Front Office & Hotel Terms

Front Office

Main department that handles guest check-in

Reservation

Advance booking made by a guest

Walk-in Guest

Guest who arrives without prior reservation

Check-in

Process of registering a guest upon arrival

Check-out

Process of settling bills and leaving the hotel

No-show

Guest with reservation who does not arrive

Cancellation

Termination of a reservation before arrival

Overbooking

Accepting more reservations than available rooms

Room Status

Current condition of a room (occupied

Vacant Room

Room that is unoccupied and ready for sale

Occupied Room

Room currently being used by a guest

Out of Order (OOO)

Room not available due to maintenance issues

Out of Service (OOS)

Room temporarily unavailable but can be quickly restored

Rack Rate

Standard published room rate

Discount Rate

Reduced price offered to guests

Housekeeping

Department responsible for cleanliness and maintenance

Concierge

Staff assisting guests with services like tours and reservations

Bell Service

Assistance with guest luggage

Lobby

Main public area of the hotel

Key Card

Electronic card used to access guest rooms

Folio

Record of guest’s charges and payments

Night Audit

End-of-day financial reconciliation process

Late Check-out

Guest leaves later than standard check-out time

Early Check-in

Guest arrives before standard check-in time

Double Occupancy

Room occupied by two guests

Suite

Larger room with separate living area

Amenities

Additional services or items provided for guest comfort

Turn-down Service

Preparing the room for sleeping in the evening

Wake-up Call

Scheduled call to wake a guest

Do Not Disturb (DND)

Sign indicating guest does not want to be disturbed

Room Service

Delivery of food and drinks to guest rooms

Guest History

Record of a guest’s past stays and preferences