Definition
The Guest Cycle is the best system or process model at which various stages of some guest’s stay are done in a given big hotel, and depicts the flow of the business in that given hotel. In a study by Huntington (2008) it was found that basically, Guest Cycle tends to give a keen description of the key activities on which every guest visiting that hotel is supposed to pass by from the very moment he calls for a reservation until the very minute he/she will departs from that hotel. The process known as the Guest Cycle will encompass some four major different stages. In brief, these stages include: the pre-arrival, the arrival, the occupancy, and finally, the guest departure stage. It is hence necessary to note that each of these four stages within the Guest Cycle is always associated to Guest Service Offerings, and the Guest Accountings.
Considerations Necessary for a Hotel at Each Stage of the Guest Cycle
There are some major considerations that have to be put in place during Guest Service Offering especially with any given hotel handling a large group of visitors. According to Huntington (2008) the major procedures with this service offering will involve reservation, the guest registration, the occupancy services, and check-in and out history. The considerations for a guest cycle involving large groups will tend to be complex since there are quite a number of guests who have to be dealt with specifically by giving them the necessary attention. During pre-arrival, there should be measures of ensuring that all the resources at the hotel’s disposal can accommodate all these guests so as to be given the appropriate services from the hotel. At the pre-arrival for large groups, the hotel should create potential records for all guest reservations. In a book by Huntington (2008) it is found that this will ensure that the guest cycle for all the people is initiated in the right way. All the guests’ details should be in the reservation records so that they can personalize for all the services to individual guests. Another consideration is that the reservation department has to complete all pre-registration activities appropriately and come up with guest portfolios which have to be automated for better efficiency. This monitors the rooms’ availability for more possible visitors who may need the hotel’s services.
Arrival Stage
The other considerations should be put in place during guests’ arrival. At the arrival stage, the registration and functions of rooming should be done properly in establishing a reputable business relationship with this group. This is so because the larger the group, the better the gains for the hotel. In a study (Huntington, 2008) argued that registration records should include all the personal details as well financial items since this can be vital if not checked for a large group of visitors. All personal information for the entire group should be well recorded. These include things like date of birth, passport number, and even the group detail. Once this has been done in a reputable manner, the occupation period for the group would be easier.
Occupancy Stage
During occupancy stage with large groups, there should be measures to ensure customer service satisfaction. This is because this is the most important stage of the Guest Cycle for the hotel. In a study (Casado, 2000) concluded that moreover, at daily basis, the hotel will be required to ensure monitoring is done and collect necessary comments from the visitors and give them necessary feedback for better stay in the hotel. These considerations once put in place would ensure proper business operations for that hotel and service delivery to the customers. In addition, there should be an effective design or procedure of protecting funds and the valuables belonging to the group. This can be achieved by key controls and proper property monitoring or surveillance. There should also be emergency exits and security panels for effective emergency rescue. Also, it would be appropriate to put the necessary mechanisms in ensuring proper coordination between the day-time clerks and night clerks for smooth guest service.
Departure Stage
The last stage is the departure. In the book by Abbott and Lewry (1999) it is found that at departure, all the guests will have to be moved out of this hotel. The office clerks are hence needed to have proper record for the group history as part of the guest-management. There should be mechanisms to ensure that the cashiers have carefully settled the outstanding balances by that given group. Also, there should be proper checkouts for the large group whereby all the keys have to be issued back, all rooms vacated, all guest accounts closed, and also put proper measures of encouraging the visitors to return to the hotel in future. Once all these considerations have been put in place, it will be agreed that hotel operation will be a good business as any other.
References
Abbott, P and Lewry, S. (1999) Front office. Oxford, Butterworth Heinemann.
Casado, M. (2000) Housekeeping Management. New York, John Wiley & Sons.
Huntington, M. (2008) Modern Guest Cycle Operations. New Jersey, Prentice Hall.