Market Codes, Rates & Reports
- PMS Group Master Account
- Market Codes & Rates
- Meeting Planners & Group Contacts
- Front Desk Reports
- Practice Exercises
- Key Learnings
PMS Group Master Account
Managing group accounts is essential for smooth hotel operations. A Group Master Account is where all charges for the group are posted, serving as the group's bill. Key information for each group includes:
- PMS Group Master Account Number: Unique identifier for the group account.
- Market Code: Identifies the type of guest and their rate.
- Credit Code: Indicates billing terms and payment authorization.
- Group Name: Official name of the group.
- Arrival and Departure Dates/Times: Schedule for the group's stay.
- Group Contact: Person coordinating with the sales manager.
- Hotel Sales Contact: Hotel staff responsible for the group's booking.
- Rates: Room rates assigned for the group.
- VIPs, Complimentary Rooms, and Suite Assignments: Special arrangements for VIP guests or suites.
- Billing Instructions: Guidelines for invoicing and payments.
- Special Instructions/General Info: Notes regarding amenities, event requirements, or preferences.
- Rooming List: Full list of guest names and room assignments (attach if needed).
- People Authorized to Sign Charges: Authorized individuals for the master account.
Only charges approved by the group contact can post to the master account. Exceptions must be pre-approved to ensure payment.
Meeting Planners & Group Contacts
Meeting Planners are professionals hired to organize meetings or events. They may work for a third-party company or be part of the group themselves. The planner handles logistics, room blocks, and event details.
Group Contacts are individuals within the group who communicate directly with the hotel sales manager. They confirm rates, room allocations, and other arrangements. Sometimes the meeting planner and group contact are the same person; other times they are separate.
Understanding the difference ensures accurate billing, proper rate assignment, and smooth check-ins.
Market Codes & Rates
Market codes classify guests and identify the type of rate they are paying. Knowing these codes is critical for correct billing and reporting.
Group Market Codes
Group codes always start with a letter and are unique to each group. They change with every new group, ensuring that multiple groups staying at the hotel are correctly tracked.
Transient Market Codes
Transient codes always start with numbers and are repeated for all guests booked at that rate. These codes are consistent and help track individual travelers. Transient rates are divided into four main categories:
- Regular Transient Rates: Rack Rate, Corporate, Concierge/Club, Weekend.
- Business Transient Rates: Special Corporate, Travel Agency.
- Discount Transient Rates: Advance Purchase, Promotional Rates.
- Package Transient Rates: Room + amenities, Net Wholesale.
Pro Tips: Group codes = letters, transient codes = numbers. Always verify if special corporate or promotional rates require ID. Know your hotel's package offerings.
Front Desk Reports
Reports are essential for daily operations and contingency planning. Key reports include:
- Contingency Report: Combines arrivals, departures, occupancy, cash, house count, room availability, and guest messages.
- House Count Display: Shows overall hotel status including occupancy, stayovers, and available rooms.
- Arrival/Stayover/Departure Report: Detailed guest lists, including pre-blocked rooms and requests.
- Occupancy Report: Guests listed by name, room number, or market code; can include balances.
- Room Availability Report: Shows rooms by type or status.
- Cash in Advance Report: Lists all cash-paying guests.
- Special Request Report: Tracks specific requests (e.g., non-smoking king rooms).
- O Status Balance Report: Outstanding debits or credits.
- Bucket Check Report: Ensures room assignments, market codes, and rates match.
- Automatic Check-In/Check-Out: Batch processing for group reservations.
- Reservation Report Generator: Custom reports as needed.
Practice Exercises
- Identify group vs transient guests using market codes.
- Distinguish regular vs special corporate rates.
- Locate and record property-specific rates and packages.
- Run reports for: House Count, Occupancy, Special Requests, Cash in Advance, Room Availability, Room Rate Variance.
- Handle real-life scenarios: remaining arrivals/departures, corporate guests list, room requests, cash-paying guests, engineering room checks.
Key Learnings
- Computers streamline operations but may fail; contingency reports are essential.
- Only authorized charges post to group master accounts.
- Rate integrity and correct market codes ensure accurate billing.
- Trainers will sign off when you demonstrate report usage and manual operational skills.
- Understanding rates, market codes, and reports improves guest service and prevents errors.