Project: Analyzing Front Office Operations at Wyck Hill Hotel & Spa

This project delves into the critical role of front office operations within the hospitality sector, using Wyck Hill Hotel & Spa as a case study. It highlights the significance of the front office in enhancing guest experiences and driving business success. The project is divided into two main parts: Part 1-A emphasizes the importance of front office operations, citing sources that underscore the front office as the face of the hotel and its impact on guest retention. Part 1-B focuses on the operational roles of front office staff, specifically the front office manager and night auditor. The front office manager's responsibilities include staff scheduling, training, and ensuring smooth operations. The night auditor's role involves overnight accounting, handling guest transactions, and verifying financial data. The project concludes by reiterating the essential contributions of these roles to the hotel's overall success.

PROJECT

Table of Contents
INTRODUCTION...........................................................................................................................3
Part 1-A............................................................................................................................................3
Importance of front office operation in hotel...............................................................................3
Part 1-B............................................................................................................................................5
Operational role of 5 star hotel front office staff.........................................................................5
CONCLUSION................................................................................................................................6
REFERENCES ...............................................................................................................................7

INTRODUCTION
Hotel sector is all kinds of business related to provision of accommodation in food and
drinks, lodging, different types of services that is interrelated for public services, which use
lodging facilities. The present report is based on Wyck hill hotel & spa, located in UK, it is
situated in Costwolds with beautiful and wonderful views over 100 acres of nature. They provide
all the service to its guest according to their needs, they offer spa service for people to enjoy the
time with family and friends. This study explains, the importance of front office in hotel and
justifies the operational role of front office workers.
Part 1-A
Importance of front office operation in hotel
According to Khan, Garg and Rahman, (2015) hotel operations is the set of high
accountabilities and different types of roles played by skilled workers in workplace, in order to
increase profitability rather than before. It includes housekeeping, consumers relationship,
human resources, security and safety, sales & finances, food services and many more. The
operations of hotel are divided into different categories, all work towards common goal that is to
achieve growth and success for business. Marketing department, front office department and IT
department is the essential part of hotel, they work together for increasing the productivity of
company within hospitality sector. All the departments in hotel is very important for their
growth, but without having front office in hotel the procedure of people retention is not possible,
it impacts on success and productivity of business negatively. Dzhandzhugazova and et.al.,
(2016) stated that front office management is significance for hotel sector, as it help to enhance
the experience of guest and drive them towards business. Front office refer to the reception area
and core operations department of hotel. It is the first place where people go when they arrive at
building, the first impression will be placed upon guest is made by front office management.
Workers performing in reception conform people reservations and attend any kind of complaints
to its consumers effectively.
As per view of Cetin and Walls, (2016) managing number of guest is difficult task, they
placed range of requirement and queries which is impossible to answer in one time. At the
movement, front office department work effectively, they attend its guest, communicate with all
of them one by one and respond quickly regarding their queries. So it can be said that front office
department plays significances role in hotel, it is considered as the face of hospitality

establishment. Front office is the first and last division in hotel where potential or new guest
interacts. It is responsible for developing first-hand impressions regarding the phase of facilities
and services offered. The purpose of workers in this department is to act as people face of hotel,
by checking in guests and greeting hotel patrons. It provides assistance to visitors during their
stay, front office completes their food & beverage, accommodation, receives and accounts
payment from its guests. The expectation of consumers is growing more and more, they make
query regarding services and products in which they are interested. Front office team is very
important within hotel as they are responsible for answering and responding people regarding
their queries. Skills workers in this department from dedicated source to integrate technology
within hotel sector while catering to savvier profiles of guest, as it faced survival and business
continuity challenges and cut throat competition. It plays critical part in hospitality sector,
because of fact that front office and its team members is first & last point which interact with
number of client with systematic manner. It called so because front office situated at front near
entrance of building, any current or further information related to service and facilities offered by
hotel to guest is obtained form employees in front office of hotel. They assist in providing help to
people and direct to appropriate person from solving their complaints.
In view of Gupta, (2017) consumer retention is the main aim of hotel business that is
possible when, staff completely satisfied its guests through services and quick response. With the
help of having front office department in business, they can provide quick response to people and
satisfied them. The role of this department includes managing other departments in hotel as well.
Consumers wants to get the best services and facilities when they stay in hotel, front office
department is able to fulfil the needs of people, they communicate directly to its guests asked any
further service which they want. They make effective connection with housekeeping, accounts,
marketing and F&b department because it helps to provide fast delivery services to consumers.
Front office are accountable for managing the requirements of guest, people directly
communicate to staff in this department for placing order. Managing the check in and check out
timing of consumers is difficult task to do, front office is the only department in hotel who are
able to manage this function effectively. Managing check in as well as check out is part of
professionals in front office along with preparing of guest list.

Part 1-B
Operational role of 5 star hotel front office staff
Front office analyse the requirements and demands of hotel guests within effective
manner. In Wyck hill hotel & spa, the front office manager and night auditor plays vital role,
they work effectively.
Front office manager duty is to provide friendly services for guests, they have to deal
with number of consumers with different perspective and needs. Arranging staff scheduling and
planning is the duty of front office manager within hotel. They are accountable for directly
supervises all reception personnel and assure comely completion of all workers duties. The role
of front office manager within hotel is to coordinates and directs activities of front desk, guest,
services, reservations and telephone area (Kimes, 2016). Along with this, trains, retrains and
cross trains all staff member in front office is the part of their duty. They are responsible for
supervises workload during shifts, evaluate job performance of each worker in front office,
maintains working relations and communicates will all sections in hotel. Front office manager
verified that proper room status info is properly communicated and maintained, they resolve
guests issues quickly & courteously, update unit information, maintain, prepared group
requirements and monitor team performance.
Front office manager is tasked with making assure that reception, is the place where
people first come into contact with staff and hotel, runs effectively and smoothly. Their
responsibilities include, dealing with potential guests, training & managing front office staff, act
as liaison between staff and general manager etc. the first and last impression of hotel is created
on mind of consumers through front office, it makes it really important for front office manager
to perform or work hard to develop pleasant and excellent experience for its guests to assure their
return (Robinson and et.al., 2016). They have to reports to room division manager, general
manager or resident manager in Wyck hill hotel & spa. It is full service hotel, where chief
operator, reservations manager, service manager and night manager all report to front office
manager. Wyck hill hotel & spa, have front desk clerk, night auditor, concierge and security,
these individual all report to them as well. Front office manager creates its team schedule along
with their own as well. They have familiarity with hotel or room booking software in common
programs such as Excel and Microsoft word.

Night auditor is the another operational role among front office workers, they are
typically handles duties of front office agent and accounting department. Night auditor duty is to
work overnight in hotel and establishments other lodging, they perform accounting and front
desk duties as well (Rahat and Kabir, 2018). In hotel, night auditor work alongside other night-
time worker such as night manager, porters, hotel security guards, room service attendants and
night telephone attendants. This role is defined as gathering of all people folios, billing main
receipts for currently registered consumers. The main role of night auditor in Wyck hill hotel &
spa, to assure accuracy of essential financial information and collecting all needed paper work to
done audit. The role of night auditor is to verify that total of revenues due to finance receivables
from different departments found on department control sheets complete amounts made to
consumers folios. The night auditor remains accessibility to serve all night needs of potential
guests. Guest ledger is the focus of auditor in hotel, which is collection of accounts for all
presently registered people of lodging establishment. They assure accuracy of data on guest
ledger, makes ensure all people have checked out at proper time and collect all paperwork
required to successfully complete audit (Hossen, 2019). Furthermore, night auditor is mandatory
in business as it entirely managed transactions for day, they check all reservation discrepancies,
generates folios, posts charges and updates housekeeping status. They conduct night audit check
all the resources and facilities of hotel, they give more time to check all the things and review
level of management. Night audit report created by auditor play vital role in generating revenue
and achieving goals of business. They are accountable for viewing and considering the reports
daily in systematic as well as timely manner that assure for greater control in meeting hotel goals
set for management.
CONCLUSION
From above, analysis it has been concluded that front office is the most essential
department of Wyck hill hotel & spa, in which front office manager and night auditor plays vital
role.

REFERENCES
Book and Journals
Cetin, G. and Walls, A., 2016. Understanding the customer experiences from the perspective of
guests and hotel managers: Empirical findings from luxury hotels in Istanbul,
Turkey. Journal of Hospitality Marketing & Management. 25(4). pp.395-424.
Dzhandzhugazova, E.A and et.al., 2016. Business administration in hotel industry: problems and
solutions (by the example of the Russian Federation). International Journal of Applied
Business and Economic Research. 14(14). pp.651-660.
Gupta, A., 2017. Customer satisfaction in relation to service quality-A conceptual study on
Indian hotels. International Journal Of Applied Research. 3(1). pp.302-305.
Hossen, M., 2019. Managing Front Office Operation Of A Study on Hotel Eastern Residence.
Khan, I., Garg, R.J. and Rahman, Z., 2015. Customer service experience in hotel operations: an
empirical analysis. Procedia-Social and Behavioral Sciences. 189. pp.266-274.
Kimes, S.E., 2016. The evolution of hotel revenue management. Journal of Revenue and Pricing
Management. 15(3-4). pp.247-251.
Nasurdin, A.M., Ahmad, N.H. and Tan, C.L., 2015. Cultivating service-oriented citizenship
behavior among hotel employees: the instrumental roles of training and
compensation. Service Business. 9(2). pp.343-360.
Rahat, M. and Kabir, S., 2018. Role of Night Audit on the Perspective of Hotel Bengal
Blueberry.
Robinson, R.N and et.al., 2016. Attitudinal similarities and differences of hotel frontline
occupations. International Journal of Contemporary Hospitality Management. 28(5).
pp.1051-1072.