Passport Bonds for Shipping Companies

As part of our contract with most shipping companies (Inchcape, China Navigation Company (Swire), Borthwick Maritime Services, and Gulf Agency Company (GAC)), we offer guests the option to provide their passport as a security bond instead of a financial bond at check-in.

If a guest prefers a financial bond, they can provide one following the standard policy ($100 credit card or $300 cash).

Guests can collect their passport at any time during their stay, provided they return their room keys and collect them upon returning to the hotel.

Note:

Pre-authorisation clearance for international credit cards may take up to 2 weeks.

Procedure

Check In

1. Request the guest's passport.
2. Update the following in iHMS:
• On the "Corporate" tab, add "Passport In Safe" to the Reservation Notes section.
• On the "Additional Items" tab, add the posting code "Cash Guest" and change the description to "Passport In Safe."
• This ensures the guest is included in cash guest reports, enabling the Duty Manager to track passports and their secure storage. See below report:

3. Explain the cash guest procedure to the guest, including:
• What the company will and will not cover.
• Any additional charges must be settled in Australian dollars upon check-out.

4. Place the passport in a cash bond envelope with the correct details.

5. Notify the DM to store the envelope in the back office safe.
6. Write "Passport" on the top right corner of the registration card.

Check-out

1. Guest rooms must be checked for any damage (e.g., smoking, burns, broken items) before returning the passport.
2. Settle any incidentals not covered by the company. Only Australian dollars are accepted for cash payments.
3. Retrieve the cash bond envelope from the safe and return the passport to the guest.