Hotel Management Glossary

See also Modified American Plan.

A special rate that typically includes 1-4 hours (but not overnight) use of the room.

A room with special features designed for handicapped guests. See also ADA.

The physical equipment of a computer system. Computer hardware is visible, movable, and easy to identify.

Special seating at a banquet reserved for guests of honor.

The hotel that hosts the main group of attendees during an event in which there are multiple host hotels.

See sofa bed

A report which identifies guests who are approaching an account credit limit, typically prepared by the night auditor.

A fairly substantial late afternoon or early evening meal.

The future time frame for which a property accepts reservations.

Communication between individuals at the same organizational level.

Defined in the Oxford English Dictionary as the reception and entertainment of guests, visitors, or strangers with liberality and goodwill.

A guest room rented by a supplier/vendor usually during conventions/ conferences to provide complimentary food and/or beverages to invited guests.

A property that serves as the headquarters for a group when multiple hotels must be used to house all group members. (Headquarter Hotel)

A beverage service alternative in which the host of a function pays for beverages during all or part of the banquet event; also called an "open" bar.

Functions served by a hotel, which are complimentary to invited guests because costs are borne by the event's sponsor.

A Wi-Fi area that allows for high-speed wireless Internet access or other data transmission

A person who sells hotel room prize packages to corporations, sweepstakes promoters, game shows, and other sponsors.

A group of hotels with the same brand name.

Those who work in the hotel business.

An account whose entries are assessed to another hotel entity.

Alcoholic beverages that are sold by type (scotch, gin, etc.) rather than by brand name and that are served when a call brand beverage is not requested. Sometimes referred to as "Well" brands.

An estimate of the number of guests staying in a hotel on a given day.

A credit limit established by the hotel.

The individual responsible for the cleaning of public spaces (the house). Also sometimes referred to as a PA (public area cleaner) or porter.

A publicly located telephone within the hotel used to call the front desk, or in some cases, the front desk and guest rooms.

A room status term indicating that the room is being used by someone on the hotel staff at no charge.

A reservations office which coordinates room requirements at several hotels for large conventions.

The department within the rooms division which inspects rooms for sale, cleans occupied and vacated rooms, and coordinates room status with the front office. In some hotels, the housekeeping function is considered an independent hotel division.

See as Room Status.

A report prepared by the housekeeping department which indicates the current housekeeping status of each room, based on physical check.

See House Person.

Short for human resources.

Skills needed to understand and effectively interact with other people.

Support activities of the value chain associated with human-based activities such as recruiting, hiring, training, and compensation.

A shorthand term for "heating, ventilating, and air conditioning."