Front Office Operations

Accommodation Product
and Hotel Guest Amenities
Rooms Division
 Front Office Department
 Housekeeping Department
 PABX or PBX / Telephone Department
 Laundry Department
 Concierge/Bell Service Department /Porter
Service
F.O. Operations
Reservations
Registrations
Room and rates assignment
Guest Services
Room Status
Maintenance and settlement of guest
accounts as well as city ledger
Creation of guest history by using guest
history cardex
Reservations
Availability of toll free telephone
numbers
Direct telephone calls
Hotel sales representatives
Travel agencies
Telex/Fax
E-mails
Property networks
PABX Department
PABX- hotel switchboard or private
branch exchange
Answering and distributing calls
Monitor wake up calls
Coordinate all the emergency calls
Protect privacy of the guests
FRONT OF THE HOUSE
Set proper service standards
Enhance hotel’s image
Make lasting impression
Personal Traits of F.O.
Staff
Reports on time
With positive attitude
Mature
Maintains control and composure
Smiles readily
Pleasant, cordial and a people person
Personal Traits of F.O.
Staff
With sense of humor
Smart
Creative
With good listening skills
Flexible
Innovative
A team player
With eye for detail
SKILLS
With practical skills, knowledge
and aptitude
Mathematical skills (for cashiering
and accounting tasks)
Keyboarding (recordkeeping and
computer operation)
Good Grooming
Dress appropriately
Observe proper grooming
Use minimum jewelry
Neat and always presentable
F.O. Staff
1. Uniformed Service department
Bell Attendant
Door Attendant
Valet Parking Attendant
Transportation Personnel
Concierge
F.O. Staff
2. Front Desk
Receptionist
Front Desk Agent
Cashier
Mail and information clerk
Front Desk Agents/Clerks
Reservations Department
Reservation Manager
Telephone Operator
Receptionist


Bellman/ Bellboy/
Bellhop

Palm Garden
Raffles Singapore
Doorman
Hotel Concierge


Accommodation
Product
One of the main products provided by a
hotel
One of the largest sources of income
A guest purchasing accommodation also
receives other facilities and benefits
such as ambience, décorations and
security
Types of guest rooms
Hotel guest rooms can
be classified as:
The number and size of beds
Décor, Room size and View
Special types of accommodation for
particular types of guests
Executive floor for business executives
and presidential suites for VIPs
Number and size of beds
Types of No. of No of
room beds people/room
Single 1 1

Twin 2 2

Double 1 2

Queen 1 2

King 1 2
Décor, Room size and View
Type Size (2m) View Examples Décorations
Standard single 23.5 Garden view Pine
furniture
Superior double 23.5 Sea view Pine
furniture
Deluxe twin 28.6 Sea view Rosewood
furniture
Deluxe double 28.6 Sea view Rosewood
furniture
Suite 105.9 Sea view Antique
furniture
Executive Floors and
Presidential Suites
The Executive Floors
Separate check-in procedures
Meeting-room facilities
Internet / Broadband service
Separate breakfast room and bar
areas
Executive floors and
presidential suites
Non-smoking floors
Awareness of health conscious
Women-only floors
With sense of security
Presidential suites
Target up-market or wealthy clientele,
and VIPs
Room
Rack Rate / Full Rate
Normal standard rate for the room
with no meals included
Corporate / Commercial rate
Rate agreed between a company and
hotel for all individual room
reservations
Group rate
Rate agreed between travel agent and
hotel for group room reservations
Room Rates
IT rate
Rate agreed between travel agent and
hotel for all individual room
reservations
Crew rate
Rate agreed between airline and hotel
for their airline crew room reservations
Hotel Brochures and
Tariffs
Sales and marketing tools
Help to sell the accommodation food
and beverage, facilities and services of a
hotel
Tariffs are usually printed separately as
an insert
Types of hotel guest
Hotel guests can be classified
according to their:
Purpose of visit
Group size
Origin
Purpose of visit
1) Pleasure (Leisure) travelers
 Known as tourists
 Sightseeing or entertainment
 Highly seasonal
 Attracted by special festivals, sports
or cultural events
 Price-sensitive
Pleasure travelers
Domestic tourists
Week-ends, special functions
&activities
Foreign independent travelers (FITs)
Require accommodation only
Group inclusive tours (GITs)
Packaged tours & lower expenditure
Special interest tours (SITs)
Shopping purposes, golf tour
Purpose of visit
1) Business travelers
 Carrying out business
 Largest sources of demand for
accommodation
 Types of business traveler
Individual business travelers
Corporate business travelers
Conference participants
Group size
Independent traveler
Travels alone
For business or pleasure
Group booking
Book through travel agent
Travel agent acts as a representative
Receives commission
Origin
Local
Foreign travelers
Selection of a hotel
Advertisements
Recommendations (words of mouth)
Location of a hotel
Pricing
Preconceptions of a hotel
Guests and their needs
Business traveler
Ease in making a reservation
Quick check-in
Reliable and comfortable product
Discreet meeting places (lounges,
conference rooms)
Early breakfast and quick check-out
FUNCTIONS of Front
Office
Sell guestrooms, register guests and
assign rooms
Process future room reservations, when
there is no reservation department or
when it is closed
Coordinate guest services
Provide information about the hotel,
community, attractions or events
Functions of F.O.
Maintain accurate room status
information
Maintain guest accounts and monitor
credit limits
Produce guest account statements and
complete proper financial settlement
Guests and their needs
Tourist
Friendly front office staff
Budget accommodation
Convenient location
Room Status Terminologies
Occupied: A guest is currently registered to
the room.
Complimentary: The room is occupied, but
the guest is assessed no charge for its use.
Stayover: The guest is not expected to check
out today and will remain at least one more
night.
On-change: The guest has departed, but the
room has not yet been cleaned and readied for
re-sale.
Do Not Disturb: The guest has requested not
to be disturbed.
Room Status
Terminologies
 Sleep-out: A guest is registered to the room, but
the bed has not been used.
 Skipper: The guest has left the hotel without
making arrangements to settle his or her account.
 Sleeper: The guest has settled his or her account
and left the hotel, but the front office staff has
failed to properly update the room’s status.
 Vacant and ready: The room has been cleaned
and inspected and is ready for an arriving guest.
 Out-of-order: The room cannot be assigned to a
guest. A room may be out-of-order for a variety of
reasons including the need for maintenance,
refurbishing, and extensive cleaning
Room Status Terminologies
 Lockout: The room has been locked so that the
guest cannot re-enter until a hotel official clears
him or her.
 DNCO (Did Not Check Out): The guest made
arrangements to settle his or her account (and thus
is not a skipper), but has left without informing the
front office.
 Due out: The room is expected to become vacant
after the following day’s checkout time.
 Checkout: The guest has settled his or her
account, returned the room keys, and left the hotel.
 Late Check-out: The guest has requested and is
being allowed to check out later than the hotel’s
standard check-out time.