• ARRIVAL DATE - The date of guest requested to arrival and stay over night.
• ARRIVAL TIME - The time of guest started that he would arrival on or before.
• A LA CARTE - A menu from which item are chosen and paid for individually, this type of meal arrangement is hardly ever including in any tour.
• ADJOINING ROOMS - Two or more contiguous rooms. Access between rooms through corridor (immediate next door to each other).
• ACCOUNT NUMBER - The number assign to the guest account, house account, group master account, or package plan account (either automatically by the account or to specify another guest’s account (to which charges are to be posted, for instance) Also known as the folio number.
• ACCOUNT SETTLEMENT - Payment of the outstanding balance on a guest folio or city ledger account.
• ADJUSTMENT - To credit an account with a correction, allowance, etc.
• ADVANCE DEPOSIT - A sum of money paid to guarantee a room reservation, it may be full or partial payment of the room rate.
• ALLOWANCE - Money that we advance from company and can refund later on
• AMENITIES - Item that is property supplies to its guests to improve their physical and/or material comfort. For example, bathroom amenities may include large, brand name bars of soap, containers of bath gel, hair shampoo, and large towels or bathrobes.
• AUTO POST - The ability to post an entire department (such as room and tax) with the computer by pushing one button.
• AVAILIBILITY ROOM - Condition in the hotel that exists when some rooms have not been booked and a customer can still obtain a reservation on requested date. (a vacant room )
• AVERAGE ROOM RATE - (ARR) a statistic derived by dividing room revenue by the number of room sold. Also called average daily rate (ARR)
• AGENCY COMMISSIONS - A commission the hotel pays to travel Agency. It is expressed as a percentage (usually 10%) of the gross room rate.
• AGENCY FEE - An amount agreed upon, in advance, by the agency and client, which compensates the agency for all service of commission.
• BACK OFFICE - The hotel department or area responsible for coordinating all supports service, managerial activities, and accounting tasks.
• BACK OF THE HOUSE - Refers to the department or areas of the hotel where there is little or no guest contact. Example the kitchen, housekeeping department, etc.
• BACK TO BACK - Heavy checks out and check in on the same day.
• BACK UP REPORT - Reported printed periodically to ensure a smooth operation in the event of a power failure or computer down.
• BLOCK (Noun) - A room assignment for a particular guest or group.
• BLOCK (Verb) - The process of assigning a room to a guest.
• BOOK - To sell or reserve rooms ahead of time.
• BANQUET ROOM - A conference room.
• BROCHURE - A printed folder containing descriptive or advertising material.
• BUFFET - An assortment of foods offered on table in self-service fashion.
• CHARTER FLIGHT - An exclusive tour charter flight can be sold to individuals by a tour operator or Travel agent. For the purpose of flying passengers to destination. Charter flight is generally cheaper than regularly scheduled line service and they may be carrier out by regularly scheduled or supplement carriers.
• CANCELLATION - A reservation voided per the request of the request. Different types of reservation are subject to various cancellation requirements.
• CASHIER’S REPORT - Cash turn-in form completed by the department cashier at the close of the shift.
• CASH PAID OUT- Money given to a guest and charged to the guest account as an advance or loan.
• CENTRAL RESERVATIONS OFFICE (CPU) - Part of an affiliate reservation network. A central reservations office typically deals directly with the public, advertises a central (usually toll-free) telephone number, provide participating properties with necessary communications equipments, and bill properties for handing reservations.
• CHECK IN - Procedures involved in receiving and registering a guest at the property.
• CHECK OUT TIME - The hour by which departing guest must check out of a property to avoid the possibility of incurring additional charges for overstaying. (c/o time is 12.00 noon.)
• CITY LEDGER - The subsidiary ledger containing the accounts receivable of guest who has checked out, the account, which directs billing, is posted.
• CLOSED - In reference to reservations systems, used to mean instructing the system not to accept additional reservations for a specific date.
• CONDUCTED TOUR - As escorted pre-arrange tour or a portion of the tour, museum visit, or conducted sightseeing wherein the conducted acts as escort, guide and/or leader. A fully conducted tour provides escort service from origination point to final return.
• CONFERENCE - (A meeting) An association of carriers theoretically designed to provide a set operational rules that are fair to operators, and to prevent cutthroat competition among operators. Establishes the operating rules, shipping, and passengers, documents, which they may desire. Also, it may establish travel agency rules and regulations.
• CONVENTION - (A Large room meeting) usually consists of general session and committee meeting primary for the purpose of providing information. It is the generally accepted, traditional from of annual meeting.
• CONNECTING ROOMS - Two or more rooms with private connecting doors.
• CONFIGURATION - The way that the hardware is connected into a functioning unit, how the peripheral devices are connected to the central processing unit and to each other.
• CONFIRMATION (CNF) - A notification send by a hotel to guest specifying in writing the details of a reservation.
• CONFIRMED RESERVATION - An agreement, either oral or written, by a property to accept a request for accommodation. To be binding, however, the agreement must state definitely the intent of the parties and recite the material points of the agreement, including the particular dates the rate nature of accommodation, and the number of persons to be accommodated.
• CORRECTION - Used the posting; if a charged was posted in error and error is discovered on the same day, the charge must be corrected off the bill on that day.
• COUPONS - Document issued by travel agent or tours operators in exchange for which travellers receives accommodation, meals, sightseeing trip, etc. Coupons may be prepaid or billed, depending upon the credit relationship with the agent or operator. Also referred to as vouchers.
• CREDIT CARDS - A card that allows a consumer to make a purchase, use a service, etc. and pay later. In this book, credit cards are defined as including travel and entertainment cards, bankcards and those offered by hotel chains or other companies.
• CREDIT CARD SLIP - The form designated by a specific credit card company that must be imprinted and used to record the amount charged by a guest to that credit card.
• CONTINENTAL BREAKFAST (CBF) - A beverage with rolls, butter and jam or marmalade.
• COMMERCIAL RATE - Room rate agreed upon by a company and hotel for all individual room reservations. Also referred to as ‘corporate rate’.
• COMPLIMENTARY (Comp) - A room or service given free to a guest (usually to promote good will or as an incentive for guests to stay in the hotel).
• COMPLIMENTARY ROOM - A complimentary or “comp” room is a room that is occupied, but the guest is not charged for its use. A hotel may offer comp rooms to a group in ratio to the total number of rooms the group occupies. One comp room may be offered for each fifteen rooms occupied, for example.
• COMPETITION ANALYSIS - An evaluation of business’s competition to identify opportunities and unique selling points. Part of a marketing audit.
• COMPUTER INTERFACE UNIT - A device used to connect peripheral devices (such as printers) to a computer.
• COMPUTER SYSTEM - The equipment (hardware) and instructions (software) used as a unit to process data, includes the central processing unit, the opportunities and unique selling points. Part of a marketing audit.
• CONCIERGE - An employee whose task is to serve as the guest’s liaison with hotel and non-hotel attractions, facilities, services, and activities.
• CURRENT BALANCE - The amount on a guest folio that shows what the guest currently owes (negative or credit balance).
• CUT OFF DATE - The hour after which a property may release for sale all unclaimed, non-guaranteed reservations, if permitted by property policy, therefore, this term also refers to the hour by which a guest with a non-guaranteed reservation must register for a room (Cut off date is 2 days prior arrival date; Cut off time is 18.00 hrs of the day)
• DATA BASE - A collection of all data used and produced by a computer program.
• DAY USE - A room used for only a portion of a day. (06.00 – 18.00 hrs.)
• DEPARTURE DATE - The date the guest will check out from his/her room.
• DEPOSIT RESERVATION - A reservation for which cash payment for at least the first night’s lodging has been received; the hotel is obligated to hold the room regardless of the guest’s arrival.
• DOUBLE OCCUPANCY - Two guests are registered on a room.
• DOUBLE OCCUPANCY RATE - A rate used for tours where the per-person charge is based on two to a room.
• DESTINATION - In the travel industry, any city, area, or country that can be marketed as a single entity to tourists.
• DIRECT FLIGHT - A journey on which the passenger does not have to change planes, not necessarily non-stop.
• DIRECT MAIL ADVERTISING - Advertising mailed to the consumer’s residence, containing copy that tries to motivate the reader to purchase a product or utilize a service, may contain a response mechanism for ordering by return mail.
• DISCOUNTING - Marking down the normal room rates by some percentage or dollar amount. Discounts are usually directed toward particular markets or are instituted during a particular time or season.
• DIRECT BILLING - An account receivable mailed to an individual of firm that has established credit with the property.
• DISCREPANT ROOM - Rooms, which the front desk shows as, occupied and housekeeping reports as vacant, or vice versa.
• DOUBLE BED - A bed approximately 54 inches by 75 inches.
• DUE OUT - Person expected to check out who have not yet vacated the room or paid their bill.
• ESCORT TOUR - A person, usually employed by a tour operator, who accompanies a tour from departure to return and serves as guide, trouble-shooter, etc.
• EXECUTIVE FLOOR - A floor of a hotel, which offers exceptional service to business and other travellers. Also called a business floor or the tower concept.
• EARLY ARRIVAL - Guest who arrives at a property before the date of his or her reservation.
• EARLY DEPARTURE - A guest who checks out before the originally schedule date or time.
• END OF DAY (EOD) - A function of the night audit. The EOD includes the actual functions performed by the computer to prepare it for the next day. EOD reports are those reports that are normally printed only as part of the audit.
• ETA - Estimated time of arrival.
• FAMILY PLAN - Special family rate policy of the hotel, which usually provides that no charges are levied for a child or children sharing room with parents.
• FOLIO - The guest’s bill, it is created upon check-in and is used to record all guest charges and posting transactions.
• FORECAST - A future projection of estimated business volume. Or to predict the occupancy situation for any given future date or dates.
• FRONT OFFICE - A broad term that includes the duties and function involved in registering guest charges, checking guests out, and controlling room status and availability, also the term used to designate the front desk.
• FRONT OF THE HOUSE - Refers to the departments or areas of the hotel where there is a great deal of guest contact; for example, the front office, dining room, etc.
• FULL HOUSE - All room occupied; no room left for sale.
• FLAT RATE - A special room rate for a group agreed upon by the hotel and the group in advance. Also called “run-of-the-house rate”.
• GM - The General Manager of the hotel; the hotel’s Chief Executive.
• GUARANTEE - The figure which a function or meeting planner gives to the hotel at least 24 hours before the function for the number of person to be served. Most hotels are pre preserved to serve 5% to 10% over the guaranteed figure. Pre payment is made on the basis of guaranteed number covers or the total number served, whichever is.
• GUARANTEED NO SHOW - When a guest makes a reservation and assures payment for accommodations, but does not arrive or cancel the reservation.
• GUARANTEED RESERVATION - A reservation made by a guest, payment for which is assured by a credit card, corporate account or pre payment. In return, the room is held all night long or until the guest arrives-whichever occurs first. Unless the reservation is properly cancelled. The guest is billed for room and fax for the arrival date only.
• GIT - Group inclusive tour (package tour) A tour basing fare to various destinations, providing special fare for a minimum of 15 pax and requiring that all the members must travel on same flight, round trip, and must travel together during their entire time abroad, whose reservations must be made at a specific time.
• GROUND OPERATOR - A company or individual providing such services as accommodations, sightseeing, transfer, and other related services, exclusive of transportation to and from a given destination.
• GROUP RATE - A special room rate for a number of affiliated guests.
• HANDICAP ROOMS - Rooms with special feature designed to make the stay easier for handicapped persons.
• HARD COPY - A printed, paper copy of information (as opposed to a display of information on the CRT screen). Also refers to the last page in a set of folio copies, which is the hotel’s copy of the folio.
• HARDWARE - The equipment used to process data includes the central processing until and peripheral equipment such as dish drives and printers.
• HOSPITALITY SUITE - A room used for entertaining. Usually a function room or parlour.
• HOTEL REPRESENTATIVE - A person form or corporation designated by a hotel to provide tour operators, travel agents, and the general public with reservation in the hotel.
• HOUSEKEEPER’S REPORT - A form used by the front office and housekeeping departments to communicate to each other the current status of each guest room in the hotel.
• HOUSEMAN - Housekeeping employee who does heavy cleaning jobs, listing and moving.
• HOUSE USE - A room being used by someone on the hotel staff at no charge.
• INCENTIVE TRAVEL - Travel financed by a business as employee incentive.
• INCLUSIVE TOUR - A tour in which specific elements-air fare, hotels, transfers, etc. are included for a flat rate. An inclusive tour rate does not necessarily cover all costs.
• ID - An abbreviation for identification (as in User ID).
• INTERFACE - A common boundary between two pieces of hard ware and a communication link between all users.
• JOB DESCRIPTION - A written listing of the duties and responsibly required for a particular job.
• JOINER - A person joiner another guest in the same room.
• JUNIOR SUITE - A room with a bed and ‘sitting area’. There may also be a small, separate bedroom connected to the living room or parlour. Also called a mini-suite.
• KING BED - The name of a company or product in special design used as a trademark.
• LATE ARRIVAL - A guest with a reservation who expects to arrive after the hotel’s designated cut-off hour and so notifies the hotel.
• LETTER OF CREDIT - A company letter authorizing direct bill privileges for its representative; must be approved by the hotel manager.
• LINE PRINTER - A peripheral device, which prints report, folios, confirmations, or mailing labels on paper.
• LOG - A daily record of problems or situations that have occurred at the front office that should be communicated to others in the hotel. In a computer system, a record of the data processing operations that lists each job or run, the time required, operator actions, and other pertinent data.
• MAILING LISTS - A list of the name, addresses, and in some cases, titles of persons to be reached by direct mail. It can be a commercial, general, or house list.
• MARKET - A geographic area defined by media coverage or sales patterns. Also refers to population group that has purchasing power and is a prime prospect for an advertiser’s product or service.
• MARKETING - A system of interacting activities formulated to plan, price, promote, and make available services or products to potential customers or guests in particular target market.
• MARKET SEGMANTATION - Dividing the market into groups of consumers with similar needs, wants, backgrounds, incomes, buying habits, and so on.
• MARKET SHARE - The amount of a market a business captures relative to the total market.
• MASTER ACCOUNT - One folio prepared for a group (convention, company, tour) on which all group charges are accumulated. Also called a master folio.
• MASTER CARD - An index card that contains a summary of everything needed for a sales effort, including the organization’s name, the decision-maker(s), Key contacts, address, telephone numbers, and so on.
• MAKE UP - A room that needs a routine, through cleaning before registering new guests for the room.
• MOD - Abbreviation for Manager-On-Duty.
• MODEM - A telecommunications device that converts the digital signals in a computer into signals that can be transferred over the telephone lines. A modem is also needed at the other end to translate the telephone signals back into computer signals.
• NIGHT AUDIT - A daily reconciliation of accounts receivable completed during the late night shift. Includes posting all room and tax charges and balancing the day’s posting activities.
• NO SHOW - A passenger or guest who fails either to use or cancel his or her reservation neither cancelled nor fulfilled.
• OVERBOOKING - Committing more rooms than are actually available to possible guest occupancy.
• OVERSTAY - A guest who stays after his or her stated departure date.
• OCCUPIED - A room that currently has guests staying in it.
• ON LINE - A term describing a computer system where the equipment and devices are in direct communication with the central processing unit, and where files are updated or accessed at any time by all users.
• OUT OF ORDER (OOO) - A room that is not available for sale because it requires maintenance work or is under renovation.
• PACKAGE - A special offering of services (room, food, entertainment, transportation, recreation, etc.), normally purchased separately, that is put together and marketed at a lower total price.
• PEAK PERIOD - Also known as ‘in-season’, this is the period when demand for a property and its services is highest. Maximum rates may be charged at this time. (high period)
• PACKAGE TOUR - A saleable travel product that offers, at an inclusive price, several travel elements that a traveller would otherwise purchase separately. A package tour can include, in varying degrees, any or all of the following elements; lodging, sightseeing, attractions, meals, entertainment, car rental, and transportation by air, meter coach, rail or even private vehicle. A package tour may include more than one destination.
• PASSWORD - A unique code assigned to each person using the system. The password is an identifier used when signing onto the system; the password, in conjunction with the agent ID, identifies the user’s identity and security level to the system.
• POINT OF SALE - A place where goods or services are sold to a guest (such as a restaurant or gift shop). Usually a remote location which is connected to the computer so goods and services can be charged directly to the guest’s account from points all over the property.
• PRE PAID - Full amount of room and tax paid by the guest before checking in or during the stay. Also called paid-in-advance (PIA).
• PRE RESGISRATION - A service often arranged for VIP; for guests with prearranged, established credit; and for selected groups. Guests are pre-assigned rooms so that when they arrive, they simply pick up room keys after signing the registration card.
• QUEEN - One or two people may occupy a room with a queen-size bed.
• QUEEN BED - An extra-long, extra-wide double bed about 60 inches by 80 inches.
• RACK RATE - The standard rate established by the property for a particular category of rooms. (full rate )
• REGISTRATION CARDS - A printed form the guest completes upon arrival, giving name, address, and other information.
• REGISTER - The procedure by which an incoming guest signifies his or her intent to stay at property by completing and signing a registration card.
• RESERVATION - An arrangement between a hotel and a guest that the hotel will hold a specific type of room for a particular date and length of stay.
• RESERVATION NUMBER - A computer system will automatically assign a unique number to each reservation, or the operator may enter a reservation number (as established by hotel management). The reservation number may be numeric, alphabetical, or alphanumeric.
• ROOM BLOCK - agree-upon number of rooms set aside for members of a group planning to stay at hotel.
• ROOMING LIST - List of guests who will occupy reserved accommodations, submitted by the buyer in advance.
• ROOM RATE - The price a hotel charges for overnight accommodations.
• ROOM NIGHT - Definition used by the sales department for a room that is occupied for one night.
• ROOM OR RATE CATEGORY - A classification used to segregated and catalogue guest rooms. Normally, a guest room is categorized by rated, then by room type.
• ROOM REVENUE REPORT - Report compiled by the night auditor listing the revenue for each room, the number of occupants, and the checkout dates. This report is often used in making the morning assignments.
• ROOM STATUS - A code or description indicating the occupancy and readiness status of a room. (example : Occ., Vac,)
• SECURITY - The hotel department in charge of ensuring the safety and security of guests and employees.
• SERVICE CHARGE - A percentage of the bills (usually 10%) added for distribution to service employees in lieu of direct tipping.
• STAY OVER - A room status term indicating that the guest is not checking out and will remain at least one more night.
• SINGLE BED - A bed approximately 36 inches by 75 inches.
• SKIPPER - A guest who leaves a property without making arrangement to settle his or her account.
• SLEEPER - A vacant room that is believed to be occupied because the room registration card was not removed from the system when the prior guest departed.
• SLEEP OUT - A room that is taken, occupied and paid for, but not slept in.
• TIME STAMP - Imprint that stamp the time on all folios and registration cards at check-in/out and on all mail and message at the time or receipt.
• TRANSACTION - Each posting correction, adjustment, transfer and check-out (which involves posting a balance).
• TRANSFER - The serviced provided travellers when they arrive and leave a town. Sometimes accompanied by a representative of the local travel agent.
• TRAVEL AGENT - Consumer contract or commission service representative who represents carriers, hotels, wholesalers, etc, A travel agent usually works for commission only.
• TRAVELER’S CHECKS - Prepaid checks sold by banks and other financial institutions, which are equivalent to cash. They must be signed in the presence of the cashier or they cannot be cashed. The same identification and procedures required to cash personal checks are required to cash traveller’s checks.
• TOUR ORDER - Form issued by a travel agent or airline to cover all inclusive package tour ground arrangements (hotel, sightseeing, entertainment features, etc). Client normally exchanges tour order for hotel and for hotel and tour vouchers upon arrival at destination.
• TRIPLE - A room occupied by three people. Might have one double bed and a rollaway or two beds and a roll away.
• TWIN - A room with two twin beds. May be occupied by one or two people.
• TWIN BED - A bed approximately 39 inches by 75 inches to sleep two people.
• WHOLESALE TRAVEL AGENT - An individual who specializes in putting tour package together for individual business and leisure travellers. These tours are usually marketed to the public through retail travel agents or the airlines.
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