HOTEL MANAGEMENT SYSTEM A CASE STUDY OF PRESIDENTIAL HOTEL PORT HARCOURT

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ABSTRACT

 Hotel Management System is an ideal software solution for hospitality industries that can be used at hotels, motels, inns, resorts, lodges, guest house, ranches, and suits operations. Traditionally, hotels were largely dependent on cards and paperwork at the front desk to keep in touch with old and current customers. They were largely at the mercy of the desires  of  vacationers  to  arrive,  and  on  their  own  efforts  and  staff  to  be  ready  for potential  surges  or  long  droughts  of  occupancy. Luckily, such inconvenience and old fashioned methods of hotel operations are improved with the introduction of information technology. In this project, a hotel management system was developed to solve the problems encountered in the use of manual methods in hotel operations. The system is developed using Microsoft visual basic and the database is designed in Microsoft access.

CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

1.0     Introduction

Hotel is a building that provides lodging, meal and other services to the traveling public, provided they are in a position to pay and is in a fit condition to be received. Hence, the hotel provides foods, beverages and lodging to travelers and other paying guest.

The hotel industry is perhaps, one of the oldest commercial endeavours in the world. The first inns have existed since ancient time (e.g. along the Roman road system during the Roman Empire) to serve merchants and other travelers. Medieval European monasteries operated inns to guarantee haven for travelers in dangerous regions. The spread of traveling by stage coach in the 18th century stimulated the development of inns, as did the industrial revolution. The modern hotel was largely the result of railroads, when traveling for pleasure became widely popular, large hotels were often built near railroads stations.

The real growth of the modern hotel industry took place in the United Stated of America in 1794. The real boom in hotel building came in the early twentieth century. This period also saw the beginning of chain operations under the guidance of E.M (European Monasteries), who started by involving in investments, big profits and trained professional to manage the business. The management of the hotel system was virtually left in the hand of the front offices. The office in a hotel is the department responsible for sales of hotel rooms, through systematic method of reservation followed by registration and assurance of the rooms to the customers, this was done manually. This was boring and cumbersome, and has remained boring and cumbersome in hotels that still operate manually today.

The development in hotel management continued gradually until recently when computer was invented as an electronic device that accepts input, manipulate date and produces information which is the output as required. Therefore, a hotel which operates a computerized system will ensure that the program carries provisions for different tariffs, location and individual guest reference.

1.1     GENERAL OVERVIEW OF HOTEL MANAGEMENT SYSTEM

Hospitality  information  systems  are  a  collection  of components  that  work  together  to provide information help in the operation and management of a hospitality organization. Information  technology  systems  in  use  in  the  hospitality  industry  are  primarily computers and telephone systems. However, some software applications and hardware are in use in various sectors of the industry.

In  the  hospitality  industry,  computers  and  telephones  are  used  to  provide  guest services, to make business more effective, and to perform decision-making functions for managers. The computers, communication equipment and other technology  in  use  in information systems are called information technology (IT). Computer  information  systems  give  hospitality  managers  an  advantage  because  they reduce  the  chance  of  error.  These  systems  allow  the managers  to  control  an  entire property  at  the  touch  of  a  button.  For  example,  computerized  systems  can  now  help monitor work as it is going on there warning against obvious or likely errors before such errors  cascade  and  create  additional  errors  elsewhere.  In  housekeeping  operations, housekeepers  can  be  notified  in  advance  of  guests’  requests  before  the  guests  check into  the  hotel.  Information is kept on guests’ likes and dislikes. This helps create a comfortable and predictable environment for guests and at the same time, it saves time and provides efficiency in the housekeeping department.

Hospitality information systems are also mechanisms that deliver processed data to management to facilitate the decision-making process. Much of the information needed by management exists within the enterprise.  Some  are  required  to  be  maintained  by law,  and  other  data  exists  as  a  result  of  business  transactions  entered  into  by  the enterprise.  Some  information  exist  within  individuals  and  are  not  available  without involving that person in the decision-making process. As the operation grows, hospitality information  systems  become  more  structured,  requiring  additional  data  production, sorting  and  processing. With the  increased  speed  and  capabilities  of  microcomputers, and  the  reduced  cost  of  hardware  and  software,  hospitality  information  systems  are available to assist management in many ways.

Centralized  purchasing  management  systems  are  available  to  create  purchase  orders that  can be immediately  communicated  to  vendors. This system works best for multiunit organizations. There are also products available to track inventory and to compute theoretical sales. These systems can automatically route requisitions and delivery worksheets.  Systems  for  recording  food  and  beverage sales  continue  to  improve, offering  not  only  sales  tracking  data  but  internal  control  features,  such  as  remote printers at production stations giving authorization to release inventory. Orders can be taken tableside by hand-held wands or touch screens, eliminating the need for servers to write down guest selections.

In the area of telecommunications, hospitality information systems have proven to help enterprises  generate  additional  revenue  through  facsimile  (fax)  machines,  modem connections,  conference  calling  and  videoconferencing.  As technology increases, this continues to be a growth area for the industry.

Hospitality information systems provide entertainment to guestrooms through on demand movies, video games and videotape rentals, and premium channel selections. Security, a major concern in tourism, is another area where the systems have improved delivery  of  guest  service  through  key  cards,  security  cameras  and  motion  detectors. Energy  costs  are  also  better  managed  with  hospitality  information  systems  by controlling heating and air conditioning. Front  office  and  back  office  accounting  procedures  have  been  greatly  enhanced  by hospitality  information  systems.  The  most  visible  to  the  guest  is  the  property management system which helps the check-in and check-out process and stores data on each  guest.  This, coupled with other sales software packages, allows management to maximize revenue through yield management.

1.2     STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM

Traditionally, hotels were largely dependent on cards and paperwork at the front desk to keep in touch with old and current customers. They were largely at the mercy of the desires  of  vacationers  to  arrive,  and  on  their  own  efforts  and  staff  to  be  ready  for potential  surges  or  long  droughts  of  occupancy.  Luckily, such inconvenience and old fashioned methods are long since past, thanks to advances in information technology.

Automation is one of the fastest-changing aspects of the hospitality industry. Advances in  the  areas  of  reservation  systems,  guest  services,  food  and  beverage  management, hotel  sales,  food  service  catering,  and  hospitality accounting  have  placed  computer systems technology in virtually every area of hospitality operations.

Ever since the 1980s, ICTs have been changing the way in which business is conducted in the hospitality and tourism  industries.  Progress in ICTs has transformed business practices, strategies and industry structures dramatically. The development of computer reservation  systems  (CRSs)  in  the 1970s,  global distribution  systems  (GDSs)  in  the  late 1980s, and the internet in the 1990s not only generated a new paradigm-shift, but also changed operational practices in the industries.

Today, more than ever before, hospitality managers  must understand the fundamental features  of  computer  systems  and  manage  the  information  systems  within  their organizations. Hence there is need to develop a hotel management system which will ease record keeping and manage daily operations of a hotel.

1.3     OBJECTIVE OF THE STUDY

The objective of this study is to develop a hotel management system that is much simpler and more effective in other to meet the satisfaction of customers.

Others include:

•        To develop a system with advance security, thus protecting the confidentiality of all the information stored in the system and limiting the access control.

•        To develop an efficient, consistent and computerized hotel management system.

1.4     SCOPE OF THE PROJECT

The scope of this project is to develop a hotel management system that will be used to manage day to day operation in a typical hotel.

1.5     DEFINITION OF TECHNICAL TERMS

Tourist/Visitor/Traveler: Any person who travels either for leisure or business purposes more than 100 miles (round-trip) in a day or who stays overnight away from his/her primary domicile.

Traveler:  Definitions vary, but in general a traveler is someone who leaves their own economic trade area, (usually going a distance of a minimum of fifty to one hundred miles) and stays overnight.

Reservation Systems (Automation Vendors): Computerized systems leased to travel agencies offering airline, hotel, car rental and selected tour availability and bookings.

Leisure Travel: Travel for recreational, educational, sightseeing, relaxing and other experiential purposes.

Booking: Term used to refer to a completed sale by a destination, convention center, facility, hotel or supplier (i.e. convention, meeting, trade show or group business booking).

Booked: Hotel rooms, airline tickets or other travel services held for a specific client.

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