FRONT OFFICE

TERMINOLOGIES
ACCOUNT : A form in which financial data are
accumulated and summarized.
ACCOUNT BALANCE : Difference between the total
debits and the total credits to an account.
ADJACENT ROOMS : Rooms close to each other,
such as rooms across the hall.
ADVANCE DEPOSIT : A type of reservation that
guarantees reservation which requires the guest
to pay a specified amount of money to the hotel
in advance.
AMERICAN PLAN : A billing arrangement
under which room charges include the
guestroom and three meals. Also called
full pension

ARRIVAL DATE : The date guest plans to

register at the hotel.
AVAILABILITY REPORT : A report that contains
expected arrival and departure information for
the next several days, typically prepared as part
of the night audit.
BLOCK : An agreed-upon number of rooms asset
aside from members of a group planning to stay
at a hotel.
BOOK: To sell or reserve rooms ahead of time.
CANCELLATION : A reservation invalidated at the
request of the guest.
CANCELLATION HOUR : The hour after which the
property may release for sale all unclaimed non-
guaranteed reservations, according to property
policy.
CHAIN HOTEL : A hotel owned by or affiliated with
other properties.
CHECK OUT : The procedures involved in the
departure of a guest in a property, including
settlement of a guest’s account and returning
room keys.
CHECK-OUT TIME : The hour by which departing
guests must check out of a property.
CLOSED : The status of a date for which a
reservation system will not accept additional
reservations.
COMMERCIAL RATE : Room rates for
businesspeople that represent a company and
have infrequent or sporadic patterns of travel.

CORPORATE RATE : A special room rate agreed on

by a company and a hotel for frequent guests.
COMPLIMENTARY : A room status term indicating
that the room is occupied, but the guest is
assessed no charge for its use.

CONCIERGE : An employee whose basic task is to

serve as the guest’s liaison with both hotel and
non-hotel attractions, facilities, services and
activities.
CONFIRMATION LETTER : A letter sent to a guest
to verify that a reservation has been made and
that its specifications are accurate.
CORPORATE GUARANTEED RESERVATION : A
type of reservation guarantee in which a
corporation signs a contractual agreement with
the hotel to accept financial responsibility for
any no-show business travelers it sponsors.
DNCO : A room status term indicating that the guest
made arrangement to settle his or her account
but has left without informing front office.
DUE OUT : A room status term indicating that the
room is expected to become vacant after the
following day’s check-out time.
EARLY ARRIVAL : A guest who arrives at a property
before the date of his/her reservation.
EMERGENCY KEY : A key that opens all
guestrooms, even when they are double-locked.
EUROPEAN PLAN : A billing arrangement under
which meals are priced separately from rooms.
EXPECTED ARRIVAL S LIST : A daily report showing
the number and names of the guests expected
to arrive.
EXPECTED DEPARTURES LIST : A daily report
showing the number and names of guests
expected to depart as well as the numbers of
stayovers.
FAMILY RATE : A special room rate for parents and
children in the same room.
FOLIO : A statement of all transactions affecting the
balance of a single account.
FORECASTING : The process of predicting future
events and trends in business.
FREE INDIVIDUAL TRAVELER (FIT) : A guest
coming to the hotel as an individual, and not as
part of a group. Also called a transient guest.
FULL HOUSE : A condition in which every room of
the hotel has been booked.
GOVERNMENT RATE : A special room rate available
at some hotels for government employees.
GROUP RATE : A special room rate for a number of
guests who are affiliated with one another.
GUARANTEED RESERVATION : A reservation that
assures the guest that a room will be held until
check-out time of the day following the day of
arrival.
GUEST ACCOUNT : A record of the financial
transactions that occur between the guest and
the hotel
GUEST FOLIO: A form used to chart transactions on
an account assigned to an individual person or
guest.
GUEST HISTORY FILE : A collection of guest history
record, constructed from expired registration
cards.
GUEST HISTORY RECORD : A record of personal
and financial information about hotel guests
for marketing purposes and information should
he/she return.
GUEST ROOM KEY : A key that opens a single
guestroom door if it is not double-locked.
HOUSE COUNT : The forecasted or expected
number of guests for a particular period.
HOUSE USE : A room status indicating that the
room is being used by someone on the hotel
staff at no charge.
HOUSEKEEPING STATUS REPORT : A report
prepared by the HK Dept. that indicates the
current HK status each room based on a
physical check.
INCENTIVE RATE : A special room rate for
guests affiliated travel and tourism
organizations because of the potential
referral business they can generate for the
hotel.
INFORMATION RACK : An alphabetical index of
registered guests, used in routing telephone
calls, mails, messages and visitor inquiries.
KEY RACK : An array of numbered compartments
used to store guestroom keys.
LATE ARRIVAL : A guest with a reservation who
expects to arrive after the hotel’s designated
cancellation hour and so he notifies the hotel.
LATE CHECK-OUT : A room status term indicating
that the guest is being allowed to check out
later than the hotel’s standard check-out time.
LATE CHECK-OUT FEE : A charge imposed by
some hotels on guests who do not check-out
by the established check-out time.
LOCK-OUT : A room status term indicating that
the room has been locked so that the guest
cannot re-enter until he/she is cleared by a
hotel official.
LOGBOOK : A journal in which important front
office events and decisions are recorded for
reference during subsequent shifts.
MASTER FOLIO : A folio used to chart transactions
on an account assigned to more than one
person or guest room, usually reserved for
group accounts.
MASTER KEY : A key which opens all guestroom
doors which are not double-locked.
MODIFIED AMERICAN PLAN (MAP) : A billing
arrangement under which the daily rate
includes charges for the guestroom and two
meals – typically breakfast and dinner.
NON-GUARANTEED RESERVATION : A
reservation arrangement in which the hotel
agrees to hold a room for the guest until a
stated reservation cancellation hour on the
day of arrival.
NO-POST STATUS : A term used to indicate a
guest who is not allowed to charge purchases
to his/her room account.
NO SHOW : A guest who made a room reservation
but did not register or cancel.
OCCUPANCY PERCENTAGE : An occupancy ratio
that indicates the proportion of rooms sold to
rooms available for sale during a specific
period of time.
OCCUPANCY REPORT : A report prepared each
night by a front desk clerk that lists the rooms
occupied that night and indicates those guests
expected to check out the following day.
ON CHANGE : A room status term indicating that
the guest has departed, but the room has not
yet been cleaned and readied for resale.
OPEN : The status of a date for which a reservation
system can still accept reservations.
OUT-OF-ORDER (OOO) : A room status term
indicating that the room cannot be assigned to
a guest.
OUTSTANDING BALANCE : The amount the guest
owes the hotel.
OVERAGE : An imbalance that occurs when the
total of cash and checks in a cash register
drawer is greater than the initial bank plus net
cash receipts.
OVERBOOKING : Accepting more reservations
than there are available rooms.
OVERSTAY : A guest who stays after his or her
stated departure date.
PACKAGE PLAN RATE : A special rate for a room
as part of a combination of events and
activities.
PAID-IN-ADVANCE (PIA) GUEST : A guest who
pays his/her room charges in cash during
registration.
POSTING : The process of recording transactions
on guest folio.
PRE-REGISTRATION : A process by which sections
of a registration card or its equivalent are
completed for guests arriving with
reservations.
PRIVATE BRANCH EXCHANGE : A hotel’s
telephone switchboard equipment.
PROMOTIONAL RATE : A special room rate
offered to promote future business
RACK RATE : The standard rate established by
the property for a particular category of
rooms.
REGISTRATION :The procedure by which an
incoming guest signifies his or her intent to
stay at a property by completing and
signing a registration card.
REGISTRATION CARD : A printed form for a
registration record.
RESERVATION : An agreement between the
hotel and the guest that the hotel will hold a
specific type of room for a particular date and
length of stay.
RESERVATION CONFIRMATION : An oral or
written verification of the information
contained in a reservation record.
RESERVATION RECORD : A collection of data that
identifies a guest and his or her anticipated
occupancy needs before arrival at the property
RESERVATION WALL CHART : A specifically
designed chart that displays hotel rooms
vertically and days of the month
horizontally.
ROOM ASSIGNMENT : The identification and
allocation to a guest of an available room in
a specific room category, finalized as part of
the registration process.
ROOM NIGHT : One room occupied for one
night.
ROOM RACK : An array of metal file pockets
designed to hold room rack slips arranged
by room numbers.
ROOM RACK SLIP : A form that contains guest
name and other relevant information,
completed during the registration process
and placed in a room rack slot
corresponding to the room number
assigned to the guest.
ROOM RATE : The price the hotel charges for
overnight accommodations.
ROOM STATUS : A code or description
indicating the occupancy and housekeeping
status of a room.
ROOM STATUS REPORTS : A report that allows
front desk clerks to identify vacant and
ready rooms.
ROOMING : The procedures involved in greeting
a guest, assigning a room and escorting or
directing the guest to the room.
SKIPPER : A room status term indicating that
the guest has left the hotel without making
arrangements to settle his or her accounts.
STAYOVER : A room status term indicating that
the guest is not checking out yet and will
remain at least one more night.
THIRD-PARTY CHECK : A check made out to
someone who has then signed check over to
the person presenting the check.
TOUR GROUP : A group of people who have
had their accommodations, transportation,
and related activities arranged for them.
TRAVELER’S CHECK : A prepaid check sold by
banks and other financial institutions which
is considered equivalent to cash.
UNDERSTAY : A guest who checks out before
his or her stated departure date.
UNPAID ACCOUNT BALANCE : Charges
remaining in a guest account after the guest
has left the hotel.
VACANT and READY : A room status term
indicating that the room has been cleaned
and inspected and is ready for an arriving
guest.
WAITING LIST : A list of guests desiring rooms
who cannot be accommodated because the
hotel is full.
WALK-IN : A person who arrives at a property
without a reservation and who requests a
room.
WALKING : Turning away a guest who has a
reservation because of lack of rooms.
ZERO OUT : To settle in full the balance of a
folio account as the guest checks out.