Front Office Operations & Management

376 Pages·2001·16.92 MB·English

by  Ahmed (Ahmed Ismail) Ismail

Front Office
Operations and Management

For Emma and Ellie
[Page iv is Blank]
FRONT OFFICE
OPERATIONS AND
MANAGEMENT
Ahmed Ismail
Australia Canada Mexico Singapore Spain United Kingdom United States
Front Office Operations and Management
Ahmed Ismail
Business Unit Director: Executive Production Manager: Executive Marketing Manager:
Susan L. Simpfenderfer Wendy A. Troeger Donna J. Lewis
Executive Editor: Production Manager: Channel Manager:
Marlene McHugh Pratt Carolyn Miller Wendy E. Mapstone
Acquisitions Editor: Production Editor: Cover Image:
Joan M. Gill Joy Kocsis © (Pete Turner Inc.) Getty Images/
The Image Bank
Developmental Editor: Technology Project Manager:
Andrea Edwards James Considine Cover Design:
Joy Kocsis
Editorial Assistant:
Lisa Flatley Composition:
Lawrence J. O’Brien
COPYRIGHT © 2002 by Delmar, a division of Thomson Learning, For permission to use material from this text or product,
Inc. Thomson Learning™ is a trademark used herein under license contact us by
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For more information contact Delmar,
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Ismail, Ahmed.
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www.delmar.com, or www.hospitality-tourism.delmar.com p.cm.
ISBN 0-7668-2343-1
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.No part of this work covered by the 1. Hotel front desk personnel. 2. Hotel management.
copyright hereon may be reproduced or used in any form or by I. Title.
any means—graphic, electronic, or mechanical, including photo-
copying, recording, taping, Web distribution or information TX911.3.F75.I86 2001
storage and retrieval systems—without written permission of 647.94’068—dc21 2001047674
the publisher.
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Contents
Preface / xv
Acknowledgments / xvii
About the Author / xix
CHAPTER 1 Hotels—Past and Present . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1
Historical Perspective / 2
Marketplace Consistency / 6
Lodging Management Association / 7
Revenue Sources / 11
Sleeping Rooms / 12
Meeting/Function Space / 12
Outlets/Ancillary Revenue Sources / 13
Profit Margin / 15
Room Cost / 15
Food Cost / 16
Opportunity Cost / 18
Captive Audience Quotient / 19
Industry Perspective: Usage of Function Space / 21
Chapter Review / 23
Case Study: Food Cost / 24
Case Study: Chain Histories / 25
Internet Resources: Hotel Web Site Home Pages / 26
CHAPTER 2 Hotel Classifications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30
Hotel Sizes / 31
Hotel Location Classifications / 31
Downtown / 32
Resort / 32
Airport / 34
Suburban / 35
Hotel Product Types / 36
Service Level / 36
Target Market / 39
Independent Hotel Ratings / 42
Chapter Review / 44
Case Study: Hotel Types / 45
vii
viii (cid:1) Contents
CHAPTER 3 The Hotel Guest . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47
Room Sales Differentiation / 48
Group Rooms / 48
Transient Rooms / 48
Transient Reservation Avenues / 50
Market Segmentation / 52
Group Market Segments / 52
Corporate Segment / 52
Association Segment / 52
Other Segment / 52
Transient Market Segments / 53
Business Segment / 53
Pleasure Segment/ 54
Chapter Review / 55
Case Study: Market Segmentation / 57
Case Study: Theoretical Buying Decision / 59
Internet Resources: World Wide Web Travel Sites / 61
CHAPTER 4 The Guest Room . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 62
Categorizing the Guest Room / 63
Room Types / 63
Room Configurations / 64
Room Designations / 73
Room Numbering / 74
Room Status Reconciliation / 77
Guest Room Makeup / 79
Key Control Systems / 82
Industry Perspective: The Role of Architecture in Hospitality / 84
Chapter Review / 89
Special Feature: New Hotel Construction / 90
Internet Resources: Hotel Design Web Sites / 94
CHAPTER 5 Hotel Organization . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 95
Hotel Organization / 96
Functional Departments / 96
Rooms Division / 97
Front Office / 98
Housekeeping / 99
Reservations / 99
The Unique Role of Reservations / 99
Contents (cid:1) ix
Night Audit / 100
Loss Prevention/Security / 100
Food and Beverage / 101
Accounting / 101
Human Resources / 102
Engineering / 103
Sales/Marketing and Catering / 104
Group Résumés / 104
Practical Areas / 105
Organizational Deployment Example / 106
Top Level Management / 106
About My Job: General Manager / 107
The Executive/Leadership Team / 109
Rooms Division Manager/Resident Manager / 109
Director of Food and Beverage / 110
Director of Marketing / 110
Industry Perspective: Engineering / 111
Director of Human Resources / 112
Director of Engineering / 112
Controller / 112
Director of Grounds / 112
Director of Recreation / 113
Department Heads / 113
Rooms Division Department Heads / 114
Food and Beverage Department Heads / 115
Sales Department Heads / 118
Engineering and Human Resources Department
Heads / 119
Accounting Department Heads / 120
Resort Deployment Example / 121
Traditional versus Revenue-based Deployment / 122
Functional Department Management Teams / 123
Special Feature: Hotel Career Management / 126
Chapter Review / 130
Internet Resources: Hotel Career Web Sites / 133
CHAPTER 6 Front Office Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 134
The Arrival Chronology / 135
Stage One—Greeting / 135
Stage Two—Transition / 136
About My Job: Doorman / 137
The Hotel Shuttle / 139