TOURS

VISION: Prior to the arrival of any tour, full information concerning all requirements of the group must be provided to the Front Office and Housekeeping.

SCOPE:

• To ensure smooth handling of tour groups, from arrival to checking to check-out and departure.

• To enhance the guest satisfaction levels of all tour groups.

RESPONSIBILITY:

The Sales Manager who is responsible for the group.

PROCEDURE:

PRIOR TO ARRIVAL

The booking sheet or tour memorandum should include all detailed information as itemized on the following checklist:

1. An up-to-date rooming list.

2. The total number of rooms needed for:

   • Students or individuals.

   • Chaperons or guides.

   • Tour director or directors.

   • Bus drivers.

   • Room types and number of each required.

3. The rate structure.

4. Special rates, if any.

5. The number of complimentary rooms (if any) and the names of the individuals to occupy them.

6. The number of cots (rollaways) that will be required. The Reservations Manager should notify the Housekeeping department in advance of the number of cots (rollaways) required so they can be made up in advance and immediately available as the tour group arrives.

7. Number of keys required per room - some groups have as many as five guests per room. This should be coordinated with Engineering to ensure a sufficient supply of keys.

8. Complete and accurate billing information.

9. Information as to what charges, other than room and tax, are authorized to be placed on the master account. Should inform movies, phone and/or Honor Bars be restricted to prevent unauthorized charges?

10. Information as to whether bus driver rooms are to be charged to the master account, or individually paid by the bus drivers.

11. Person(s) authorized to sign charges, cash checks, and sign for the billing of the total tour charges (master account) at the time of departure.

12. Estimated arrival and departure time.

13. Method of arrival (i.e., car, bus, etc.).

14. Mode and time of baggage arrival and instructions for Bellman service, including specific baggage handling requests, amount of Bellman gratuity, and who will pay the gratuity (individual or bill to master account).

15. Method of check-in (i.e., Pre-Key, Remote).

16. Special rooming instructions: Complete information as to the number of persons in each room, separation of boys from girls by floor or building, and location of chaperon rooms in relation to other tour rooms.

17. Length of stay.

18. Request for morning wake up service: The time tour rooms are to be called.

19. A projection of which hotel facilities will be used by the group: Restaurant, Pool, Lounge, etc.

20. Authorized use of telephones: Are guest room phones to be restricted? As far in advance of the arrival of the tour as possible, the person doing the blocking should make the decision as to the area of the hotel that will be occupied by the group. In a manual environment, all blocking should be done on the rack. In a PMS or Appetite environment, each individual reservation should be blocked. It is always advisable to isolate student tours from other hotel guests as much as possible. This helps to reduce the number of noise complaints that arise with large groups of students in house.

    
    

DAY OF ARRIVAL

On the day of arrival, the tour should be blocked as early as possible and the following actions taken:

1. The room numbers assigned should be indicated on the rooming list next to each grouping of guests. A completed copy should then be given to the Housekeeper, Bell Captain and PBX Operator. For groups with three to five guests per room, PBX will use this rooming list for calls, as we normally don't enter every name in the system.

2. The Front Office Manager or Executive Housekeeper must ensure that the Bellman or house person places cots in all rooms so indicated on the rooming list.

3. The Front Desk Manager must ensure that there are keys available for each room and that these keys are grouped together for easy distribution. Keys should be placed in envelopes with the room number and guest's name noted on the face of the envelope. These envelopes can then be taken aboard the tour buses for distribution.

4. The Front Desk Manager will package all mail being held for the group and place it with the rooming list for delivery to the tour director at the time of the group's arrival. The tour director should notify all members of the tour to have all mail marked in care of the name of the tour.

5. The Food and Beverage outlets should be notified of the correct arrival time.

   
   

ROOMING OF TOUR

When the tour buses arrive, the following procedure should be followed:

1. The Bellman should direct the buses to the hotel parking area reserved for the tour, allowing ONLY the tour director to disembark and enter the Front Office area. It is very important that the buses not be allowed to stop or park in front of the hotel, and that the guests not be allowed to get off the buses before they have been assigned to their rooms.

2. The Sales Manager responsible for the group should accompany the tour director and Bellman to the tour area or floor to ensure that the group is properly roomed, and that any questions concerning meals, hotel facilities, and billing are properly answered. If the tour is comprised of non-English speaking guests, arrangements should be made to have an interpreter available.

3. The person assigned to room the tour should distribute the room keys to the tour escort/director and indicate the direction and/or location of the rooms. By this time the Bellman will have removed the baggage from the buses and will have deposited it in a convenient, central location or will be delivering it to the rooms.

4. After the tour has been completely roomed, the rooming list should be verified with the tour director for accuracy and completeness. PBX should then be given a copy.

5. The master account for the group should be prepared by the Front Office Manager or Assistant Front Office Manager. Care should be taken to ensure that the rate for the group is accurately computed.

6. When the exact number of persons actually registered with the tour is known, the Food and Beverage outlets should be notified so they are prepared to render proper service.

7. The Front Office Manager or Reservations Manager must inform the tour director that charges will be posted for all telephone calls, regardless of whether they have been authorized.

ONE DAY PRIOR TO DEPARTURE

1. The Front Office Manager should review all charges posted to the master folio with the Tour Director. This may prevent delaying the group's departure the following day.

2. Incidental charges and balances on individuals should be reviewed with the Tour Director so potential problems can be identified and resolved before departure.

DEPARTURE

On the day of departure, the following procedure should be followed:

1. The Front Office Manager must ensure that all charges incurred during the stay have been posted to the master account, including all phone calls.

2. The Executive Housekeeper must ensure that a visual inspection be made of the rooms to ensure that no damage has been sustained.

3. Request that the tour director review all charges posted to the master bill so that all differences and disputes can be cleared at this time.

4. After the master bill has been reviewed and any problems resolved, request that the tour director pay the bill or sign it to acknowledge the accuracy of the charges and the billing address. Any unauthorized charges by individuals, such as telephone calls or restaurant charges should be collected in cash at this time.