HOTEL RESERVATIONS

Structures

Expressing the location

The hotel is…

The hotel is situated…

The hotel is located…

The hotel is found…

Expressions of location:

PRACTICE

Describe the locations of some of the hotels in Cantho City.

Ex: The Asia Hotel

The Asia Hotel is centrally located in Cantho City, near the ferry to the

Xom Chai Islet.

• The Hoa Binh Hotel
• The International Hotel
• The Ninh Kieu Hotel
• The Phuong Dong Hotel
• The SaigonCantho Hotel
• The Tay Do Hotel
• The Victoria Hotel

PRACTICE

Read the conversations. The parts are not in the right order.

1. Write G on the lines where the GUEST is speaking.
2. Write R on the lines where the RECEPTIONIST is speaking.
3. Number the brackets to show the correct order of the parts.
4. Act out the conversations with your partner.

CONVERSATION 1

__________: The fifth of April. Would that be a single room, sir? ( ____ )

__________: We can give you a no-smoking single room at $150 including service and breakfast. Would that be suitable? ( ____ )

__________: That's fine then Mr. Blane. I've made your reservation. ( __ )

__________: Hello, my name is John Blane. I'd like to reserve a room for the fifth of April, please. ( ____ )

__________: Yes, a single room, for no-smokers if possible, one night only. ( ____ )

__________: Yes, that sounds fine. ( ____ )

CONVERSATION 2

__________: The name is King, Conrad King. ( ____ )

__________: For next week, the fifth of September. ( ____ )

__________: Em... two nights. ( ____ )

__________: When would that be for, sir? ( ____ )

__________: Well, that would be fine. ( ____ )

__________: And the name is? ( ____ )

__________: That would be OK. But how much is it? ( ____ )

__________: And how many nights? ( ____ )

__________: I'd like a room for myself, my wife and my young son, please. ( ____ )

__________: Two nights. Let me see. There's no triple room available then, but I can give you a twin room and put an extra bed in it. (____ )

__________: The rate would be $90 a night for the room.

That doesn't include meals. ( ____ )

__________: Very good Mr. King. We look forward to seeing you and your

family on the fifth of September. ( ____ )

Vocabulary

Room Types

Match the names of room types with their definitions.

Double room Twin room Four-bed room

Single room Triple room Quad Suite

What kind of room would be suitable for the following people? There may be more than one type that suits their requirements.

Reservation documents

What documents does the receptionist need during reservation procedure?

 the room chart

 the reservation form

What are these documents for?Write a brief explanation for the purpose of the

use of each item above.

The room chart: _____________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________

The reservation form:

_____________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________

You'll hear a guest booking accommodation on the phone. Listen and note down his requirements on the room chart.

3. Work with your partner using the role cards in order to take hotel reservations. Take turns to be a guest and a receptionist of the Continental Hotel.

Pre-reading

Discuss the following questions.

1. Why are guest reservations important to travellers and lodging establishments?
2. What does the hotel need to manage guest reservations?
3. How many types of reservation systems?
4. What are the sources of reservation?
5. Besides reservation systems, what does the hotel also need to do?

Reading

The importance of guest reservations to travelers and lodging establishments

Making reservations is necessity for travelers and an important marketing tool for lodging establishments. A reservation system must ensure efficient means of accessing, processing, and confirming information. Without an efficient reservation system, all aspects of managing a hotel will be negatively affected. This not only decreases the hope of repeat business, but also ensures that the dissatisfied customer will tell others of the negative experience.

The importance of a reservation system

A well-organized reservation system allows hotels to ensure a steady flow of guest into their properties. Hotel chains offer their members the ability to fill 30% or more of available rooms on a nightly basis. Independent hoteliers have the onerous responsibility of creating exciting marketing programs to capture room business. Easy access to a hotel’s data bank of rooms helps to fulfill the customers’ needs, as well as in reaching a targeted daily occupancy rate and average daily rate. A reservation system represents the primary means of producing positive cash flow and favorable income statement.

Types of reservation systems

The franchisee is a hotel owner who has access to a national reservation system and receives the benefits of the corporation’s management expertise, financial backing, national advertising, and group purchasing. A franchise member of a reservation system or a member of a referral system gains significant advantages from combined efforts of interhotel property referrals, a system of one member-property recommending another member-property to a guest, and national advertising.

A referral member of a reservation referral system is a hotel developer/owner who has access to the national reservation system. Hotels that are members of the reservation system are more than able to justify these costs: for example, a chain property may obtain 15 – 30% of its daily room rentals from the national reservation system. This depends on local economic and market conditions. Compared to the costs incurred by an independent property that must generate every single room sale with individual marketing and sale efforts, franchise referral costs seems minimal.

Sources of reservations

Corporate clients

Group travelers

Pleasure travelers

Current guests

Besides, hotels also need to forecast reservations, manage the overbooking, and process guest reservations.

Major Reservation Systems

Generally, reservations ensure that corporate, group, and pleasure travelers will have accommodations at their destination and provide the hotel with a steady flow of business. Determining the sources of these reservations assists the front office manager in developing procedures to satisfy the needs of the guest. The traveler can use various means to make reservations, such as toll-free telephone numbers, fax numbers, and the Internet. The room forecast is used to communicate occupancy status to other departments in the hotel. Overbooking, used to balance no-shows and understays, can be carefully structured using the occupancy management formula. Computerized reservations systems also help FO managers to manage guest information database, dates of arrival, length of stay, etc. confirmed and guaranteed reservations assure the guest of accommodations on arrival, with various degrees of assurance based on time of arrival and willingness to prepay. These levels of assurance also affect the financial success of the hotel. Some lodging properties continue to process reservations using traditional, non-computerized system. All elements combine to provide means of access for the guest and a technique for marketing rooms for the hotel. The front office manager is responsible for providing this service to the guest.

From Hotel Front Office Management (1996)

Decide whether the following statements True or False..

1. Making reservations is one of the ways to market the hotel industry.
2. A reservation system is used to affect negatively all aspects of managing a hotel.
3. An efficient reservation system will enhance business and ensure to satisfy the guest.
4. A well-organized reservation system helps to obtain higher room rate and increase the income.
5. Reservation sources are various, from corporate clients to current guests.

Vocabulary

Match the different types of guests to their definitions.

Corporate clients Current guests Group travelers

Guests with confirmed reservations Guests with Guaranteed reservations

Pleasure travelers Stayovers Understays Walk-in guests