Two types of Hotel

Guest/Room sales
 Group Rooms = originate from reservation that are
made to bring more than one guest into the hotel.
 The reservation is made through booking, made some by
travel agents, intermediary.
 Intermediary – Is the person or entity that acts as a
liaison between a guest and the hotel, and also
referred as the third party.
 This is also involves in a series of bookings that corresponds
to specific functions such as meeting, events
 Group base – is the measurement of how many
groups rooms are “on the books” on a given night.
 This can be booked far in advance, in here the group sales
team may reduce the room rate offered.
 Transient Rooms = are rooms that originate
from individual reservations, in here you cant
predict when a guest will arrive.
 This is difficult since you can predict your
occupancy. You have to follow the yearly trend by
checking historical transient.
 Individual Booking Cycle – is the time between
when an individual reservation is made and
when that reservation is due to arrives
 Walk-in Reservations – are made by guest
arriving unannounced at a hotel looking for
rooms, cannot be measured as part of the
booking cycle
Reservation avenue :

 Reservation avenue –This is defined as

means by which a guest is able to make
a reservation at a hotel
Common Reservation
Avenues
 GDS system (Global distribution system) = a network of travel
and hospitality entities that communicate via an integrated
computer system
 CRS ( Central reservation system) = provides the consumer
with an avenue to locate a hotel of choice in a certain location
 EX: Toll free, website
 the common intermediaries are travel agents and travel
management companies:
 2 ways in making money:
 a. Management fee b.
Commission(usually 10 percent)
 3. Direct guest contact = the guests themselves can make
reservations via phone, fax or internet.
MARKET SEGMENTATION

 Market segment = is a portion or

segment of the actual or potential
business mix at any given hotel
 Market Segmentation- Is grouping the
business pool into segments with similar
characteristics
GROUP MARKET
SEGMENT:
 Corporate Segment – consists of for-profit
companies. The corporate market segment may
have more money to spend than non-profit or
business segments. They are more concerned with
the content than with cost.
 Association segment – Associations are, by their
nature, groupings of individuals or companies that
share common purposes or goals. They are more
cost-conscious, because its members often pay for
services out of their own pockets.
 Other segment – also called the primary market,
consists of groups that have characteristics that set
them apart from the corporate or association
category
PRIMARY COMPONENTS

 Social – Weddings, proms, fund raisers,

bar
 Military – reunions, award ceremonies
 Educational – continuing education,
certification, training
 Religious – revivals, gathering
 Fraternal – fraternities, sororities
TRANSIENT MARKET
SEGMENT
 Business Segment - guests who stays
at a hotel primarily because of its
location in relation to another
organization
 Pleasure Segment – guests stays at a
hotel because of its proximity to an
attraction and or because of a signature
attraction in the hotel itself
KEY CONTROL SYSTEM:

 = are used to ensure guest safety by

changing the access to a guest room
between guests
Types of key cards
 for the past key control systems were limited to basic metal keys, these
were easily lost and costly to replace
 KEY cards = a plastic keys resembled a playing card and were filled with
small holes on one end that the door lock could read when inserted
 in here the room name printed on the key. This posed a security risk for
those guests who misplaced keys during their stays
 Modern Hotels use computer-controlled key control system, a credit card
type, a special code is assigned when
 Activated by the front desk. This key is preprogrammed with a guest
arrival and departure information as well as specific guest’s room
information. These cards will only work for the duration of the guest stay
and on its
 Specific room, upon departure these cards can be reprogrammed for a
new guest and new room. If lost the information card can be erased
easily. Another benefit to these keys is that no guest room umber is
printed on them
STATE OF OCCUPANCY

 Occupied = applies to a room that has

been assigned to a guest and that
guest has checked in
 Vacant = the guest has checked out of
the room
 Ready = room is available for new
occupancy
 STATE OF
CLEANLINESS
 Dirty = room has not been cleaned by
housekeeping
 Clean = room has been cleaned but not
yet verified as clean
 STATE OF EXCEPTION
1. Out of Order = room was
removed from inventory for a specific
reason/ Triple O
 ROOM STATUS CODES

 Vacant/Ready (V/R) = available for sale

 Vacant/Clean (V/C) = cleaned room, not yet inspected. All
sleeping rooms are cleaned by a housekeeper and
 Inspected by a supervisor or manager to ensure it is ready
for sale
 Vacant/Maintenance (V/M) = room has been taken out of
inventory for some reasons or the Out of order
 Vacant/Dirty (V/D) = guest checked out, not services by
housekeeping yet
 Occupied/Dirty (O/D) = Guest currently occupies the room,
the night has passed but the room has not yet been
 Service by the housekeeping
 Occupied/Clean (O/C) = guest currently occupies the room
and room has been serviced by housekeeping
ROOM LOCATION

 1. Poolside, PS 5. Beachfront, BF
 2. Oceanview, OV 6. Mountainview,
MV
 3. Gardenview. GV 7. ground-level, GL
 4. Handicapped Facilites, HC
BEDDING TYPES:
 King size bed = normally the largest size bedding
available and is approximately the same size as two
twin
 Beds viewed side by side
 Queen beds = from 10-25 percent smaller than a
king beds but 25 percent larger than standard double
beds
 Double bed = 25 percent smaller than a queen bed.
One or two double beds may be provided in any
room category
 Twin bed = is about one half the size of a standard
king bed
 single bed = may refer to a room with one twin bed or
one bed of any size
ROOM RATES CODES

 . A1Q = A deluxe (A) room with one queen

bed
 B2D = A superior (B) room with two double
beds
 B1Q = A superior (B) room with one queen bed
 C2T = A standard © room with two twin beds
 SU2K = A suite (SU) with two king beds
 P1S = An economy (P) room with one single
bed
RATE CATEGORIES:
 Rack rates – are the establishment normal room
rates.
 Group and Tour rates – A discounted rate for an
organization that has a booked a large block of
rooms or has received a volume discount in
anticipation of a large number of bookings
 Special and Promotional rates – such rates are
offered to corporate travelers, traveling sales
representatives.
 Package rates –are set rates that are offered to the
public in conjunction with other services, such as
banquet or ball, the use of recreational facilities
RATE FACTORS:

 based on such factors as real estate and

construction cost, competition, and the
amount of revenue required to produce a
profit.
 2 Basic components:
 1. Room categories, including
occupancy
 2. Bedding types
 ROOM CATEGORIES
 De luxe = generally represents the maximum rate charged by the
hotel for a regular size sleeping room.
 This type of room generally offers the best available location in
the hotel with best view and highest level of comfort, furnishing
and décor. A fully stocked bar or refrigerator. Beddings used are
queen or king beds.
 Superior = the moderate or medium rate charged by the hotel.
This type of room is usually located on the
ground floor with an acceptable view and may include a
double, queen or king bed.
 Standard – represents the hotel’s minimum rate for regular size
sleeping rooms. The bedding typically consists of one or two
double beds, a queen bed or two twin beds
 Economy – priced below the normal minimum rate. This type of
room might be reserved for overflow
 Situations, discounted rates or special promotions
 Suite – accommodation normally consists of two or more rooms,
typically a parlor and sleeping room. It may
have more than one bedroom, or extra rooms such as kitchenette
or conference room
GROUP RATE
CLASSIFICATIONS
 Group and Tour discounts = to increase
the overall occupancy rate, or to
maintain a consistent level of
 Occupancy year-round
 Guaranteed availability has a high level
of occupancy, the group rate may
simply offer guaranteed availability of a
 Predetermined number of rooms,
without offering a discount
SPECIAL RATES:
 Corporate rate =to earn a corporate discount, the
company may be required to guarantee a minimum
number of rooms
 To be occupied during a set period of time\
 Government rate = is extended to civilian employees of
the federal government, usually on the basis of a contract
between the hotel and a specific department or agency
 Military rate = offers to members of the armed services
 Agent rate = is the hotel’s discounted rate for traveler
agents and airline personnel
 Salesperson rate = are often extended to traveling sales
representatives during the off season, especially at motor
 Hotels and motels
 Local Business rate = including a discount and guaranteed
availability, to preferred a business in the local community
 Day rate = applies to clients who utilize a room during the day
without staying overnight
 Package rates = usually includes promotional discounts to
encourage occupancy during slack or off-season
 Weekend rate = commercial hotel which relies heavily on
business travelers typically has a low occupancy rate
 On weekends
 10 Promotional package rate =normally based on double
occupancy, the package may include food and
MISCELLANEOUS RATE
POLICIES
 Family plan = children under a specified age may
stay free of charge in the same room with their
parents using
 The bedding provided
 Run of the House = refers to the best room available
at the time of check-in when the hotel does not, or in
 Some instances cannot, guarantee a particular room
type, location or bedding
 Connecting rooms = Adjoining rooms, that are
generally available at a slightly higher rate than
separate rooms
MEAL PLAN”
 EP European plan =guest must purchase all their
meals, not included in the daily room rate
 AP American plan
 Full American plan = three daily meals are included in
the daily room rate. alcoholic not available
 Modified American plan = normally continental-style
breakfast and dinner in the room rate,
 CP Continental plan = includes continental style
breakfast in the daily room rate
 BB Bed and Breakfast plan =a full breakfast is included
in the daily room rate
BASIC COMMUNICATION SKILLS:

1. Paraphrasing = is used to make sure you

understand the ideas, information and
questions of others. To paraphrase
means to state the other person’s idea in
your own words or give an example that
shows what you think the person is
talking about. A good one is usually
more specific than the original statement
 Ex: Guest: Can you help me? I need to get
in touch with Mrs. Vallejos
 Clerk: Of course, sir. Do you wish to
leave a message for her?
 = The paraphrase does not capture the full
content of the guest’s message. It catches
the general meaning only and forces the
guest to add further information so that the
clerk fully understands the situation.
 Ex. 2 Clerk: You wish to reach Mrs.
vallejos. Is she staying with us?
 = This paraphrase captures the essence of
the inquiry and then moves to the problem
solving phase. . This is also simplistic, but
they demonstrate the basic function of a
paraphrase. By showing the sender what
the content of the message is from the
receiver’s viewpoint
 Ex.3 Guest: I am dissatisfied with my
room.
 Clerk: Would you like to change to
another one, ma’am?
 = This paraphrase does not reflect what
has been said. Instead the clerk rushes
in with a quick solution. Called Band-
aiding, without being clear on what the
problem really is
 Clerk: Im sorry the room does not meet
your needs, Mrs. Vallejos. How can I
help?
 + This seems an accurate reflection of
the guest complaint. And avoids the
negatively charged word dis-satisfied,
while at the same time shifting the focus
to problem solving
2. Perception Checking = Most verbal
communications carry two messages:
Identifies the other feelings in some way
 =. Content and feeling level = Obvious and
the feelings are of less or no importance:
 Content: What time does the airport shuttle
leave?
 Feeling = I’ve lost my wallet, with all my IDs
and my airlines tickets
 Ex. You seem upset about something, is
there anything I can do?
3. Behavior Description = this skill is aimed
to letting the other persons know what
behavior you are responding to by
describing clearly what you observed.
 Ex: Mr Vallejos, you moved ahead of
others waiting to check in
 Some people seem to be in a hurry
around here
 Statement B is not a behavior
description but an accusation
 Ex. Michelle, I noticed today that you answered
guest’s questions before they had finished their
sentences.
 Michelle, you were quite rude to guest
today
 Statement B labels Michelle as rude w
without giving her specific information about
the behavior
 Ex. I appreciate your concern, sir, but I’d like to
explain to you the reason we had to let your
reservation go at 6:00 pm
 If you are constantly interrupting, I won’t be
able to explain to you why we haven’t got a
room for you
4. Making “I” statement = this skill is most useful
when it is important that the others understand
how you are feeking
 Ex: This is a nice place
 I like working with you. I appreciate the
way you pitch in when I’m busy
 Ex. Didn’t you say you’d be here in twenty
minutes?
 I am glad you got here. I was concerned
you wouldn’t get there in time , and I’d have had
to let your reservation go.
 5. Telephone Skills = working at the desk
involves answering questions, relaying
information and obtaining details from
others over the telephones, from inside to
outside the operation
BASIC RULES
 Speak Distinctly = Speak in a normal tone.
Speak directly into the telephone with your
lips about half an inch from the mouthpiece
 BE prepared = The telephone directory, a
listing of frequently called numbers, a
calendar, message pads, pen
 Plan Ahead = Plan the call before beginning
to dial. Forms, figures, charts or notes
 Answer courteously = the caller judges the
clerk’s attitude by what she hears when
making the first contact.
 Take accurate message
 Name of person called
 Name of the caller and company
 The caller telephone number and
extension
 The callers city
 The message
 The action requested and promised
 The date and time of the call
 The name of the persons recording the call
6. Put callers “ on hold” with courtesy = It is
necessary to leave the line, give the caller the
choice of waiting or being called back. If the
caller wishes to wait, the telephone should be
put down gently, and if it is equipped with a
hold button, this should be depressed.
 EX. I am sorry to have kept you waiting Ms.
Vallejo’s. I am still trying to locate the
information for you. Do you wish to hold or
shall I telephone your room when I find out.
7. Transfer calls carefully = Transfer a call when the
person to whom you are transferring it can help
the caller. Always tell the caller the reason for
transfer
 Ex. Ms. Vallejos, the person to talk to is Marian,
our reservation supervisor, shall I transfer you?
8. End calls Politely = finish the conversation by
using a suitable closing phrase that expresses
appreciation for the call or regret if the caller’s
wish could not be accommodated.
 Ex. Thank you for making this reservation, Mrs.
Vallejos. We look forward to having you at the
Lourdes Hotel

 RESERVATION AND FORECASTING

 Reservation Department = they are the one who

use the levels of availability and occupancy in
implementing the rate structure.
 Availability Factors:
[Link] Number of Reservations = often referred to
as the number of rooms “ on the books”, the
number of currently reserved rooms is the starting
point of availability determination
[Link] Factors = One of the best way to predict
future outcomes is to look to the past
 = The documented record of historical data, by
looking the performance of the hotel in the past is a
good way to predict a performance in the future
 Early Arrivals = Making an allowance for guests who
check in before they are due helps ensure that
availability is as accurate as it can be
 Early Departures = Along the same lines as early
arrival, allowing for a certain number of guests who
check out earlier than expected is important in
determining accurate, availability
 Cancellations =Guests may cancel a reservation for
many reasons: No hotel can say with absolute
certainty how many reservations will be cancelled,
but a good historical record of past years can give a
fairly good determination
 “No-Shows” = Within transient room sales, there are
two types of ways a reservation is held for a guest
*A reservation can be held on an arrival time
basis. This means that the hotel and
guest have agreed that if after a certain
time the guest has not arrived, the
reservation is released
*A guaranteed reservation is held for a guest
the entire night. The guest will guarantee
arrival by providing a credit card number
when the reservation is made. Both of
them understand that the credit card will
be charged whether it is occupied or not
or simply called “ guaranteed no show”
(GNS)
  Stayovers = Guest who stay longer than planned
must be accounted for in some way. History is the
only good way of predicting how many may do so
 Out of order rooms = Rooms that are held out of
inventory for any reason diminish the number of
rooms available for sale
 Walk-Ins = At any given time, guest may arrive
unannounced looking for a room
3. House count = Similar to the availability
determination but differs in a few fundamentals
ways. The house count does not take into
considerations historical factors, market factors
or any unknowns. The house count is an actual
quantifiable number. It looks at how many
rooms are in house, how many are due to arrive
and how many are due to check out.
 Overselling = Hotel may sell more rooms
than are actually in inventory.
 Yield Management = Understanding
opportunity cost and the simple laws of
supply and demand, reservations must
maximize the room revenue for the
remaining rooms.
TOOLS OF YIELD MANAGEMENT
 Rate restrictions = the most widely used type of
restriction. This is similar to the numerical value
strategy reviewed earlier. The manager actively
manages the availability of each rate.
 Rate Triggers = a signal programmed into the
reservation computer system that instructs it to
change the rate based on preset criteria
 Driving Rate = attempts to maximize the rate
revenue early
 Length of Stay Restrictions = attempt to limit
imbalances in occupancy during the week.
 3 types:
 1. Closed to Arrival restrictions = (CTA) useful in slowing
demand on one night while increasing demand on the
prior night.
 A CTA restriction won’t allow any new
reservations for check-in on that night, but does allow for
stayovers.
 2. Minimum Length of Stay Restrictions = (MLS)
mandates that all new reservations stay at the hotel for a
minimum number of nights. This restriction is effective
when demand is known ahead of time to be strong on
certain nights but less so on others. Effective in used over
holidays
 3. Modified Length Stay Restrictions = takes longer
stays into consideration. It is a hybrid of the MLS and the
CT. It is similar to MLS in that it requires a certain number
of nights and resembles the CTA, in that new arrivals are
restricted
 Rate Averaging = A Yield management
tool that simply averages the target rates
for any multiple-night reservations.
Averaging rates may be easier than
applying the other restrictions
 FORECASTING = providing information
on what occupancy levels are
forthcoming, in essence how busy the
hotel will be
IMPACTS OF FORECASTS:
 Asset Location = hotels can predict from
the forecast what demands may be
placed on its infrastructure
 Staffing Levels = The font desk, the bell
stand, the outlets
 Inventory availability =
TERMS:
 Group Rooms Worksheets = a tool the reservations
department uses to aid in forecasting. It breaks down
each booked groups characteristics
 Cutoff Date = the last possible date the hotel can hold
contracted rooms for a group before releasing them
 Reservation card = Is a preprinted form that group
guests would fill out to make reservations
 Group Blocked = is the number of rooms the hotel is
contractually required to provide a group
 Slippage = the term used when analyzing the group
room performance. It is the difference between what is
contracted and what actually arrives
 Contract rooms = a variation of the group booking is
called the contract room
THE ARRIVAL CHRONOLOGY

 the term used to categorize the stages a

transient or group guest go through upon
arrival to a hotel.
 Stage One – Greeting =
 Stage two – Transition
 Rooming a guest – is the term used for a staff
escorting the guest to the room
 Arrival report = List the guests due to arrive that day
 Departure reports = lists those due to check out
 Bellcarts = A large brass cart on rollers that bellstaff
use to caryy luggage to and from a room
 Stage Three – Registration
 Check in, Detrmining Method of Payments
 4. Stage Four - Completion
 Terms:
 Reservation record = this is usually kept in
a notebook or pad, with columns for entering
information
 Details in a Reservation Record:
 * Date received * Source
(telephone, fax)
 * Guest name *
number in the party
 * Number of rooms requested *
Rate
 * Room type * Check
in date
 * check out time
 Date = is used for the date on which the reservation is
received not the check in date
 Source = used to indicate how the reservation was
received
 Guest name -= The surname and initials of the guest are
entered. If the members of the party have more than one
surname, only the surname of the person responsible for
the reservation is entered
 Number in the party = the total number of guests for whom
reservations are being made
 Number of rooms = the number requested by the client, or
in the case of several guests
 Rate = might be used to indicate either the actual rate
quoted to the client or a rate category such as minimum,
moderate or maximum
 Room type = the location or options are entered
 In and out = used for the check-in date and check-out date
 Reservation Books = usually being used by a
small limited service hotel, each page is used
for a different month; each month corresponds
to a day of the month. Any free text can be
entered but typically limited to the guest name,
the number in the party and the room type and
rate
 Reservation Forms = a more elaborate, and
usually used by a larger property. The forms
provide blanks;
 Rack slips = to hold a series of paper slips.
Each slot is represented a room number, and
each rack slip documented the guest
reservation
CONTROLLING RESERVATIONS:
 Room Inventory = is the total number of rooms that the
hotel has to sell
 Occupancy rate = is the percentage of the hotel’s total
rooms inventory that is occupied by the guest
 Over booking = selling more rooms that are actually
available
 Under booking = may occur if the front office assumes
that walk-in business
 Room Counts =is a simple analysis of the rooms that
have been reserved for a selected date range, such as a
week
 Room Summaries = a computer based reservation
system is being used, this is similar to the handwritten
room count
 Report Period = the date range for the summary9 the
week from june 1 to june 7
 Volume forecasts = a projection of the occupancy rate
over a future period
INFORMATION ENTERED IN THE VOLUME
FORECAST
 Total Inventory = refers to the number of rooms
that the hotel can sell on a given date
 = This quantity equals the sum of all occupied
and unoccupied guest rooms, excepts for those
rooms that might be out of service, under repair,
being furnished
 Projected rooms occupied = Is the total of all
rooms reserved for the day, is determined by
dividing the total number of projected rooms
occupied by the total inventory
 Rate = Rooms Occupied/Total Inventory
 Projected occupancy rate
OBJECTIVES FOR INTERNAL RESERVATIONS
SYSTEMS

 To efficiently manage room availability

and guest registration
 To accurately monitor present occupancy
levels and forecast future levels
 To plan and budget the hotels future
income and expenses, based on
anticipated occupancy
 To manage the hotels marketing activities
to best compensate for anticipated
fluctuations in occupancy
ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS FOR HOTELS
RESERVATIONS SYSTEM

 The maintenance of guest reservation

data
 The forecasting of room status and
availability
 PMS (Property Management System) = the variety of
computers systems to manage the operations of their front
office.
 = PMS manages a guest’s check-in and checkout,
cash transactions at the front desk, outlet/ancillary
transactions, reservations, housekeeping, night, audit, and
other tasks.
 = Impacts the rooms divisions before, during, and after
the arrival chronology.
 = This is more than a communications tools, they can
also be thought of as extensive database
 = It can store guest information and preferences; it is
valuable because it enables a hotel to target its marketing
effort.
 = The most important aspect of any PMS is its ability
to manage a hotel’s room inventory
Selecting the PMS:
 Differ greatly Due to the wide variety of hotels currently in
the marketplace. It evolved to meet the differing array of
needs.
 STEPS in Deciding right PMS:
[Link] needs analysis – a process where hotel owners
and senior managers determine the required scope of
their PMS needs
 Factors affects the needs analysis are the Hotel size,
product type, location, and target market
[Link] Appropriate Software = is a computer program
designed on a particular programming platform.
 EX: MS_DOS – older PC system
 Microsoft window – Newer PC system
 In choosing the software a question for the
makers should be consider are:
 A.” How easy is the system to learn?”
 B. “Does it do everything I need it to?
 3. Consider the requisite hardware needs =
understood to be the actual machine the
software runs on. The software itself often
dictates the hardware needs. The chosen
software will require specific processing
speed and memory capability of its
hardware
 PMS workstation= Area where an
employee or manager can access the
PMS, usually located at the front office.
 “Modern Hotel, many of these work
stations is also loaded with additional
software. Depending on the needs of the
end user (E-mail, word processing,
spread sheets and internet access)
 PMS network – also referred to as LAN
(Local area network), allows work station
to communicate with the other.
WHAT IS A CRS
 CRS enables hotel groups and destination
management organizations (DMOs) to
operate their own Central Reservation
System (CRS) and receive reservations
from their own Website, their Call Center,
the Global Distribution Systems (GDS) and
Internet Distribution Systems (IDS).
 CRS is available as an Application
Framework - which can be completely
customized to the needs of the customer.
Features
 Web-based Central Reservation System
 - GDS Interface to Sabre, Amadeus, Galileo and
Worldspan
 - Commission Clearing
 - IDS Interface to more than 2000 Websites
 - Consumer Booking-Engine (completely
customizable)
 - Call Center Booking-Engine (Super-User
Access)
 - Package-Engine (Dynamic Packaging)
 - Affiliate-Engine (setup your own Partner
Network)
Features
 - Merchant-Engine (sell at net-rates to tour
operators)
 - Apartment-Engine (sell vacation rentals)
 - Partner Extranet (Property Information, Rates,
Availability, etc.)
 - Various Interfaces to Destination Management
Systems
 - Various Interfaces to Property Management
Systems
 - Web-based Report Generator (real-time reports)

GDS/IDS SYSTEM
 Using next generation reservation technology you
have a seamless connection to Sabre, Worldspan,
Amadeus Global Distribution Systems, and the
Pegasus Internet Distribution System, With an
easy to use maintenance account, accessed
directly through the Internet (no software
download required) you can easily make real time
updates to rates, room inventory, add or remove
room types and rate plans, all with a few mouse-
clicks, and these changes will take place in
thousands of websites and travel agency systems
worldwide in just seconds. Web Site Booking
Engine.
GDS/IDS SYSTEM
 GDS = Global Distribution System

 IDS = Internet Distribution system

 GDS/IDS SYSTEM
 Why GDS increases your sales?
 GDS distribution is important for all hotels because
when travel agents make flight reservations for
their clients, they have the option of adding a hotel
reservation to the same itinerary.
 Travel Agents often choose properties in a given
area that are on the GDS' systems because it is
much easier than booking direct.
 If you are looking to increase your exposure to the
corporate market, OnlineGDS will put your
property in front of the people who make bookings
for corporate clients.
The System
Online gds is a web-based solution, that is accessed
via a web-browser (i.e. Microsoft Internet Explorer,
Firefox, Safari) and requires no software installation
on your local computers.
The application is very user-friendly and self-
explanatory, and requires almost no training. Yet,
should you require assistance, your onlinegds
support team is just one phone call or email away
from you.
The System
With OnlineGDS you are able to change your hotel
descriptions, images, rates, and availability at any
time. The moment you save your changes, they will
be instantly made available in the distribution
channels you chosen. No need for manual
intervention from our side, you’re in total control. A
truly complete online distribution solution for hotels.
TRANSIENT RESERVATION AVENUES
WHY YOU NEED A POS SYSTEM

 POS stands for Point Of Sale. This is a

system that is used throughout the
restaurant and retail industry.
 This computerized system allows business
owners to track sales, cash flow, food
inventory and can help simplify your
bookkeeping enormously
Why it’s good for a restaurant:
 The high volume of cash and credit cards
that pass through a restaurant each day
make a POS system a necessary
 Not only does a POS system track every penny
of your sales, many POS programs also act as
credit card processors. This makes swiping
credit cards more secure for both the customer
and the business. Servers are accountable for
all their sales, and it is impossible to alter
checks in the computer unless you have the
password. This helps cut down on employee
theft.
Benefits:
 One benefit of a POS system is that it simplifies
communications between the kitchen and the wait
staff. Orders go through the computer, directly to
the kitchen printer
 Another benefit of a restaurant POS programs is
that it can track everything from food usage, to the
most popular menu items.
 Because the POS system acts as a time clock, it
can also help prepare payroll. This can save you a
lot of money in your bookkeeping department.
Along with the daily operations of running a
restaurant, a POS system can organize profit and
loss statement and sales tax.
DRAWBACKS:
 The most obvious drawback to any POS system is
that it is a computer, and subject to all the same
technological whims
 If it happens to crash and you don’t have a back
up, then you risk losing all your data, not just
sales, but profit and loss statements and payroll
statements.
 WARRANTY ISSUES
 Remember all that money you saved on bookkeeping?
You may end up spending it on your tech guy, to help
set up the POS and perform any trouble shooting. A
POS system doesn’t have the same life span as good
old fashioned cash register. You will need to replace
parts, update software and eventually need to replace
it entirely with a new model. New POS systems come
with limited warranties and tech support, but just like
every other piece of equipment, the problems always
seem to start after the warranty has run out. For this
problem, you can always buy extra tech support.
 Guest Reservation data = includes all the
pertinent details about the guest stay. If
the reservation is to be guaranteed, a
credit card account number may be
included in this information
 Room status and Availability reports =
are forecast of the number of rooms of
each type and in each rate category that
will be available on a specified future
date
GUEST ACCOUNT:
 = tracks all the data that pertains to an individual
guest. It also contains two separate menus
 Guest registration menu = contains all the
pertinent information garnered from the initial
reservation and during the stay. (Ex. name,
arrival, departure, room preferences, method of
payment and other miscellaneous information)
 Guest Accounting menu = used to track all
credit/debit transactions related to the guest
stay.
 = contain a limited amount of information relating
to the guest’s reservation. Its primary purpose is
to document every financial transaction relating
to the guest
INFORMATION in Registration menu:

 Guest name = Name of the individual’s account

 Arrival Date = Date of Check-in
 Departure Date = Date of checkout
 Address = Address of guest
 Phone = Phone of guest
 Reservation Status =unique that it lists different
information on one line. It indicates two things
 Prior to check in = indicates what type of
reservation was made
 After check-in = list the status of the guest’s stay
 Room number = Actual room assigned
 Room = list the room type, configuration and designation
 Room rate = Actual rate paid
 Room Status = Lists the current room status of the room
reserved (V/R, O/D)
 Method of Payment = Cash, Check, Credit, or direct
billing
 Billing Method = EPO (each pays own), SRT (Sign Room
and Taxi), SAC (Sign all Charges)
 Guest Loyalty # = Frequent stay program number
 Frequent Flier # = Airline incentive partnership
 Special Requests =Early/late check-in or check-out
request for an upgrade
 Comments =this field is generally a “free form”
 Market code = is used to track the accuracy of the guest
room rate
PMS HIERARCHY
Each PMS menu containsm specialized
information and reporting capabilitites for a
specific