Winter Holidays are here and it’s time to cheer. Thanksgiving & Christmas Holidays are nice because of the slow, easy days and everyone is in a good mood. The guests are cheerful, which means very little complaints and issues. Staff is in a good mood. This is when we have to staff accordingly because many people are on vacation time or pto days.
However, New Year’s Eve is not so nice. The guests are a little different. This is when it gets busy, which can sometimes get crazy. Good news is, we have a lobby bar with no entertainment, so we should be fine in the general hotel areas. The tough part is the guest rooms. The guest rooms are a pain because of many after parties with many people in one room, or loud music or talking which creates a lot of noise. They forget where they are often times. The guests coming in are staying for a bed only, then they will go somewhere else during the evening for fun. Many guests coming into the hotel drunk and hanging out in the wrong places.
Late at night when clubs and parties are over is when action starts, at about 1am -3am in the morning. Security is staffed well and so is front desk. People are escorted to rooms if they are too loud. So people are so drunk, they do not know it and are loud, screaming, or throwing up. Valet has a fun time trying valet cars and clear the front drive so no one gets hurt. It’s is hard to talk to someone when they have had way too much to drink. No one is given keys if they have had too much to drink, it’s a liability. Guests that stay over are given a no disturbance policy they have to sign which includes a $250 cash deposit. This covers if room is somehow trashed or damaged anyway.
I don’t have patience during this time, and we evict people right away if they cause too much of disturbance to staff or other guests of hotel.
Basically, this is when a guest gets thrown out of hotel because of either noise complaints or bad credit/oustanding bill. Protocol on noise complaints, 1st complaint – Security go to guests room and give verbal warning, 2nd complaint- MOD and Security go to guests room and give verbal warning (2), and explain on next complaint, they will be evicted. If a guest is hostile, I call the police to help to evict them. Of course, they pay for the last night they are there.
Many people give phony excuses so they don’t have to leave, they say “it was not us making noise,” “I was not smoking in my room,” “We are leaving the room now,” “my t.v. is not loud or turned on,” “I don’t know these people who are in my room,” or “I will not be loud anymore.” Noise complaints are usually people when they are drunk and talking to loud or disrupting other guests. If there are other guests in the room when you give warning, only the person that has registered name on room can stay, everyone else must leave. Which is a big no-no. Also, if they are disrupting staff members and overly rude or threatening. If a guest feels harmed or threatened, it’s a big deal.
On credit card issues where the guest’s card has declined, we give them many chances to fix this. What happens is, they run up charges during stay, and go over their limit. It happens occasionally. So, we give them a message on room phone, then a call to the room, and we wait until last day of stay to clear. We try our best to contact them. If it has not cleared, we lock out the room, so they can’t get in, this forces them to come to desk to clear account with cash or another card.
About author
I'm a hotel professional, who has been in the industry for over five years. I've lived in the Bay Area, Palm Springs, San Diego, and now here in Los Angeles. I've worked in the Front Office my whole career, as Overnight Hotel Manager, Front Desk Supervisor, and Front Desk Manager.
Search
Navigation
Categories:
Links:
Archives:
Feeds
Theme: Supposedly Clean by Alvin Woon. Blog at WordPress.com.
