0. Convention Management and Service Eighth Edition
Chapter 11 Guestrooms
Convention Management and Service Eighth Edition
(478TXT or 478CIN)
Courtesy of Jumeirah International

1. Competencies for Guestrooms
Describe the ways in which meeting attendees make reservations at the hotel that will host their meeting.
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.
Describe how computerization facilitates front office guest service.

2. 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.
(continued)

3. Importance of Effective Communication
(continued)
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.

4. 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

5. 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.
(continued)

6. Characteristics of Reservation Management Procedures
(continued)
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.

15. 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
(continued)

16. Rate Structures Factors in Determining Rate Structures Season
(continued)
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

17. 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

18. Room Types and Release and Confirmation Dates
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

19. 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
(continued)

20. The Group’s Historical Performance
(continued)
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
(continued)

21. The Group’s Historical Performance
(continued)
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

22. 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

23. 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
(continued)

24. Problems with Guestroom Usage and Reservations
(continued)
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

25. 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)
(continued)

26. Guestroom Attrition Booking Outside the Block
(continued)
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

27. 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

28. Applications of Information Technology
Reservations
One-time entry of data; permits preregistration by
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
Courtesy of Fairmont Hotels & Resorts
(continued)

29. Applications of Information Technology
(continued)
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