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Guest Services Guide

© Marin Management, Inc. Glossary.doc

1910. GLOSSARY Of Lodging Terminology Related to Front-Office Operations

ABC: Alcoholic Beverage Commission.

accounting: The hotel department responsibilities for financial control. This department sets policies and procedures for credit and cash handling to be followed by all hotel cashiers.

ADA: Americans with Disabilities Act

ADR (abbr.): Average Daily Rate. Average room rate determined by dividing the total rooms revenue by the total rooms occupied. adjoining room: A hotel guest room located side by side with another room but without a private connecting door. Adjoining room is often confused with a connecting room, which does have a connecting door.

adjustment: A correction of and erroneously posted guest rate or other charge. ADR: Average Daily Rate. Average room rate determined by dividing the total rooms revenue by the total rooms occupied.

advance deposit: A monetary deposit paid by a guest prior to his or her arrival in order to secure the reservation.

advance payment: Cash payment made by guest at the time of check in and credited to his or her account for the purpose of establishing credit in the hotel. (Advance payment takes the place of a credit card imprint.)

AGM: Assistant general manager.

Alcoholic Beverage Commission: In Nevada, the state regulatory agency that issues and renews liquor licenses and controls the enforcement of state laws regarding the purchase and selling of alcoholic beverages.

allowance: a rebate or adjustment made to a charge posted in a guest folio (account) prior to the current day.



1910. GLOSSARY, of 26

allowance, revenue: Refunds, rebates and other adjustments to revenue not known at the time of the sale, but later adjusted. American plan (abbr. AP): A rate plan that includes the lodging accommodation and meals. American Society of Association Executives (ASAE): A national association comprised mostly of the leading paid executives of associations and those vendors who serve associations, such as hotels and resorts. Each state has a chapter of ASAE. See www.asaenet.org. AP (abbr.): American plan.

arrival time: Approximate time at which a guest expects to arrive at the hotel for check-in. ARTA (abbr.): Association of Retail Travel Agents. ASAE (abbr.): American Society of Association Executives.

assigned rooms: A room that is not pre-registered to an individual.

assured reservation: A room will be held all night, pending guest's arrival, because payment is guaranteed (assured) by a credit card, even if the guest does not arrive.

availability: Hotel rooms that can be sold (also called inventory).

average daily rate (ADR): In lodging, the average rate at which guest rooms are rented net of taxes.

average transient rate: Determined by dividing the total non-group guest room revenue for a given period by the number of rooms occupied, then subtracting the number of complimentary rooms during that period.

A&G: Administrative & general, a hotel department.




back of the house: Those hotel department or areas of operations out of public

view.

back-up reports: In case of power failure, which could erase the data from the computer.

bank: 1. An institution providing consumer and merchant financial services. 2. Cash funds kept on hand by a merchant for making change to customers. Also called "house bank."

bank credit cards: Credit cards issued by banks and operating on a revolving credit system, (for example) e.g., Visa and MasterCard.

banquet gratuity: See "service charge."

banquet tip: See "service charge." banquet service charge: See "service charge."

bank: Cash funds kept on hand for making change to customers (also called house bank). base rate: The rate charged excluding any discount. base/Value Level 0: The regular rate, or highest valued rate, for the hotel. This rate returns the most profit for the hotel. bed board: A board designed to be placed under a mattress to provide a firmer sleeping surface. block: 1. (v.) To hold, assign or reserve as, for example, a hotel room. 2. (n.) a collection of guest rooms, as in a "group block." blocked rooms: Specific rooms or suites pre-assigned to a guest prior to his or her arrival. Block rooms may not be reassigned to another reservation or walking-in guest.




booking Channels: The source of business or distribution channels, e.g., CRO, GDS, hotel-to-hotel, direct. bucket: Container used for filing guest registration cards, folios and other documents. budget: A forecast of expected revenues, expenses and profit.

calendar year: The period from January 1 through December 31.

cancellation: A guest's request to void a previously made reservation.

cancellation number: A number given to the guest to verify that he or she has canceled a previously made reservation.

carrier: A transportation company such as air, bus, cruise ship line or railroad, for passengers and/or cargo.

cash deposit: A deposit made by a guest while checking into a hotel as a payment for all or part of the amounts expected to be due the hotel. Different from an "advance deposit," which see. cashier bank: Bank (amount of cash) Issued to a guest service agent for making change and conduction transactions.

chart of accounts: A list of account numbers and names.

check-in: The procedure of greeting the guest on arrival and completing the registration sequence to record him or her as a guest in the hotel.

check-in time: The designated time that a guest may check into a room in the hotel.

check-out: The procedure involved in a guest's departure and the settlement of his or her account.




check-out time: The time by which departing guests are expected to vacate their rooms.

city ledge: In lodging, the amounts due for goods and services provided to customers who have departed the hotel, but who have not paid.

city ledger: Consisting of those accounts owed to the hotel by individuals or organizations not occupying a room in the hotel.

client profile: A computerized record for a frequent guest, corporation, travel agent or booker program member to allow speed in booking reservations, good customer service and more accurate tracking for the marketing reports.

close of day: The time at which the system is stopped and changed to the new day for posting of transactions.

closed date: Date for which no further room reservations can be made.

closed to arrival: A condition during which guests are not allowed to make a reservation for an arrival date with this restriction imposed. They may book the day before and stay through this date or book arriving the day after.

commercial rate (also corporate rate): A rate a hotel offers to companies.

commission: The amount a travel agent or another receives for selling hotel accommodations.

competitive set: A group of hotels chosen to serve as a set of suitable competitors against which performance is measured, especially on the Star-Cast report.

complimentary room: A room at no charge. comp (slang): An occupied guest room for which no charge is made to the guest.

confirmation: See "reservation confirmation."




confirmation number: A number given to a reservation maker used to verify that a reservation has been made.

confirmed reservation: A hotel reservation with a commitment to honor it.

connecting room: A room with a private door permitting access from one room to the other without use of hotel corridor. Connecting room is often confused with adjoining room, which does not have a connecting door.

consortium (pl. consortia): A group of independent travel agencies that are together under one name to pool their customer services, marketing, knowledge, etc.

continental plan: A hotel that includes bed and continental breakfast. convention: A meeting using guest rooms and large meeting rooms.

corporate rate (also commercial rate): A rate a hotel offers to companies.

correction: An immediate correcting change made to a guest.

credit: 1. An accounting entry that increases liabilities, owners' equity or revenue or decreases assets or expenses. 2. An adjustment on a customer's statement in the customer's favor.

credit balance: An account balance in the customer's favor.

credit-card discount: The amount (usually a percentage of the gross amount of transactions) paid by a merchant to a credit-card company for services including processing customers' credit-card transactions.

CRO (abbr.): Central reservations office.

CRS (abbr.): Central reservation system.

current status: The condition of all rooms as either vacant, occupied, clean, dirty or out-of-order, as well as availability of rooms versus reservations at any given time.




cut-off: The time at which reservations are stopped for a group or designated segment (eliminating that rate category).

cut-off date: The date on which the block of unreserved group/convention rooms is released onto the available room inventory.

day rate: A special rate for daytime (non-overnight) use of the hotel room. This rate

normally applies only between 9:00 A.M. and 5:00 P.M.

debit: An accounting entry that increases assets or expenses or decreases liabilities, owner's equity or revenue.

defined viewership: In the global distribution system, allowing restricted special rate plans to be seen only by those authorized viewers using the pseudo city code. It is commonly used in conjunction with negotiated rates and/or contracts.

denial: A reservation request not booked due to lack of available room inventory.

departure: A guest's settling of his or her account and checking out of the hotel.

direct billing: A special arrangement, Whereby the hotel agrees to bill for charges after the guest's departure rather than requiring the account to be settled at the time of check out.

direct expense: The category of each department's operating expenses that are directly allocable to that department.

discount: A rate charged that is lower than the base rate.

discount, credit-card: See "Credit-card discount."

discrepancy report: A Report of variance from normal rates and/or policies, for example, report may show a vacant room as occupied.




dishonored reservation: A guaranteed reservation not honored by the hotel, usually because of an oversell situation. In such cases, the guest in normally sent ("walked") to another, nearby, hotel and the room paid for by the hotel with which the original reservation was made.

displacement: Stated in revenue terms as the difference between the bas rate offered for a room and the rate at which the room is actually sold. Revenue displacement occurs when lower rated business is accepted in the place of higher rated business at a time when market demand appears to be strong.

DNCO: Did not check out. Often pronounced "dun-co."

D.N.S.: Did not stay. "D.N.S." indicates that a guest checked out immediately after check-in.

double: A guest room occupied by two people.

double-double: A room with two double-sized (full) beds..

double-lock (E-key): To use of a special key to lock a guest room door so that neither a regular or master key can open it.

double-queen: Lodging-industry jargon for a hotel room type with two queen-sized beds.

double rate: A guest-rate which includes an additional person charge.

down: A term used to describe how many rooms the hotel is overbooked, as in, "We are twelve rooms down." down and out (slang): A guest room that is on the first floor and has a door that opens to the parking lot, as opposed to an interior hallway.

due out: A guest or room expected to check-out today.




early arrival: The condition of a guest arriving before the arrival date scheduled on

his or her reservation or arrival before the designated check-in time.

early departure: The condition of a guest departure before the departure date scheduled on his or her reservation or departure before the designated check-out time.

EDC: Electronic data capture.

EDT: Electronic data transfer.

electronic data transfer (EDT): The process of electronically transferring credit-card and check data electronically over telephone lines between the merchant and financial institutions and/or credit-card companies. Also called "electronic data capture."

electronic distribution: See GDS.

employment development department: Nevada governmental department responsible for collecting payroll taxes and other activities related to employment.

employee discount: A special rate for employees of the company or franchise-affiliated hotels.

employee handbook: The document describing the company's employment policies. EP (abbr.): European plan.

escort: 1. A person who accompanies a tour from departure to return, as guide, troubleshooter, etc. 2. A person who performs such functions only at destination. The terms "host-escort" or "host" are often used and are preferred to describe this service.

European plan (abbr. EP) (also Continental plan): A hotel rate including only the lodging accommodations—no meals are included..




exempt employee: An employee who is exempt from the overtime provisions of law.

Expense Report: A report submitted by an employee for the purpose of being reimbursed for expenses advanced on behalf of company business.

express check-out: A procedure by which a hotel guest can check out of the hotel without having to visit the front desk.

F&B: Food and beverage.

familiarization tour (also fam tour and fam trip): A complimentary or reduced rate travel program for travel agents, travel writers and/or airline employees that is designed to acquaint them with a specific destination to stimulate travel.

feeder market: A city or town (Marketing Statistical Area) from which your hotel derives business (can be the town/city in which your hotel is located).

financial period: A determined amount of time during which financial records are kept distinct from other periods.

fiscal year: A financial period of one-year beginning and ending on any date, not necessarily the first and last day of the calendar year.

flat rate: A rate which is offered for one to four people in a room with no additional person charge. forecast: Refers to the estimated occupancy of the hotel as well as the projection of estimated income, expense and profit for a future period. folio: A guest's current account.

Foreign independent travel (FIT): An international prepaid tour, usually unescorted, although guide service is often offered on some segments. An FIT is designed to the specifications of the individual client.




front desk clerk: A guest service agent.

front office manager: Another title for guest services manager, but more specific. Front desk managers may not have responsibility for other guest service departments.

F&B: Food and beverage, a hotel department.

GDS: Global Distribution System. The entire electronic travel information network.

It encompasses all the key players, including travel agents using systems such as Apollo

® and Sabre

®, and consumers using the Internet or online services.

general manager (GM): Manages the operation of an individual hotel.

government rate: The discounted rate sometimes available to some government travelers.

gross income: The difference between revenue and the cost of goods. (Different from "gross operating income.")

gross operating income: Net profit or loss after operating expenses have been deducted from operating revenues. (Different from "gross income.")

gross operating profit (GOP): Profit before taxes, depreciation, management fees, insurance, debt service and capital expenditures are deducted.

gross receipts: All proceeds, including revenue and taxes, collected by a company.

ground operator: A company that provides local travel services, transfers, sightseeing, guides, etc.

group: A number of hotel customers using guest rooms collectively as part of one event. As defined by most hotel companies, ten or more rooms in use on any one night.




group block: A specified number and type of rooms assigned to a particular group.

group deposit: Funds advanced to a hotel for the purpose of guaranteeing a group of room reservations.

group guest: A hotel customer traveling as part of a group of customers.

group rate: Specific room rate for a group agreed upon by the hotel and group in advance.

guaranteed reservation: A guest reservation that will be held whether or not the guest arrives. Reservations are guaranteed either by advance payment or by credit.

guest: A person occupying a hotel room or using another hotel service.

guest history: A record of a guest who has stayed in the hotel in the past or the program that maintains those records.

guest ledger: The amounts due for goods and services provided hotel guests who have not yet checked out and who have not yet paid for those goods and services.

guest services department: Hotel employees responsible for greeting guests on arrival, transporting them and their luggage to and from their rooms at check-in and departure, handling transportation, and providing appropriate assistance to guest as needed. guest services manager (GSM): Maintains the quality of guest services. Manages front office operations including reservations, check-in, check-out and accounting functions.

group revenue: Room revenue derived from services to group guests.

group housing list: See "group rooming list."

group rooming list: A list, usually prepared by the group client, of guests staying as part of a group block of reservations.




group SRPs: A specific rate plan in which a specified number of rooms are set aside from the rest of the hotel's room inventory for a special group or convention (like a mini-hotel). A special rate is usually offered to this block of rooms and these rooms can only be sold at this rate.

guest service agent: An employee who works at the front desk of a hotel.

guest services department: Usually the hotel department comprising the front desk, reservations, telephone, concierge, bell services and guest transportation departments.

guest services manager: The supervisor of a hotel's guest services department.

high season: A period of time when occupancy demand of a hotel is at its highest,

and rates are usually at their highest as well. hold mail: Mail that has arrived either prior to a guest's arrival or following his or her

departure.

: Food and beverage for sale in a guest room.

hospitality suites: A bedroom with connection parlor room used for entertaining and/or serving food and beverage.

host: A representative of the tour operator, destination or other tour principal who provides escort service at the destination. The term host-escort is often used to make a distinction between this function and such representatives who provide only information or greeting services, or who assist at the destination with ground arrangements without actually accompanying the tour.

hotel description screen: Information for a property or hotel chain in the GDS. All relevant information regarding location, amenities and policies are sorted and accessed in this arena. It is equivalent to a sales brochure about a property.

hotel package: A package offered by a hotel, usually at a special rate, sometimes consisting of room and breakfast only, and at other times consisting of transportation, room, meals, exercise facilities and other components.




house bank: Funds kept on hand by a merchant for the purpose of making change to customers.

house count: The number of guests staying in hotel rooms at a specified time.

house funds: See "house bank."

housing list: See "group rooming list."

housekeeper's report: A report by the housekeeping department indicating the status of each room in the hotel (clean, dirty, vacant, etc.).

Housing Bureau: An organization, often government sponsored, which acts as a clearing house for accommodations, particularly for conventions and other large meetings.

IATA: International Association of Travel Agents.

IATA number: A number used by the International Association of Travel Agents to designate each member. This is done to avoid individuals and organizations fraudulently representing themselves as travel agents.

incentive travel: A trip offered as a prize, particularly to stimulate the productivity of employees or sales agents.

incidental charges: Extra or miscellaneous charges added to a guest account.

income: Revenue less expenses. The type of income depends on the type of expenses deducted. Revenue less cost of goods is "gross" income, for example.

income and expense statement: See "Income statement."

income Statement: A summary of a company's revenue, costs and expenses during a financial period. Also called "profit and loss statement," "income and expense statement," and "operating statement."

indexes: Reference points a travel agent uses to locate a hotel near where their client is going. These can be companies, attraction, etc.




individual deposit: Funds advanced to a hotel for the purpose of guaranteeing a reservation.

International Association of Travel Agents: Well-know and reputable organization of travel agencies.

invoice: An itemized bill presented by the seller of goods and/or services to the buyer for the purpose of collecting payment.

labor charge: Labor charges are fixed dollar amounts (not based on a percentage

of revenue) for special services provided to customers that are not included in other charges. For example, a bartender charge, a meeting room setup charge and a charge for a security guard or all labor charges, not service charges. Service charges can also be distinguished from labor charges by recognizing that most service charges collected are passed through to service staff and other employees, but labor charges are entirely the hotel's receipts.

last room availability: A room rate that is available as long as there are rooms left to sell in their hotel.

late arrival: A guest with a reservation who notifies the hotel that he/she expects to arrive after 6:00 p.m. late charges: Charges made by the guest and received at the front desk for posting after the guest has checked out. learner: An employee who may receive a rate of pay than minimum wage during a training period.

liability: A debt or claim on the assets of an organization.

limited partnership: A form of business organization in which there are limited partners and a general partner. The limited partners invest in the business but do not manage it. The limited partners have limited liability.




liquor license: In Nevada, a state-issued permit allowing a reseller to purchase liquor from a wholesaler and resell it, either by the drink or by the container, depending on the type of license.

lodging industry: The industry comprising hotel, motels, resorts, condotels, etc.

log book: The book used to communicate information and occurrence to other shifts.

low season: A period of time when occupancy demand of a hotel is at its lowest, and rates usually at their lowest as well.

manager hold: An inventory control used to prevent rooms from being booked

through the reservations system. The “manager hold” is commonly used for high demand periods, special events, or to control a particular room type.

manager of information services (MIS): A commonly used job title describing one

who is responsible for a company's computer systems.

manager-on-duty: The ranking supervisor responsible for the hotel.

mapping: Matching a room type/rate type in the reservations system with a specific code in the GDS.

market segment: A division or category of customers.

marketing statistical area: Geographic areas, usually defined by area zip codes, from which your hotel's guests originate.

master account: the billing account for a particular group or function that will be paid by the sponsoring organization.

maximum length of stay: An inventory control used to ensure a reservation departure date. Often used prior to a special event. Meeting Planners International (MPI): An international organization comprised of those who plan meetings and conventions as a profession and those who supply the meeting industry, such as convention bureaus, exhibition companies and hotels.




menu: A listing of accessible tasks displayed on a computer screen. minibar: Honor bar, an area or container for selling beverages in a guest-room. Minibar

®: 1. Brand name for honor-bar refrigerators.

minimum length of stay: An inventory control used to build occupancy on shoulder dates by turning away reservations requesting a one-night stay on a high demand rate. minor: A person under 18 years of age. MIS: Manager of information services. MSA (abbr.): Marketing support applications. MPI (abbr.): Meeting Planners International.

net non-commissionable rates: A rate offered by a hotel for which a travel agent

or wholesaler agrees to not receive commission.

net operating income (NOI): The remaining income after all operating expenses have been deducted from revenue, excluding mortgage payments.

net rate: A rate given by a hotel, attraction or airline to a travel agent or wholesaler. This rate will be marked up, and often combined with other features, before being sold to a customer.

net revenue: Revenue less allowances.

night auditor: Person who computes a complete recap of the type and amount of business done in each hotel department during the full day.

NOI: Net operating income.

non-revenue receipts: Receipts collected that are not from the sale of goods and services, such as sales tax.




no-show: A guest with a confirmed reservation who does not arrive and whose reservation was not canceled. If the reservation was guaranteed, the hotel may charge the guest (usually for one night's room and tax).

occupancy: The percentage of hotel rooms sold. Calculated by dividing the number

of hotel rooms sold by the number of hotel rooms available. occupancy rate: The ratio, expressed as a percentage, of room night sold or

occupied to the total number of rooms offered for sale by a hotel.

occupied: Used by a guest, such as an “occupied” room.

off sale: A type of liquor license that allows the holder to sell alcoholic beverages only for removal from the seller's site. This type of license does not allow the consumption of alcoholic beverages at the seller's site.

on sale: A type of liquor license that allows the holder to sell alcoholic beverages for consumption on the seller's site.

operating statement: See "Income statement."

other revenue: A category of lodging revenue, including laundry, pay movies, vending, interest, parking, copying, etc.

out-of-inventory: The condition of a hotel made unavailable.

out-of-order-room: Designation of a room taken out of the available inventory for the purpose of repairs, maintenance, redecorating, etc.

overbooked: 1. The practice by a hotel of confirming reservations beyond capacity in the expectation of cancellations and/or no shows. 2. The inadvertent confirming of reservation beyond capacity.

overbooking: The practice of offering more rooms for sale than what the hotel has in physical inventory. This practice is commonly used to ensure a sell-out by offsetting the effects of anticipated cancellations and no-shows.




overtime: Premium pay for excessive hours worked.

package: Generally, any advertised combination of rooms with some other amenity,

service, or commodity ( for example, a room and a meal, rental car, champagne, sightseeing tours, theater or sporting event tickets, etc.) for one quoted price.

packing slip: A document listing the contents of a shipment and accompanying that shipment. (Not an invoice, because it contains no pricing information.)

paid in advance: Full amount of room and tax paid by guest before arrival or during stay.

paid out: Cash given to a guest by the front desk.

Paid Out form: A form used to document payments made to hotel guests, but not used for payments to employees.

paper trail: Documents to support one or more transaction postings.

PAF: Personnel Action Form.

parlor: A sitting room ( living room, salon ), usually connecting with a bedroom. Same can be modified to serve as a sleeping room.

payroll departments: Departments that have labor expense.

P & S: Profit and loss statement.

period: See "financial period." perfect sell-out: A condition in which all hotel guest-rooms are sold and all reservations are honored. permanent guest: A customer who has established permanent residence in a hotel.

personnel action form (PAF): The form used by hotel to report to the business office all changes in employees' status.




petty cash: Funds from which cash purchases are made.

PMS: Property-management system.

porte-cochére: An enclosure over a driveway at the entrance of a building to provide shelter.

portage: Baggage handling service or the fee charge for handling baggage. post (v.): To make an accounting entry.

pre-block (v.): To hold, assign or reserved in advance of arrival, such as a guest room.

prepaid expense: An expense paid before the entirety of its benefit is received.

pre-registration: room assignment and the filling out of registration cards prior to the guest's arrival, often used for convention, meeting and tour guests.

profit: The difference between the amount of revenue and expenses, if positive.

profit and loss statement (also P & L): See "Income statement."

property-management system (PMS): Computer software programs and hardware used for lodging reservations, check-in, check-out, guest accounts and other related functions.

pseudo city code: An ID code which identifies the location of the terminal of a travel agency which makes reservation for a designated company. This allows classified information (negotiated rates for a given company) to be accessible only to that agency. This is also referred to as " defined viewership."

public space: The areas of the hotel generally accessible by all hotel guests, such as the lobby, corridors and pool deck.

purchase order: A contract authorizing the purchase of goods or services.




QA: Quality Assurance. The quality Assurance Department periodically inspects all

system hotels to ensure that consistently high levels of product quality, cleanliness and customer service are in place.

rack rate: The regular rate on a hotel room.

rate tier: Different levels of rates that are placed in Special Rate Plans and are categorized by moderate, high, and heavy room-night volume. These levels of rates may be structured as a percentage off base rate, dollars off base rate, or a flat room rate. Typically used for locally negotiated rates established in exchange for volume.

registration card: Card used by guests to sign in at check-in.

regret: A potential reservation not booked. Common regret reasons are: rate, room type not available and the location of the hotel.

reseller's permit: Effectively, a sales tax license, allowing the holder to collect sales tax and avoid paying sales tax for goods purchased for resale to consumers. reservation: The holding of a guest-room for occupancy.

reservation confirmation: A written notice sent to a reservation maker or traveler that a reservation has been made.

reservation deposit: Funds advanced to a hotel for the purpose of guaranteeing a reservation or group of reservations.

reserve: Assignment of a vacant room on the day of arrival to a reservation in an effort to accommodate a special request.

resident manager: A hotel or motel manager who lives at the work site.




responsibility clause: That section of a brochure which spells out the conditions under which a tour is sold. It should include the name(s) of the company or companies who are financially responsible.

restricted date: A date for which management has limited the type of reservation to be accepted.

returned checks: Dishonored checks returned by the bank to the depositor.

revenue: The cash value of a company's receipts for the sale of goods and/or services. (Revenue does not include taxes collected, but "gross receipts" does.)

revenue departments: Departments that generate revenue.

revenue management: The practice of maximizing revenue from perishable assets (rooms) through an effective use of pricing and inventory controls. Selling the right product, at the right price, to the right customer, at the right time.

RevPAR (abbr.): Revenue Per Available Room. The amount of money a hotel earns for each available room. (Occupancy x ADR).

RFP (abbr.): Request for proposal. The opportunity to offer a company or consortium a discounted rate(s).

rollaway: A portable bed for one person.

rooming: Group room arrival sheet. A list of names informing us of the individual guests who will occupy a specific block of rooms held for a group. Sometimes a list is used in lieu of telephone or mailed reservations.

room change: Moving of a guest from one room to another during his or her stay.

rooming list: Given in advance of a group arrival, which lists the names of those who will be staying in the hotel.

run-of-the-house rate: A way to sell hotel rooms in which the hotel is selling a rate, not a specific room type. Upon the guest's arrival the hotel will accommodate the guest with whatever room type is available.




sales tax: Tax collected by merchants on behalf of state and local governments

when selling some goods and services.

security: A hotel department or function provided by hotel employees or a hotel contractor to provide for the safety and protection of hotel guests, employees and property.

security deposit: A payment made by a hotel guest guaranteeing the payment of debts for services or damaged or missing hotel property. sell-through: The condition or act of taking a reservation that extends through a sold-out date. For example, a hotel may take a five-day reservation through a period in which one of the five days is sold-out to not lose the revenue on the other four days.

sell up: Employment of selling techniques to persuade guests to choose a higher rate room then originally intended.

service animals: Animals used to help people overcome physical disabilities.

service charge: Amounts collected, mostly on behalf of service employees, for banquet services, usually calculated as a fixed percentage of the revenue subject to the service charge. Also called banquet "tips" and "gratuities,"

shelving: The capability of allowing a travel agency to book a rate other than the base rate through an airline system.

shoulder season: That period when there is neither a high nor a low demand for a particular destination (spring and fall months for many areas).

show rooms: Rooms set aside for showing to prospective clients and customers.

single: A room rented to one guest only and charged at the single rate.

sleep out: A guest who is registered into a room, but who informs the front desk that he or she will be sleeping in the hotel.




sold out: Status of the hotel when all rooms have been rented and there are no further rooms available. When the hotel reaches sold-out status, no more reservations or walk ins may be accepted for that date.

spillage: High valued customers turned away because lower valued customers have been previously accepted.

split shift: A work schedule interrupted by non-paid time, except meal and rest breaks.

split transaction: A single entry in computer accounting programs that has more than one offsetting account. statement: 1. A summary of a customer's account, including debit and credit entries for charges, payments and credits totaling to a balance due. 2. Any of a number of financial reports.

stay-over: A registered guest who extend his or her stay beyond the check-out date originally requested.

suite: A sitting room ( parlor, living room, salon ) connected to at least one sleeping room.

suspense account: An account used to temporarily carry amounts (such as discrepancies) pending their analysis.

Telecheck®: A company that electronically approves customers' checks.

TOT: Transient occupancy tax.

tour booker: A person or company who holds an ICC license to organize and market motorcoach tours.

tour operator: A person or company which creates and/or markets inclusive tours. Most tour operators sell directly to clients.

transient: An individual not directly associated with a particular group or convention.




transient guest: An individual (non-group) hotel customer.

transient occupancy tax (T.O.T.) (also bed tax, occupancy tax, room tax): Tax on the sale of lodging rooms.

transient revenue: Room revenue from services provided to an individual (non-group) customer.

travel-agent commission: Percentage of room rate paid to travel agent for sending a guest to our hotel. Payment is usually 10%.

trial balance: The process of checking that the total of all debit entries equals the total of all credit entries for a period.

Utell®: A large, worldwide reservation service renamed to Rezsolutions

®.

upgrade: When a guest is given a higher priced room for no additional charge.

V & R (abbr.): Vacant and ready, a guest room that is ready to be occupied.

van log: A record of the use of a company vehicle.

variable cost: An expense that changes in direct proportion to a related increase or decrease in total activity or volume.

variance: 1. The difference in the amounts between corresponding lines of and Income Statement or Balance Sheet. 2. The difference in actual and budget revenue, expense or profit.

V.I.P.: Abbreviation for very important person.

waiting list: A list of prospective customers awaiting availability of room

reservations.

walk: Lodging-industry slang for relocating a guest to another hotel because reserved accommodations are not available.




walk-in: Person without prior reservation who requests accommodation for that night.

wholesaler: An agency which packages tours. A package may consist of a combination of transportation, hotel accommodation and/or attractions.

workers' compensation insurance: Insurance for employee job-related injuries and illnesses.

workman's compensation insurance: See "workers' compensation insurance."

yield management: The process o controlling guest-room rates and availability to

maximize the revenue received from guest rooms. November 18, 2006