Hotel Front Office Management, 3rd Edition

END OF CHAPTER QUESTIONS 155HOSPITALITY PROFILE?Norman, CHA, is the versus the property management system of processingand controlling reservations, feels that al-Thomasgeneral manager of the HolidayInn Grenada, in Grenada, though the front-end cost of a computerized systemMississippi. This hotel is a 130- is not inexpensive, the hotel recovers the cost “inroom property with seating for 275 banquet guests a hurry,” especially in a property that manages aas well as a Holidome with pool and recreational spa high volume of group business. (Consider the processingof reservations for each person in a largearea. After Mr. Norman graduated with a baccalaureatedegree from Henderson State University, he group, with the information being individually handwrittenonto reservation cards, which are then hand-continued his interest in the hotel industry with variousentry-level hotel supervisory positions. His résuméincludes hotel general manager positions with work hours for reservations are cut by more thanfiled and processed.) He estimates that the payrollWilson World Hotel in Dallas, Texas; Radisson half with the implementation of a computerizedMarque in Winston-Salem, North Carolina; various system. He explains that the computerized systemHoliday Inns and Ramada Inns; The Inn at Reading provides much faster call-up of information, and easierreview of reservations and room availability, ver-in Wyomissing, Pennsylvania; and the MountainLaurel Resort in the Pocono Mountains; as well as sus the manual system, in which a clerk must go toconsulting work in Texas.the proper book to locate and pull out the information.Mr. Norman, in reflecting on the manual systemhotel. Overbooking, used to balance no-shows and understays, can be carefully structuredusing the occupancy management formula. Computerized reservation systems also helpfront office managers to manage guest information databases, dates of arrival, length ofstay, and so forth. Confirmed and guaranteed reservations assure the guest of accommodationson arrival, with various degrees of assurance based on time of arrival andwillingness to prepay. These levels of assurance also affect the financial success of thehotel. All elements discussed in this chapter combine to provide means of access for theguest and a technique for marketing rooms for the hotel. The front office manager isresponsible for providing this service to the guest.End of Chapter Questions1. How does a well-organized reservation system meet the needs of the traveler?2. How does the lodging industry meet the needs of the traveler for assured reservations?3. What advantages does a hotel belonging to a reservation/referral system enjoy?4. What are some major sources of guest reservations? What information does thisanalysis reveal?TLFeBOOK