Download - Chapter 11 Guestrooms
© 2011, Educational Institute
Chapter 11 Guestrooms
Convention Management and ServiceEighth Edition
(478TXT or 478CIN)
Courtesy of Jumeirah International
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Competencies forGuestrooms
1. Describe the ways in which meeting attendees make reservations at the hotel that will host their meeting.
2. Identify factors that hotel staff take into account when assigning rooms to meeting attendees and managing room blocks, and describe the importance of good check-in/check-out procedures.
3. Describe how computerization facilitates front office guest service.
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Importance of Effective Communication
• The hotel sales manager must get the details of the meeting to the reservations department as soon as the contract is signed, and these details must be entered into the computerized reservations system as soon as possible. Otherwise, attendees will call the hotel to make a reservation and find that the reservations department has no record of the meeting.
• Meeting planner should be instructed to tell delegates to indicate that they are attending the convention when making their reservation. This is essential in order to credit individual reservations to the group.
(continued)
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Importance of Effective Communication
• Meeting planner should be asked to provide a list of VIPs to the hotel so that such individuals can be provided with high-end guestrooms.
(continued)
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Reservation Systems
• Postal reply/fax response cards
• Toll-free phone numbers: public or group-specific
• Hotel Internet site reservations
• Rooming lists
• Convention center housing bureaus
• Third-party housing companies
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Characteristics of Reservation Management Procedures
• Postal reply/fax response cards—an effective form is essential. Form must be concise and simple, yet solicit all necessary information.
• Toll-free phone numbers, public or group-specific—attendees must be instructed to indicate that they are attending a meeting when calling to make a reservation.
• Hotel Internet site reservations—must create a special page on firm’s website dedicated to the event and that enables attendees to book at convention rates using a passcode.
(continued)
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Characteristics of Reservation Management Procedures
• Rooming lists—reservations are not made with the hotel, but with the housing staff at the planner’s headquarters. Planner prepares the rooming list from the reservations received and sends it to the hotel prior to a cutoff date. CSM should encourage use of rooming lists because it reduces the load on the hotel’s reservation department.
• Convention center housing bureaus—handles reservations for citywide conventions involving multiple hotels. CVBs must perform efficiently or chaos will ensue.
• Third-party housing companies—firms that use high technology to make housing arrangements for groups. Often used for citywide conventions.
(continued)
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Rate Structures
Kinds of Rates
• Rack rate: rarely used for meetings
• Run-of-the-house rates: common for small groups
• Split rates: rates based on room types
• Discounted rates: common for large groups
(continued)
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Rate Structures
Factors in Determining Rate Structures
• Season
• Days of the week
• Group size
• Length of stay
• Type(s) of room(s) they will use
• Number of guests per room
• Known attendance
• Difficulties with group’s past conventions
(continued)
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Complimentary Arrangements
Comp Rooms• Usually one room for every 50 room nights• One suite for every 100 guestrooms• Rooming lists should specify who will occupy them
Other Concessions• Complimentary cocktail parties• Complimentary limo service• Complimentary meeting space• Offers vary among properties
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Room Types andRelease and Confirmation Dates
Room Types• Singles• Doubles• Twins• Suites
Release and Confirmation Dates• Also called “cutoff dates”• Usually 30 days before meeting• Room block based on group history• Adjust reservation records periodically• Communicate regularly with planner
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The Group’s Historical Performance
Tips• No-shows result in significant revenue loss• Discuss no-show patterns with planner before releasing space• Size of room block should be based on group history, not
planner’s claims• Hotel and planner should re-examine the block size on several
intermediate dates and readjust the number if necessary• Hotel should communicate regularly with planner and adjust
room allotments along the way
(continued)
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The Group’s Historical Performance
Researching a Group’s History• Send standard letter of inquiry to previous host(s)• Obtain planner’s feedback on meetings held between
booking date and the event your property will host• Attend group’s next meeting as observer
(continued)
(continued)
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The Group’s Historical Performance
Release Dates (Cutoff)• The contract should specify a date when guestrooms will be
confirmed or released back to the hotel• Cutoff date is normally 30 days prior to convention start date• After cutoff, rooms are accepted on a space-available basis
Booking Pace Reports• Weekly pick-up reports provided by hotel
(continued)
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Arrival/Departure Pattern
• Most conventions will have some early arrivals and early departures
• Major arrival/major departure should be indicated in the resume
• Extra staffing may be required
• A hospitality area may need to be set up for early check-ins
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Problems with Guestroom Usage and Reservations
No-Shows
• Usually the result of attendees making multiple reservations
• Combat with deposits, 30-day cutoffs, and guaranteed reservations
• Mitigated by walk-in business
• Resorts have little walk-in business
(continued)
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Problems with Guestroom Usage and Reservations
Early Departures
• Answered with early departure fees
Underdepartures
• Answered with offer of new contract or with eviction
Overbooking
• “Walking” guests to other hotels
• Plan ahead for overbooking
(continued)
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Guestroom Attrition
• “Attrition” refers to under-performance
• If actual guestrooms used are significantly less than the rooms blocked, hotels may charge attrition fees
• Attrition fees are charged to the group, not the individual attendee
• Hotels typically allow for some slippage (20 percent)
(continued)
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Guestroom Attrition
Booking Outside the Block
• Attendees who book guestrooms at hotels other than those specified by the meeting planner, or book rooms within the specified hotels, but not as part of the convention group
Room Audits
• To fight attrition, hotels have implemented room block auditing services
(continued)
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Check-In and Check-Out Procedures
Check-In Procedures• Preregistration• Key packets made in advance• Special receiving desks for large groups
Check-Out Procedures• Flexible check-out times• Luggage waiting area
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Applications of Information Technology
Reservations• One-time entry of data; permits
preregistration by e-mail
Registration and Room Assignments• Preprinted registration cards given
to delegates when they arrive, which they review and sign
• Check-in and check-out can be expedited through the use of self check-in, check-out terminals
(continued)
Courtesy of Fairmont Hotels & Resorts