Bed and Breakfast Management

LEARN HOW TO SET UP AND MANAGE A BED & BREAKFAST

Do you dream of running a bed and breakfast, or do you want to improve the way in which your current business is operating? Then this is the course for you!

This course will help you to learn the differences between types of small accommodation, how to offer guest support, management of suppliers, developing a reservations system, and much much more.

Why choose a bed and breakfast over a hotel? Guesthouses and B&B's do not have the hustle and bustle of hotels. They are able to provide a simpler form of accommodation, catering to smaller numbers of guests, and providing a more informal or even personal interaction between guests and staff/owners. 

Lesson Structure

There are 7 lessons in this course:

1. Introduction to Management & Marketing
   • Introduction
   • Basic Principles of Management
   • Four Main Steps in Management
   • Planning, Leading, Organising, Controlling
   • Economic View of Management
   • Behavioural View of Management
   • The Stakeholder Theory
   • Understanding policies
   • Marketing -Feasibility Research
   • Advertising Steps to Follow
   • Purpose of Advertising
   • Advertising through media, by personal contact
2. Facilities and Decor
   • General layout - Reception, Dining area, Food Production
   • Equipment - essential equipment, selection criteria
   • Equipment Inventory
   • Reception, Storage (Dry store, Vegetable store, Refrigeration, Storage temperatures_
   • Food Preparation - vegetables, salad, meat, fish, pastry
   • Parking
   • Telephones, Communication and Technology - utilities
   • Cleaning - outside the building, reception, lounge, bedrooms, bathrooms, corridors, kitchens
3. Customer Service
   • Personnel and service.
   • Division of Duties
   • Importance of Customer service.
   • Customer Service Skills - waiting, carrying things,
   • Interpersonal Skills - addressing customers, records
   • Staff Recruitment, Interviewing, Training and Induction.
   • Controlling Staff -leadership, Giving Orders / orders not correctly carried out
   • Procedures for dealing with orders not carried out correctly.
   • Bedroom service.
4. Equipment
   • Principles of design.
   • Service Facilities
   • Cleaning/ Cleansing
   • Waste Disposal
   • Toilet & Bathroom Facilities
   • Safety Risk analysis.
   • Safety audit.
   • Using audit forms and checklists.
   • Signs for communication danger
   • Materials control
   • Maintenance control - useful checks
5. Supplying Meals
   • Breakfast timings.
   • What to serve (continental or full cooked breakfast).
   • Coffee - blends, grinding, troubleshooting, coffee variations
   • Teas- specialty teas, herbal teas, storing, brewing
   • Presentation of food & beverage
   • Dealing with special requirements -breakfast in room, children, vegans / vegetarians, etc
   • Serving other meals and snacks.
   • Organising "experience" meals
   • Dealing with customer complaints
6. Food Purchasing
   • Effective purchasing
   • Planning ahead
   • Role of the purchaser
   • Supplier Selection
   • Bulk buying
   • Other Purchasing Approaches - contract, day to day, commissary, tenders, etc
   • Know about following regulations (know the legalities and alcohol licensing).
7. Records and Financial Management
   • Management of guesthouse records.
   • Reservations procedures.
   • Cancellation procedure.
   • The control of accounts.
   • Methods of payment.
   • Safe deposits.
   • Liabilities.
   • Productivity.
   • Financial records management.
   • Insurance.
   • Taxation.
   • Financial control.

Aims

• Identify the scope and nature of skills required for successful bed and breakfast or guesthouse management.
• Discuss the provision and management of facilities and décor in a guesthouse or B and B.
• Discuss the provision and management of equipment in a guesthouse or B and B.
• Discuss the provision and management of meals in a guesthouse or B and B.
• Determine the management of financial and other records in a guesthouse or B and B.

How are Reservations Managed?

When a person wishes to make a reservation at a guest house, they can make the reservation directly with the guesthouse/B&B via a variety of channels, or through an online reservation agency.

Direct Reservations

With this system, the prospective guest deals directly by phone, email or even via social media messaging. If the prospective guest has not already received full information regarding the guest house, this is sent to them, and must include all details of the guesthouse, including tariffs and directions to the guest house.

When the prospective guest has decided to visit the guest house, the guest house can be contacted regarding reservations. A deposit is normally required (or a credit card or number), before the reservation can be secured.

Upon receiving the reservation, the guest house will immediately enter it into their reservations systems, making sure that the bedroom and dining table facilities are available for the time booked. A receipt for the deposit, and/or confirmation should then be sent to the guest. This confirmation should include details such as the dates booked.

Centralised Reservations

Certain guest houses and/or B&B establishments may belong to a centralised reservation system. This helps people find accommodation in a certain area with the minimum of trouble, and helps to fill vacant rooms.

Reservation Procedure

The procedure may be as follows:

• People requiring accommodation contact the nearest reservation centre (e.g. A tourist office in a town centre), and state their requirements including preferred price, room facilities, date of arrival, length of stay, and required locality.
• The reservations centre operator feeds this information into a computer, which quickly produces the choice of guest houses that can satisfy this request.
• The information appears on a display video screen in front of the operator, who passes it on to the inquirer.
• Any further questions regarding a particular guest house can be answered by referring to a directory compiled from information given by guest houses when they joined the scheme.
• When the prospective customer has decided which guest house they wish to patronise, the operator informs the computer. The computer then deletes the room or room number from the list of those available.
• The operator notifies the guest house by telephone, email. If the booking is well in advance, the guest house may be notified by mail.
• Upon receiving this information, the guest house receptionist enters it into the reservations book under the appropriate date and treats it in the same way as an ordinary reservation.

Cancellation Procedure

A situation may arise where the prospective guest finds they must cancel the reservation. In such a case, the receptionist at a guest house must inform, the central reservations immediately. If this is not done, the reservations service will not know to put the accommodation back into the computer for re letting. It is also equally important if he does not inform the reservations service, they will charge the guest house for the reservation. If the prospective guest cancels their reservation through the reservation centre, the latter takes the necessary action and informs the guest house.

No Show Procedure

If the prospective guest does not turn up at the guest house at the time reserved, this is a case of no show. If this happens, the receptionist should inform the reservations centre within 24 hours. If this is not done, the reservations centre may levy an incorrect charge.

A charge is often made to people who do not show, as per the terms of the booking or at least for nights which cannot be rebooked at short notice to someone else.

Registration of Guests

In some countries hotel and guest house owners have a legal obligation to obtain certain information from all persons of or over a specified age, who stay for one night or more. The visitor may give this information either:

• In writing
• By completing a registration form
• Verbally
• By a third person.

However, whichever way they give the information, the onus is on the guest house owner to obtain the information and record it in writing.

The information that may need to be recorded might be:

• Date of arrival
• Full name of the guest
• Nationality
• Home address and phone number

If a guest is from another country, you may need to obtain the following additional information:

• Passport number
• Place where passport was issued
• Date of departure
• Next address, if known

Legislation may require these records to be retained for a specified period, and be available to be inspected by designated officials.

This course can give you the confidence and the know-how to manage/start your own Bed and Breakfast.

WHY STUDY WITH US?

Our courses are designed to be studied flexibly, so that you can increase your knowledge alongside other commitments you may have. This is particularly relevant for those working in hospitality where hours can be long and unpredictable.

You are supported by subject specialist tutors throughout the course, who not only mark your assignments but can also answer any queries you have about the course content. 

We encourage you to develop your business ideas as you progress through the course, meaning that your bed and breakfast starts to come to life!

TAKE THE NEXT STEP, AND ENROL NOW!