HOTEL OPERATION FRONT OFFICE

The Front Office is truly the nerve center of a hotel. Members of the front office staff welcome the guest, carry their luggage, help them register, give them their room keys and mail. The sleeping rooms are comfortable, well equipped and clean. The role played in the Front Office is promoting good guest relation is self-evident and cannot be overemphasized.

The Front office Function can be divided into 5 general areas:

1. Reception2. Bell Service3. Mail and Information4. Concierge 5. Cashiers and night auditors

RECEPTION

The Room Rack

Consist of a series of metal trays slotted to hold slips, usually 1 ½”x4” in size. The clerks should know the established rates, the kind of accommodation offered in each room or suite that is, the type of beds-single,double,twin or studio-the location exposure and even the size.The chief room clerk must see that the room rack is updated.

The Room Clerks

The Room Clerks daily routine: The chief clerk reviews the night clerk’s

report to get an idea of the preceding day’s occupancy and the number of vacant rooms, if any available for immediate assignment to new arrivals.

The room and the total number of projected departures for the day are checked.

The clerk must check the reservations for the day, noting the approximate time of arrivals, special requirements,instruction,deposit,and so on, must block out rooms for some of the expected arrivals.

Supplies must be checked The time stamp is checked for the current date The room rack is checked against the

housekeeper’s morning report of the preceding nights occupied and vacant rooms.

The 3 task that clerks need to perform when the guest check out:

They indicate in the room rack that the guest has vacated, but at the same time they show that the room is not yet available for a new guest generally either by folding rack slip in half and placing it back n the slot, or taking out the slip and stock card and standing both up in the slot.

They notify the house keeper They notify the telephone operators and/or

information clerks.

REGISTRATION

The incoming guest according to 3 general categories: GROUPS AND CONVENTIONS-This category

involves a substantial number of guest who may all arrive at or about the same time.

GUEST WITH RESERVATION-As the guest come to the registration clerk, each should be pleasantly greeted and asked if he or she has a reservation.

WALK-INS-These are people who come into the hotel without a reservation and asked for a room.

Assistant Managers The assistant managers

are not part of the front office staff, yet they must be included in the reception area

BELL SERVICE

DOORMENFor those guest who

arrive by private car or taxi, the first hotel employee they meet is the doorman.

BELLMENOnce the guests have

registered and been assigned a room, they are turned over the bellmen, whose function is to carry the guests baggage and take them to their room

OTHER BELL SERVICE EMPLOYEE:Elevator OperatorsStartersLobby PortersPackaged Room Clerks

MAIL AND INFORMATION

MAILHandling the guests’ mail

before they arrive, during their stay, and after they check out is probably the clerk’s most important function.

ROOM KEYSThe mail rack also holds the

room key, so this is also the function of the mail and information clerks.

INFORMATIONThe information

responsibilities of the mail and information clerks are usually limited to answering questions regarding the guest rooms and other facilities of the hotel.

CONCIERGE

CASHIERS AND NIGHT AUDITORS

AUTOMATIONComplete automation of the

front office,reservation,and accounting functions has been and still is the fervent wish of most hotel operators.