UNIT 3: GUESTROOMS

The guest room is the main product of a hotel as it contributes to more than 50% of the total sales. Guestrooms in a hotel have a role in the image building of the hotel. Guests may stay in a hotel for pleasure, convenience or from necessity. Whatever the reason for the stay, they will always expect a certain standard of service and comfort. It used to be customary to have rooms of more or less than the same standard throughout the property, but the trend is changing now. Guests are now being offered a choice of more expensive rooms with upgraded facilities. Hotels now offer a wide variety of rooms catering to the needs of different types of travellers.

Types of Rooms

1.       Double bed Room: A room with Double bed meant for two people.

2.       Twin bed Room: A room with two single beds meant for two persons.

3.       Suite room: A connecting one or more bed room. It is the most expensive type of room Main features of a suite:-

(i)                  Larger size: more rooms and more privacy.

(ii)                More facilities like refrigerator, T.V. etc.

(iii)               Elaborate furnishings and may be particular view

There are various types of suites −

·       Regular Suite −Best for business travellers

·       Penthouse Suite –It is luxurious than the regular suite. It is provided with the access to terrace space above the suite. It is aloof from crowd and provides a bird’s eye view of the city. It has all the amenities and structure similar to a regular suite.

·       Presidential Suite −The best possible suite in the hotel.

4.       Duplex: A set of rooms not on the same level connected by an internal stairway generally parlor/studio at the lower and bed room at the upper level.

5.       Inter Connecting Rooms: Two rooms adjacent to each other having an interconnecting doors allowing entry to other room, may be locked from either end and discontinue use of interconnecting doors. |

6.       Pent House Suite: A set of room situated on terrace level, a part of which may be open to sky-

7.       Adjoining Room: Two or more rooms with or without interconnecting doors and are on the same level.

8.       Cabana −This type of room faces water body OR a swimming pool. It generally has a large balcony.

9.       Studio −They are twin adjacent rooms: A living room with sofa, coffee table and chairs, and a bedroom. It is also equipped with fan/air conditioner, a small kitchen corner, and a dining area. The furniture is often compact.

10.   Lanai −This room faces a landscape, a waterfall, or a garden.

11.   Sico −This is a kind of multipurpose room, which can be used as a meeting room during the day and as a bedroom during the night. These rooms have special beds called Murphy bed that can be folded entirely against a wall. This bed may or may not have headboard. The lower face of the bed which becomes visible after folding or placing upright has a decorative wall paper, mirror, or a painting. After folding the bed, the room can accommodate sitting for five to ten people.

 

  

ROOM STATUS

1. VACANT-Any room vacated by a guest that has been made-up (cleaned) and ready to be sold again is considered “vacant”. Different status of vacant room is as follows:

·        V-Vacant

·       VC-Vacant Clean

·       VD-Vacant Dirty

·       VCI-Vacant Clean Inspected

2. OCCUPIED: A Room which is either physically occupied by a guest or bears a sign of such an occupied, such as luggage or toilet articles is considered “occupied”. Different status of occupied rooms is:

·       Occupied clean

·       OD - Occupied Dirty

·       ONL-Occupied No Luggage

3. CHECK-OUT: A Room that is reported vacant from previous occupancy but still requires make-up, i.e., bed unmade, bathroom used, etc. is considered check-out. Abbreviation for this status is C/O

4. SLEEP-OUT: A room which appears occupied without the bed having been slept-in. It will be the responsibility of the Housekeeping Department to inform the Front Desk of a “sleep-out”. Abbreviation for this status is S/O

5. OUT OF ORDER: It is typically used when a room is being renovated; undergoing repairs, or cannot be used. Rooms placed Out of Order are unavailable to sell, and are deducted from inventory. Abbreviation for this status is OOO/OO.

6. VERY IMPORTANT PERSON (VIP): Any room indicated as a “VIP” Room requires special attention and any special “extras”. Abbreviation for this status is VIP

7. SPECIAL ATTENTION: Any Room that requires special attention. Abbreviation for this status is SA

8. DO NOT DISTURB: Any Room that has a privacy light ON, which indicates that the guest does not wish to be disturbed. Abbreviation for this status is DND

9. OUT OF SERVICE: It is used to place a room in short term maintenance mode. Out of Service rooms do not deduct from inventory, which means the room will still show in the statistics as a valid room to be sold. Abbreviation for this status is OS
10. DOUBLE LOCK ROOM: The guest room door is locked from inside two times so that no one can enter it. But such rooms have no privacy light ON. Abbreviation for this status is D/L

11. COMPLIMENTARY ROOM -The room is occupied by the guest is not be charged for the use. Abbreviation for this status is Comp.

12. STAYOVER ROOM- The guest is not checking out today and will occupy the room for at least one more night

13. SCANTY BAGGAGE - The guest has very light luggage that could be carried away in his hand without indicating the departure. Abbreviation for this status is SB

14. NO LUGGAGE / No baggage - The guest is staying in the room but with no luggage. Abbreviation for this status is NL or NB

15. SLEEPER / Not cleared - The guest has settled his account and left the hotel but the front office staff have failed to properly update the room status. Abbreviation for this status is NC

16. SKIPPER-The guest has left the hotel without settling his/her accounts

 

LAYOUT OF GUEST BEDROOMS

LAYOUT OF SUITE ROOM

 

 

ESSENTIAL FEATURES FOR SUITE LAYOUT

In most commercial hotels the suites are placed on the upper floors and others set it vertically in the same location on each floor. It has two common models for suites:

1. The “front-to-back” or “shotgun” module
2. The “side- by-side” module

  

GUEST ROOM SUPPLIES

Guest room supplies are those items which are given to the guest during their stay at the hotel room, for their convenience and comfort and which are not chargeable. There are several categories of supplies ranging from conveniences and services to luxuries. They are grouped as:

1) Guest amenities: this refers to all the luxury items that a hotel provides to the guest at no extra cost.

E.g. coffee maker, bathrobe, flowers, bathroom amenities (bubble bath essence, moisturizer, etc.)

2) Guest Expendables: Guest Expendables are those supplies that are expected to be used or taken away by the guest on leaving the property. E.g. laundry bags, match box, toilet tissue, face tissue, bath soaps, etc.

3) Guest essentials: These are items that are essential to the guest room but are not used up or expected to be taken away by the guest. E.g. cloth hangers, ash trays, TCM kettle, drinking glasses, etc.

4) Guest Loan Item: Hotels stock certain items which they loan to the guest. Example:-electric shaver, hair drier. These items which are provided to the guest should be noted down in the house keeping office and collected back again when the guest checks out from the hotel. Items like ironing boards, hair driers, alarm clocks, cribs, voltage adapters extra bed are also the example of guest loan item. 

Standard Guest Room Amenities and their placement in a guestroom:

Guest supplies include all the items that are conducive to the guest’s comfort and convenience. Many hotels follow a common pattern in placement of guest supplies in their rooms. Starting from the guest room door-

Ø  AMENITIES OF  BED ROOM

Behind the main room door:

·       Door knob cards (DND card/ make my room card/ collect my laundry card) placed on the door knob from inside of the door.

·       Fire exit map highlighting ideally affixed behind the door.

In the wardrobe:-

·       Electronic safe

·       Hangers  (coat hanger/skirt hanger/ soft hanger)

·       Bathrobe (may be)

·       Laundry/ dry cleaning bags and the list of laundry/ dry cleaning facilities and charges

·       Shoe tray with shoe shine/shoe mitt/ shoe horn and bathroom slipper

On the mini-bar Shelf/ cabinet:-

·       Mineral water bottles and glasses with coaster

·       Percolator (TCM kettle)

·       Cup, saucer and spoon

·       Mini-bar bill holder

·       TCM supplies (sugar, milk, coffee and sugar free in sachet; and tea bags)

·       Mini bar supplies-in/on the cabinet(on chargeable basis)

On T.V. table;-

·       T.V. Programmer

·       House magazine and travel magazine (may be)

On the study table:-

·       A guest stationery folder with monogrammed note papers, envelopes, post cards with hotels picture, guest comment card, Letterheads, house rules and regulation cards along with pen or pencil, room service menu and hotel directory.

·       Telephone

·       Tent cards giving information about special events.

·       A candle on a candle stand

·       In drawer-Breakfast knob card and sewing kit (may be)

·       Dustbin with liner-under the table

On the coffee table:-

·       Flower Vase

·       An ashtray and match box

·       House magazine and travel magazine (may be)

Bed Side table:-

·       Telephone

·       Notepad and a pen

·       In Drawer-Breakfast door knob card and sewing kit (may be)

·       Local telephone directory is placed on the lower most shelf

·       in the same location a Bible/ Geeta/ Quran

Linen on the bed:-

·       Mattress protector

·       Bed sheets

·       Blanket/Duvet.

·       Night sheet/Crinkle Sheet

·       Pillow cases

·       Bed cover / bed throw

 

Ø  AMENITIES OF BATHROOM:-

On The Vanity Unit

·       Monogrammed soaps, shampoo bottles, moisturizers, shower cap, bath gels, gargle glass, tissue box, dental kit and shaving kit.

·       Candle on a candle stand

·       Ashtray and match box

·       Bud vase Near the Water Closet

Near WC

·       Toilet roll

·       Sanitary bin with Sanitary/ disposable bag

Near The bath tub

·       Bath mat

·       Soap

·       Towels

Linen

·       bath towels

·       Hand towel

·       Face towel

·       Bath mat

·       Bathrobe (may be , behind bathroom door)

 

VIP handling: very important person (VIP) rooms are always given priority for service. The front desk should give advance information to housekeeping about the arrival of any VIP, so that the reserved room will be thoroughly cleaned and VIPs amenities will placed in advanced by housekeeping department.

 VIP guest room amenities-With the standard room amenities there are certain extra complimentary amenities kept in the guest room. These amenities may vary from hotel to hotel and/or categorization of VIPS’s considered by the hotel.

Single lady traveller amenities- Pink linen, silk gown, Personalized Hotel designed shopping bag, sewing kit, vanity kit (emery kit, body oil, body talc, face wash, face cleanser, face tonic, foot cream, nail polish remover, nail cutter, lip balm, safety pin, face tissue), loofah, cotton balls, aroma oils, full length mirror, make-up mirror, gin and vodka (in minibar), jewellery box (on bed side table), disposal bag (nearby WC or in sani-bin)

 

Some other items provided on request by housekeeping department: - The items provided on request are given to the guests when they ask for them. These are the supplies apart from regular supplies required by some guests. These are often provided as the guestroom essential/ loan items or guestroom expendables. Some of them are alarm clock, comb, crib or cradle, disposable diapers, electric blanket, extra blankets, first aid medical kit, hot water bag, pillow, raised toilet seat (for kids), sanitary napkins, tampons, wipes etc.