Chapter09 guest accounting

Summary Slide
Guest Accounting
Guest Ledger
City Ledger
Sample Aging Statement
Accounting Entries
Diagram–Debits and Credits
Accounting Documentation
Guest Accounting and the Front Desk
Exercise
Figure 9-1


Guest Accounting
Guest accounting is the term used to
track debits and credits within the front
office.
The guest ledger tracks accounting
activity within the hotel before and during
a guest or group stay.
The city ledger tracks revenues due to the
hotel.
Figure 9-2


Guest Ledger
The guest ledger is made of accounts that
“house” debits and credits. These
accounts include:
House Account
Guest Account

Master Account

At what point does a guest ledger account
become a guest history account?
Figure 9-3


City Ledger
The revenues tracked by the city ledger
are called receivables.
These revenues are tracked and managed
by the accounts receivable group of
accounting department.
An aging statement is used to track the
length of time a receivable has remained
in the city ledger.
Figure 9-4


Figure 9-5

Sample Aging Statement
Name

Current

Joe Smith
AVD Co.
123 Heat
Jane Doe

Bill’s Hair
XYZ Inc.
Pets R Us
K’s Hut

$240

30

60

90

120

$3000
$6500
$250
$950
$600
$400
$9500

Totals:$10690
$3400
$600
Ave Days Outstanding: 36 Days

$6500

$250


Accounting Entries
This menu uses a series of entries to track
activity. These include:
Debit (Has a positive effect on a balance)
Credit (Has a negative effect on a balance)
Beginning Balance + Charges - Credits = Ending Balance

Other entries include correction and
transfer.
Figure 9-6


Debits and Credits

This is how the accounting menu tallies debits and credits

Figure 9-7


Accounting Documentation
In order to conform to uniform system of
accounts for the lodging industry (USALI), all
accounting entries must be documented.
The charge and credit slips are used as
documentation when the entry has a net
effect on the overall guest ledger
These slips will explain the entry and be

signed by appropriate supervisory personnel.
They help form the audit trail.
Figure 9-8


Guest Accounting and the
Front Desk
Front desk staff use individual banks to
handle daily transactions.
These banks are audited by the general
cashier.
An in-depth understanding of the guest
account is crucial to properly managing
the check-in and checkout process.
Figure 9-9


Accounting Internet
Exercise
Visit this Web site:

This site contains numerous links and other
tools. Once at the site, visit the hospitality and
resource links.
The resource links offer further links to
accounting "calculators" that are interesting.
Use these calculators to create a front desk
staff schedule or determine the impact tourism
has on an area of the country.
Figure 9-10