Fort Aguada Beach Resort,Goa

“Enhancing the Guest Experience at the Fort Aguada Beach Resort, Goa” IHM-A

INSTITUTE OF HOTEL MANAGEMENT,

AURANGABAD, INDIA

University of Huddersfield, UK

Pathway: BA Hons – Hotel Management

UNDERSTUDY PROJECT

Year – III

2010-2011

“ENHANCING GUEST EXPERIENCE THROUGH STRENGTHENING FRONT

OFFICE OPERATIONS AT THE TAJ FORT AGUADA BEACH RESORT, GOA”

Dhananjay Singh Rathore (H-1526)

“Submitted in fulfilment of the requirement forB.A. (Hons.) in Hotel Management”

Rathore, D (H-1526) 1


TABLE OF CONTENTS

SERIAL NO. TOPIC PAGE NO.

1 DISCLAIMER 2

2 DECLARATION 3

3 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS 4

6 SYNOPSIS 5

CHAPTER 1 INTRODUCTION 6

1.1 Introduction to Goa 6

1.2 Introduction to Taj Fort Aguada Beach Resort, Goa 9

CHAPTER 2 NATURE OF THE ISSUE 14

2.1 Statement of Aim 14

2.2 Statement of Objectives 14

2.3 Scope of the Research 14

2.4 Limitations of the Research 15

CHAPTER 3 ANTECEDENTS OF THE ISSUE 17

3.1 Check in Procedure 17

3.2 Check Out Procedure 18

CHAPTER 4 OPERATIONAL FACTS AND OBSERVATIONS 234.1 Guest Cycle 234.2 Tasks performed by the Front Desk 24

CHAPTER 5 COMMENTS FROM THE MANAGEMENT 25

CHAPTER 6 CONCLUSION 26

6.1 Suggestions to strengthen bell desk operations 26

6.2 Suggestions to enhance Check-in experience 27

6.3 Suggestions to enhance Check-out experience 28

BIBLIOGRAPHY 31

LIST OF FIGURES


SR. NO. LIST OF FIGURES PAGE NO.FIG.1 Fact Sheet of Goa 9FIG.2 Sample Departure Letter 30


DISCLAIMER

The information contained herein is in no way to be construed as recommendation by

the Institute of Hotel Management, Aurangabad, India, for laying down any industry

standards or as any kind of proposal to be adopted by or be obligatory upon any member

of the hospitality industry.



DECLARATION

I declare that this Project is the result of our own collective efforts and that it conforms

to university, departmental and course regulations regarding cheating and plagiarism.

No material contained within this Project has been used in any other submission, by the

authors, for an academic award.

Student’s Name:

Dhananjay Singh Rathore

(H-1526)



ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

I would like to take this opportunity to express gratitude and acknowledge the following

people who have made this project successful and memorable.

Mr. Rajiv Khanna, General Manager , Taj Fort Aguada Beach Resort for giving me

the opportunity to work on this project.

Mr. Dennis D’Costa, Executive Assistant Manager (Accommodations), Mr. Aloysius

Saldalna and Mr Darryn Dias, Duty Manager’s at Taj Fort Aguada Beach Resort, Goa,

for providing me with the required information and assistance on this project and

guiding me all through out.

Mrs Mani Malhotra, Learning and Development Manager, for providing me the

opportunity to carry out the understudy effectively and for sending regular feedbacks to

the institute.

Our humble appreciation to all the staff of the front office department and the other

departments at Taj Fort Aguada Beach Resort, Goa for their support and

encouragement. Without them this understudy would not be as enriching and fun as it

was.

Mr. Satish Jayaram, The Principal IHM-A, for giving us the opportunity to work on

this research document.

We would take this opportunity to thank Mrs. Abba Joshi, Course Manager for Year-3,

who has supported our research. We would also like to thank Chef Gokhale and Mrs.

Tanushree Sinha for all the help before, during and after our Understudy respectively.



SYNOPSIS

This Understudy Research Project has been carried out at Taj Fort Aguada Beach

Resort, Goa. This research has been done over a period of five months and in two

phases – The Operations Phase (4 Months) and The Project Phase (1 Month).

In the Operations Phase, the researcher worked in Front Office Department (Bell desk,

Reception and the airport). During this phase, the researcher gained an understanding of

the operations of the hotel. The researcher has used this experience to look for various

opportunities for improvement.

In the Project Phase, the researcher, based on his experience of the operations phase,

decided to improve on some of the weaker areas whiles still continuing the operations.

The researcher has analyzed these areas and provided the management with various

recommendations respective to each area.

This project has been undertaken by the researcher to help enhance the GSTS scores of

front office operations. The project will focus on how the researcher came up with the

proposed concept and an argument supporting the same.

This project documents in detail both phases of the Understudy concluding with the

various solutions and recommendations provided by the researcher.

The entire concept of the project revolves around customer satisfaction and their needs

and expectations. It’s only after going an extra mile that their requirements can be met.



CHAPTER ONE: INTRODUCTION

1.1 INTRODUCTION TO GOA

Goa has it all, sand, sun, sea. It is nature ’s present to mankind. An exceptional blend of

Latin and Oriental, unbelievably rich in monuments and historical sites, dazzling

variety of exotic flora and fauna. Lush green surroundings, rivers that offer water

adventurous sports that provide ecstasy beyond expectation.

Goa has a timeless charm. Its exclusivity lies in the fact that whilst creating a delicate

blend of various cultures, it has retained its inherent soul. The Portuguese named it

“The Pearl of the Orient.” Goa owes its dominant Christian influences to almost four

Portuguese rules. The consequent Portuguese influences produced a blend of East and

West, which is unusual and distinct. Christmas and Carnival are celebrated as

enthusiastically as Diwali and Durga Puja. Goa has some old forts and haciendas, which

are worth exploring providing a legacy on the different bastions of command in Goa.

Fort Aguada is the largest and best preserved Portuguese bastion in Goa and was built

in 1608–12, to control the entry to the river Mandovi and protect Old Goa from political

enemy attacks. The area around the Fort housed a large well and a number of springs

that provided fresh drinking water to the voyagers that arrived by ship.

Having been the meeting point of races, religions and cultures of East and West over

the centuries, Goa has a multi-hued and distinctive lifestyle quite different from the rest

of India. Hindu and Catholic communities make up almost the entire population with

minority representation of Muslims and other religions.

Panaji (Panjim) is the state capital located on the banks of the Mandovi River and

Vasco, Margao, Mapusa and Ponda are the other major towns. Goa has an

international/national airport located at Dabolim near Vasco. An intra-state and inter-



state bus network also plays a crucial role in getting locals and visitors to commute in

and around Goa. Renowned worldwide for its spectacular beaches that are among the

finest in the world, Goa in the west coast of India is like paradise on earth. The 125 kms

coastline is dotted with numerous palm-fringed sandy beaches which offer the perfect

destination for a romantic honeymoon or a perfect vacation. A definite favorite with

travelers from all corners of the world, the beaches in Goa attract thousands of beach

lovers and other tourists from far and wide. The beaches are the most significant aspect

of tourism in Goa.

NORTH GOA:

North Goa is one of the two districts that make up the state of Goa, India. The district

has an area of 1736 sq km, and is bounded by Sindhudurg and Kolhapur districts of

Maharashtra to the north and east respectively, by South Goa District to the south, and

by the Arabian Sea to the west.

The coastline is marked by beautiful historic war – torn forts, from the Reis Magos

royal fort to Goa’s north most outpost Tiracol whose church still serves the few hundred

Catholics living in this area. Beautiful beaches, lonely stretches or widely cluttered, are

all within easy reach of some of the most important cultural sites.

Ponda, sanguem and Sattari, the landlocked provinces of Central and Eastern Goa ’s

attractions are mainly historic. This area opens a whole new, rich and rewarding

perspective to Goa. The beaches in north Goa stretch over a distance of 30 kilometers.

The beautiful beaches are the venues of entertaining parties, carnivals and adventure

sports activities. The beaches in North Goa are -

Arambol

Morjim

Chapora

Vagator

Anjuna

Baga

Calangute



Anjuna, Vagator, Baga, Dona Paula and Bambolim are among the most famous beaches

in Goa. They offer a great deal of relaxation and recreation to the tourists.

SOUTH GOA:

South Goa has become immensely popular since the flood of charter flights began in

1980‟s. Its beaches are beautiful yet less crowded. The landscape is lush green with

paddy fields and thick coconut groves. Some of the finest churches in Goa are found in

south Goa. The deepest imprints of Portuguese culture are embedded in the

surroundings and the lifestyle of the people. In the interiors are centuries old mansion

estates. All in all, romantic, beautiful and a complete Goan experience. The beaches in

South Goa offer tourists relatively quieter and secluded ambience, along with splendid

natural beauty. The beaches of south Goa are as follows:

Bogmalo

Majorda

Colva

Benaulim

Varca

Cavelossim

Mobor

Canaguinim

Agonda

Palolem



Figure 1: Fact Sheet of Goa

Capital: Panaji

Language: Konkani, Marathi, English, Hindi

Area: 3,702 sq. km

Tourist Season: October to March

Climate: Coastal

Population: 1.3 Million

Religion: 70%Hindus & 30% Christians

Literacy Rate: 82%

Tourism is Goa's primary industry: it handles 12% of all foreign tourist arrivals in

India. Goa has two main tourist seasons: winter and summer. In the winter time, tourists

from abroad (mainly Europe) come to Goa to enjoy the splendid climate. In the summer

time (which, in Goa, is the rainy season), tourists from across India come to spend the

holidays. Tourism is generally focused on the coastal areas of Goa, with decreased

tourist activity inland.

1.2 INTRODUCTION TO FORT AGUADA BEACH RESORT

Fort Aguada Beach Resort is built on the ramparts of a 16th century Portuguese Fortress

in year 1974 situated along Sinquerim Beach and is a tropical paradise set in 45 acres of

landscaped gardens overlooking the Arabian Sea. The resort has rooms located in the

main complex and cottages located on a hillock overlooking the sea and the gardens.

Most of the rooms offer a fantastic view of the sea. The resort offers a wide variety of

cuisine choices ranging from authentic Goan, to Mediterranean, Italian, Oriental, Indian

and Continental. Guests staying at Fort Aguada Beach Resort can avail of the

restaurants and other facilities at Taj Holiday Village, Goa and vice versa. This offers

an added variety of options to our guests. No other hotel offers a choice of almost 9

restaurants in one complex. The Jiva Spa offers Indian royal and holistic treatments for

guests to de-stress and relax. We also have a dedicated Activity Team at the resort



which organizes a range of recreational options- including adventure activities such as

rappelling, jummaring and rock climbing. A specially designed children’s activity

centre at The Taj Holiday Village with age- appropriate activities is also available

ensure that your young ones are suitably occupied.

The hotel is approximately 45 km from the airport, 25 km. from the nearest railway

station and 15 km from the main bus stand.

The hotel is finely divided into the main hotel building and the hermitage with a total of

145 rooms in all. In the main building there are three categories of rooms which are:

Superior Garden View Rooms with private sit out- 20 No (312 sq. ft)

The Luxuriously appointed single rooms in the main building offer a view of the

landscaped gardens. Inter-connecting rooms are available on request on the ground level

only. The rooms also have a stocked mini bar at charge.

The Superior Sea View Rooms- 24 No (312 sq. ft)

The luxurious single rooms on the ground and first floor in the main building offer a

view great of the sea. Inter connecting rooms available on request. The rooms also have

a stocked mini bar at charge.

The Superior Sea View Rooms with private sit out- 24 No (312 sq. ft)

The luxurious single rooms on the ground floor in the main building offer a splendid

view of the sea. Inter connecting rooms available on request. The rooms also have a

stocked mini bar at charge.

The Terrace Suites- 24 No (604 sq ft)

The luxurious recently renovated rooms with one bed room, a living room or an

attached powder room and a private terrace. The rooms are available on the lobby level

and one level higher in the main building. They have a superlative view of the sea. Inter

connecting rooms available on request. The rooms have a stocked mini bar at charge.



The resort also offers charming cottages situated on a hillock across the main building

& Villas comprising of 1, 2 & 3 bedrooms which are as follows:

The Cottage Garden View Rooms- 38 No (400 sq. ft)

Nestled on a hillock behind the main building are spacious single rooms set in a block

of 2 or 4 units. Being the most newly renovated rooms in the hotel equipped with all

modern features have a partial view of the sea. The rooms are available on the ground

and first floor. Inter connecting rooms available on request. The rooms have a stocked

mini bar at charge.

The Villa One Bedroom Garden View- 8 No (700-800 sq. ft)

Influenced by Portuguese style of architecture, nestled on a hillock behind the main

building are very spacious, luxuriously appointed, stand alone one-bedroom villa with a

private lawn and verandah. Some villas have an attached dining room.

The Villa One Bedroom Sea View- 4 No (700-800 sq. ft)


building are very spacious, luxuriously appointed, stand alone one bedroom villa with a

private lawn, verandah and a view of the sea. Some villas have an attached dining room.

The Villa Two Bedrooms Sea View- 2 No (1650 sq. ft)


building are very spacious, luxuriously appointed, stand alone villa with two bedrooms,

a dining room, a living room and a verandah. These villas enjoy a superlative view of

the sea. It has a private lawn with a hammock and a stocked mini bar at charge.

The Villa Three Bedrooms Sea View- 1 No (2253 sq. ft)


building are very spacious, luxuriously appointed, stand alone villa with three

bedrooms, a dining room, a living room and a private verandah. The villa enjoys a



superlative view of the sea. It has a private lawn with a hammock stocked mini bar at

charge.

F&B OUTLETS

The hotel has four F&B outlets with a varied range of cuisines to allow guest to enjoy a

variety of tastes, aromas and atmospheres. Listed below are the outlets

Latitude, the multi-cuisine all day dining restaurant, serves buffet breakfast, A la carte

lunch and dinner with live entertainment in the evenings.

IL Camino is an authentic Italian restaurant, serving an array of authentic Italian and

Mediterranean cuisines. The restaurant has live pizza oven, live entertainment enlivens

the ambience.

SFX stands for St. Francis Xavier. This relaxed, all-day lounge bar by the sea serves a

variety of snacks and fast food.

Morisco & Martini bar is the seafood specialty with an open kitchen, serves fresh sea

food grills and innovative cuisines along with a poolside bar.

Banquets - The hotel has 2 meeting rooms with a capacity of 200 and 50 covers in

theatre style seating. The maximum banquet capacity for one event is 600 covers for

outdoor banquets, and 150 covers for an indoor banquet.



At, Fort Aguada Beach Resort, Goa the front office department comprises of the

following:

Front Office Structure

Front Office Manager

Duty Manager

Cashier Travel Desk Guest Services Manager

Front Office Assistant Airport Representative’s Operators

Bell Captain

Bell Boys



CHAPTER TWO: NATURE OF THE ISSUE

2.1 STATEMENT OF AIM

To enhance guest experience through strengthening Front Office Operations at the Fort

Aguada Beach Resort, Goa.

2.2 STATEMENT OF OBJECTIVES

The objectives of this research project are as follows:

To analyse the existing arrival and departure procedure at the hotel

To check for Brand Operating Standards for arrival and departure procedure at

the hotel

To recommend effective and non-cost bearing methods for increasing guest

satisfaction during check in and check out of the guest

To create various Forms & Formats that would facilitate smooth functioning of

the bell desk operations

2.3. SCOPE OF THE PROJECT

The scope of this research is to first and foremost understand operations and the

operational procedures and situations specific to the hotel – Fort Aguada Beach Resort,

Goa. After gaining an understanding of the situation in practicality, the researcher will

attempt to find opportunities for improvement within the Front Office department.



2.4 LIMITATIONS OF THE PROJECT

Due to the very short period of time within which this project has been carried out

combined with the researcher’s limited exposure, this research has the following

limitations:

The research will encompass the guest feedback in the form of GSTS scores and

verbal feedbacks based on a specific period of exposure in the department.

The extent to which the recommendations were implemented has not been

mapped.

This research has been unable to map the actual performance of the hotel after

the implementation of the recommendations.

Training imparted can be effective only if the executives’ themselves show the

zeal and passion towards excellence. Therefore, a lot depends on the executives’

desire to learn.

This research has not taken into consideration any laws, be it local, national or

international relating to any aspect of the hotel.

All the recommendations as an outcome of this research have not been

implemented in the unit due to various reasons.



CHAPTER THREE: ANTECEDENTS OF THE ISSUE

The Hospitality Industry is a 3.5 trillion dollar service sector within the global

economy. It is an umbrella term for a broad variety of service industries including, but

not limited to, hotels, food service, casinos, and tourism. The concept of hospitality

business started when people started travelling away on business and they needed a

place away from home which could cater to all their needs and that is when hotels came

up.

A Hotel can be defined as a commercial establishment that offers lodging to travelers.

Hotels often provide a number of additional guest services such as restaurant s,

conference services, meeting rooms and other services. The guests, who stay at a hotel,

have to go through a 4-step cycle of activities which is known as the guest cycle.

In hotel terminology, the Guest Cycle describes the activities that each guest passes by

from the moment he/she calls to communicate a reservation inquiry till he/she departs

from the hotel. In fact, the guest cycle encompasses 4 different stages, which are

depicted in the underneath, diagram:

Pre-Arrival Arrival Occupancy Departure

The first step is the pre-arrival stage. At this stage, the guest decides to stay at a hotel

and makes the reservation for the same. Doing this initiates the hotel guest cycle.

Reservation records help personalize guest services and appropriately schedule needed

staff and facilities.



The next is the arrival stage. At this stage, registration and rooming functions takes

place and the hotel establishes a business relationship with the guest.

The third is the occupancy stage in which the guest stays at the hotel and uses the hotel

facilities and services. At this stage, the front office department coordinates guest

services in a timely and accurate manner. Efforts are made to minimize the guest

complaints and enhance their stay.

The last stage of the guest cycle is the departure stage. Departure, or checking-out of

the hotel, refers to the process where the guests vacates the hotel room, settles his bills

and leaves the hotel. The stages of the guest cycle become really a cycle (i.e. start from

where it ends), when the guest is given a warm farewell and encouragement to come

back again.

It is no doubt the last interaction of the hotel with the guest; therefore, the hotel should

make certain that the guest has a lasting impression and an unforgettable experience.

When we talk about departure experience, it includes all the activities right from the

moment the guest informs about his departure, till the time he is given a warm farewell

and he leaves the hotel. If this simple departure of the guest is transformed into a

‘departure experience’, the researcher believes that it will lead to enhanced guest

satisfaction, and thereby, increasing the number of loyal customers and positive word-

of-mouth publicity.

3.1 CHECK IN PROCEDURE

1. Arrival of the Guest to the hotel: Guest arrives at the lobby after a long drive of 45

minutes from the airport by coach is very tired, so he expects a quick, pleasant and

courteous receptionist to greet the guest at the porch.



2. Escorting of Guest to the lobby : The receptionist then escorts the guest from the

porch to the lobby, while the bell boy assists the guest with the baggage from the

porch to the lobby. The guest is then seated in the lobby.

3. Service of Cold Towels & Welcome Drinks: Once the guest is seated in the lobby,

the guest is offered a cold towel & a welcome drink as refreshment. This ensures

that the guest has got a warm welcome at the time of arrival. Meanwhile the guest

enjoys the beautiful oceanic view of the Arabian Sea from the lobby.

4. Registration: The receptionist who escorted the guest from the porch to the lobby

registers the guest to the hotel by reconfirming the date of departure, mode of

payment, collection of personal details and reconfirms the meal / room package to

the guest. Personal details can be a PAN Card, driving license, voter’s id or any kind

of photo identity and a valid passport & visa for foreign travellers.

5. Escorting of Guest to the room: Once the registration process is done, the guest is

escorted to the room along with the baggage brought by the bell boy, during the

escorting, the guest is briefed about all the available dining options, their offerings

along with the operational timing. Apart from that the guest is also briefed about the

recreational facilities offered by Fort Aguada Beach Resort & Taj Holiday Village).

The guest is also briefed about the places to visit in Goa. During the room

orientation the guest is briefed about the various special features of the room while

the baggage is placed on the luggage rack.

CHECK OUT PROCEDURE

1. Acknowledge and greet the guest:

Whenever any guest approaches the cashier’s desk, the cashier must maintain a smile

and a welcoming look on his/her face. The cashier should greet the guest according to

the time of the day and offer assistance. If the guest wants to check out, the cashier

must request his permission to proceed with the billing process. The cashier must



always keep eye contact and smile at the guest, giving the guest undivided attention

during the checkout.

Sometimes, if the cashier’s desk is busy, the Front Office Executives or the Duty

Manager must assist the waiting guests. All guests waiting must be acknowledged

within 30 seconds and given an assurance that they will be attended soon. A staff

member should be there to assist the guests, standing in queues and if possible, try to

assist them in the queue itself.

2. Offer luggage assistance :

All guests approaching the cashier counter for check-out with baggage must be assisted

by the bell desk always. If baggage assistance is required in the room, it should be

picked up from the guest room within 10 minutes of the departure request. A departure

tag is used to mark the room number. If the guest wishes to leave the baggage at the

hotel, for him to collect on his next visit or after a few hours, he is given a ‘baggage

slip’, which is to be presented at the time of collecting the baggage.

3. Enquire for any recent charges and mini-bar consumption :

The cashier must enquire about the mini-bar consumption and any other recent charges,

like laundry, etc. All disputed mini bar charges, under Rs.2000/- are allowanced off

without any further discussion with the guest.

4. Enquire about transportation:

The cashiers ask the guest if he needs a hotel car. If so, the charges should be posted

after informing the travel desk. If there is a car already booked, he must reconfirm

about it with the guest and also the time the car is required. The cashier must update the

travel desk about the same.

5. Enquire about the guests stay:



The cashier then enquires from the guest if their stay at the hotel was comfortable and

satisfactory. If the guest is unhappy with his or her stay, there is an opportunity to make

service recovery, after considering it with the Duty Manager.

6. Present the information print out to the guest:

After ensuring that all the outstanding charges have been posted and taking into account

the billing instructions of the guest, the cashier presents the information print-out to the

guest for verification of all the charges. He explains any query about the bill or charge

politely, and if there are any changes to be made, they must be done here. The cashier

must always take the signature of the guest on the information printout.

7. Confirm the mode of settlement and settle the bills:

The cashier then asks the guest about the mode of settlement of his bills. If the guest

wants to settle his bills using a credit card, the cashier requests for it and continues the

bill settlement after considering the amount of pre-authorization taken on the card, at

the time of check-in. A signature of the guest is taken on merchant copy of the charge

slip and the customer copy of the charge slip is attached to the guest bill.

The guest also has an option of settling his bills using cash. If the amount is below Rs.

25000/-, the billing is done as usual. But, if the amount is more than Rs. 25000/-, PAN

number of the guest is required [valid only for Indian residents]. A cash receipt must be

made for all cash settlements and the original copy of the receipt is to be attached to the

guest bill.

If the bill is being taken care of by the travel agent, then a travel agent voucher is

requested from the guest, with his signature on it.

8. Present the bill and vouchers [if requested] to the guest in the departure envelope :



All bills along with supporting vouchers (if requested by the guest) should be neatly

folded and presented to the guest in the departure envelope.

9. Encourage the guest to return :

The cashier will always smile at the guest while bidding fond farewell to the guest. He

must express a desire to see the guest again and enquire about future reservations.

10. Escort the guest till the main porch/ car :

All guests should be escorted from the cash counter till the main porch by the cashier.

The cashier should help the guest to identify the bags and inform the bell desk to have

the bags sent outside.

According to the Taj Leisure Experiences, the following points need to be kept in

mind while taking a check out:

Once a guest has given information or instructions about their departure details,

they will never have to repeat it.

If a guest’s departure time is known, they will not be disturbed in their room

before that time by any staff member or housekeeping, mini bar, etc.

The first person advised of the guest’s departure will collect all relevant

information, including baggage and transport requirements, and asked if they

would like the bill prepared; if so, late charges will be ascertained.

After settling a bill, guests will be escorted to the curb side and accompanied

until their vehicle is prepared to depart.

The vehicle will be ready and waiting at the curb side when the guest arrives to

depart; baggage will be loaded and reconfirmed before departure.

The final farewell phrase will be Namaste or Goodbye depending from city to

city.



Within the Front Office, there are some drivers which most affect the GSTS while

others have a lesser impact. As per the report, the areas in the Front Office Department

which should be improved in order to improve the overall satisfaction of the guest are:

Check-in Experience

Check-out Experience

Airport Transfers

Baggage Handling

The above mentioned factors are in the order of their impact on the GSTS scores.

Improvement in the above mentioned areas is necessary as these issues are based on the

feedback and satisfaction of the guest at the hotel and these are directly reflected in the

GSTS scores of the hotel.



CHAPTER FOUR: OPERATION FACTS / CONSTRAINTS

APPROACH AND CONTRIBUTION

4.1 GUEST CYCLE



Figure 2:

The guest chooses a hotel during the pre arrival stage of the guest cycle. The guest’s

choice can be affected by many factors, including previous experiences with the hotel;

advertisements, recommendations from the travel agents, friends, or business

associates; the hotel’s location or reputation; and preconceptions based upon the hotel’s

name or chain affiliation. The arrival stage of the guest cycle includes registration and

rooming functions. As the centre of the hotel activity, the front desk is responsible for

coordinating guest services. Among many services, the front desk provides the guest

with information and supplies. The final element of guest service is processing the guest

out of the hotel and creating a guest history record. The final element of guest

accounting is settlement of the guest’s account (that is bringing the account to a zero

balance). The researcher is mainly concentrating on the below mentioned functions:

4.2 TASKS PERFORMED BY THE FRONT DESK

The time the guest enters the hotel, the guest is offered Welcome Drinks by the

receptionist, the hotel use to lack in variety of welcome drinks, apple ice tea was served

to the guest. The concentrate of the flavoured ice tea settles down after a while, so the

taste of the drink is not very refreshing to the guest. Now days the guest has a lot of

loyalty cards and privilege cards while coming for a vacation, the guest expects the

hotel to except those privilege cards at the time of check-in so that the guest can get all

the benefits. The receptionist most of the times does not inform the guest about all the

available tie-ups. The Brand Operating Standards for all Taj Premium Brand says that

‘No courtesy call to be given after the guest has checked in’; the researcher believes

that by not giving courtesy call to the guest, you are not aware if there is anything that

the guest is looking on the stay. On a low occupancy day, short stayers should be

upgraded on a complimentary basis; this was not honoured at the time of check-in in the

hotel. Departure Call/letter was not given to the guest prior to the departure, this

facilitates the guest and the cashier to function smoother and faster. For a departure

guest, the front desk team use to inform housekeeping to send someone for checking the

Mini-bar, this use to take more time for the guest to check-out. Guest expects that all



the bills to be ready in advance, and if possible a copy of the bill to be sent to the room

a night before check out or at around 11:00 hrs to facilitate a smooth check-out.

CHAPTER FIVE : COMMENTS FROM THE MANAGEMENT

The researchers presented the project to the management of The Taj Fort Aguada Beach

Resort, Goa. The comments received from the management are as follows:

General Manager - Mr Rajiv Khanna was highly impressed with the ideas and the

way they were presented in the presentation by the researcher and also complimented

the researchers saying that the ideas and the way the presentation was made was very

innovative and creative. He also enlightened the researchers on the latest trends in the

hospitality industry and also discussed other ways in which the check in and check out

experience be efficiently increased with the current staffing. Finally he congratulated

the researchers on the successful completion of the understudy programme at the

property.

Front Office Manager- Mr Dennis D’Costa was very pleased with the efforts taken by

the researchers for doing a through research on the issue without leaving any stone

unturned. He appreciated the inputs given by the researchers on the various causes

which were mainly responsible for the GSTS scores in the department and finally he

also gave the researchers a few valuable suggestions.

.



CHAPTER SIX : CONCLUSION & RECOMMENDATIONS

To enhance the overall guest experience, various recommendations and formats were

created to improve the GSTS scores for the Front Office Department. As mentioned

earlier the researcher mainly focused on three levers:

6.1 SUGGESTIONS TO STRENGHTEN BELL DESK OPERATIONS

• Baggage Delivery:

1. Copy of an Arrival list by Room to be handed over to the Morning Bellboy.

2. Copy of Departure list by time for the next day to be given to the Night Bellboy.

3. Group Arrival list should also be handed over to the bell desk on a daily basis

(Rooming list, expected arrival time and number of rooms).

4. A separate Group format should be created for group arrival & departures.

• Guest Call & Message Delivery

1. A separate format created for all Guest call & Message delivery.

2. Message Envelope should have a Serial No. for verification.

• Newspaper Delivery:

1. A separate format created for recording number of newspapers issued and

received on a daily basis



2. Any requests for any special newspaper must be acknowledged wherever

possible.

• Maintenance of Buggy:

1. Buggy Checklist to be made and to be filled by Night Bellboy.

All Formats to be signed by the Duty Manager on a daily basis.

6.2 SUGGESTIONS TO ENHANCE GUEST CHECK IN EXPERIENCE

1. Welcome drinks like Kokum Sharbat to be introduced (cost effective &

quality).

2. Guest to be briefed about all available tie-ups.

3. Courtesy calls to be given to the guest after he/she checks in to the room.

4. In-Room Check-In must be adhered on a less arrival day / TIC members and

Villa guests.

5. GRE to check for preferences of all guests checking in the next day.

6. Central look up for all guests profiles checking in the next day.

7. Room Upgrade to be honored for all short stayers and first timers (subject to

availability).

8. Bed type should be reconfirmed before escorting the guest to the room.

9. All Hermitage guests to be informed about the Double-lock system and the

buggy facility during room orientation.

10. Requests for interconnecting and adjoining rooms to be honored on a priority

basis as it immensely affects the Check-In Experience.



11. A pamphlet providing information regarding the various dining options

offered at FABR & THV with their respective timings to be placed in all the

rooms.

12. Associate achieving the maximum number of excellent on their respective

Check-in to be recognized on a weekly basis in the departmental meetings.

13. Guests to be briefed about the various on going F&B promotions and weekly

dinners. For Ex-Wok of Life & IL Fiesta.

6.3 SUGGESTIONS TO ENHANCE GUEST CHECK OUT EXPERIENCE

1. Late Checkout to be acknowledged. (Subject to availability)

2. Mini-bar postings to be done in stipulated time so as to reduce checkout time.

3. Guest needs to be anticipated (customization of bills).

4. Information regarding any changes in EDC machines to be given prior to the

morning shift.

5. Posting done by THV in the name of “THV POS” to be replaced with something

relevant. For Ex-Using the name of the outlet/service used. (Reduces Check out

Time)

6. The associate who has taken a check-in must interact with the guest at least once

after check-in; if possible meet on check-out.

7. If a guest has had a complaint during stay, the duty manager to meet compulsory

on departure & apologize for inconvenience, Goan tile can be given.

8. An additional printer can be installed at the duty manager’s desk or at the bell desk

along with a wireless credit card machine can prove vital during group check-out

& also on the days of bulk FIT departures.

9. Departure call / letter to be given prior to checkout.

10. Guests to be asked about any privileged membership so as to feed in the points.

11. All charges to be posted correctly to Guest Bill Folio.

12. Bottled Water to be given at the time of departure.

13. Fond farewell to be given to every guest on a priority basis.



14. When a late checkout is given a new key card to be coded post 1400 Hrs.

PRE-CHECKOUT

a) New Departure Letter: This new format is far more professional and it also shows

how much the hotel cares for its customers. It’s also a way of enhancing the overall

checkout experience as everything with regards to a late check out and details of

departure are filled in by the customer or informed to the reception.

Fig.4 Sample Departure Letter

In Residence:

Dear

We do hope you had a pleasant stay with us and will carry back memorable moments of your holiday. Given below are some essential details, which would facilitate your smooth departure from the resort tomorrow. Please hand over this form to the front desk.

Drive time from the Hotel to the Airport : 1 hour

Reporting Time Domestic Flights : 1 hour (Or as per your flight operator)

Reporting Time International Flights : 3 hours (Or as per your flight operator)

An information copy of your bill can be made available to you at your request on calling the reception at Extn: 0. In case you would like to have a private car to the airport, we request you to contact the travel desk at Extn: 45 to book for the same.

The late checkout facility is subject to room availability and is available at a charge. To ensure a punctual departure from the resort we request you to meet at our lobby fifteen minutes prior to



your departure time. If you are scheduled to depart before 0700 hrs tomorrow, a take away breakfast can be arranged if prior intimation is given today before 1900 hrs.

Your baggage will be collected from the room at : ……..

Your Flight/Train timing will be : ……..

Your departure time from the Resort will be at : ……..

Please contact the Duty Manager at extension ‘41’ if you would like to checkout later than 12:00 noon.

It was indeed our pleasure having you stay with us. We wish you a safe journey back home and look forward to welcoming you back at the Fort Aguada Beach Resort, Goa.

With Warm Regards,

(Front Office Manager)

Guest expectations are exceeding in the coming times. To meet the expectations of the

guest, it is necessary to focus on the overall experience of the guest. When the guest

gets an online GSTS, the guest fills the feedback form after 2 days after the guest has

departed from the hotel. So the notion which the guest has taken back is only the good

memories of the hotel, if for instance there has been a minor complaint, the guest

overall experience gets spoilt. So he rates all the parameters as fair or good not

excellent. This affects the GSTS form for the particular guest. The case in point from

the above research, which the researcher could draw, for some guest rating good on the

GSTS form is the best rating he rates a hotel. In that case the hotel can’t really improve

the GSTS scores. If the guest was delighted at the time of arrival, but during his stay,

there was some F&B complaint, it is possible that the guest would rate the welcome

experience as fair or good. Overall experience of the guest depends on all the factors,



right from the welcome experience of the guest, till the fond farewell given to the guest

at the time of departure. For a hotel it is important to work on the Overall Experience of

the guest, rather just concentrating on any one of the factors.

BIBLIOGRAPHY

BOOKS:

1. Kasavana M., Brooks R. (1995) Front Office Procedures, Educational Institute

of the American Hotel & Motel Association.

WEBSITES:

1. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hospitality industry

2. http://education.in.msn.com/careers/article.aspx?cp-documentid=1165546

3. http://www.bharatonline.com/goa/travel-tips/facts.html

4. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Goa


http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Goa

http://www.bharatonline.com/goa/travel-tips/facts.html

http://education.in.msn.com/careers/article.aspx?cp-documentid=1165546


5. http://www.tajhotels.com/Leisure/Fort%20Aguada%20Beach%20Resort,GOA/

rooms.asp

ARTICLES:

1. Shoemaker S. and Lewis R., (1999), “Customer Loyalty: the future of

hospitality marketing”, International Journal of Hospitality Management, Vol.

18, pp. 345-370.

2. Choi T. and Chu R., (2001), “Determinants of hotel guests’ satisfaction

and repeat patronage in the Hong Kong hotel Industry”, International Journal of

Hospitality Management, Vol. 20, pp.277-297.


Documents

Fort Aguada Beach Resort,Goa