Front_Office_Operations
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Chapter 2 – Reservation procedure
Group and conference reservation
6.2 Conference accommodation bookings continued…
●Maps of conference and meetings rooms (showing entrances and exits, power points and so on)
●An Inventory of furniture, presentation aids and equipment available for booking/hire (or obtainable by the hotel with advance notice)
●Sample menus and packages for conference catering
●Support services (business services, signage, flower arrangements, assistance with VIP and partner programmes)
●Descriptions of accommodation, dining/entertainment and other services and facilities of the hotel which might be relevant to delegates.
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Chapter 2 – Reservation procedure
Reservations from other sources
7.Reservations from other sources
7.1Central reservation systems
7.2Agency reservations
7.3Internet reservations
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Chapter 2 – Reservation procedure
Reservations from other sources
7.1 Central reservation systems
In addition to reservations handled directly by the hotel, reservations may come in from a number of other sources. One of these is other hotels In the same group, chain, or marketing network, via some form of central reservation system (CRS) or group reservation system.
There may be a scheme whereby any hotel in the group can make reservations within the same group for future or onward accommodation : an affiliate reservation system. (e.g.. the HolidexPlus Reservation Network, operated by the Inter-Continental Hotels chain including Inter-Continental Hotels and Resorts, Crowne Plaza Hotels and Resorts, Holiday Inn and other major hospitality brands). Centralised reservations via central reservation websites: is accepted. E.g. www.marriott.com
A similar facility may be available for independently-operated hotels which subscribe to a non-affiliate reservation network / reservations consortium such as Leading Hotels of the World www.lhw.com
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Chapter 2 – Reservation procedure
Reservations from other sources
7.1 Central reservation systems continued…
●A chain of hotels may also have a separate central reservation office (CRO) or central booking office (CBO), which handles reservations for all hotels in the group. Customers can contact the CRO/CBO using a Free phone or local call number. With modern computerised systems, linked via the Internet, CRO staff can simply tap into the reservation system of the individual hotels, or a shared central reservation database, for up-to-date information on rates and availability, and to input the reservation direct to the hotel.
Advantage |
Disadvantage |
supports the hotel's sales by making it |
The expense of operating CROs, the challenges of swift information |
easy and convenient for customers |
exchange between the CRO and hotels, and the multiple handling of |
(including travel agents) to make |
bookings (once at the CRO and once at the hotel). A customer can make |
reservations within a group of hotels, |
a booking direct via a central reservation website, or the reservation |
whether online or by telephoning a CRO: |
clerk at any hotel in the group can tap into the reservation system of any |
'one stop shopping' for hotel rooms. It |
other hotel in the group to make a reservation. This way, the bookings |
also makes it easier for a group of hotels |
are only handled once, with the benefit of up-to-date availability and |
to monitor its overall booking trends. |
rate information. |
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Chapter 2 – Reservation procedure
Reservations from other sources
7.2 Agency reservations
Reservations can be received by the hotel via various types of booking agencies, e.g.. travel agencies, tour operators, airlines and specialist hotel booking agencies (and their online equivalents), which book reservations with the hotel on behalf of the guest. This is a useful service for the hotel, since individual travellers would not necessarily know about the hotel, or carry out a search for available rooms, themselves. The agency directs business to the hotel, and generally charges some form of commission for the introduction.
●Travel agencies (such as Thomas Cook and Trallfinders) are a useful source of bookings and recommendations, although they charge the hotel a percentage of the accommodation charge as commission for the service. Agencies often obtain pre-payment from the guest (perhaps as part of a package of travel arrangements), and issue an accommodation voucher which the guest presents at the hotel. The hotel subsequently returns the voucher to the travel agent for payment of the stated amount (less the agency's 10% commission on the booking).
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Chapter 2 – Reservation procedure
Reservations from other sources
7.2 Agency reservations continued…
●Airlines may offer 'package' reservations (e.g.. of car hire and accommodation) to their customers, and may also need to arrange accommodation at hotels near to airports, for passengers whose flights are cancelled or delayed. They also regularly book accommodation for off-duty flight crews. This means that they are commercially very powerful, and can usually insist on 'free sale‘ reservations: that is, the hotel allocates a block of rooms for them to use or sell - but they incur no penalty if they are not, in fact, used or sold.
●Airlines have also been at the forefront of the development of Global Distribution Systems (GDS) or ‘ inter sell agencies': worldwide central reservations systems, linking various providers, so that customers have access to up-to-date availability and rate information, and can make reservations, for flights, car hire, accommodation and so on.
Examples include Sabre, Apollo, Galileo, Worldspan and Amadeus.
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Chapter 2 – Reservation procedure
Reservations from other sources
7.2 Agency reservations continued…
●Hotel booking agencies specialise in 'finding' hotels for enquirers who don't know an area, or who are having difficulty finding space at busy periods, or who are looking for 'last minute‘ bookings; they often have offices at major airports, train stations and tourist information bureaux. The customer commonly pays the agency a booking fee (a percentage of the first night's accommodation charge, equivalent to the agency's commission), and receives a receipt or voucher for presentation to the hotel, at which point the fee is credited to the guest's account. The agency has, in effect, received its commission from the hotel, via the customer. Other hotel booking agencies may specialise in finding accommodation for travel agents or conference organisers, and charge commission in the usual way.
●Tour operators sell holiday 'packages' to travellers, including hotel accommodation. They do not receive commission, because they are not introducing clients to the hotel: they are merely booking accommodation themselves (and make their money on the difference between what a package costs them to provide, and what they charge the traveller).
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Chapter 2 – Reservation procedure
Reservations from other sources
7.3 Internet reservations
Using internet helps to make reservations direct with a hotel or central reservations system, without any intermediaries. In fact, the Internet puts all the knowledge and technology previously only available to travel agencies and hotel front offices in the hands of the consumer!
The hotel must have its own web site in order to secure internet reservations (i.e. linked into its advance reservation system) and/or subscribe to hotel booking sites. The hotel will also want to purchase space for advertising and reservation links on the web sites of local tourist information organisations, destination marketing sites (e.g.. run by the local or regional tourist board) and destination databases, so that travellers browsing or searching for accommodation in a particular area will encounter the hotel.
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Chapter 2 – Reservation procedure
Summary
Enquiries
- Person
- Telephone
- Online
- Fax
Group & conference bookings
Reservation
procedures
Cancellation
Confirmation
& guaranties
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Reservation booking form:
-Manual
-computerised
Rooms and
rates
Chapters
1.Introduction to front office operations
2.Reservation procedures
3.Check-in procedures
4.Check-out procedures
5.Guest accounting
6.Yield management, statistics and reports
7.Security and safety responsibilities
8.Guest services and communications
9.Interpersonal and selling skills
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