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The Guest Cycle

The front office (FO) is the face or shop window of a hotel. Guests come with perceived ideas of what it will be
like once they enter a hotel. How the front office looks and how the guests are greeted will influence their first
impression of the hotel. Front office staff are the first people whom guests will see when they arrive, and the
last people seen as they leave the hotel premises. The primary function of the front office department is to
support and facilitate guest transactions and services.
The guest cycle refers to the various stages of a guest’s experience of a hotel, and the activities and processes
that are carried out at each of these phases: pre-arrival, arrival, occupancy, and departure (see Figure 1). At
each stage of the guest cycle, certain types of interactions or transactions will take place between the guest
and the hotel staff.
Phases of the Guest Cycle
• Pre-arrival – It is the stage where a guest makes a
room reservation to a hotel. Reservations can be done
through telephone, e-mail, or the hotel’s website.
• Arrival – It is the juncture when a guest reaches the
hotel, shows up, and checks in. Arrival is the guest’s
first physical encounter with the hotel.
• Occupancy – It is the period where a guest stays in a
hotel. During this stage, the front office serves as a
liaison, extends guests’ requests and special needs to
the concerned departments in a hotel, and maintains
guests’ accounts.
• Departure – It is the point when a guest checks out
and leaves a hotel. A guest’s experience at this stage
will determine what experience that guest will carry Figure 1. The Guest Cycle
with him/her. Source: Tutorials Point, Front Office Management, 2016

Pre-Arrival and Arrival Procedures

Hotels use a range of methods to deal with advance bookings or reservations where potential guests could
inquire and/or reserve through a letter, facsimile (fax), e-mail, or telephone, in person (as walk-in), via the
hotel’s website, and through online booking applications (e.g., Agoda.com and Booking.com) to name a few.
(See flowchart of the check-in process in the Fundamentals in Lodging Operations course.)
Pre-Arrival
Reservation of the hotel accommodation is one of the important responsibilities of the front office
department. For a guest, reservation increases the chances of a better deal for assured accommodation on
arrival. For a hotel, reservation can enable better management of guest experience during usual and peak
seasons. Reservation procedures vary depending on the size and brand of the hotel and the reservation system
used. Regardless of how the booking is received, it must be recorded in a reservation form (electronic or
printed). In preparation for the guests’ arrival, the front office needs a list of all the guests expected on a given
day, with their estimated arrival times, room preference (or allocated room if any), special requirements, and
so on.
The arrivals list is an alphabetical list of all guests expected to arrive on a specific date, together with their
length of stay and any special requirements or requests, enabling the hotel to prepare for their arrival (see
Table 1). It is usually generated using the data in the bookings diary the day before the arrival date so that it
is as current as possible (allowing for the possibility of last-minute walk-in or “chance” lettings).

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Separate lists are made for group arrivals and Very Important Person (VIP)/Special Attention guests because
these guests generally require details that need more preparation.
Date of Arrival: _13 September 2019_
No. of No. of Room Room Length Notes/Remarks
Name ETA
adults children type allocated of stay
Arthur Kier 2 323 1N 14:00 VIP
Randall Reyes 1 1 212 2N 16:30
Merlin Garner 2 307 2N 19:30 Wheelchair access
Table 1. Sample Arrivals List
Source: Confederation of Tourism and Hospitality, Front Office Operations, 2009
Arrival
Analysis of the registration process begins with a look at the arrival chronology. This term is used to categorize
the stages a transient or group guest go through upon arrival to a hotel. It allows for analysis of the front office
department that come into contact with the hotel guest. It should be noted that the arrival chronology begins
only upon arrival in the hotel, not during reservation.
Stages of the Arrival
1. Greeting – The first employees who come in contact with guests during arrival are the members of the
uniformed services. This stage begins the process of establishing a favorable impression of the hotel; thus,
gracious and hospitable demeanor should be exhibited. Depending on the hotel size, the first person to
greet hotel guests will usually be either a doorperson or valet attendant.
In large hotels, valet attendants are the first to greet arriving guests and are the last employees they will
see. Valet parking allows guests to leave their vehicle by the front door and have it parked by the valet
attendant. Depending on the location, some hotels do not have access to adequate parking facilities for
guests. The hotel may need to rely on other vendors to supply parking spaces. Utilizing an outside vendor
for products or service is called outsourcing. In addition to parking, hotels may outsource grounds
maintenance, recreational activities, guest transportation, and other services.
2. Registration – It is the process where a guest enters certain identifying details in a book, on a form, or on
a card, fulfilling certain legal and administrative requirements. The registration process begins once the
guest has made it to the front desk. It is at this point that most guests begin to create an impression of the
hotel in their minds; hence, front desk personnel must continue to focus on guest satisfaction.
Why do guests need to register? Registration is helpful for both guest and hotel in various ways.
 It satisfies the legal requirements for the hotel to keep records of their guests.
 It provides a record of arrivals (as opposed to reservations), which may help to account for
residents in the event of fire or other disasters.
 It provides management information; for example, about the proportion of arrivals to reservations,
occupancy statistics, the national origin of guests, and so on.
 It confirms guests’ acceptance of the hotel’s terms and conditions (if they are asked to sign the
register).
 It occupies guests while the receptionist checks booking records, allocates rooms, prepares keys,
etc.
During check-in, the guest approaches the front desk. The 10 x 10 rule should be implemented at this
point, in which it has two (2) parts:
• A guest’s perception of his/her entire stay is, in large measure, instilled in the first 10 minutes upon
arrival.
• The front desk must greet a guest 10 feet before s/he approaches the desk.

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Mechanics of the Actual Check-in

a. Guest requests to check in at the hotel. The guest approaches the front desk to express the intention
of checking in.
b. Front desk personnel project hospitality towards the guest. The important elements of hospitality
include eye contact, a warm smile, offering to assist guest, and the like.
c. Desk clerk inquires about guest reservation. If the guest responds affirmatively, the reservation is
retrieved (called up on the computer). If the guest is a walk-in, the desk clerk proceeds to check room
availability based on the guest’s room preference. If the room is available, the next step is to
complete the registration card.
d. Desk clerk requests the guest to complete the registration card, which is an important hotel
document that provides the hotel with guest’s billing information and provides the guest with
information on checkout time and room rates.
Even if the guest has a reservation, the completion of the registration card is important as it verifies
the spelling of names, addresses, phone numbers, anticipated date of departure, number of people
in the event, room rate, and method of payment. Even hotels with a property management system
(PMS) still ask guests to fill out a registration card.
e. Desk clerk reviews the completeness of the registration card. The front desk clerk should quickly
review the completeness of the registration card or electronic folio. Any omissions should be called
to the guest’s attention.
f. Desk clerk inquires the method of payment to be used by the guest. There are various ways that a
guestroom is paid: cash, credit card, debit card, cheque, and direct billing.
g. Desk clerk selects and assigns a room. For those with reservation, and the room is not pre-blocked,
the employee must find a room in V/R (vacant/ready) status that fits the parameters of the
reservation summary. If the proper room is not available at this point, the guest should be given the
choice of either of the following:
• Wait for their preferred room to reach V/R status; however, placing guests in this status should
be kept at a minimum and should not exceed one (1) hour in duration.
• Take another available room.
For walk-ins, the front desk proceeds to the selection and assignment of room.
h. Desk clerk issues the room key, card, or access code to the guest. It is important to remember not
to speak anything about the room number loudly while giving it to the guest.
i. Bell staff is requested from the bell stand to “room the guest.” The bell staff assists the guest with
luggage handling to the room and explaining the accommodation features, then gives the keys to the
guest, greets for best stay, and leaves the room by closing the door.
3. Transition – This involves rooming the guest, which is performed by the bell staff. Rooming guests involves
assisting them in their rooms and explaining the room features. Delivery of messages, faxes, and room
gifts (flowers, fruit baskets, parcels, etc.) are also parts of the duties of a bell staff. The room is also
inspected for cleanliness, as well as the availability of towels and hangers. Unless there is a final request
for service from the guest, the bell staff leaves the key and the rooming slip, a document used to obtain
the guest name and the room assigned, where checkout instructions and safety alerts and recreational
features are also indicated.
Depending on the size of the hotel, the bell staff can serve multiple roles such as doorperson or valet
attendant. In rooming guests, a bell cart (large brass cart on rollers used to carry luggage) is used by bell
staff to transport a great amount of guest luggage to and from a room.

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Once in the guestroom, the bell staff should turn on lights, open curtains, and explain the room features.
They should also perform the following to the guests:
• Explain how to use the room key, television, DVD, and other in-room services
• Show the room service menu and other hotel’s in-room collaterals
• Show the telephone and explain how to reach the PBX operator and the bell services when needed
• Brief them on fire and emergency procedures as deemed necessary by the hotel management.
4. Completion – Once registration process at the front desk is complete, the guest usually commences on to
their guestroom. The following tasks are accomplished at this stage of the arrival:
• Update guest records
• Coordinate with other involved departments as per guest’s specific requests
• Open a guest billing account, on which daily accommodation and additional charges will be posted
and from which the guest folio (the master bill in the hotel where all cash and credit transactions
incurred by a guest are contained) will be prepared
• Amend the various room status and availability record to show that the guest’s room is now
occupied and unavailable for letting.
In manual systems, folios are maintained and kept in the folio rack at the front office. While in
computerized systems, these are kept in the computer and only printed out at the time of guest checkout.
The recording process in each guest folio is called posting. Posting is done consecutively in the order of
transactions on a given date.
Occupancy and Departure Procedures
Hotels create a warm and inviting atmosphere around the front office area to ensure that the registration
process goes smoothly, i.e., checking guests entail processing individual reservations, assigning proper guest
rooms by ensuring that room preferences are maintained, and obtaining a method of payment.
Occupancy
The third phase of the guest cycle is related to customer service at the hotel during their stay. Alongside the
functional characteristics, any hotel enterprise must set the main goal: get closer to home conditions during
the whole period of the guest’s stay in the hotel and create appropriate conditions for working, leisure, and
entertainment. Additional and accompanying services are also important for increasing hotel revenues.
Each day, based on the arrivals report that is generated, the front desk knows how many guests are due to
check-in. Each individual reservation is known in advance, so the front desk should be able to manage rooms
are available. Coordinating the available rooms with each guest’s room preferences is an important task.
The hotel’s duties during the guest stay come from stances about the hospitality industry which states that
hotels should have four (4) main responsibilities towards guests. When these responsibilities are not fulfilled,
guests suffer damage and have the right to compensation. The hotel’s duties during occupancy are as follows:
• Providing accommodation and/or assisting room changes
• Providing additional services (e.g., using the pool, telephone, bar, television, garage, wellness, and
other facilities)
• Taking care of the guest (e.g., providing safety and comfort to the guests and respecting their
personality)
• Keeping the guest’s belongings safe (such as using a safe deposit box).
Therefore, the following responsibilities can be deduced:
• Providing information (about local attractions, excursions, and other services offered at the
destination in which the hotel is situated)
• Providing phone, fax, e-mail, Internet, message delivery, mail, and other services

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• Providing a wake-up call and managing incoming and outgoing calls for and from the guests
• Making reservations for various services in and out of the hotel to satisfy the guest’s needs
• Keeping track of the guests’ expenses and posting them to their folio
• Selling souvenirs, valuables, goods, and necessities
• Assisting guests in exchanging their currencies according to what is used in the destination country.
Most of these duties are connected to the concierge’s duties, such as the following:
• Accepting and delivering messages • Storing luggage
• Distribution of postmail • Providing information
• Handling room keys
Departure
During guest departure, all late charges should be posted to the guest folio. For operations with PMS, posting
is done as the charges are incurred and posting of late charges can be performed easily as well. For those
without PMS, the front office manager and other department managers should initiate a communication
program so that employees can ensure the quick and accurate relay of last-minute charges. The objective of
the checkout is to process the guest’s request for the settlement of his/her account as quickly and efficiently
as possible. (See flowchart of the checkout process in the Fundamentals in Lodging Operations course.)
Basic Departure Procedures
As with check-in, the hotel also has a standard set of basic procedures for the departure and checkout of
guests while considering the following:
• Checkout times. Most hotels inform their guests on reservation and check-in, and again via in-room
information, about the standard checkout time. The registration form, for example, may specify that
“guests are requested to vacate their rooms by 10:00 on the morning of departure.” This checkout time is
designed to ensure that rooms are vacated in time to be cleaned and prepared for the incoming guests
who may arrive mid-afternoon. Generally, guests must checkout at noon (12:00).
• Departure confirmations. Although reservation and registration documents clearly state a departure date,
some guests may wish to extend their stay at the last minute, and it may not occur to them to give the
hotel advance notice of their change of plans. Many hotels seek to confirm with the guest that they are
due to depart as planned, usually the night before.
• Early or late checkout requests. If the guest needs to leave before reception is staffed, the bill may need
to be presented and settled the night before, and the instructions for returning the keys are given on
departure. If the guest wishes to stay in the room later than the standard checkout time, this will have to
be approved. Housekeeping will have to be notified to delay cleaning, and the room status will have to be
monitored (to ensure that it is not allocated to a new guest who has notified an early arrival). There might
be a charge for late checkouts.
• Departure services and information. When confirming departure, front office staff may also offer
additional services such as an early wake-up call, assistance with luggage or airport transfers, or help with
onward travel arrangements. Guests may also be provided with a departure pack, including the following:
o A bill (for checking prior to payment)
o A reminder of checkout times, procedures, and services
o A customer feedback form (asking the guest to evaluate the facilities and services offered to them
during their stay)
o Promotional brochures for the hotel or hotel chain (as a reminder for future travel needs)
o A letter or card thanking them for their stay
• Departure notifications. On confirmation, other departments of the hotel will have to be informed that
the guest is departing. Switchboard must be notified not to put calls through the room. Housekeeping will

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need to know which rooms to prepare for re-letting. The bar, restaurant, and other internal services will
need to know not to extend further credit to guests who have already settled their bills, and so on. These
notifications may be made via a departures list (often combined on the same sheet as the arrivals list): a
list of all anticipated departures on a given day and in-room number order. However, guests can change
their minds at the last minute—some may leave unexpectedly, while others may extend their stay.
• Bill preparation, presentation, and settlement. The guest bill will be prepared for presentation to the guest,
either at checkout or the night before departure. During checkout, the guest settles the account using one
of the payment methods accepted by the hotel.
• Key return. It is the responsibility of the front office to ensure that the guest returns room keys upon
checkout to avoid the hassle and security risk of keys being lost or taken away by departing guests. Keys
will often be stored on room-numbered racks or in room-numbered pigeon holes (along with guest mail),
allowing an at-a-glance check that keys have been returned. Electronic key cards may need to have their
room access data “erased” before storage.
• Room and guest record updates. Once the guest has left, there is some immediate record updating to do.
On a computerized system, this is done automatically as the guest is checked out; but in a manual system,
front office staff will have to update the following:
o Room status records or room rack – This is to show that the room is first being prepared (vacant
but not ready) and then available for re-letting. If a rack system is used, the guest’s card can simply
be removed from the rack and disposed of.
o Guest list or index – The switchboard uses this to locate the room numbers and extensions of
guests by name.
o Guest file – Copies of the guest’s bill and payment details will be added to the guest’s file (already
containing the reservation form, confirmation, any correspondence, and the registration card),
which will be stored in the past guests filing system for 12 months.
o Guest history records – Hotels wishing to offer a personalized service to returning guests keep
records of their details and preferences, which is updated for each stay. This allows the front office
to recognize returning guests (even if the staff have changed), anticipate their particular needs and
wants, send birthday cards, and so on. This would probably not be worthwhile for any but luxury
hotels, or loyal guests, except for computerization, which makes it achievable for any
establishment.
Mechanics of the Actual Checkout
a. Guest requests checkout – The guest approaches the front desk to inform that s/he is now ready for
check out.
b. Front desk inquires about the quality of products and services – When the guest arrives at the front
desk, the employee should inquire about the guest’s satisfaction with accommodations, food and
beverages, and other services provided. All comments should be noted and passed along to concerned
departments.
c. Desk clerk requests guest to return the key – For properties that use the hard-key system, return of
the hard key is requested for the security of guests and the establishment. For hotels with PMS or
electric key system, the code can easily be changed for future entrance of guest.
d. Desk clerk calls the housekeeping department for room check – This is to ensure that mini-bar
consumption of guests is relayed and posted, as well as to check any damages and losses.
e. Desk clerk reviews folio, charges, and payments for completeness – The employee retrieves guest
folio and gives the guest a hard copy. Both the employee and the guest should review the folio for
checking and finalization.

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Desk clerk confirms method of payment and guest makes the payment – During registration, the
f.
guest indicates the method of payment s/he plans to use. During checkout, the guest confirms the
method of payment which can be cash, debit card, credit card (accept only if the cards have not
expired), bill-to-account, cheque (post-dated ones are not accepted), and special payments such as
gift card and voucher.
g. Desk clerk inquires about additional reservations for any future visit – It is the best opportunity for
securing additional reservations. The employee will ask if the guest will be returning to the area soon
if s/he needs a reservation for a property in the hotel’s chain or referral group. If so, ask if s/he would
like to make a reservation for that visit. If the guest does not respond positively on the first question,
provide a brochure or directory that includes information on how to make an additional reservation
at the property.
h. Desk clerk bids farewell – This is the last encounter between the front desk and the guest. The front
desk may bid, “Thank you for choosing STI Grand Hotel. See you again sir/ma’am.”
i. Desk clerk files or saves guest folio and communicates guest departure to housekeeping and other
departments in the hotel if necessary to ensure smooth operation of the hotel.
Table 2 shows a summary of the sequence of front office activities and the corresponding personnel involved
in each step throughout the guest cycle.
ACTIVITY STAFF-IN-CHARGE
1 Receiving/Processing and documenting guests’ reservations Reservations Clerk
Welcoming/Greeting the guest, opening the door of his/her vehicle, Doorperson, Valet Attendant,
2
opening the hotel entrance door, and unloading guest luggage and Bell Staff
3 Attending to guest registration Front Desk Clerk
4 Receiving payments from guests and posting all on guest’s folio Front Desk Cashier
5 Rooming the guest and carrying his/her luggage Bell Staff
6 Updating room status and preparing guest folio Front Desk Clerk
Attending to all service requests and extending various forms of
7 Front Desk Clerk
guest assistance like wake-up calls, delivery of mails, etc.
Updating guest account, preparing billing statement, and settling
8 Front Desk Cashier
balance
Bell Staff and Housekeeping
9 Assisting guests for checkout
Staff
10 Settling bills and giving clearance for checkout Front Desk Cashier
11 Bidding goodbye and thanking the guest for patronage All Front Office Staff
Table 2. Sequence of Front Office Service
Source: Introduction to Hotel and Front Office Operations, 2008

References:
Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) (2013). Toolbox for Front Office Operations. Receive and process reservations: Trainee manual. Victoria,
AUS: William Angliss Institute of TAFE.
Carev, D. (2015). Hotel sales and the front office operations. Zagreb, HR: VPŠ Libertas.
Confederation of Tourism and Hospitality (2009). Front office operations. London, UK: BPP Learning Media Ltd.
Roldan, A. (2008). Introduction to hotel and front office operations. Parañaque, MLA: AR Skills Development & Management Services, Inc.
Saudi Commission for Tourism and Antiquities (2009). Front office trainee manual [PDF file]. Retrieved from
https://scth.gov.sa/TourismInvestment/Takamul/Documents/GuideLine/FrontOffice.pdf on 4 February 2019
Tutorials Point (2016). Front office management [PDF file]. Retrieved from
https://www.tutorialspoint.com/front_office_management/front_office_management_tutorial.pdf on 17 January 2019
Vasade, M., Mosashavili, I., & Duruli, T. (2018). Hotel guest service technology [PDF file]. Retrieved from
https://www.davidpublisher.org/Public/uploads/Contribute/5abe07ca139f7.pdf on 11 February 2019

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