A La Carte Menu
Each item on the menu has a separate charge.
Adjoining Rooms
Two guest rooms located next to each other which are connected by a door between them. They may be booked together for one travelling party, or two different parties may book them separately. These are useful if you are travelling with older children or a larger group and need more space. If you don't know the guests in the adjoining room, always check to make sure the door in between is locked.
Advance Deposit
Money paid, usually by check or credit card, by a guest before arriving at the hotel. The amount is generally equal to one night's lodging fees. The purpose of the advance deposit is to guarantee a reservation. The full amount is applied to the guest's bill upon checkout.
Affiliated Hotel
A hotel that is part of a larger chain. The hotel may be owned by a corporation, or may be operated by an independent franchisee.
Airport Hotel
A hotel near the airport. The hotel does not have to be connected to the airport (although some are) or even adjacent to it; it could be located up to five miles away. Most airport hotels have a shuttle to and from the terminals.
All-suite Hotel
Hotel with all room types at least a suite. A "suite" generally means a separate living area (like a sofa or chairs), and may include a kitchenette or even a full kitchen. Suites generally offer a bit more room to spread out than the average hotel room, and may include a sofa bed for an extra guest.
Ambiance
The feeling a room gives you, engineered by hotel designers using lighting, sound, colours and even smells.
Amenity
An "extra" service or product given to guests by the hotel, typically at no extra charge. This term is broadly used to describe the shampoo, conditioner, body lotion, soaps and other products left in the guest room's bathroom for your use. Amenities can also refer to a service like a station to print your boarding pass in the lobby, or free parking.
Apartment Hotel
Guest rooms that include kitchens, and may include one or more separate bedrooms.
Atrium
A large space in the centre of the hotel, going up several stories. Guest rooms are distributed around the atrium, with a walkway overlooking the space. Designs including atriums usually involve plenty of natural light and indoor greenery.
Available Rooms (suites, beds)
The number of rooms normally available on a day-to-day basis, less those permanently used for some purpose other than guest occupancy.
Banquet
A meal, usually dinner or lunch, prepared and served by the hotel exclusively for a group. Most banquets have a predetermined menu, or food stations set up for self-service.
Bar
The area of the hotel where alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks are mixed and served. Typical locations include the hotel lobby, inside the restaurant or poolside. Often a bar inside a restaurant serves from the full restaurant menu, and can be a great way to be seated and dine right away, even when the restaurant has a long wait.
Bath Blankets
The hotel's term for those extra-large bath towels in your guest room. They can also be referred to as "bath sheets."
Bay
The size of a typical guest room. This is used to describe the size of a suite, which might, for example, be double bay or triple-bay.
Bed & Breakfast (B&B)
A type of lodging that is smaller than a hotel and may be in a private residence licensed for guests. Bed & Breakfasts generally appeal to guests who desire a more personal interaction with their destination. The term can also describe a rate plan at a traditional hotel which includes breakfast.
Booking Engine
The online reservations system that enables guests to check room availability and rates, and book rooms.
Boutique Hotel
A smaller hotel, often in a historic building. Although there is no hard-and-fast rule, a boutique hotel will generally have fewer than about 100 guest rooms. Boutique hotels are known for offering a more unique guests experience than the typical large, corporate chain hotel. They can be a good compromise between a large hotel and a bed & breakfast.
Buffet
Restaurant type in which the food is laid out for self-service. The best buffets have a mix of ready-to-serve food (like hot and cold platters) and prepare-on-demand food (like an omelette or meat carving station).
Business Mix
The variety of guest types at a hotel that together make up the hotel's clientele. A typical business mix might be part business travellers, leisure travellers and convention business.
Central Reservations System (CRS/CReS)
The ability of guests to make a reservation for one out of a number of hotels by contacting one agency, contracted by the hotels acting as a group, to operate this "central" reservation service.
Complimentary Room
An occupied guest room for which no price is charged. This may include a room occupied by a hotel employee.
Credit Card Commissions
A fee paid to credit card companies based upon a contracted percentage of credit card charges accepted.
Destination Clubs
The newest entrant to lodging, this niche most closely resembles country clubs in ownership structure.
Facilities
Core physical features of the hotel such as the type of accommodation, restaurants, bars, meeting rooms, and swimming pool.
Front Office
An office usually situated in the lobby, always located inside the main entrance, whose primary function is to control the sale of guest rooms, provide keys, mail, information service for guests, maintain guest accounts, render bills, receive payments as well as providing information to other departments within the hotel.
Guest Account
An itemized record of a guest's charges and credits, which is maintained in the front office until departure. Also referred to as a guest bill, guest folio, and/or guest statement.
Guest Amenities
Not to be confused with "amenities", this is the term given to the range of disposable items provided in guest room bathrooms and includes such items as shampoo, lotion, conditioner, soap, toothpaste, toothbrush, and shower caps. The cost of these items are built into the room rate.
Guest Check (Restaurant)
The invoice presented to restaurant and bar patrons for food and beverage consumed during a visit. Also referred to as a waiter's check or restaurant check.
Guest History
A record maintained for each guest who has stayed at the hotel with a separate entry for each visit and details of pertinent preferences. This is a valuable reference tool for reservations, marketing, and credit departments. Guest histories are now more readily available through the increased utilization of computers and technology.
Guest House
A personal residence with a small amount of overnight accommodation sometimes limited by legislation and residence constraints. Typically provides breakfast which is included within the room rate but no other meals. Not licensed to provide alcoholic beverages commercially.
Guest Service Directory
A documented listing of all of the features of a hotel together with general and pertinent information about the community within which the property is located. Directories are usually provided within each guest room.
High (Peak) Season / Shoulder Season
The period of consecutive months during which optimum revenues, room/suite occupancy and average room rates are generated.
Hotel
Minimum number of available rooms, services, and amenities, usually defined by legislation for licensing and classification purposes as well as eligibility for fiscal incentives in some jurisdictions. May provide food and beverage services on site but not always within the accommodation building(s): usually by in-house staff but occasionally through an outside food and beverage contractor. May or may not provide a range of recreation and other amenities on site or by arrangement with others off site. Includes motor hotel, resort hotel or resort, and commercial hotel.
Hotel Representative
An individual or firm with the responsibility to facilitate market accessibility to the hotel property by the travel trade.
Intelligent Hotels
Hotels that are identified because they have state of the art technology systems for their operations. These hotels have replaced the traditional systems to reduce their energy cost and usually have integrated systems which join analog and digital systems to achieve an effective communication in their hotels. The return on investment is reflected in the energy-cost savings and the comfort they provide to their guests.
Limited Service Hotels
Brand hotels with franchise memberships of recognized hotels, built within limited areas without a restaurant. These hotels are located near business areas such as industrial parks, cities, and airport terminals.
Low (Off-peak) Season
The consecutive months during which the lowest revenues, room/suite occupancy and average room rates are generated.
Mini Bar
A specially designed small, floor mounted refrigerator containing a variety of beverages and snacks located in guest rooms, with individual guest room key access. This amenity serves as a more credible and profitable substitute for room service.
M.O.D.
Manager On Duty.
Night Manager
Manager who oversees operations of the hotel in the evening.
Overbooking
A situation in which more room reservations have been taken by a hotel than what the hotel is able to accommodate.
Package
The name given to an assembly of components under a one price system. Typically, the core package price would include: return transportation, ground transfers, baggage handling, accommodation, one or more meals per day, and applicable taxes. Car rentals, recreation and entertainment and gratuities may also be included, but are more often supplementary to the core package price.
Race rate
The full, undiscounted published room rate (price).
Registration Card (Reg. Card)
A form on which arriving guests record their names, addresses, and other details including mode of transportation used, nationality, purpose of visit (usually business or pleasure), method of payment, and length of stay. A space is also provided for signature, room rate and room number. Additional questions may be included as a part of the hotel's market research platform.
Resort Hotels & Spas
A hotel that caters primarily to vacationers and tourist and typically offers more recreational amenities and services, in a more aesthetically pleasing setting, than other hotels. These hotels are located in attractive and natural tourism destinations and their clientele are groups and couples that like adventure with sophistication and comfort. The attractions vary depending on the region and some might offer golf, tennis or scuba diving and, depending on the natural surroundings, may also arrange other recreational activities.
Room Block
A predetermined number of rooms reserved in advance for group (conference, tour) use.
Room Service
Food and beverage delivered and served in a guest room.
Safety Deposit Boxes
Individual boxes provided for the safekeeping of guest valuables. Located either in a central, secure, and supervised location or in individual guest rooms.
Shoulder Season
The period between peak and low season.
Star Ratings
-
Three Star Hotel
Middle class hotels; moderately priced; has daily maid service, room service, and may have dry-cleaning, Internet access, and a swimming pool.
Timeshare (Vacation ownership)
A marketing and equity-financing concept which permits participants to enjoy vacation accommodation for a fixed, one time amount for life, or shorter contracted period.
Tour Operator
An organization or individual who actively manages and escorts tours and tour packages to group visitors.
Traditional Lodging
Guests pay nightly rates for single rooms or suites and have full access to the hotels' range of amenities and services. Rates begin at "rack," but vary widely, based on time of week and season and nearby events and attractions.
Transfer
This refers to the transportation of visitors between their point of arrival and selected hotel, and back again on departure day.
Wake Up Call
A call made by front office, usually by telephone, to a guest room at the time requested by a room guest to be wakened.
Walk-In Guest
A guest who checks-in without an advance reservation.
Walked Guests
When a hotel is overbooked and a guest room is not available for a confirmed guest, the hotel has to “walk the guest” to a nearby hotel. This usually includes paying for transportation to the hotel and covering any difference in the room rate at the hotel the guest was “walked” to.