Lost & Found Procedure for Front Office Staffs (SOP)

May 20, 2010

The term Lost and Found itself self explanatory. It refers to those articles by mistake left or lost by a guest in the hotel. All Lost & Found items from the guest rooms, Food and Beverage Outlets, Front-of-House and-Back-of-House areas are forwarded to the Housekeeping Department as soon as they are found. The whole procedure can be described from 2 differnet points of view. One is from Front Office and another is from housekeeping point of view. Today, we will share this Free Sop on Lost and found from the front office point of view; hopefully this Free Hotel Management Training Tutorial will make you understand how to ensure that items left behind in the hotel by guests are correctly packed, stored and available for claim upon guest request.

Items found in Public Areas & Food & Beverage Outlets:


  • All Lost & Found items found in the hotel’s public areas and F&B Outlets must be handed to the duty Assistant Front Office Manager immediately.
  • Then the Assistant Front Office Manager will identify and confirm the item found together with the finder.
  • Then he will examine the item and try to get the contact information of the owner, e.g. mobile phone numbers, office telephone numbers, email address from business card, etc.
  • A Lost & Found form have to be filled in by the finder and a copy will be given to the staff for reference.
  • If a contact number is available, the Assistant Front Office Manager should call the guest immediately and to enquire with him if he / she has lost anything behind in the hotel.  At the same time, the owner should be asked to confirm the contents of the items, if any, and then he / she should be asked how he / she would like to have the item returned.
  • If the item is so much valuable then it should be stored safely. If the items are passport, driving license, identity cards, credit cards, ATM cards, cash, legal documents, air-tickets, cheques, watches, wallets, purse, gold or diamond jewelleries, rings, stones, laptops, etc then the Assistant Manager should keep that in his safety box located at the Front Office.  All other items should be sent to the Housekeeping Office for safe-keeping.
  • The Assistant Front Office Manager is required to fill in the Lost & Found Record Sheet for record purpose
  • Front Office personnel should input the details in the “Opera” Assistant Manager log for management’s information.
  • The Assistant Front Office Manager should check all Lost & Found items daily to ensure all items match the Lost & Found record.

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{ 8 comments… read them below or add one }

P.M.Chandana Mudalige December 16, 2011 at 11:39 am

Kindly request to send me documents of basic front office operation of a hotel

Reply

Jennifer December 9, 2011 at 1:03 am

I would think there would be some privacy laws when contacting the guest. Can the hotel be liable?

Reply

Hotelier Tanji December 9, 2011 at 12:17 pm

This will benefit guest. So i guess that will not be any problem at all

Reply

Rashel December 6, 2011 at 4:57 am

Thats True

Reply

theerarat August 20, 2011 at 10:03 am

I like this websit very much.
And I need example any form for hotel use.
thank you so much

Reply

Wendy March 24, 2011 at 2:31 am

Anyone know of some good lost and found online templates or books you can purchase…..preferably for hotel use (not personal)

Reply

GATHURU May 22, 2010 at 9:20 pm

what happens if the owner of the lost and found items is not located, say like after one year down the line?

Reply

Admin May 23, 2010 at 9:16 am

Any lost property unclaimed after three months may become the property of the finder who should claim it through the headwaiter or supervisor

Reply

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