Group check in

© 2011, Educational Institute

Courtesy of Jumeirah International

GROUP RESERVATION

© 2011, Educational Institute 2

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.


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.

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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.

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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


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.

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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.

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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

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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

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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


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


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

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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

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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

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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


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

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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

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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)

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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

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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


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

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Courtesy of Fairmont Hotels & Resorts


Applications of Information Technology

Check-Out and Billing• Point-of-sale (POS) terminals

Reports and Analysis Applications• Data are often used to generate

reports such as booking activity by market segment

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