Guest Services Management--HA 210

Abridged Syllabus for

Dr. Vallen’s HA 210 Course

Course Description: This course is designed to teach the student all aspects of front office management. Areas of concentration will include an overview of the hotel industry as well as guest expectations, reservations, front office management, uniformed services, and guest accounting. The class will also stress the importance of communication and the key role the front office plays within the framework of the entire hotel.

Class Objectives: After satisfactorily completing this course, the student will have a strong working knowledge of front-office operations. The student will be able to suggest methods for obtaining maximum profits from the rooms division. He (she) will be able to discuss the current and future trends of the industry, to forecast and process reservations, and to register and assign guest rooms. The student will be able to suggest upselling techniques and discuss the rooms division's contribution to the overall profitability of the hotel. He (she) will also have a thorough understanding of the room rack, guest accounting, credit procedures, and the night audit.

Class Project: An individual or team project and presentation is required for this class. Students will be responsible for an oral presentation as well as some written materials (though not a formal term paper). Additional detail regarding this project will be discussed later in the term.

Grading Criteria:

Midterm Exam =                  = 20%

Final Exam =                        = 20%

Class Project =                    = 15%

Assignments =                      = 5%

Quizzes =                             = 30%

Participation/Attendance =    = 10%

                                          ---------

                                              100% **

** Extra credit will be available this semester. Theoretically this is an unlimited extra credit. In other words, it is possible to earn 100% of your grade in the class through extra credit (though not likely). The professor will explain the details of extra credit at another time.

Session Outline:

Week Of:	Topic:	Text:
Week 1.	Introduction and the Traditional Hotel Industry.	*Chapter 1*
Week 2.	The Modern Hotel Industry and The Structure of the Hotel Industry.	*Chapts 2 and 3*
Week 3.	Reservation Data.	*Chapter 4*
Week 4.	Making and Taking the Individual and Group Reservation and Forecasting Availability and Overbooking.	*Chaps 5 and 6*
Week 5.	Reservations continued.	*Chapts 5 and 6*
Week 6.	Managing Guest Service.	*Chapter 7*
Week 7.	The Guest Arrival Process.	*Chapter 8*
Week 8.	Midterm and Review and Catch-Up.	*Chapts 1 thru 8*
Week 9.	Factors in the Room Rate.	*Chapter 9*
Week 10.	Billing the Guest Ledger.	*Chapter 10*
Week 11.	The Night Audit.	*Chapter 13*
Week 12.	The Night Audit.	*Chapter 13*
Week 13.	Cash Transactions.	*Chapter 11*
Week 14.	Credit and the City Ledger.	*Chapter 12*
Week 15.	Review and "Wrap-Up."	*All Chapters*
Week 16.	Final Exam (2-hour exam).	*All Chapters*