Front Office Department Introduction

Front Office Department Introduction, Operations and Key Functions
Introductions To The Hotel Front Office Department

Front Desk is a very important department in the hotel, making direct contact with gu
ests. The main function of this department is Reservation, Guest service, Check-in, C
heck-out, Telephone, Finance & Cashiering, Foreign Exchange, Room Assignment, I
nquiry etc.
The Front Office is also called the nerve centre of a hotel. It can be defined as a front
of the housing department located around the foyer and the lobby area of a hospitalit
y property. As this department is located around the foyer area of the hotel and is visi
ble to the guests, patrons and visitors, they are collectively called “Front Office”.
Should guests have any problems or require to appreciate or comment, they would no
rmally go directly to the Front Office, because it is convenient to contact and convers
e with other departments. Therefore, this department is the direct delegate to link the
work and report the consequence to other departments.
This department is one of the major operational and revenue-producing departments
of the hotel which generates two-thirds of the revenue earned by a hotel from the sale
of the guest rooms. It involves in providing valuable services to the guests during the
entire guest cycle consisting of Pre-arrival, Arrival, Occupancy and Departure.

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IMPORTANCE OF FRONT OFFICE DEPARTMENT

Traditional Front Office functions include reservation, registration, room and rate ass
ignment, guest services, room status, maintenance and settlement of the guest accoun
t, and creation of guest history records.
The Front Office develops and maintains a comprehensive database of guest informat
ion, coordinates guest services, and ensures guest satisfaction. These functions are ac
complished by personal in diverse areas of Front Office Department.
The front office is also known as the face of the hotel. It is the first guest contact area
and also the nerve centre of the hotel. All the activities and areas of the front office a
re geared towards supporting guest transaction and services.

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The operational function of the Front Office Department

Guest Registration: Does all guest registration-related activities like Check-in, room assignme
nt welcoming, room rate etc.

Guest Service: Fulfils any Guest Services related activities.

Guest History and records: Creates and maintains a guest profile, history, likes and dislikes, c
ollect feedback etc.

Guest Database: Develops & maintains a Comprehensive Database of Guest Information

Updates Room Status: responsible to update the correct room status like CI, CO, DNCO, DND
etc.

Reservation: This section is responsible in registering the room reservation from various source
s with recordings, filing of reservation records, and revise on the appropriate time to make sure t
hat guests would have their rooms upon entering the hotel.

Postage and Parcels: This section is to facilitate guests pertaining to the posting of letters, teleg
rams, and parcels.

Telephone: This section is to facilitate guests pertaining to the telephone both internally and ext
ernally, and to wake guests up in the morning upon request.

Finance and Foreign Exchange: This section relates with the Accounting Department, through
the collection from guests through their services, and also give the foreign exchange service.

Inquiry: This section is to answer questions and inquiries of guests. Therefore, this section wou
ld have to be alert with all the movements of the hotel.

Bell Desk and Concierge: Provide all services related to Bell desk and Concierge. 4

STAFFING THE FRONT OFFICE DEPARTMENT

In order to carry out its mission, goals and objectives, every company shall build a for
mal structure depicting different hierarchy of management, supervision, and employee

(staff) levels. This very structure is referred to as an organisation chart.
Moreover, the organisation chart shows reporting relationships, the span of
management, and staff/line functions. The organisation chart for the front office depart
ment differs as per the size of the hotel. View here

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TYPICAL STAFF POSITIONS UNDER THE ROOMS DIVISION DEP
ARTMENT

Front Desk Agent: Registers guests, and maintains room availability information.
Cashier: Maintains and settles guest folios, and properly checks out guests.
Night Auditor: Controls the job of the Accounts Receivable Clerk, and prepares dail
y reports to management (ex: Occupancy Report and Revenue Report).
Mail & Information Clerk: Takes Messages, provides Directions to Guests, and ma
intains Mail.
Telephone Operator: Manages the Switchboard and coordinates Wake-up Calls.
Reservation Agent: Responds to Reservation Requests and creates Reservation Rec
ords.
Uniformed Service Agent: Handles Guest Luggage, escorts Guests to their Rooms,
and assists guests for any bit of information requested.

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front service uniform

Blue represents empathy, warmth and the need for attention from those around you a
s well. And it is also a color that helps to convince people as well. Wearing this tone
of color gives a feeling of trust and stability.
pink ribbon symbolizes the campaign.
white shirt represents purity. It gives a feeling of harmony and balance.

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Purple is a color that expresses fantasies, imagination, creativity.
black tie can make look smart and cool.
white shirt represents purity. It gives a feeling of harmony and balance.

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Basic Responsibilities of Front Office Department

Following are the most basic responsibilities a front office can handle.
• Creating guest database
• Handling guest accounts
• Coordinating guest service
• Trying to sell a service
• Ensuring guest satisfaction
• Handling in-house communication through PBX

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Front-House Operations

These operations are visible to the guests of the hotel. The guests can interact and see
these operations, hence, the name Front-House operations. Few of these operations i
nclude

• Interacting with the guests to handle request for an accommodation.
• Checking accommodation availability and assigning it to the guest.
• Collecting detail information while guest registration.
• Creating a guest’s account with the FO accounting system.
• Issuing accommodation keys to the guest.
• Settling guest payment at the time of check-out.

Back-House Operations

Front Office staff conducts these operations in the absence of the guests or when the
guest’s involvement is not required. These operations involve activities such as

• Determining the type of guest (fresh/repeat) by checking the database.
• Ensuring preferences of the guest to give a personal touch to the service.
• Maintaining guest’s account with the accounting system.
• Preparing the guest’s bill.
• Collecting the balance amount of guest bills.
• Generating reports.

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Guest Cycle in Hotel

Generally, a guest’s interaction with the hotel is divided into the following four seque
ntial phases

Pre-arrival

It is the stage when the customer is planning to avail an accommodation in the hotel.
In this first stage, the customer or the prospective guest enquires about the availabilit
y of the desired type of accommodation and its amenities via telephonic call or an e-
mail. The customer also tries to find out more information about the hotel by visiting
its website.
At the hotel end, the front office accounting system captures the guest’s information
such as name, age, contact numbers, probable duration of stay for room reservation a
nd so on.

Arrival

The front office reception staff receives the guest in the reception. The porters bring i
n the guest luggage. For the guest with confirmed reservation, the front office clerk h
ands over a Guest Registration Card (GRC) to the guest and requests the guest to fill
in personal information regarding the stay in the hotel. The clerk then registers the gu
est in the database thereby creating a guest record and a guest account along with it.
Later, the clerk hands over a welcome kit and keys of the accommodation. After the
procedure of registration, the guest can start occupying the accommodation.

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Occupancy

During occupancy, a front office accounting system is responsible for tracking guest
charges against his/her purchases from the hotel restaurants, room service, bar, or any
outgoing telephone calls made via the hotel’s communication systems. The front offi
ce staff is responsible to manage and issue the right keys of the accommodations to th
e right guests. On guests’ request, the staff also makes arrangement for transportatio
n, babysitting, or local touring while the guest is staying in the hotel.

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Departure

During guest departure, the front office accounting system ensures payment for good
s and services provided. If a guest’s bill is not completely paid, the balance is transfer
red from guest to non-guest records. When this occurs, collection becomes the respon
sibility of the back office accounting division.
At the time of guest departure, the front office staff thanks the guest for giving an op
portunity to serve and arrange for handling luggage. In addition, if the guest requires
airport or other drop service, the front office bell desk fulfils it.

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Different Room Types in hotels

In hotels the rooms are categorised and priced according to the type of bed, number o
f occupants, number of bed, decor, specific furnishings or features and nowadays spe
cial even the special theme available in the room.
Later when assigning the guest room before the arrival of the guest the front desk age
nt must be aware of guest room characteristics for each room type available in the ho
tel. Also not to forget any guest specific request or room specific request requested b
y the guest for eg:- room away from the elevator, King bedded room, twin bedroom,
non-smoking room etc.

Following room type definitions are common in the hotel industry
1) Single: A room assigned to one person. May have one or more beds.
The room size or area of Single Rooms are generally between 37 m² to 45 m².

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2) Double: A room assigned to two people. May have one or more beds.
The room size or area of Double Rooms are generally between 40 m² to 45 m²
3) Triple: A room that can accommodate three perso
ns and has been fitted with three twin beds, one dou
ble bed and one twin bed or two double beds.
The room size or area of Triple Rooms are generall
y between 45 m² to 65 m².
4) Quad: A room assigned to four people. May have
two or more beds.
The room size or area of Quad Rooms are general
ly between 70 m² to 85 m².
5) Queen: A room with a queen-sized bed. May be
occupied by one or more people.
The room size or area of Queen Rooms are general
ly between 32 m² to 50 m²

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6) King: A room with a king-sized bed. May be occu
pied by one or more people.
The room size or area of King Rooms are generally
between 32 m² to 50 m².
7) Twin: A room with two twin beds. May be occupied
by one or more people.
The room size or area of Twin Rooms are generall
y between 32 m² to 40 m².
8) Hollywood Twin Room: A room that can acco
mmodate two persons with two twin beds joined tog
ether by a common headboard. Most of the budget h
otels tend to provide many of these room settings wh
ich cater both couples and parties in two.
The room size or area of Hollywood Twin Rooms are generally between 32 m² to 40
m².

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9) Double-double: A Room with two double ( or p
erhaps queen) beds. And can accommodate two t
o four persons with two twin, double or queen-si
ze beds.
The room size or area of Double-double / Double
Twin rooms are generally between 50 m² to 70 m².
10) Studio: A room with a studio bed- a couch w
hich can be converted into a bed. May also ha
ve an additional bed.
The room size or area of Studio room types ar
e generally between 25 m² to 40 m².
11) Suite / Executive Suite: A parlour or living r
oom connected with to one or more bedrooms.
(A room with one or more bedrooms and a sepa
rate living space.)
The room size or area of Suite rooms are generall
y between 70 m² to 100 m².

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12) Mini Suite or Junior Suite: A single room with a bed and sitting area. Sometimes
the sleeping area is in a bedroom separate from the parlour or living room.
The room size or area of Junior Suites are generally between 60 m² to 80 m².
13) President Suite | Presidential Suite: The m
ost expensive room provided by a hotel. Usual
ly, only one president suite is available in one
single hotel property. Similar to the normal s
uites, a president suite always has one or mor
e bedrooms and a living space with a strong e
mphasis on grand in-room decoration, high-quali
ty amenities and supplies, and tailor-made servi
ces (e.g. personal butler during the stay).The r
oom size or area of Presidential Suites are ge
nerally between 80 m² to 350 m².

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14) Apartments / Room for Extended Stay: This room type can be found in service
apartments and hotels which target for long stay guests. Open kitchens, cooking equ
ipment, dryer, washer etc. are usually available in the room. Housekeeping services a
re only provided once in a week or two times in a week.

The room size or area of Serviced Apartments are generally between 96 m² to 250 m
². 15) Connecting rooms: Rooms with ind

ividual entrance doors from the outside a
nd a connecting door between. Guests
can move between rooms without goi
ng through the hallway.

The room size or area of Connecting roo
ms are generally between 30 m² to 50 m².

16) Murphy Room: A room that is fitted
with a sofa bed or a Murphy bed (i.e. a be
d that folds out of a wall or closet) which c
an be transformed from a bedroom in the night ti
me to a living room in daytime.The room si
ze or area of Murphy Room Types are gene
rally between 20 m² to 40 m².

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17) Accessible Room / Disabled Room: This room
type is mainly designed for disabled guests and
it is required by law that hotels must provide a
certain number of accessible rooms to avoid
discrimination.
The room size or area of Accessible Room Types
are generally between 30 m² to 42 m².

18) Cabana: This type of room is always
adjoining to the swimming pool or have
a private pool attached to the room.
The room size or area of Cabana Room Type
s are generally between 30 m² to 45 m².

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19) Adjoining rooms: Rooms with a common wall
but no connecting door.

The room size or area of Adjoining Room Typ
es are generally between 30 m² to 45 m².

20) Adjacent rooms: Rooms close to each other,
perhaps across the hall.

The room size or area of Adjacent Room Ty
pes are generally between 30 m² to 45 m².

21) Villa: A special form of accommodation
which can be found in some resort hotels. It is
a kind of stand-alone house which gives extra
privacy and space to hotel guests. A fully equi
pped villa contains not only bedrooms and a liv
ing room but a private swimming pool, Jacuzzi
and balcony. It is suitable for couples, families
and large groups.

The room size or area of Villa’s are generally bet
ween 100 m² to 150 m².

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22) Executive Floor/Floored Room: A room lo
cated on the ‘executive floor’ which enables c
onvenient access to the executive lounge. Besi
des, some hotels also provide ‘female executi
ve floors’ with their rooms assigned to female
guests only due to safety and security reasons.
The room size or area of Executive Floor are gen
erally between 32 m² to 50 m².

23) Smoking / Non-Smoking Room: Many hotels provide both smoking and non-s
moking rooms for their guests. In order to minimize the effects of secondhand smoke
exposure on non-smoking guests.
The room size or area of Smoking / Non-Smoking Room is generally between 30 m²
to 250 m².

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5 common problems every hotel front desk agent should know
how to solve

It happens. Flights are delayed. Traffic jams erupt. Luggage is lost. There are a host
of issues hotel guests may encounter before even reaching their lodging destination.
With stress levels heightened upon arrival, hotel front desk agents encounter their fai
r share of impatient attitudes and demanding requests.

by Erika Prafder
They are typically the first people encountered upon on arrival, and in such a pivotal
role, such professionals must address problems that arise in a timely, efficient and co
urteous manner.

According to William Kidd, instructor at Penn State University’s School of Hospitali
ty Management, knowing what types of situations might present themselves can be h
elpful in assessing how to handle themselves and resolve such matters in this importa
nt, highly visible, service-oriented, guest-facing role.

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5 Issues Every Hotel Front Desk Agent Faces

1. Reservations issues. “Whether the reservations agent, the front desk associate or th
e guest made a mistake during the reservation process, the front desk associate will ta
ke on the challenge of correcting the issue,” says Kidd. “This can range from having
a room with the appropriate bed-type, a suite, a preferred view, a preferred floor, or c
onnecting to another room.”

2. Loyalty programs. “Front desk associates are responsible for ensuring that guests
with loyalty status receive the appropriate perk or providing additional perks to resol
ve a guest’s problem. The perks and resolutions range from room upgrades and welc
ome gifts to additional loyalty points,” says Kidd.

3. Guest room issues. “If something is wrong with the guest’s room, or if the guest h
as questions about the room, the first point-of-contact is the front desk associate. Gen
erally, the front desk associate has the responsibility of coordinating guests’ commen
ts and complaints to the correct personnel in other departments to address issues and
manage service recovery. Guests’ calls can include a TV or lamp that is not working,
a need for more towels or a different type of pillow, assistance with in-room technol
ogy or heating and air-conditioning,” says Kidd.

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4. Hotel services and amenities. “Front desk associates are also the first point-of-cont
act for guest’s questions regarding in-house restaurants, lounges, fitness centers, swi
mming pools, retail shops, and other hotel amenities. Likewise, if the guest has a pro
blem with any of these services, the front desk associate usually receives the feedbac
k and is empowered to address and resolve the issue or to get resolution from manag
ement or another department,” says Kidd.

5. Billing questions. “As guests’ check-out, questions about charges to their bill are h
andled by the front desk associates. Guests will sometimes have questions about stat
e and local taxes, resort charges, restaurant and bar charges, and technology charge
s,” says Kidd. “Front desk associates will verify the accuracy of the charges and expl
ain anything that is unfamiliar to the guest.”

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Vocabulary about accommodation for tourists

Hotel type
Boutique hotel A hotel with beautiful architecture and unique location.
Capsule hotels Budget hotels where each room is a small square overlapping space, a
llowing you to sleep only.
Love Hotel (Common knowledge knows no damage)
Pop-up hotel A hotel that has been open for a while. The hotel is built with materials
that are easy to dismantle. Designed to be folded for easy storage or transport. Often
move to open in various big festivals such as music festivals held at the same place e
very year, etc.
Railway Hotels Hotels built by train operators. and located next to various train stati
ons It is often found in Europe where train routes are very long.
Resort Hotel A hotel that is a tourist attraction in itself, such as a casino, a show that
can't be seen anywhere, a famous spa, or a uniquely shaped swimming pool.
Transit hotel A hotel with not very big rooms. and does not provide full service It is
a transit hotel located in the terminal building. which most users do not have to go th
rough immigration

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+ Hotel

Botel from Boat + Hotel are boat accommodations of different sizes depending on th
e area or nature of the tour. will be a ship anchored in place Or it can be a boat that ta
kes tourists along the river as well.

Contel comes from Condo + Hotel, a condo that opens everyday like a hotel. or open
for rent in a short time There is a comprehensive service like a general hotel. Some
people call it a condo hotel.

Motels from Motor + Hotel are cheap hotels. Suitable for those traveling by private c
ar. because there is a car park next to the room It's not very luxurious because it's use
d to rest the tiredness from traveling.

Inn small hotel

Inns A small inn is usually a two-story building the size of a large house. with room
service and simple food Found in rural areas or along highways.

Resort

Resort It is often a one-stop destination. That is, in addition to bed and breakfast. The
re are also many restaurants serving all meals. There are all kinds of recreational faci
lities for the whole family within the resort, such as theme parks, spectacular shows,
spas, golf courses, pubs, bars or casinos.

island resort

seaside resort

ski resort

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Lodge
The villa is a hut in the middle of the forest built with natural materials. or designed t
o look in harmony with nature

mountain house
log cabin style house

other
Hostel for youth or backpackers focusing on economical tourism It is usually served
in the form of a bunk bed dorm. There is a shared bathroom outside the bedroom. an
d a kitchen area that must be shared with other guests
Hostal is a cheap accommodation that can often be found in Spanish-speaking countr
ies. There is a restaurant and bar inside. Don't be confused with Hostel, but they are
very different from each other. Hostal has a 1-star to 3-star rating system and is more
of a private room than a dorm that has to be shared with other guests.
ord can share a room in the house for guests to stay overnight The landlord will also
make breakfast for the guests.
Guesthouse, Guest house. Small accommodation, similar to B&B, but can accommo
date more guests. It is usually a family business. But the owner's accommodation is o
ften separated from the guest room. As a result, guesthouse owners do not interact wi
th guests as much as B&B owners.

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Homestay, in addition to providing accommodation as a room in the owner's house T
he owner will pay attention to the guest like a person in the house. And the owner is
always there to help guests with local culture. and always invites guests to do local a
ctivities
Campsite, a place to pitch a tent

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Word search game

There are a total of 10 words from the article about the hotel type.

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answer

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The 10 words in the game are...

1. HOTEL
2. HOSTEL
3. INN
4. MOTEL
5. HOMESTAY
6. BED AND BREAKFAST
7. GUEST HOUSE
8. LODGE
9. CAMPSITE
10. RESORT

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REFERENCE

setupmyhotel.com/train-my-hotel-staff/front-office-training/743-front-office-introdu
ction-operations-functions.html
https://www.tutorialspoint.com/front_office_management/front_office_management
_introduction.htm
https://setupmyhotel.com/train-my-hotel-staff/front-office-training/96-room-type-def
initions-in-hotels.html
https://www.hellenic-hotels.com/2018/04/5-common-problems-every-hotel-front.ht
ml
https://www.dek-d.com/studyabroad/34020/

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Parichad Thammawong No.38 116530102049-1

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