What is House count ?
The term “house count” in a hotel typically refers to the number of occupied rooms or the number of guests currently staying in the hotel.
The hotel house count is similar to the availability determination but differs in a few fundamental ways. It does not take into consideration historical factors, market factors, or any unknowns. The house count is an actual quantifiable number.
House count looks at how many rooms are in-house, how many are due to arrive and how many are due to check out. That number, less Any OOO rooms, yields a house count. The house count does not use any projections. The house count is used in many ways as the starting point of determining availability.
Formula & Calculation for House count in Front Office
The formula for calculating house count in a hotel is:
House count = Number of occupied rooms + Number of occupied beds in shared rooms (extra guest staying at particular room)
If we break down the formula further:
Number of occupied rooms: This refers to the total number of rooms that have at least one guest staying in them. This includes single occupancy rooms as well as rooms with multiple occupants.
Number of occupied beds in shared rooms: This refers to the number of beds that are occupied in rooms that are designed to be shared by multiple guests. For example, a hostel may have dormitory-style rooms with several bunk beds in each room. The number of occupied beds in these rooms would be added to the number of occupied single occupancy rooms to calculate the house count.
Once the number of occupied rooms and beds in shared rooms has been determined, they are simply added together to arrive at the house count.
For example, if a hotel has 100 rooms and all of them are occupied by at least one guest, the house count would be 100. If the hotel also has a dormitory-style room with 10 bunk beds and all of them are occupied, the house count would be 110 (100 occupied rooms + 10 occupied beds in shared rooms).
Importance of House Count in Hotel
Revenue management
House count is a critical metric for revenue management. It helps hotel managers to forecast their occupancy rates, identify trends, and make pricing decisions that maximize revenue.
Staffing
Knowing the house count allows managers to ensure adequate staffing levels to meet the needs of guests. They can plan and schedule staff effectively based on the occupancy levels.
It helps the Housekeeping department
House count helps housekeeping staff prioritize which rooms need to be cleaned first and ensures that rooms are cleaned and prepared for new guests quickly.
Inventory management
It is also critical for inventory management. It helps managers to know the number of supplies and amenities required to meet the needs of guests, such as towels, toiletries, and room accessories.
Security
Also aid in ensuring the safety and security of guests. By knowing the number of occupied rooms, managers can monitor and control access to the hotel premises more effectively.
Frequently asked questions
Ratio between the room revenue and house count is called
The ratio between the room revenue and house count is typically referred to as the “average daily rate” or “ADR”. This is a common performance metric used in the hospitality industry to measure the average revenue earned per room in a given period of time.
To calculate ADR, you would divide the total room revenue earned during a specific period (such as a day, week, or month) by the total number of rooms in the property during that same period. This gives you the average amount of revenue earned per room for that time period, and can be used to assess the financial performance of the property.
Conclusion
In the conclusion, the house count in front office is an essential metric that helps hotel management make informed decisions about their operations, staffing, revenue management, and inventory management. It is a critical tool for ensuring a smooth and efficient operation of a hotel.
