ContextFriendPractical guides for small teamsRequest early access

GUIDE · HOTELS & STAYS

How hotels keep track of guest requests between shifts

Hotels keep guest requests from getting lost by logging every request in one system of record — usually the property management system or a request log — and reviewing the open ones at every shift handover.

Updated September 2026

A simple setup for a small property

  1. One place for guest requests: the PMS, or a shared request log if you have no PMS. Not sticky notes, not a personal phone.
  2. Every request gets a status (open, in progress, done) and a name of who took it.
  3. At each handover, go through the open requests first.
  4. Promised times are written with the request: “extra towels to room 12 by 6 PM”.
  5. Separately, keep the house know-how every shift needs: where things are, breakfast times, who handles what.

Front desk and housekeeping handover checklist

  • Open guest requests and their promised times
  • Early arrivals, late check-outs and special arrangements
  • Rooms out of order and maintenance called
  • Stock running low: linen, amenities, breakfast supplies
  • Anything a guest was promised by the previous shift
  • Who is on call overnight

How ContextFriend helps

ContextFriend is for the house know-how, not for guest records. Staff can ask where the extra towels are, when breakfast starts or who handles an early breakfast request, and get the answer from your shift notes — in the language they ask in. A question your notes cannot answer goes to the manager.

Keep guest names, room assignments and requests in your PMS or request log. That separation keeps guest data where it belongs.

Common questions

How do hotels keep track of guest requests between shifts?

They log every request in one system of record, usually the property management system, with a status and an owner, and they review open requests at every shift handover.

What should a hotel shift handover include?

Open guest requests with promised times, arrivals and departures that need attention, rooms out of order, low stock, and who is on call. The routines that never change belong in shared house notes, not in the handover.

Can new staff find house routines without asking a colleague?

Yes, if the routines are written down where they can ask. With ContextFriend, staff ask in their own words and get the answer from your house notes, with the source shown.

Try a hospitality workspace

Tell us about your people and the questions they repeat. Submitting the form does not create an account or activate WhatsApp.

Request early access

See ContextFriend for hotels & stays →

GUIDES

  • The best knowledge base tools for small teams

    The best knowledge base for a small team is the one people actually use from their phone in the moment they need an answer — so pick for easy asking and easy updating before you pick for features.

  • How to stop repeating the same instructions to employees

    You stop repeating instructions by answering each repeated question once, in writing, in the place your staff already look — and by noticing the questions your written answers miss.

  • Shift handover checklist for small teams

    A good shift handover covers what is still open, what changed, what is coming next and who to call — written down, handed over at a fixed time, and confirmed by the person taking over.

  • The first-week questions new hires hesitate to ask

    New hires most want to know where to go, who to ask and what a normal day looks like — and they hesitate to ask because they do not want to look unprepared, so the best onboarding answers those questions before anyone has to ask.