| The third edition of Hotel Front Office Management continues to address the demands of the hotel industry in the new millennium. Educators who are preparing professionals for roles as front office managers and general managers in hotels are required to meet the challenges of operations, technology, training, empowerment, and international applications. This edition continues to encourage students to take an active role in applying these concepts to the exciting world of hotel operations.
The emphasis on management continues to play a central role in this third edition. The structure presented in this text will assist students as they prepare for positions as entry-level managers. The logical presentation of chapters in order of operations—overview of lodging hospitality, tour of the front office, review of the guest cycle, and analysis of guest services—will allow students to gain insight into a front office manager’s role in the hotel.
The “Front Office Essentials” chapter from the second edition has been deleted because a majority of hotels employ a property management system as opposed to a manual front office operation. Those portions of the chapter that referred to a property management system are included in the new Chapter 4, “Property Management Systems.” The third edition contains updated pedagogical features, including an “Opening Dilemma,” which presents students with a mini–case study problem to solve with the help of material presented in the chapter; a “Solution to Opening Dilemma” is included at the end of each chapter. “Hospitality Profiles”—commentaries from hotel front office managers, general managers, and other department managers in hotels—add an extra human relations element to the text. “International Highlights”—articles of interest that accentuate the international workforce and international career opportunities for graduates— provide a forum for professors and students to discuss this aspect of hotel management. |