transaction so that guest account postings can
be cross-checked as part of the night audit routine. Although adding machines
may have been used to facilitate accounting procedures, monitoring guest
activities within a manual process is often repetitive, cumbersome and tedious.
Departure activities: At check-out, guests settle their accounts and returned their room keys;
the cashier notified the house-keeping department of departures. Registration
card or rack-slips were removed from the room rack and marked to indicate departure.
The registration card or rack slip was then filed in a cardboard box and served
as a guest history file. If the registration card was time-stamped at check-in
,it was also time stamped at check-out.
SEMI-AUTOMATED SYSTEM
A
semi-automated system or electro-mechanical, front office system depends on
both handwritten and machine produced forms. Advantages of a semi-automated
system over a non-automated system included automatically generated and easy to
read documents that detailed the steps of a transaction.t6hese documents
represented what is known as an audit trail. The disadvantages of
semi-automated equipment included the complexities of operating and controlling
devices that were not integrated with other systems and that were subject to
frequent maintenance problems.
Pre-arrival activities: Guests making reservations would call a
national reservations network or contact the hotel directly. When reservation
requests grew beyond the front desk’s ability to handle them efficiently, many
hotels created a reservation department. Pre-registration activities included
preparation of registration cards (Reg-cards), guest folios and information
slips. Room assignments were usually made based on room rack status, as in a
non-automated process. As in non-automated hotels, semi-automated properties
usually opted to maintain a manual reservation density board.
Arrival activities: When guests with reservations arrived at the hotel, they simply
verified the previously recorded registration information and signed a
preprinted registration card. Walk-in guests generally completed a
multiple-copy registration card. Copies were distributed to the room rack, the
switch board operator and the information rack.
Occupancy activities: The use of semi-automated systems did not significantly reduce the paperwork
needed to chart the guest cycle. Vouchers were used to communicate charge
purchases to the front desk, and revenue outlets relied on sales record entries
to prove transactions. Mechanical and electronic cash registers and front
office posting machines were used to process many of the records formerly processed
by hand. The use of this equipment enabled the front office to handle guest
accounting transactions more accurately and rapidly. A night audit procedure
based on posting machine records was used to verify account entries and
balances.
Departure activities: A more through audit routine, made possible by a semi-automated system,
led to faster and smoother guest check-outs. Front desk agents experienced
fewer discrepancies in guest accounts and were able to efficiently reconcile
guest accounts. They were also able to relay room status information to
house-keeping much more quickly than they could in a non-automated system.
Registration cards were collected and placed in the property’s guest history
file for future reference.
FULLY-AUTOMATED SYSTEM OR PROPERTY MANAGEMENT SYSTEMS
Front office
record keeping in a computer based property management system is mostly the
result of programmed routines. Computer systems designed for use in the
hospitality industry were first introduced in early 1970s,but were not
considered viable until the late 1970s.During 1980s,computer equipments became
less expensive, more compact and easier to operate. Intellect data system (IDS),
Fidelio is some of the popular PMS used in our industry.
Pre-arrival activities: The reservation
software of an in-house PMS may directly interface with a central Reservation
system(CRS) or Global distribution System (GDS) and automatically quote rates
and reserve rooms according to a predetermined pattern. The reservation
software may also automatically generate letters of confirmation, produce
request for guest deposits, handle pre-registration activities and establish
credit status of the traveler if a credit card or debit card
Number has been
provided at the time the reservation is made. Electronic folios can be
established and pre-registration transactions can be processed for guests with
confirmed reservations. A reservation software package may also generate an
expected arrivals list, occupancy and revenue forecasts and a variety of
informative reports.
Arrival activities: Guest information collected during reservation process is automatically
transferred from the computer’s reservation record to the front
office software of the PMS. For walk-in guests, guest information is entered in
to the front office system by a front desk agent. The agent may then present a
computer prepared registration card to the guest for verification and
signature. The installation of on-line credit card authorization terminals
helps front desk personnel to receive timely credit card approval. Registration
data, stored electronically I the system, can be retrieved whenever necessary,
thereby making a room rack unnecessary. Electronic guest folios are also
maintained and accessed through the system’s application software.
Self check-in
In addition,
some properties offer self check-in/check-out terminals. In fact these
terminals have been in existence for many years, but only recently has the cost
of the technology been significantly reduced. In addition, the acceptance of
automated teller machines (ATM)used by most banks and self check-in terminals
at airports has had a direct impact on guests, who are willing to accept self-help
equipments in lodging establishments.
To use one of these terminals, the
guest inserts a credit card, debit card or smart card in to the machine, which
reads encoded card data and communicates with the property management system.
The central system locates the guest’s reservation and returns the information
to the terminal. The guest is asked to verify name, departure date, and rate
and room type on the display. Some system allow changes to this information and
some require that the guest go to the front desk for amendment (changes).If the
information is correct, the system assigns an available room within the PMS and
dispenses a rooming slip to different departments and issues guest room keys.
Advanced systems provide electronic room keys that are individually created
when the guest checks in.
Some
world class service hotels may not use self check-in/check out terminals
because they want to keep personal contact between the hotel staff and guest.
Self check-in terminals are being accepted in large convention hotels where
long check-in check out lines can diminish the guest’s experience. These
terminals are used to reduce the long lines and get guests to their rooms
faster. One additional advantage of this system is in economy and mid-range
hotels are that they may eliminate the need for a night shift at the front
desk.
Occupancy
activities: With a front office system, on-automated room
racks and electromechanical or electro posting machines are replaced by
computer terminals throughout the front office. As guests charge purchases at
revenue outlets, the charged amounts are electronically transferred to the
front office computer from the POS (point of sale) location. These e charges
are then automatically posted to the proper e4lectronic guest folio.
Instantaneous postings, simultaneous guest accounts and departmental entries
and continuous trial balances free the front office auditor to spend time on
auditing, rather than focusing primarily on guest account balancing.
Departure activities: A Neatly printed electronic folio helps assure the guest that the
statement is complete and accurate. Depending on the method of settlement, the
computer system may automatically post the transaction to appropriate back
office accounts. For a guest account that requires third-party billing, the
system is capable of producing a bill to be sent to the guest or credit
granting agency. Once the guest’s account is settled and the postings are
considered complete, departed guest information is used to create an electronic
record in the hotel’s guest history file.
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CLASSIFICATION OF
HOTELS
CLASSIFICATION ON THE BASIS OF OWNERSHIP
Hotels can be categorized by
ownership. There are six different ways hotels can be owned and operated
- Independently
owned and operated
- Independently
owned but leased to an operator
- Owned
by a single entity or group that has hired a hotel management company to
operate the property.
- Owned
and operated by a chain
- Owned
by an independent investor or group and operated by a chain
- Owned
by an individual group and operated as a franchise of a chain
An independent hotel
is not connected with any established hotel company and is owned by individual
or group investors. A management company contracts
with hotel owners to operate their hotels. The management company may or may
not have any of its own funds invested. It is usually paid by a combination of
fees plus a share of revenues and profits. A hotel chain is a group of
affiliated hotels.
Example: The Capitol, Bangalore, The
Imperial, New Delhi
A franchise is the
authorization granted by a hotel chain to an individual hotel to use the
chain’s trade mark, operating systems, and reservation system in return for a
percentage of hotel revenues plus certain other fees, such as advertising fees.
A franchiser
is the party granting the franchise: holiday inn worldwide is an example of
franchisor. A franchisee is the party granted the franchise. Franchising in
the hospitality industry is a concept that allows a company to expand more
rapidly by using other people’s money than if it had to acquire its own financing.
the company or franchisor gets certain rights: for example to use its
trademark, signs, proven operating systems, operating procedures and possible
reservation system ,marketing know-how, purchasing discounts and so on for a
fee. In return the franchisee agrees by signing the franchise contract to
operate the restaurant, hotel and so on in accordance with the guidelines set
by the franchisor. Franchising is a way of doing business that benefits both
the franchisor –who wants to expand the business rapidly- and the franchisee
that has a financial backing but lacks specific expertise and recognition.
The benefits to the franchisee are
as follows:
·
A
set of plans and specifications from which to build
·
National
advertising
·
Centralized
reservation system
·
Participation
in volume discount in purchasing furnishings, fixtures and equipment
The benefits to the franchise company are as
follows:
- Increased
market share/recognition
- Up
front fees
Example: Le Meridien, Holiday inn
There are also referral systems.
Referral systems tend to be made up of independent properties or small chains
that have grouped together for common marketing purpose. Marketing consortiums or referral
associations offer similar benefits to properties such as franchises,
albeit at a lower cost. Hotels and motels with a referral association share a
centralized reservation system and a common image, logo as well as management
training and continuing training programs.
A
referral group consists of a number of properties, independently owned and
operated, that join under a common identity while maintaining their autonomy.
They do this for one or more of the following reasons.
- To
operate a reservation system.
- To
publish joint brochures
- To
share advertising
- To
refer business to each other
- To refer
trained staff to each other
- To
take advantage of joint purchasing power
- To
maintain sales offices in major traffic centers
The referral associations offer some
of the same benefits as franchises, but at much lower costs. a referral
association may provide the independent hotel with increased visibility,
marketing and buying power, without the necessity of giving up control or
ownership. Hotel and motels within a referral association share a CRS and a
common image, logo, or advertising slogan. The referral association publishes a
membership directory, usually given away free to interested guest. In addition
the referral association may offer group buying discounts to members, as well
as management training and continuing education programs, hotels pay initial
fee to join the referral association and an annual membership fee. Generally
this fee is much less than that paid to become a member of the hotel franchise
system.
Common Reservation Systems,
standardized quality, joint advertising and a recognizable logo were still are
the limited objetives of the most referral groups.
Chain hotels
Hotel chains account for a large
percentage of the world’s hotel room inventory. Some of the world’s best hotel
rooms are managed by chains.
Example: TAJ GROUP OF HOTELS, ITC CHAIN OF
HOTELS
HOTELS CLASSIFED BY PRICE
Three broad categories of hotels
distinguished by price are:
Limited
service: economy and budget
There are many limited service
hotels in the market place today. They typically offer guest rooms only. There
is little or no public space. And usually no or very limited food and beverage
facilities. Room rates are correspondingly lowest for this type of lodging
property.
Example: Kamat Group, Comfort Inn chain
Mid
price (full service and limited service)
Mid scale hotels offer a wide range
of facilities and amenities. Usually there will be in comparison to
budget/economy properties, more public space and meeting/function space with at
least one food and beverage facility.
Example: The Chancery, Bangalore, Taj Indi
one, Bangalore
Luxury
hotels
At the top of the price category are
the luxury hotels. They feature upscale décor and furnishings that may be
unique to the particular hotel. These hotels offer a full range of amenities
and services. Such hotels would typically have a concierge service and several
food and beverage operations, including fine dining facilities, banquet area
and full room service. Different types of recreational facilities are also
available.
Example: Taj Westend, Bangalore, The
Leela Palace, Bangalore
HOTELS CLASSIFIED BASED ON SIZE
Size or the number of guest rooms in
a property gives us one common way to categorize hotels. Hotels may be broadly
grouped as under:
·
Under
150 rooms
·
150
to 299 rooms
·
300
to 600 rooms
·
More
than 600 rooms
BASED ON LOCATION & CLIENTELE
Commercial Hotel
These hotels are located in downtown
or business district–areas that are convenient and of interest to their target
markets. And cater primarily to the business traveler. These are also referred
to as transient hotels because of the relatively short length of guest stays
compared with other hotels. Such of these hotels have full service facilities
with coffee shop as well as other restaurants, bar or cocktail lounge, room
service, laundry, valet service, business center, gift shop and health club
facilities.
Example: Taj Residency & The
Oberoi Bangalore,
RESORTS
Resort hotels are generally found in
destinations that are desirable vacation spots because of their climate,
scenery, recreational attractions, or historic interest. Mountains and seashore
are favourite locales. Resorts provide a comprehensive array of recreational
amenities, depending on the geographic location. A Variety of f &b outlets
is available, ranging from informal to fine-dining restaurants. Usually hotels
located at hill stations, beaches, lakes, backwater, forest belt, etc are
termed as resorts.
Example: Fort Aguada Beach Resort, Goa, The
Leela Beach, Goa
AIRPORT HOTEL
Many airport hotels enjoy a very
high occupancy because of the large number or travelers arriving and departing
from major airports. The guest mix in airport hotels consists of business,
group, and leisure travelers. Passengers of late flights may stay over at the
airport hotel while others wait while waiting for the flights.
Airport hotels are generally full
service. To care for the needs of guests who may still feel as if they are
different time zones, room service and restaurant timing may be extended, even
offered twenty four hours. Convenient locations, economical prices, easy and
less costly transportation costs to and from the airport are some reasons why
airport hotels are becoming intelligent choices for the business travelers.
Example: The Trident, Chennai: The Centaur,
New Delhi
MOTEL
Freeway hotels and motels came into
prominence in the 1950s and 1960s.the travelers needed a convenient place to
stay that was reasonably priced with few frills. Guest could simply drive up,
park outside the office, register, and rent a room .over the years more
facilities were added: lounges, restaurants, pools, game rooms etc.
Example: The Guest line, Bangalore, Suman
Motels
FLOATEL
Floating Accommodation & other
allied hospitality services situated on water bodies.
Example: Cruise liners, shikaras (house
boats)
ROTEL
Hotel facilities available on wheels
such as a train, caravan.
Example: Palace on wheels
STAR
CLASSIFICATION
ONE
STAR
Typically smaller hotels managed by
the proprietor. The hotel is often has a more personal atmosphere. It is
usually located near affordable attractions, major intersections and convenient
to public transportation. Furnishings and facilities are clean but basic. Most
will not a restaurant on site but are usually within walking distance to some
good low priced dining.
·
The
hotel should have at least 10 lettable bed rooms of which at least 25% should
have attached bathrooms with a bathroom for every four of the remaining rooms.
·
At
least 25% of the bathrooms should have the western style WCs.
·
Receptions
counter with a telephone and a telephone for the use of guests and visitors.
Example: Hotel Ajanta, Bangalore
TWO STAR
Usually denotes independent and name
brand hotel chains with a reputation for offering consistent quality amenities.
The hotel is usually small to medium sized and conveniently located to
moderately priced attractions. The facilities typically include telephones and
TVs in the bed room some hotels offer limited restaurant service. Somehow room
service and bell service are not usually provided.
·
The
hotel should have at least 10 lettable bed rooms of which at least 75% should
have attached bathrooms and showers with a bathroom for every four of the
remaining rooms.
·
25%
of the rooms should have AC.
·
Receptions
counter with a telephone
·
Telephone
on each floor if the rooms do not have a telephone each.
·
Supervisory
staff must understand English.
·
Laundry
and dry cleaning services.
Example: woodlands Hotel, Bangalore, Kamath
Yatrinivas, Bangalore
THREE STAR
Typically these hotels offer spacious accommodations that include well
appointed rooms, decorated lobbies. Bell desk services are generally not
available. They are often located near major express ways or business areas,
convenient to shopping and moderate to high priced attractions. The hotels
usually feature medium sized restaurants they typically offer breakfast through
dinner. Room service availability may vary. Valet parking, fitness centers,
pools are often provided.
·
The
hotel should have at least 20 lettable bed rooms of which all should have
attached bathrooms and tubs/showers.
·
At
least 50% of the rooms should be AC.
·
Reception
and information counter, book stall, travel agency, safe deposit etc.
·
Telephone
in each room and one for the use of visitors.
·
Good
quality Indian and continental food
·
Senior
staff must possess a good knowledge of English.
Example: Museum Inn, Bangalore, Angsana
Oasis Spa & Resort, Bangalore
FOUR STAR
Mostly large formal hotels with
reception areas, front desk service, and bell desk service. The hotels are
usually located near shopping, dining, and other major attractions. The level
of service is well above average. And the rooms are well lit and well
furnished. Restaurant dining is usually available and is having more than one
choice. Some properties will offer continental breakfast and /or happy hour
delicacies. Room service is usually available during most hours. Valet parking,
concierge service, fitness centers, pools are often provided.
·
Hotel
must have 25 lettable rooms and all with attaché bathrooms with shower
cubicle/bath tub
·
Should
have a recognized travel agency, book stall, safe deposit facilities, left
luggage etc.
Example: Taj Gateway, Bangalore, Hotel
Janpath, New Delhi, St. Marks Hotel, Bangalore.
FIVESTAR
These are hotels that offer only the
highest level of accommodations and services. The properties offer a high
degree of personal service. Although most five star hotels are large
properties, sometimes the small independent (non-chain) property offers an
elegant intimacy that can not be achieved in larger setting. The hotel
locations can vary from the exclusive location of suburban area to heart of the
city. The hotel lobbies are sumptuous, the rooms complete with stylish
furnishings, and high quality linen. The amenities often include DVD players,
Jacuzzis and more. The hotels feature up to three restaurants with exquisite
menus. Room service is also available 24 hours a day. Fitness centers, valet
parking are typically available. A concierge is also available to assist you.
·
Architectural
features and general construction of the hotel building should be distinctive
·
Adequate
parking space for cars.
·
Hotel
must have at least 25 lettable; rooms with modern shower chambers.
·
All
guest areas should be air-conditioned
·
Adequate
number of efficient lifts.
24 hours reception, cash and
information counter
Example: The Oberoi, Bangalore, The Grand
Maratha Sheraton, Mumbai,Taj Bengal and The Park, Kolkota, The
Inter-Continenetal Park Royal, New Delhi, ITC hotel Maurya Sheraton &
towers, New Delhi
OTHER HOTEL CATEGORIES
CASINO HOTELS
Casino hotels and resorts differ
significantly in their operation compared to most hotels. In casino hotels and resorts,
gaming operations are the major revenue centers. Most of these are in Las Vegas.
The casino industry is now coming into the financial main stream to the point
that as a significant segment of the entertainment industry especially in the US.
Casino hotels are leaning towards making their hotels into “family friendly”
They have baby sitters available at
any point of the day, children’s attractions ranging from parks to circuses and
museums, and kid’s menus in the restaurant. for adults in addition to gaming
health spas for relaxation, dance clubs, and dazzling shows are available.
Example:
Las Vegas Hilton Hotel & Casino, MGM
Grand, Flaming Hilton in Las Vegas
Heritage Hotels
The
concept of Heritage Hotels was introduced with a view to convert the old
palaces, havelies, castles, forts and residences built prior to 1950 into
accommodation units as these traditional structures reflect the ambience and
lifestyle of the bygone era and are immensely popular with the tourists. The
scheme is aimed at ensuring that such properties, landmarks of our heritage are
not lost due to decay but become financially viable properties providing
additional room capacity for the tourists.
The
Heritage Hotels have also been sub-classified in the following categories:
Heritage
|
:
|
This category covers hotels in residences / havelies / hunting
lodges / castles / forts / palaces built prior to 1950 but after 1935.
|
Heritage Classic
|
:
|
This category covers hotels in residences / havelies / Hunting
lodges / castles / forts / places built prior to 1935 but after 1920.
|
Heritage Grand
|
:
|
This category covers hotels in residences / havelies / hunting
lodges / castles / forts / palaces built prior to 1920.
|
Till
the end of March 2002, as many as 69 properties have been classified as
Heritage Hotels providing a room capacity of 1810 rooms. Guidelines have also
been formulated for conversion of heritage properties into heritage hotels and
their approval at project planning stage.
Example: Usha Kiran Palace,
Gwalior, Lalitha Mahal Palace, Mysore.
Rambagh
Palace, Jaipur, Lake Pichola hotel, Udaipur
TIME
SHARES/CONDOMINIUMS
Time-sharing,
more recently known as vacation ownership, involves a “type of shared ownership
in which the buyer purchases the right to uses a residential dwelling unit for
a portion of the year or more periods. Each condominium or unit of a vacation
ownership resort is divided into intervals, typically by the week and sold separately.
The condominiums are priced according to a variety of factors including unit size,
resort amenities, location and season. Purchasers of vacation ownership properties
can typically travel to other destinations through exchange programs provided
through the timeshare resort developers. Condominium hotels are also called
condo hotels or even condotels. Vacation ownership offers consumers the
opportunity to purchase fully furnished vacation accommodations in a variety of
forms, such as weekly intervals or points in points based systems, for a
percentage of the cost of the full ownership. For a one time purchase price and
payment of a yearly maintenance fee, purchasers own their vacation either in
perpetuity or for a predetermined number of years.
During
the 1960s and 1970s, when inflation was a serious problem in many countries,
time sharing-which first started in the French Alps in the 1960s-seemed like an
idea whose time had come.
Example: RCI, Club Mahindra, Country Club
Group
BOUTIQUE
HOTELS
Boutique
hotels span all price segments and are noticeably different in look and feel
from traditional lodging properties interior design styles in boutique hotels
range from postmodern to homey. Soft attributes, such and image and atmosphere,
typically distinguish these properties. Traveler’s desires to be trendy,
affluent and artistic tie into boutique themes.
Example: The Park, Bangalore, The Park,
Kolkota
ALL-SUITE
HOTELS
All
suite hotels became known as a separate category in the 1970s.guest rooms are
larger than the normal hotel room usually containing more than 500 square feet.
A living area or parlor is typically separate from the bedroom, with some properties
offering kitchen areas. All-suite hotels can be found in urban, sub-urban and
even residential locations. The amenities and services can vary widely in this
type of hotels.
All
suite hotels were originally positioned to attract extended stay travelers, but
they roved popular with other kinds of travelers as well. An all suite hotel
gave guest more private space.
Example: Residence Inns, Fairfield Suites
& Town-Place Suites by the Marriot chain.
CONVENTION
HOTELS
Convention
hotels are large with 500 or more guest rooms. These properties offer extensive
meeting and function space, typically including large ball rooms and even
exhibition areas. Food and beverage operations tend to be extensive, with
several restaurants and lounges, banquet facilities and room service.
Convention hotels are often in close proximity to convention centers and other
convention hotels, providing facilities for city wide conventions and trade shows.
These hotels have many banquet areas within and around the hotel complex. These
hotels have a high percentage of double occupancies. Convention hotels may also
offer a concierge floor to cater to individual guest needs. Round the clock
room service, an in house laundry, a business center, a travel desk, and an
airport shuttle service are other amenities found in convention hotels.
Example:
CONFERENCE
HOTELS/CENTERS
Although
all hotels with meeting facilities compete for conferences there are specialized
hotels that almost exclusively book conferences, executive meetings, and
training seminars. While they provide most of the facilities found at the
conventional hotels, conference centers are built to provide living and
conference facilities without any outside distractions that might detract from
hotels held in ordinary hotels.
ALTERNATIVE LODGING
PROPERTIES:
Besides
hotels, these are several other types of lodging establishments which compete
for business and leisure travelers. recreational vehicle parks, campgrounds,
and mobile home parks are somewhat like hotels since they involve the rental of
space for overnight accommodations
Another
form of alternative lodging is the corporate lodging business very commonly
known as serviced apartments. These are designed for guests wishing to
stay for longer periods, some times up to six months or longer. While hotels
are usually designed for guests staying from one to ten nights, corporate
lodging is better suited to guests with very long stay requirements. Instead of
using hotels or hotel buildings, corporate lodging usually provides fully
furnished apartments for guests. The service provider rents the apartment,
provides furniture and house wares, and provides housekeeping and other
services to the guests. Corporate lodging is usually cost competitive with hotels,
since apartments can be rented and furnished by the owner or the service
provide for a lower daily cost than that incurred by hotels.
Example: Stay and Work, Bangalore,
Another
example of alternative lodging is the cruise ship industry. Cruise ships
have become major competition for resorts. They offer many amenities offered similarly
at island resorts, while having the unique advantage of moving from island to
island as part of the experience. Modern cruise ships offer all the advantages
of resort hotels. they are equipped with many modern convenience such as ship
to shore telephones, satellite television, fitness centers, movie theaters, multiple
dining and cocktail lounge facilities, spas, casinos, shopping, and of course
novelty to waking up in different location at every morning. Some cruise ships
now even offer conference facilities for corporate or association meetings.
Example: Carnival Cruise liners, Caribbean
Cruise liners, Norwegian cruise liners.
ORGANISATION
1. The Reservations
More than half of the hotel guests make reservations.
These individuals arrange the hotel accommodations through sales
representatives, travel agencies, GDS (global distribution systems) by way of
telephone calls, fax, e-mail, Internet and other communication devices. The
reservation department is responsible for receiving and processing reservation
requests for future reservations. Although procedure may differ from hotel to
hotel with regard to reservations handling, maintenance, processing and
confirmation, the purpose is still the same: to accommodate the guest request
in a manner that maximizes the hotel occupancy and room revenue.
Reservations systems can be programmed to provide
reservations agents with information on the types of rooms available (including
room size, view, furnishings, amenities and bed size) for a given day.
Reservation systems provide a great deal of information, some of which needs to
be provided to the guest on request.
Reservations agents should convey the
desirability, features, benefits of staying at the hotel, rather than simply
processing an accommodation request.
It is essential for the reservations agents to
work closely with the sales and marketing department when group reservations are
being solicited or processed. On a day today basis the reservation manager
should review the reservation system reports and room availability in order to
avoid over booking. Over booking can create bad feelings and contribute to lost
business in future.
Many hotels use revenue management techniques in
the reservations department. This means using information, historical and
current, to enhance a hotel’s ability to carry out a number of common business
practices and there by increase both its revenues, and its customer service
abilities.
2.The Reception
The typical functions of a reception or
registration department is:
- Greeting guests
- Registering guests
- Establishing a method of payment for the
guest rooms-credit card, cash or direct billing
- Assigning guest rooms that are clean vacant.
- Assigning guest room keys to the guests.
- Informing guests about their room location
and special hotel amenities, facilities, and answering questions about the
property and surrounding community
- Calling bell desk to assist the guests with
their luggage, if such service is normally provided
3.
Concierge
Concierge
may provide custom services to hotel guest. Duties include making reservations
or dining, securing tickets for theater and sports events, arranging for
transportation, providing information on cultural events, and local
attractions. Concierges are known for their resourcefulness. Most successful
concierges have established an extensive contact of local, regional and
national contacts for a variety of services.
4.
Bell Desk
Many guests arrive at the hotel with heavy luggage
or several pieces of luggage. The major functions of the bell desk would be as
follows:
- Transport guest luggage to and from guest
rooms
- Familiarize guests with the hotel’s
facilities and services, safety features as well as guest room and any in
room amenities.
- Provide a secure area for guests requiring a
temporary luggage service.
- Deliver mail, packages, messages and special
amenities to guest rooms.
- Help guest to load and unload their luggage
- Provide information on hotel services and
facilities as well as group functions
5.
Communications
The
telephone switchboard area or department maintains a complex communications
network similar to that of any large company. The telephone department may also
refer to as private branch exchange or PBX. Hotel switchboard operators may
have responsibilities that extend beyond answering and distributing calls to
the appropriate extension. When long distance calls are routed and priced
through the telephone switch, charges must be directly posted or relayed to
front office for posting to the proper guest account. Switchboard operators may
also place wake up calls, monitor automated systems (such as door alarms, fire
alarms) and coordinate emergency communications. Operators may also protect
guest’s privacy and thereby contributing to the guest security prgramme by not
divulging guestroom numbers.
6.The
Night Auditor
The night auditor balances the daily financial
transactions audit duties include checking and completion of guest and hotel
accounts, the balancing of hotel revenue figures, as well as producing
statistics and summarizes of hotel revenue for management. This task is
generally done during the night shift by the night auditor or by the night
shift front office cashier.
7.Front Office Cashier
The cashier has full responsibility for all the cash
and settlement of guest account as well as the supervision of work of the front
office cashiers. The front office cashier is responsible for the opening,
preparation and settlement of resident guest’s accounts. They check to ensure
that all charges are added to guest’s bills and that settlements are properly
processed. Front office cashier also administer the safe deposit system of the
hotel.
8.Mail And Information
A mail and information counter is normally found
only in very large hotels and these days been incorporated to reception or
concierge. This department is responsible for giving out guest’s keys and
deliver guest’s mails and messages. They are also responsible for dealing with
guest’s visitors, and providing information on hotel facilities and local
attractions.
9. Business Center
This section of the front office provides for all
secretarial needs of the guest such as photocopies, faxes, binding, web
browsing, etc. A small meeting/conference room may also be the part of the
business center for use of the guests. This is manned round the clock and is
easily accessible to the guest.
10. Guest Relation Desk
Located in the lobby area strategically placed to
ensure that all guest walking into the hotel are seen. The GRE ensures the
inspection of rooms, welcome of VVIP,SPATT, HWC, etc. She coordinates specific
guest request/query with the concerned department (of the hotel).
11. Travel Desk
Travel desk is in-charge for all guest
needs such as car rental, ticketing and itinerary planning. Hotel may sometime
outsource these services to an external agency.
DUTIES AND
RESPONSIBILITIES OF FRONT OFFICE STAFF
FRONT OFFICE
MANAGER
·
To recruit right personnel for front office
department in coordination with the human resource department
·
Coordinate to schedule their induction, orientation
and training
·
Responsible for reception of all VIPs, IPs,
SPATTs, HWCs etc.
·
Handling of major complaints and ensuring
rectification of the same.
·
Understanding the latest trends in market with
regard to hospitality marketing
·
Responsible to maximize occupancy and ARR
·
Responsible for smooth functioning of the front
office department
·
Ensuring proper coordination with other
departments
·
Reviews night audit report
·
Reviews incoming reservations for the day
·
Communicates information to all employees on all
shifts, concerning reservations, room assignments and room inventory
·
Resolves guest billing discrepancies and
complaints
·
Prepares budget with the general manager with
the general manager and the controller
ASSISTANT
FRONT OFFICE MANAGER
·
Acts as FOM in his/her absence
·
Delegation of duties given by FOM is the job
profile of an Assistant manager
LOBBY MANAGER
·
Responsible for all staff working in lobby area
(bell desk, concierge, reception)
·
Personally receives all VIPs, IPs, SPATTs, HWCs
etc along with FOM
·
At the check in time he ensures that the guest
is assigned the room of his choice
PERSONALITY TRAITS OF THE FRONT
OFFICE STAFF
PROFESSIONAL MANNERS:
·
Report work on time
·
Has a positive attitude toward the job & the
hotel
·
Recognizes positive &negative aspects of the
job
·
Possesses maturity in judgments
·
Appears business like
·
Maintain control & composure in difficult
situations
CONGENIAL NATURE
·
Smiles readily
·
Exhibits cordial & pleasant behavior
Helpful attitude
·
Is sensitive to the guest needs
·
Possesses a sense of humor
·
Responds and speaks Intelligently
·
Demonstrates creativity
·
Practices good listening skills
FLEXIBILITY
·
Willing and able to accept a different work
shift if necessary
·
Understands others points of view
·
Willing to try new ways of doing things
innovative
·
Works well with the guests and hotel staff a
team player
WELL GROOMED APPEARANCE
·
Dresses appropriately,
·
Meets property standards for the wear and care
of uniform, Jewelry and personal grooming
