Description
A comprehensive Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) manual designed to guide hotel staff through the night audit cycle. It outlines rigorous protocols for shift preparation, guest account management, and system reconciliation to ensure financial accuracy before the business day transitions. The text provides a time-anchored schedule and detailed instructions for handling cash settlements, security rounds, and emergency incidents occurring during the overnight hours. Furthermore, it establishes clear frameworks for inter-departmental handovers and the generation of critical occupancy and revenue reports for management review.
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Guest Folio Review & Charge Posting Verification – Standard Operating Procedure (SOP)
| Department/Division: Front Office / Accounting | Code: SOP 2.1 | Total Pages: 2 |
PURPOSE
To ensure that all in-house guest folios are reviewed before the audit run, and that room rates, ancillary charges, and incidentals have posted correctly for every occupied room.
SCOPE
Applies to all in-house guest folios on every night audit shift, prior to initiating the audit run.
RESPONSIBLE PARTY
Night Auditor
PROCEDURE
- Generate an in-house guest list from the PMS. This report should reflect all rooms currently showing as occupied, including complimentary rooms and house use rooms.
- For each folio, verify that the room rate posted matches the rate confirmed on the reservation. Pay particular attention to rooms where a rate override, discount, or package rate has been applied.
- Confirm that all ancillary charges expected for the day — including food and beverage, minibar, spa, parking, and any other outlet charges — have been posted to the correct folios.
- Verify that each folio has a valid payment method on file. Where a folio has no credit card authorization or deposit, note it in the open items log and handle in accordance with the property’s credit policy.
- Check for any folios with an unusually high balance relative to the guest’s remaining length of stay. Where a balance approaches or exceeds the property’s credit limit threshold, flag the folio for review and handle in accordance with the property’s credit management procedure.
- Identify any folios carrying charges that appear duplicated, misposted, or assigned to the wrong room. Correct any posting errors identified at this stage, documenting each correction in the shift log with the folio number, original entry, and action taken.
- Verify that all package inclusions — such as breakfast, airport transfers, or spa credits — have been correctly applied and that no included item has been charged as an additional cost to the guest.
- Where a folio is flagged as a master account, city ledger account, or direct bill account, confirm that charges are routing correctly and that the account is authorized for the charges being posted.
- Once all folios have been reviewed and any corrections made, note the completion of the folio review in the shift log before proceeding to the next task.
| NOTES: The folio review is one of the most time-sensitive tasks of the shift. It should be completed before the audit run is initiated. Errors identified after the date roll are more complex to correct and may require supervisor involvement depending on the property’s post-audit adjustment policy. |
