Resort Management Chap. 8

8/7/2019 Resort Management Chap. 8

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AIM: TO LEARNTHE RESORT

FRONT OFFICEOPERATIONS ANDFUNCTIONS.

Front-of- The-house

MANAGEMENT


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Introduction

y Front of house management incl.rooms division , guest relations and guest

services.y Heart of the house management incl.

F & B, housekeeping, engineering, andmaintenance, security , purchasing and

accounting., i.e depts. Generally associatedwith production and support goods andservices.

y Outdoor and recreation management.


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Introduction

y Front-of the-house dept. i.e. front office is nervecenter of the resort.

y Typical resort front office depts. include

reservations, reception, concierge, mail andinformation, uniformed services, telephone, andcashier.


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The Reservations Dept.

y Responsible for:

y Responding to all direct reservation requests uponavailability.

y Interacting with external reservation syst. Such astravel agency reservn. System and central reservn.Systems.

y Collecting and holding advance deposits if required,pending guest arrival or cancellation.


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y Responsibilities incl.

y Processing both individual and group reservations.

y Preparing guest folios and guest registration cards

and forwarding to receptn. Desk before expectedguest arrival.

y Maintain Guest History File.

y All guestroom sales must eventually pass throughreservation depts. Like in form of Pre- Departurereservation request card.


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y Potential sources for resort room sales:

y In-house services-Guest request epeat reservns.During their stay.

y

Direct guest contacts-letter, fax,recommendations,phone

y Central and computerised resservation systems-Tollfree no.800

y

Resort sales staffy Travel agents/ tour operators

y Hotel representatives


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y The Travel agents are important source of resort gueststoday because they are vital link in sales distributionsystems of resort destinations.

y

The agents usually try to sell the most complete room,meal plan, recreational arrangements offered by theresort as they get commission on total booking.

y

Types of resevations:y Guaranteed Reservations

y Non- guaranteed reservations


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Types of Reservations

y Guaranteed Reservations

y Prepayment Guaranteed

y Credit card guaranteed

y Advance Deposit

y Travel agent guaranteed

y Corporate


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Computerised Reservation Systems

y Computerised or automated reservation system havebecome quite efficient means for handlingreservations.

y

Most resorts are replacing manual systems withcomputerised systems.

y Three most common approaches to computer-assisted reservations are:

y Intersell Agencies

y Central Reservation Centers

y In-house Reservation Module


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Approaches to Computerised Reservations Systems.

y Intersell Agencies:

y This system uses a reservation network which handlesmore than one product line,(airline,car rental and hotelreservations) and can connect to an in-house reservation

system. Used by Travl agents.y Central Reservation Systems:

y Can connect either affiliated or non- affiliated hotels.

y In-house reservation Modules:

y Has larger property management system (Pms) can beused as a stand alone system, or can be connected tointersell agencies or central reservation systems.


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Benefits of Computerised Reservations

y Facilitates the process of matching guest inquires withavailability

y Enables reservationists to more accurately and quicklyanswer questions

y Significantly reduces reservation paperwork and filingy Allows reservation records to be rapidly accessed when

changes mustbe made.

y Provides detailed guest informatio before registrationy Monitors pre-arrival transactions, such as prepayments

and special room assignmentsy Enhances registration and account creation proceuresy Enables more reliable revenue and occupnacy forecasting


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Reservation Process

y Confirming the reservation

y Preparing the guest Folio

y Preparing the guest registration/ guest history card-

useful for marketing, recreational development,menu planning,accounting, marketing and securityfollowups and personalised guest service.


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Guestroom Assignment

y Reservations assignment systems used by resorts fall into3 categories:

y Graphic chart System:

y Simple manual method used particularly by smaller andseasonal properties.

y Quantitative Analysis System:

y Based on Daily occupancy counts, arrivals, anddeparturess used by both resorts and transient hotels.

y Artificial intelligence(AI) system:y Assigns guestrooms by computer has features which

make it attractive to resorts.


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Group Reservations

y Handling of group reservations important to resorthotels and requires additional reservationsprocedures and controls.

y Forecasting datay Reservation dept. is primary source for providing

certain statistics to various operating depts. Withinthe resort.

y Forecasts of guests, occupied rooms, meal plans andrecreartional facilities use are prepared byreservation dept.


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Group Reservations

y Forecasts are usually updated daily for use in shortrange operations such as personal scheduling andactivities scheduling.

y Forecasts are also used for long-range planning andbudget purposes.


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The Reception Center

y Key Role

y Receiving and rooming guests and accounting for therevenue they generate.

y

Apart from this they also handle:y Guest mail, messages, and room key control

y Guest accounting

y Distributing essential information to all operating

depts.y Co-ordinating with other depts.

y Control of arrivals and departures.


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Reception Procedures

y Checkin

y Normal

y Group checkins

y Self checkins

Guest folio and credit


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Guest Folio and Extension of Credit

y Guest Folio is an accounting record of alltransactions which become part of guests bill.

y Transactions are in form of charges, credits,

allowances including cash.y Acceptance of credit cards may be useful in some

resorts and in some it may not be useful.

y Automation of Credit card is beneficial to the

resorts.

y Cash flow are also important issue related to guestcredit policies.


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Check out Procedure

y The procedure begins when guest returns the roomkey and settles the bill.

y Steps carried out are:

y

Bringing the guest folio up to datey Inform the guest of the final amount owed.

y Collect payment

y Time-stamp the bill

y Stamp the bill if it is settled by a credit transactiony Hospitality and caring to be shown to leave

pleasant last impression.


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Night Audit Process

y Night Audit provides backup information for dailyincome audit.

y It brings guest accounts up to date at end of

operating day.y It reconciles guest charges with departmental

revenues.

y Most major resorts have computerised their front

office and accounting systems incl. night auditprocedures.


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Computerised front office systems

y Computerisation trend is seen in hotels in the formof complex checkin and checkout.

y Increase use of credit cards and the need for credit

authorisation and account settlement.y Greater numbers of variation from standard rack

rate

y Additional information required by special

marketing plans

y New guest room serviices such as guest-pay movies,electronic sales and electonic bars


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Computerised front office systems

y 50% of US hotels have computerised front officesystems.

y Over 70% of hotels now use CRS and 50% use

computerised back office systems.y Benefits achieved is

y Improved operational efficiency

y Improved service

y Improved internal operational control

y Cost savings


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Guest Relations

y Important as guest loyalty depends in large amountupon relationships established during the guest stay.

y Resort Guests spend discretionary income, unlike

business travellers who travel because they must.y Large resorts have guest relaton department while in

smaller resort guest relations functions are dividedamon g variious department heads.

y Responsibility for good guest relations should beginwith management and extend to every employee.


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Guest Relations

y Guest relations can be reinforced at all employeeorientation meetings and reviewed periodicallyduring satff mtgs. And special training sessions.

y The resort needs to convey the feeling that they carefor guests as well as anyone who visits the resort.

Resort Management Chap. 8

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