1. Chapters 9 - 10. Check out and Accounts Settlement

2. Guest Accounting / Service
The Guest Cycle
Guest Accounting / Service
Check out
Guest Cycle
Reservation
Bill
settlement
Departure
Pre-arrival
Occupancy
Arrival
Occupancy
Services
Registration
Charge postings
Establishment
of credit
Night audit

3. Types of Guest Accounts
Guest Folio – guest account on which all charges are posted for in-house guests paying by themselves.
Master Folio – guest account which is settled by the company (corporate guests) or travel agencies (tour groups)
City Account – financial transactions between hotel and non-resident guests.

4. FO Functions for Check out
Settle guest accounts
Update FO records after guest departures (room status, guest status, guest history)
Create lasting impressions

5. FO Documents for Check out
Guest Departure List – list of in-house guests who are due to departure today.
Guest History Record – a document which contains information about all previous visits of the guest, including preferences, issues, complaints etc.

6. Basic Check out Procedures
Greet guest and check their name / room number
Check if late check out charges should be applied
Check for late charges
Produce master and guest folios for guest inspection
Settle account
Update front office records

7. Late Check out
Late check out is the situation when the guest checks out after the standard hotel check out time.
Depends on the hotel policies a late check out charge may be applied in this situation.
Activity 1, p. 188

8. Late Check out Effects
Not enough time for Housekeeping to prepare rooms for the arrival guests
Increases additional costs for the hotel

9. Late Check out Handling Procedure
Post standard check out time for guests to be aware of
Call due-out guests (guests who didn’t check out before standard check out time)
Charge late check out fee
Check for room discrepancies

10. Express Check out
A special service offered by some hotels to provide quick and simplified check out procedure for their guests.
Payment Method?
Credit card

11. Handling Express Check out
During the check-in confirm with guests if they require Express check out service
Night shift agent prints out the guest folio at night before the guest check out day (after Night run normally at 3:00 - 4:00 am)
Concierge staff sends guest folios and express check out agreements to the guest rooms in the morning of the guest check out day.

12. Handling Express Check out
4. Guest confirms the bills, signs the agreement and leaves it in the Front Desk counter or in the room before s/he leaves the hotel. 5. Front Desk agent will process guest’s credit card transaction afterwards according to the agreement requirements and transfer all the supporting documents to Accounting.

13. Express Check out Benefits
Saves guest’s waiting time of check out in Front Desk
Releases the pressure of Front Desk at peak check out time
Helps Housekeeping to vacant rooms as soon as possible to speed up cleaning of all of their assigned rooms

14. Late Charge
A late charge is a charge for a service or facility which is sent to the cashier too late to be added to a guest’s account for settlement. Activity 2, p. 189

15. Typical Late Charges Breakfast Minibar In room dining Laundry
Question: which type of FO accounts the late charges will be posted?
City accounts

16. City Ledger
The city ledger is the collection of city accounts belonging to non-registered guests.

17. Major City Ledger Accounts
Late charges of guests or guests who failed to settle bills
Meetings and events
Corporate agreements
Pre-payments

18. City Ledger Example