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Room Preferences
Hotel guest rooms come in different shapes and sizes. Different hotel product types (service level and target
market) have different standards for the look and composition of its guest rooms; location types can affect
the look of a guest room as well. Today, the modern guest room is created to meet a guest’s room preferences.
Room preferences are defined as the individual guest’s choice of room type, configuration, and designation.
A. Room type is mainly determined by the number of occupants. Room types set the basis for specific room
rates to be covered. It can be classified as follows:
• By grade or standard. This considers the room’s size, décor and furniture, location or view, and in-
room facilities. A hotel may classify its rooms as standard, superior, and deluxe, or may have its special
terminology to describe different grades. Guests are unlikely to know what these descriptors mean,
so the reservations staff will have to describe the amenities provided by each grade of room.
Value is added to each higher grade. For example, superior rooms are larger than standard rooms,
which may have a mini-bar facility or an en suite bathroom (a bathroom that immediately adjoins a
bedroom and forms part of the same set of rooms).
• By the number and type of beds per room. This is the main reference in which prospective guests will
inquire about rooms.
Number of
Type of Room (symbol) Type of beds Size of bed Occupants per room
beds
Single (S) 1 Single, Double, or Queen 1 occupant
Twin (T) 2 Single 39” x 75” 1–2 occupants
Double (D) 1 Double 50” x 80” 1–2 occupants
Queen (Q) 1 Queen 60” x 80” 1–2 occupants
King (K) 1 King 80” x 80” 1–2 occupants
Triple 3 or 1 + 2 Single or Double + Single 3 occupants
Double-Double 2 Double or Queen 2–4 occupants
Family 1+2 Double + Single 3+ occupants
Table 1. Types of room according to the number and type of beds
Source: Front Office Operations, 2009

In addition, a studio/sofa bed (H), sometimes called hide-a-bed, opens in an accordion or folding
fashion from the seat. Since it unfolds and requires more space, it is less convenient but more
comfortable for both seating and sleeping purposes. Sofa beds come in all sizes (single, double, or
even queen-size). The single-sized sofa bed is almost a three-quarter bed, measuring 48” x 75”. This
type of bed is mostly found in commercial hotels.
• By target customer. This refers to special types of accommodation offered by a hotel for particular
types of guests.
o Penthouse – This is a suite room intended for very important persons (VIPs), other wealthy
guests, and honeymoon couples. This is spacious and decorated to a very high standard. This
is situated at the terrace level, where a part of it is open to the sky.
o Executive floors – These are set aside in a hotel with a high proportion of business trade, with
room types and facilities catering to the needs of business travelers such as meeting rooms,
communication facilities, lounge and bar for client entertainment, and the like.
B. Room configurations characterize the physical makeup of the guest room. The front office (FO) can give
upgrades, an offer to guests to be provided with incrementally nicer configurations, which allows the hotel
to have an increased room revenue as it ensures a room to a guest.

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Upgrades do not always go hand in hand with a higher rate though. These are only offered to VIPs and
regular, loyal guests. Unhappy or irate guests can receive upgraded rooms as a sign of good faith (honesty
in dealings or lawfulness of purpose) by the hotel management.
• Standard configuration. It is defined as the room configuration that makes up the majority of the
guestrooms at a particular hotel. Some hotels refer to their standard configuration as the ‘run of
house’ (ROH).
o Connecting Rooms – This is a standard room opened to the hospitality suite (discussed below)
to serve as its sleeping area or portion for the guests. These rooms have doors that lock for
privacy, but can also be opened to give the suite even more working space. Most hotels also
offer some standard configuration rooms that connect to each other. These rooms are much
useful for families.
• Enhanced configuration. It is sometimes called a concierge room or business level room. Since it
includes more amenities and services than the standard configuration, it also carries a higher room
rate. This enhanced room includes everything the standard rooms have, but with additional amenities
and services. These additional items may include the following:
o Upgraded soft goods (drapery, bedspreads, robes, etc.)
o Upgraded hard goods (nicer or larger work areas, beds, etc.)
o Upgraded amenities (bath soaps, mouthwash, lotions, etc.)
o Items for the business traveler (additional phones with long cords or cordless phones, laptop
computer, in-room fax machine, Internet access, etc.)
o Access to a private lounge (normally offering complimentary breakfast and hors d’oeuvres in
the evening)
• Suite configuration. This involves a larger room in terms of square footage than the other
configurations. Not all suites include higher levels of service. Usually, these have the same services
and amenities with enhanced configuration. The following shows how the suite names change
respective to the room size or location:
o Junior Suite – It is the smallest room in the suite configuration and is often marginally larger
than the standard room.
o Executive Suite – It is larger in area and has more upgraded amenities compared to the junior
suite.
o Corner Suite – This suite is located in the corner of the hotel building itself. This often takes up
the same area that two (2) standard rooms would.
o Bi-level Suite – It takes up the vertical area of two (2) rooms. It also spans two (2) floors or
more to create very high ceilings.
o Hospitality Suite – This suite is intended to entertain guests of residents or groups of people.
This room is rented on an hourly basis and is commonly found in commercial hotels. This suite
may include a kitchen and/or bar area. Large tables make it more conducive for small group
meals or meetings. A standard room (connecting room) is situated beside this suite to be
opened as a sleeping area for guests.
o Presidential Suite – Also referred to as the Chairman’s Suite or the Royal Suite, it is the largest
suite and has the best amenities that a hotel can offer. It always carries the highest rack rate
in the hotel.

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• Disabled access configuration. This includes rooms that are equipped to make the stay of a disabled
guest more comfortable and satisfactory. This configuration may include the following in the room:
o Raised beds o Lowered peepholes in the door
o Wider doorways o Elevated toilets
o Telecommunication devices for the deaf o Bathrooms with metal handrails
(TDD) o Roll-in showers
o Voice-activated digital dialing o Telephones with braille (a tactile writing
o Clocks with larger and brighter numbers and reading system used by visually
o Visual alert smoke detectors, door knock, impaired people)
and alarm clocks
C. Room designation is the final identifier in room preferences. It simply ascertains whether the room is
smoking or non-smoking. Today, most hotels have a minimum of 80–85 percent of their sleeping rooms
designated as non-smoking.
The combination of room type, configuration, and designation all come together to create the specific room a
hotel guest may seek. The guest’s room preference, if met, will play a major role in overall guest satisfaction.
Reservation Types and Systems
Reservation or booking is the activity of holding a room for future use by a guest in an agreement with the
hotel or any lodging facility. Its main function is to match room requests with room availability. The process of
booking begins with an inquiry.
Guests contact their hotel of choice in various ways: facsimile (fax), letter, telephone, Internet and other
computerized communications, and walk-in. Such a request is an opportunity to give a good first impression
of the hotel; a prompt, positive and courteous response will reassure prospective guests that they will receive
good service if they book into the lodging establishment.
The military alphabet, more accurately known in its official
Alpha Bravo Charlie Delta
name as the International Radiotelephony Spelling Alphabet
(IRSA), was developed by the International Civil Aviation Echo Foxtrot Golf Hotel
Organization (ICAO) ideally for radio communications; hence, it India Juliett Kilo Lima
is also referred to as the ICAO phonetic alphabet. Mike November Oscar Papa
Tied to the English alphabet, the military alphabet is created to Quebec Romeo Sierra Tango
ensure that letters are properly pronounced and understood by
air traffic controllers and pilots worldwide, despite which Uniform Victor Whiskey X-Ray
languages are spoken or how much radio static or noise may Yankee Zulu
interfere between the cockpit and the tower. It is used to avoid
mistakes caused by letters that sound similar such as M and N, Table 2. ICAO phonetic alphabet
Source: International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO),
and B, D, E, P, and T. Refer to Table 2 for the complete list of
the 26 codes in the ICAO phonetic alphabet.
Types of Reservations
Reservations can be divided into two (2) main types: guaranteed and non-guaranteed. The type generally
depends on whether a guest agrees to guarantee the booking by a certain method of payment. Refer to 02
Handout 2 for the guidelines in taking reservations and sample reservation dialogues.
• A guaranteed reservation is an arrangement in which the hotel is guaranteed to receive payment, whether
or not the guest arrives to take up the accommodation. In return, the hotel promises to hold the room
until the checkout time of the following day.

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Guaranteed bookings are desirable for hotels because these do not lose out in the event of a “no show,”
and therefore do not worry about late arrivals or having to re-let a no-show’s room (perhaps at a reduced
rate).
Guarantees also protect guests because the room is held for them, regardless of what time they arrive for
the night. They can arrive late – or even early in the morning the following day (say, 12:00 AM onwards) –
if their transport plans require it or if they are subject to unforeseen delays, without fearing that the room
will have been given away to someone else. These are the various methods in which a prospective guest
can guarantee a booking:
o Pre-payment – The guest pays in full for the room in advance, whether directly to the hotel with a
check or credit card at the time of booking or to a travel agent (often as a part of a package of travel
and accommodation bookings). In the latter case, the travel agent will guarantee payment to the
hotel and supply the traveler with a voucher (explained further below) or confirmation letter
indicating that this is the case. Pre-payment is also advantageous for the hotel because it eliminates
the risk of guests’ skipping out without paying or having insufficient funds or credit to pay the bill.
o Partial pre-payment or deposit – A hotel might typically ask for a deposit of one (1) night’s payment
for each reserved room so that the room can be held all night in the event of late arrival or no-
show without losing revenue. This deposit will then be credited to the guest’s folio. If the guest fails
to show or cancels the booking on the day of arrival, the hotel may retain the deposit as
compensation. If a guest booking is canceled within an acceptable cancellation period, any deposit
will be fully refunded.
o Credit card bookings – These are generally guaranteed under the terms of sale, an agreement
between the buyer (client) and the seller (hotel) of goods and services, which includes conditions
the parties agreed on in terms of price, quantity, payment terms, and other special conditions. If
the guest has given a credit card number at the time of booking and does not cancel the booking
within the allowed period before the scheduled arrival date, the hotel is entitled to process the
credit card payment up to an agreed amount.
o Voucher – It is a hotel referral by which a travel agency reserves and sells rooms according to the
contract concluded with the hotel for a specified period. For the front office, it is as important as
cash and needs to be treated in the same manner as money.
o Special agreements – A company client or airline, for example, may pay for rooms to be held for its
use, regardless of whether or not the rooms are taken up.
• A non-guaranteed reservation is a provisional reservation. This means that the arrangement may still be
changed later because there is neither any legal process confirming the room nor any payment for the
advance deposit made. There are two (2) basic types of non-guaranteed reservation, with different
degrees of certainty for guests:
o A 6:00 PM release reservation means that the room is held for the guest until 6:00 PM of their
arrival. If s/he arrives after this time, s/he will have to take a chance on the room still being
available. The hotel has the option of re-letting the room. This arrangement absolves a late-arriving
or no-show guest from cancellation fees while allowing the hotel to re-let the accommodation to
maintain occupancy.
o A take or place (T or P) booking is a kind of waiting list facility offered by chain hotels, especially to
regular guests if they reserve at short notice and the hotel is full. The hotel is assuring the guest
that it will either take them or find a place for them in a comparable hotel, ideally a sister hotel in
the same chain with vacancies. This arrangement helps satisfy loyal guests while maximizing
occupancy for individual hotels and smoothing out overbookings and vacancies within hotel chains
or groups.

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Reservation Systems
A property management system (PMS) is a computer system mainly used in hotels that manage various tasks
from the reservation, check-in and checkout, cash transactions, housekeeping, night audit, and other tasks.
More specifically, for booking purposes, a hotel reservation system refers to a software application that is
implemented by hotels to allow guests to create secure online reservations through a hotel’s website. The
data is then passed onto a backend system, which can be accessed by hotel professionals to manage bookings.
Other features may come with it – for example, the automation of reservation confirmation emails.
Small hotel managers and owners recognize that technology is key to growing their business and increasing
their bookings over time. A hotel reservation system is required to sell rooms to capacity and appeal to a global
audience. However, it can be intimidating to select a system, particularly when many are designed for large
hotel operations and chains. Below are a few examples of hotel reservation systems or software widely-used
and available in the lodging industry to date:
• Uplisting – It is a reliable short-term rental property management software that supports property,
channel, and guest management with automated messages, smart rates, and the like.
• Hotelogix – This is a cloud-based Hotel Management System that offers next-gen capabilities needed by
hotels to simplify reservations, improve operating efficiency, and maximize revenue. It enables real-time
integration with all major Online Travel Agents (OTAs) and Global Distribution Systems (GDS) to expand
the hotel’s market reach, increase occupancy rates, and eliminate booking errors. Hotelogix has a decade
of experience in serving hotels across 100+ countries.
• Smartbnb – This is a property management solution that centralizes all the properties in one (1)
convenient dashboard and automates communication with guests, yet sounds human. It is trusted by the
owners and managers of 167,818+ properties in 140+ countries.
• Ayoha Booking – This is a Philippine-based reservation system for all types of accommodations, including
hotels, resorts, motels, bed and breakfast (B&B), guest houses, and the like. It can serve as a centralized
portal that allows the hotel to accept bookings from its website, front desk (for walk-in guests), and
Facebook page.
Interdepartmental Communications
The front office interacts with various departments of the hotel. These departments look at the front office as
a communication link in providing guest services. The front office serves as a liaison to the following
departments in its respective operational needs or requirements:
• Food and Beverage (F&B)
− needs occupancy forecasts or prediction headcounts to estimate provision requirements on inventory
and staff scheduling
− needs confirmed arrival or departure information to control guest credit
− FO needs information on transfers (forms indicating food or drink charges are added on a guest’s
account; not needed if the hotel uses a system that automatically posts on guest’s folio)
− FO may take or refer restaurant bookings
− F&B takings will be “paid in” to the cashier for accounting and banking

• Housekeeping
− needs room sales projections (a report generated by the FOM indicating the number of departures,
arrivals, walk-ins, stayovers, and no-shows) to plan its staff rosters and room cleaning schedules
− needs information about special demands, complaints, or urgent room requests (e.g., request for
amenities such as toiletries, ironing equipment, etc.)

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− FO needs up-to-date information on rooms (occupied, vacant but not ready, out of order, and the like)
to update the housekeeper’s room report (a report on the availability of rooms for immediate guest
occupancy)
• Engineering
− needs information about repair or replacement requirements
− needs to know the occupancy status of a room before attending to plumbing, heating, or air-
conditioning problems
− FO needs confirmation that the maintenance has acknowledged guest repair requests
− FO needs up-to-date information on out-of-order rooms (closed for maintenance) to update room
availability records
• Accounting
− needs a daily summary of financial transactions through a well-prepared night audit
− needs FO takings paid in, with relevant records
− needs guest billing information entry for credit control, in main hotel accounts, for revenue reporting,
and the like
− FO needs clear policies, procedures, and authorizations for handling and recording transactions and lists
of credit-approved guests
• Security
− needs to be alerted for suspicious persons or activities, reports of a security breach, etc.
− helps guests with special needs
− administers first aid if needed
− deals with problems with guests’ safes, guests locked out of rooms, and opening of interconnecting
doors
− FO needs warnings (e.g., to evacuate premises) and incident reports (for future planning) from the
security department
• Sales and Marketing
− needs information on room availability to know which rooms to sell
− needs information on guest types or origins to develop a marketing strategy and target key guest
segments
− needs FO’s support in selling rooms, facilities, and services
− FO needs information on special promotions (e.g., special rates and inclusions) and campaigns (to
anticipate increased demand)
• Human Resources (HR)
− needs information on FO job requirements (for recruitment planning), FO staff performance and training
needs, and FO staff problems and concerns
− FO staff need information on all HR policies and rules, training or career opportunities, etc.

References:
Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN). (2013). Toolbox for Front Office Operations. Receive and process
reservations: Trainee manual. William Angliss Institute of TAFE.
Confederation of Tourism and Hospitality (2009). Front office operations. BPP Learning Media Ltd.
GetApp (2021). Hotel management software. In Hotel Management. Retrieved 22 January 2021 from
https://www.getapp.com/hospitality-travel-software/hotel-management/
Hayes, David K. (2017). Hotel operations management (3rd Ed.). Pearson.

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