Hotel Front Office Management, 3rd Edition

COMPONENTS OF THE REGISTRATION PROCESS 191line income from each room. New hotels offer more opportunities for front desk clerksto meet guests’ requests for various bed arrangements and maximize room income. Thehotelier must provide the front desk clerks with several options offering various bed sizesand rate flexibility. The front office manager who discusses guest preferences with thereservationist and the front desk clerks and reviews guest comment cards is able to determinewhich bed accommodations should be made available.LOCATIONGuests often request a certain room location: on the lower level of a hotel, near theparking lot, away from the elevator shaft, in the corner of the building, far from a convention.Also, certain views of the area may be requested—for example, ocean, bay, lake,or city square. Rooms with special views are usually priced higher, as the guest is willingto pay more, feeling this will enhance the visit. Although these rooms are limited by thedesign and location of the building, they add a certain character to a lodging property.The marketing and sales department will usually promote these rooms very heavily. Sometimes,guests’ requests for specific locations or views can be easily met; other times, a lackof available rooms will force the guest to compromise.LAYOUT AND DECORThe guest may request a certain floor plan or room decor. If a businessperson wantsto use the room as a small meeting room as well as a sleeping area, a room with a Murphybed, a bed that is hinged at the base of the headboard and swings up into the wall forstorage (such as the SICO brand wallbed), should be assigned, if available. A guest whois on an extended business trip may request a room with a kitchenette. Several peoplesharing a room for a visit may appreciate a room in which the sleeping and living areasare separate. The newly revived suite design meets various guest needs. Rooms withbalconies or various themes and decors are often requested to enhance a special occasion.EQUIPMENTGuests also request various ancillary equipment and amenities. Although cable televisionand telephones are now standard room furnishings, large-screen televisions, videocassetterecorders, satellite reception, computer and Internet jacks, extra telephone jacks,and more than one telephone may be requested. Some hotels provide computers, faxmachines, equipment for facsimile reproduction via telephone lines, and/or convertibledesks, which accommodate a businessperson’s need for work space. (Figure 7-2). Theavailability of upscale amenities—such as terrycloth robes, fragrant soaps and shampoos,well-stocked honor bars and snack bins, complimentary local and national newspapers,and popular weekly magazines—often plays a role in the guest’s decision to stay at ahotel. If guests are not sure you offer these amenities, they may request them.TLFeBOOK