Front Office and Accommodation Operations
Front office functions
The department handles reservations, reception and registration, information, cashiering, bell desk, telephone and guest relations. The guest cycle runs pre-arrival, arrival, occupancy, departure and post-departure.
Room types and meal plans
Single, double (one bed), twin (two beds), suite, adjoining and connecting rooms. Meal plans: EP room only, CP room plus breakfast, MAP room plus breakfast and one meal, AP all meals.
Status codes and occupancy
VR or VCI vacant ready, VC vacant clean, VD vacant dirty, OC occupied clean, OD occupied dirty, OOO out of order, OOS out of service, DND do not disturb, SO sleep-out. Occupancy per cent = rooms occupied divided by rooms available, times 100, where available excludes out-of-order rooms.
Worked example
A 90-room hotel has 62 rooms occupied and 7 out of order. Available rooms = 90 − 7 = 83. Occupancy = 62 ÷ 83 × 100 = 74.7 per cent. Dividing by 90 gives 68.9 per cent and understates performance. Reasoning: an out-of-order room cannot be sold, so it leaves the denominator; an out-of-service room is only temporarily blocked and normally stays in it.
Housekeeping basics
Cleaning sequence, linen control, key control, lost and found register, and guest privacy through DND compliance. Hotel star categories in India are awarded under the HRACC classification of the Ministry of Tourism.
Traps that cost marks
Confusing double with twin. Writing MAP as all meals. Showing VD as ready for sale. Dividing occupancy by total rooms when rooms are out of order.