TyroCity: Hotel Management 12 Notes

Mode of Reservation

Hotel Management 12 Notes — Sun, 08 Apr 2012 05:41:42 +0000

Mode of reservation generally refers to the ways of receiving the accommodation booking through various communication system. The following modes of reservation are encircled in front office operation.

Fax/ Facsimile:
The word facsimile derived from Latin facsimile, “Make similar” i.e. “Make a copy.” is a tele-communications technology used to transfer copies of documents especially using affordable devise operating over the telephone network.

E-Mail:
It is most commonly abbreviated email is a method of exchange digital messages across the internet that is very essential to operate input/ output operation for reservation of rooms.

Teletypewriter:
Teletypewriter exchange was the first data communication service that used typewriter like terminals.

Telephone:
The telephone is a telecommunication device that transits speech by means of electric signals. It is one of the most common mode of reservation which is very easy to handle.

Internet:
Hotel industries offer online reservation services through their internet sites. The variety of potential guests accessing internet sites to place reservation has prompted travel and hotel to simple reservation procedure.

Varieties of characteristic in animals

Hotel Management 12 Notes — Sun, 08 Apr 2012 05:41:42 +0000

These varieties of Characteristic in animals which should be passed by a hospitality professional

Eye —- Eagle
Nose —-Dog
Ear —-Rabbit
Mouth —-Fish
Tongue —-Lizard
Personality —-Lion
Diplomacy —-Hyena
Strength —-Elephant/Wild boar
Dedication —- Snake

Hotel Management XII

Hotel Management 12 Notes — Sun, 08 Apr 2012 05:41:42 +0000

Chapter 1: Front Office

Source of Reservation

Hotel Management 12 Notes — Sun, 08 Apr 2012 05:41:42 +0000

The reservation in of accommodation in a hotel is usually generated through the different organization as they are determined to get the stay and take delivery of the service facilities.

The various sources through which the reservation come to the hotel are listed below:

Travel and Tour Organization:

Tour operator: These are wholesalers who coordinate with different mode of transportations, hotels, tour, associations, tourist offices etc.
Travel agencies: Travel agencies are the backbone of the tourism industry and potential source of business for any hotel. They are the generator and creator of the hotel business. They collect travel and tour information regarding purpose of visit and develop new idea and promote new destinations as well.
Trekking agencies: Trekking is simply defined as foot travel on mountain, trails or walking on foot in discomfort areas. They are the source of reservation in hotel for accommodation and food.
Rafting agency: Rafting agencies organize trip on fast flowing river water by boat/ dug out/ rafts/ canoe for short or long distance. It is one of the most sought after water sports which is full of adventure. In Nepal wildlife watch, fishing trip are very popular offered to the guest in the form of package.
Mountaineering agencies: It is related to the show covered high altitude mountains. The duration of stay in the hotel is very short due to camp out programs.

Airlines:
The role of airlines, whether international or domestic is to provide quick transportation to the masses. Airlines promote tourism growth and help in earning considerable amount of foreign exchange.

Companies and Commercial Business role uses:
The companies and commercial business role uses reserve rooms for their clients or guests, participants, employees, etc. When they are out of station on deputing.

NGOs and INGOs:
The organization provides accommodating reservation and other facilities for their guest and employees.

Embassy and consulate offices:
They are good source of reservation. They reserve the room for the expatriates and officials from their country.

Universities and other Educational Institutions:
These are also good source of reservation students associations, professors, technicians and employees are the reliable reservation source to hotel.

Ministries and Government offices:
They reserve the room for their guest, diplomats or government employees. Usually they are sent for official programs. Participation in international conference/ summit, seminars or sports events is the main objective of these group.

UN organization and Banks:
These are valuable source as they come for special mission for short duration. Special packages rates are offered at high discounts on rooms and food and beverages.

Free Individual travelers (FIT):
A group coming to a hotel as an individual and not as a part of a group is typically referred to as an FIT. They don’t seek the service of travel agencies.

Chain Hotel and Referable from other hotels:
Through the channel of group hotels, rooms are booked for guest mostly on confirmed reservation request. These guest from chain hotels or other individual hotels usually come under guaranteed reservation.

Global Distribution System (GDS):
GDS is a network of providers that bring, products and services that are geographically spread to the doors representation of costumer anywhere in the world.

Central Reservation System (CRS):
CRS are another expanding phenomenon to make booking easier. They provides toll free telephone number to encourage travelers to use their facility.

Type of Reservation

Hotel Management 12 Notes — Sun, 08 Apr 2012 05:41:42 +0000

The type of reservation are as follows:

Guaranteed Reservation:
In the guaranteed reservation, the hotel assumes that guest that the required rooms shall be blocked after confirmation. Under this the hotel agrees a hotel a room until a specific time of reservation following variation in the advance payment for guaranteed reservation are:

Advance deposit: An advance deposit guaranteed reservation requires that the guest pay the hotel the anticipated amount of money before arrival.
Pre-payment: This requires full payment prior to the guest arrival. This is normally the most desirable form of a guaranteed reservation.
Credit card: Guaranteeing reservations through credit card are most popular method of payment in the business hotel. Depending upon the financial status and money in bank, the credit card is issued to the buyers/clients.
Travel agents: Guest pays the travel agent in advance for their tour packages and the travel agent guarantees the clients reservation. In case of no show the hotel generally bills the travel agency for payment and according to agreement.
Corporate guarantee: This is a contractual agreement between Corporation Company and hotel which state that the corporation will accept financial responsibility for any no-show guest.

Non-Guaranteed Reservation:
It is a provisional reservation. In this reservation, neither there is any legal process of confirming the room nor is any payment for the advanced deposit made. Non-guaranteed is a provisional reservation in which room revenue is not secured.

Part of Front Office

Hotel Management 12 Notes — Sun, 08 Apr 2012 05:41:42 +0000

1. Bell desk: It is a section that is solely responsible for carrying the luggage of guest from lobby area to guest room during check in and guest room to lobby area during check out. Beside this bell desk it’s also responsible for Newspaper handling, paging, incorting guest etc.

2. Travel and Tour desk: This is located in either one or two areas of a hotel and this section is truly responsible for selling travel and tour packages and providing transportation facilities.
This section in hotel can be organized in two ways:

By the hotel itself.
In a contract by any famous travel and tour company.

3. Guest Relation Desk: Guest Relation is a section where guest which are staying inside in a hotel can direct their queries, complains and dissatisfaction. Guest Relation personal are responsible for guest handling complaints handling and upselling as well as providing various information about hotel.

4. Registration: Registration section is a section where guest fill the half clone registration from which is provided by reservation department. This process should be hand written so that we can have a proof in future.

5. Reception/Information section: This section is mainly known for its guest handling process and handling the inquiry phones that needs to be entertain by hotel.

6. Cashier: This Section is the only one which get directly related to monetary matter. The two core responsibility of this section are exchanging foreign currency and settling the bill during guest stay or checkout.

7. Operator: Operator is a section that plays a major role in begin the nerve center of a hotel. The two basic responsibility of operator section and handling wake up call.

8. Business Centre: Business center is the section where we provide guest with business related service like computer, Internet, International calls, photocopies etc.

9. Safety locker: It is a area which is maintained with the high security system where hotel is responsible for keeping and handling valuable guest belongings.

10. Reservation: This section is responsible for conducting the pre-arrival booking activity of the guest in the hotel.

11. Office Section: This section are the one where front office manager and assistant manager or executive have their sitting rooms.

12. Store (Pantry): This is a mini store that is responsible to accommodate front office, logistic item that can replace a one day activity.

Advanced Reservation Chart

Hotel Management 12 Notes — Sun, 08 Apr 2012 05:41:42 +0000

This chart is normally used in modern hotel organization to have a good control over reservation because this chart are responsible for providing the condition of room available in monthly period of time. Most of this type of chart are maintained in white board or erasable chart.

1. Conventional Booking chart:

This chart is used normally for having a glance in the reservation condition of a hotel. In this the main focus is given to the room number where as room type may be random in anywhere. This type of chart have two horizontal column where one indicate room no next room type where as in the same place there are two vertical columns where one indicate date another days. This chart normally gives us a brief idea about a guest and how long they are staying in the property.

Specimen of conventional Booking Chart

2. Density Booking Chart:

This chart is normally built to overcome the draw backs of conventional chart. In this type of chart the room type are given the main importance due to which we can easily allocate a guest who requires a type of room but is not so much concern about room number. The allocation of room is easier in density chart because the particular room type rooms are summed of together.

Specimen of Density Booking Chart

3. Reservation Register:

This is a format that is maintain by front office section to keep a good record of requested room. This register is maintain in reservation department reservation assistance or officer. This register works as a record for future forecasting and recording keeping. The point that should be maintained in it are:

Name of the client, Nationality and address
Date of arrival
Company’s name and address
Type of room, rate and number desired
Contact address .e.g. telephone, fax, email etc
Credit card number
Name of the person/ source seeking reservation
Reservation received by
Total number of nights
Special services required

Reservation Form Soaltee

Whitney Rack

Hotel Management 12 Notes — Sun, 08 Apr 2012 05:41:42 +0000

This Rack is a rack that is used to maintain a reservation slip or form in reservation department. The main purpose of this rack is to not have a misplacement of reservation details that is maintained in a reservation formats. The Whitney rack of often prepared of wooden structure of mental drawers in Industry. Whitney rack have different shots in hastes of date, day or room type for particular month, year or upcoming year.
Factor Affecting In Reservation

1. Confirmation of Reservation:
It is generally done after verifying the details of guest by a hotel. The confirmation can be conducted in two way for major type of guest. They are:-

Free Individual Traveler confirmation: In case of FITC, we first verify all the details that are provided by the traveler and conduct a confirmation process modes of telephone, email, telex, fax or letter. The various details that are mention in a confirmation letter are:

Name and address of the guest
Date and time arrival assure and departure
Length of stay
Number of pan
Room type
Room Rate (Plan)
Deposit Required
Mode of Payment
Special Recommendation with its charge

Guest are generally requested to present their confirmation letters during their check in process. So that, the registration personnel can verify the guest. The confirmation letter will containing other detail like reconfirmation, cancellation or charge of date or room.

Group Reservation: The group reservation ar generally handle by group leader, travel agent or tour operator etc in a hotel industry a group must at least consider 15 paying guest in it. In group reservation the guest details are verified in advanced as provided by the group leader and accommodation fooding and other major concerns are taken care by the group leader him/ herself.
Group reservation is big thing for hotel industry because this deals with a large number of revenue for hotel industry that’s why while taken a group reservation room rate meal planes and other necessary components should be fixed in advanced that we don’t have any problem in future in response to group registration and other formalities.

The various point that should be taken care while doing a good group reservation are:

The detail of guest should be noted down carefully and rechecked.
The date of arrival and departure should be noted nicely because when we are talking about group reservation we are referring to large number of room.
For this type of reservation different file, folder or section should be maintained in reservation departments.
The detail of group should be revised and checked again for confirmation with group leader in one month advanced so that, we don’t have to go through major loss.
Passport, scanned copy and name of group be verified in advanced to eliminate false reservation.
Special instruction also should be cured so that guest satisfaction could be changed guest delight.
Group reservation means sale of large number of rooms that’s why the cancellation should be conducted one month in advanced otherwise hotel will disable to claim one night charge from group if they cancel after one month in advanced.

2. Reservation Cancellation:
Reservation cancellation is always regarded as a crucial and critical activity to be maintained in a reservation department. While closing cancellation there are various points that should be take care of:

The Cancellation should be always be taken in polite clam and generous method.
When cancellation are taken as soon as possible cancellation form or slip should be filled.
The charts that are maintain in a reservation department should be update in a regular mode in reference with the cancellation conducts.
The slips and formats should be removed from rack so that we can know that actual condition of hotel room occupancy.

While doing cancellation we can keep in regard of two parties:

Free Individual traveler cancellation: In this case normally the cancellation should arrive in hotel before 48 hours otherwise the hotel is liable to deduct one night revenue from the deposit maintained by guest. Although hotel will not charge any amount in case of force majeure (Unforeseen circumstances).

Group cancellation: It is another major task that is to be conducted in hotel because group cancellation is regarded as a big business flowing outside or getting rid of our hand. While doing group cancellation there is a certain days criteria to be maintain like up to 15 pan minimum 14 days, 16 to 50 pan minimum 21 days and 51 and above minimum 28days advance cancellation should be conducted. While conducting a partial cancellation or deduction lets say up to 25% then the cancellation should be conducted charge of one night is to be deducted whereas the cancellation is cured due to force majeure (unforeseen circumstances) like flood, hurricane, earthquake, Tsunami, accident, strike or war etc. The cancellation can be waived off.

While conducting cancellation in peak season by travel agent or group leader the message should be charged minimum 60 days in advance to not get involved in any cancellation charged. Whereas if the customer or guest are transferring the hotel on the same locality there should be informing in 60 days advanced otherwise they are liable to pay the charge of 10% of whole amount decided in advanced.

3. Walk – in:
Walk in guest are also regarded as wind flow business or chance guest. Because hotel don’t have any prior information about such guest due to which they can process or forecast. Normally in walk in condition all the activities of registration and reservation are conducted on the spot where as the guest is only taken in if he/she is in a fit condition to be taken and is ready to pay advance deposit.

4. Overbooking:
This process is normally regards as selling of more room than available in the hotel. Overbooking should always be handle with too much care because some time this can also create bad reputation in a thirst of making 100% occupancy. While handling over booking guest should be informed and convinced very carefully to transfer in same level another property so that you won’t create a bed reputation for your hotel. While doing this you should conduct in very polite and generous matter and if guest are understandable this process might create a good will for guarantee reservation in future.

5. Out of Order (000):
Out of order room are the room that are either being maintained, repair, remounted etc. and are not in a sellable condition right now. This room cannot be reserved for current days but can be always be sold for future days by panning with the housekeeping supervisor or staff.

6. Length of stay:
Another major factor affecting reservation are there type of stays in hotel.

Overstay: It is a condition, where guest stays for more days then he have actually booked for.
Stay over: In this condition, this is the time period when guest is staying in a hotel for the time period he has booked.
Under stay: In this condition, the guest stay for less days then he has actually booked.

7. No – show:
In reservation department no- show said to happen when a guest or customer book shop room and doesn’t appear in the assigned check in date. In this condition, the hotel is always liable to cut the charge of first night form the advanced deposit made. It the reservation made is a non-guarantee reservation then the charge amount will be regarded as the had debt of reservation department because you will not advance deposit to cut but in case of company letter or guarantee we can claim at least first night charge form the company amount.

Hotel Diary

Hotel Management 12 Notes — Sun, 08 Apr 2012 05:41:42 +0000

This diary is the document that is used in a front office department to know about the Reservation and is normally filed by reservation assistance or officer. This diary gives a brief idea about who is the guest, how many of them are arriving, what is the type of room they want, what is the room no. that is allocated and for how many night they are staying?

This diary is normally found in front office section and front office Manager Room. To have a check in reservation activities as well as conduct reservation while walk in guest arrive. The basic purpose of hotel diary are as follow:

To know the number of reservation that are conducted.
To get a brief idea about type of rooms as well as number of room that are requested.
To verify and allocate room no. to guest.
To find out who are the actual source of reservation that are giving business to our organization.
To have a clear idea about date of booking and mode of booking.

Specimen of Hotel Diary

Reservation

Hotel Management 12 Notes — Sun, 08 Apr 2012 05:41:42 +0000

The term reservation can be defined as an agreement between the customers and service providers for the services pertaining to the future. An inquiry for accommodation and services in a hotel by prospective clients for a specified period through various sources by use of different modes is termed as reservation.

Purpose of Reservation:

The Purpose of reservation is enumerated as under:
For effective planning and to increase the efficiency of the given manpower, Machine, Money and material.
To forecast future room occupancy.
To sate the main product of the hotel, i.e. accommodation.
To minimize occupancy at all times.
To save time and money.
To build a good rapport among the guest.
To secure payment in advance.

Reservation and sale:
The reservation of hotel service creates contractual relationship between the hotel and its guest. Hotel industries generally consider that the reservation is a part of the sales department, though the function has traditionally been the part of the room division. The main objective of reservation is to minimize the room sales at all time so as to increase the room revenue. In the front office operation the main records of the room sales are:

Room reservation charts
Reservation form
Daily arrival and departure list
Room status board
Guest indem

Generally, there are two system of recording room sales, one is selling by specific number of rooms. In this system, room are sold and recorded by individual number. Second is selecting by a quantity and quality. In this case, room are sold form the density-booking chart. The second system is more flexible and practically used by most hotels.

Reservation Process and Procedure

Hotel Management 12 Notes — Sun, 08 Apr 2012 05:41:42 +0000

Reservation is a complete process of booking that is conducted by to parties i.e. one guest or customer and next one is hotel reservation section.

The procedure of reservation are:

1. Enquiry for reservations:
First step of reservation is registered as enquiry of reservation where reservation personnel conduct a brief question answer section with guest or customer to gain various knowledge about reservation which he/she wants to make. The point that are to be recorded are note down below:

Name of the guest
Date of arrival
Date of departure
Desired room type
Desired room rate
Required number of rooms
Desired room plan
Number of pare.
Contact address and number (details)
Special recommendation

2. Determining the room availability:
The second most important step in reservation is determining the room availability. In this process we check the demand of guest encoded during the first step. The availability can be checked by referring to forecast chart, conventional chart or density chart. In fully automated system we can begin check in the same availability by computerized system or software.

Room-Forecast-Chart

3. Excepting or dying the request:
Now after check in the room availability in hotel we are able to expect or deny the reservation request. Expecting can be done if the request is fully validated by the availability formats and system, where as vice versa can be conducted for denying.
Exceptional: In few cases reservation personnel an up sale another room of same criteria or higher by conveying or motivate the customer or guest.

4. Documenting the reservation details:
After accepting or denying reservation next process is documentation. Documentation is conducted by reservation staff by completing undone part of reservation form with the necessary details of guest who is about to stay.

5. Confirming the reservation request:
After documenting the details of a guest we need to confirm the room to a guest confirmation are generally done by dispatching a confirmation letter to the guest by having a guaranteed reservation and may be sometime non-guarantee too.

6. Maintaining the reservation record:
After confirming a room to the guest we need to make a reservation record for each and every booking made. The records can be maintained or processed in two ways:

Documenting the original reservation: In this process we file and record the original reservation details and if we are working in a computerized system we will be recording a printed form of reservation done. The documentation are done in a basis of date of arrival and afterward in assurance to the surname of guest.
Modification of reservation: The next step in processing is changing of the details that are recorded in reservation form. In this case, we need to attach the different ammessdement/ correction form or slip with the original one.

8. Compiling the reservation report:
Now after completion of reservation record we need to prepare the report of reservation dept. on either basis of date, week, month or year.