Guaranteed Reservation

6. Corporate: A Corporation may sign a contractual agreement with the hotel which states that the corporation will accept financial responsibility for any no-show business travelers the corporation sponsors. Such contracts are often popular in downtown or business center hotels with a large number of transient guests.

Non-Guaranteed Reservations

• The hotel agrees to hold a room for the guest until a stated reservation cancellation hour (usually 4 P.M. or 6 P.M.)on the day of arrival.

• This type of reservation does not guarantee that the hotel receive payment for no-show.

• If the guest does not arrival by the cancellation hour, the hotel can add the room to the list of other rooms available for sale. And if the guest arrives after cancellation hour, the hotel will accommodate the guest id a room is available.

Reservation Inquiry • The hotel receives reservation inquiries in a variety

of ways. Reservation requests may be made in person, over the

1. Telephone.2. Mail.3. Fax or telex4. Internet5. Central reservation system6. Global distribution system(airline reservation

system).7. Intersell agency

Reservation Inquiry

• The reservation agent or online form should collect such information as

1.The guest’s name.2.Address3.Telephone number.4.Company or travel agent name.5.Date of arrival and date of departure.6.The type and number of rooms requested

Reservation Inquiry

• The reservation agents or online sequence should also try to establish

1.The room rate,2.Number of people in the party,3.Method of payment or guarantee,4.Any special requests,

The seven step reservation sales process

• There are many methods to sell hotel rooms by a reservation office, for each chain hotel has specific procedures which they want their reservation agents to use in the process of reservation or when some body want to make a reservation.

The seven step reservation sales process

• The most of these procedures include the following:1. Greet the caller: A warm greeting always sets the

proper tone of the conversation, such “thank you for calling MOVENPICK , this is Mary speaking, how can I help you today”

2. Identify the caller’s needs: such the about the arrival and departure dates, number of guests, bedding preference , group or corporate affiliation , and any questions that help define their needs.

The seven step reservation sales process

3. Provide an overview of the hotel’s features and benefits based upon the caller’s needs. Reservation agents should listen closely to what the caller has said in step 2, which the feature and benefit should be highlighted that respond to the caller’s needs.

4. Make a room recommendation and adjust according to the caller’s response. Which the image about the hotel has been established (step 3), tells the caller the reservation agent has listened to what they have said. Revise the recommendation if necessary.

The seven step reservation sales process

5. Close the sale: don’t wait for the caller to make a decision. Such as “Mr. Jones, would you like me to reserve that room with the king bed for you now”.

6. Gather the reservation information, record all the reservation information necessary according to hotel procedures. this usually includes repeating the guest name, arrival and departure dates, room type and rate, special requests and back to the caller to confirm the information and this is the time to provide a reservation confirmation number.

7. Thank the caller: Closing a call as warmly as opening a call leaves the caller with a sense of confidence that they have made the correct decision.

The seven step reservation sales process

• The reservation function is a sales process. And the most important quality of a successful reservation office is the agents are trained to sell the hotel.

• They create a positive image of the property and desire on the part of the person making the reservation. Which the agent sounds excited about their work and hotel, this is encourage the caller make a reservation. Conversely, vice versa.

• Most the information gathering during the reservation inquiry will be used to create the reservation record.

Central Reservation Systems

• There are two basic type of central reservation systems:

1.Affiliate networks.2.Non-affiliate networks.

• Affiliate networks: is a hotel chain’s reservation system in which all participating properties are contractually related.

Affiliate networks• Every chain operates its own reservation network

the central reservation function to a reservation technology supplier.

• Chain hotel link their reservations operations to streamline the processing of reservations and reduce overall system costs.

• Another outcome is one chain property will attract business for another chain property. Which it means in this case of group reservations, the information may shared among affiliate properties through an automated sales office program.

Affiliate networks

• The reservation are often passed from on chain to another through an automated reservation network.

• If one property is fully booked, the reservations system handling the transaction may provide an online referral to accommodations at a chain property in the same geographic area.

• Referrals may also be made to properties whose locations appear more convenient or suitable to the guest’s needs.

Affiliate reservation networks

• Affiliate reservation networks that allow non-chain properties to participate in the reservation system are able to represent themselves to a broader market.

• Non-chain properties in an affiliate reservation system are referred to as overflow facilities. Reservation requests may be routed to overflow facilities only after all the available rooms in chain properties (within a geographic area) have been booked. Overflow facilities pay a fee to the hotel or reservation network for these referrals.

Non-Affiliate reservation networks• Non-Affiliate reservation networks is subscription

system designed to connect independent or non-chain properties. Non-Affiliate reservation networks enable independent hotel operators to enjoy many of the same benefits as chain-affiliated operators. Like an affiliate reservation network, a non-affiliate network usually assumes responsibility for advertising its service.

• These non-affiliate network accept only a limited number of hotel in any geographical area to keep the value of their service high to the participating members.

Central Reservation Systems• The Central Reservation Office (CRO) deal directly with the

public by means of toll-free telephone number or online web address. Most large lodging chains support two or more reservation centers. Reservation centers and web sites operate 24 hours per day, most day of the year.

• Central reservation offices exchange room availability information with member properties and communicate reservation transactions as they occur. In this way, reservation information is immediately transmitted between the central reservation office and the hotel. Rapid –access reservation system ensure that both the hotel and central reservation office have accurate, up-to-date information on room availability and rate.

Central Reservation Systems

• Central reservation systems provide participating properties with the communication equipment necessary for handling reservation transactions. Communication equipment may take the form of a personal computer, computer network, fax machine , TTD.

Central Reservation Systems

• Affiliate and non-affiliate central reservation systems provide a variety of service in addition to managing reservations processing and communications. A central reservation system may also serve as an inter-property communications network, an accounting transfer system , or a destination information center.

Global distribution systems

• Most central reservation systems, whether they be an affiliate or a non-affiliate network, connect with one of the global distribution systems (GDS). Each GDS is owned by an airline or consortium of airline.

• GDSs provide worldwide distribution of hotel reservation information and allow selling of hotel reservations around the word.

• GDSs provide distribution of airline tickets, automobile rentals, and other service required by travelers.

Global distribution systems

• Selling hotel room is accomplished by connecting the hotel company reservation system with the GDSs.

• Most of the travel agents around the world have terminal connected to one or more of the many airline reservation system to booking airline travel.

• Most GDSs provide single source access to most of the travel agent’s selling requirements. In one transaction, a ravel agent can sell an airline ticket, hotel room, and automobile rental.

Global distribution systems

• Within the past ten years, hotel companies have linked their central reservation systems to GDSs, which allows travel agents to book reservations directly into hotel system and verify room availability and rate. Which this is called seamless connectivity. Confirmations come from the hotel companies’ systems.

Intersell agencies

• This kind of central reservation system that contracts to handle reservations for more than one product line.

• Inter sell agencies handle reservation services for airline companies, car rental companies, hotel properties.

Property direct

• it means that the hotel can handle their reservation directly. Which depending on the volume of direct customer contact, and the hotel have a reservation department aside from front desk.

• Reservation department handles all direct requests for accommodations, monitors any communication links with central reservation systems and intersell agencies, and maintains updated room availability status information.

Property direct• There are several way to reach the hotel direct: 1. Telephone :prospective guest may telephone the

hotel directly.2. Mail: written requests for reservations are common

for group, tour, and convention business. By sent to reservation department directly.

3. Property-to-property: chain hotel properties encourage guests to plan their nest hotel stay while in an affiliate property by offering direct communication between properties. Which it can increase the overall reservation handling among affiliated properties.

Property direct

4. Telex, cable, fax: telex is used to communicate international reservation requests. Cable and fax and other methods of communication account for a small proportion of total reservation.

Property direct

• New trend in property direct reservations is establish one reservation office for specific market. This is common in the chains that may have several properties in geographic area. Which it is serve only one geographic area.

• Cluster reservation office: when the guest call the hotel directly for reservation request, the hotel transfers the call to the cluster office. Which is similarly , the company’s central reservation network is connected to the cluster office as well as the properties itself.

Property direct

• There are several advantage in clustered reservations for the company:

1. Reduction in labor: which it is the highest expenses to a hotel.2. Serve several hotel at the same time which it can sell other

properties, this is convenience for the guests and improves the occupancy of the other hotel.

3. Room rate and availability can be coordinated between properties, the brand's central reservation network and the GDSs. Which it can make the reservation process even more

efficient.

Property direct• Cluster reservation offices may operate at one central

property or sometimes in an office building away from hotel activities. Which raises issue of good communications.

• Before cluster the GM or RM can manage the agents in the reservation department by visiting the office and listening to the telephone calls. With cluster, coordinating with remote reservation offices has its challenges. Through training them which can keep them more familiar with the rooms, facilities and every thing can happened at the hotel. Since they are not working in the hotel which they have less opportunity to become familiar with the hotel rooms and facilities.

Reservations Through the Internet

• Many airlines, hotel companies, car rental firms offer online reservation service through their internet sites. This is enable travelers from many different market segments to use their personal computers to book flights, reserve hotel rooms, and select rental cars.

Group Reservations

• There are a variety of contacts in group reservation include:

1.Guest2.Meeting planners3.Convention and visitor bureaus4.Tour operators 5.Travel agents