Hotel Management Glossary

Short for Generally Accepted Accounting Principles.

Non-US designation for hotels without restaurant service, except for continental breakfast. US equivalent is limited-service hotel.

A term relating to a location (airport or hotel, for example) where there is significant activity involving international travelers.

Short for Global Distribution System.

A front office computer application, usually a report-generating package which depends on data collected through reservations, rooms management, and guest accounting modules.

The traditional title used to identify the individual at a hotel property who is responsible for final decision making regarding property-specific operating policies and procedures. Also the leader of the hotel's management team.

Standards and procedures that have been adopted by those responsible for preparing business financial statements for the purpose of ensuring uniformity.

Referred to as the GDS for short, this system consists of the companies (SABRE, Galileo, Apollo, Amadeus, and Worldspan) that connect hotels offering rooms for sale with individuals and travel professionals worldwide who will potentially purchase them.

The process through which a multinational organization integrates its worldwide activities into a single world strategy through its network of affiliates and alliances.

The condition in which countries and communities within them throughout the world are becoming increasingly interrelated.

Short for gross operating profit. This popular term is taken from a pre-1990 version of the Uniform System of Accounts for Hotels (USAH) published by the New York Hotel Association. It refers to hotel revenue less those expenses typically controlled at the property level. It is generally expressed on the income statement and in the industry as both a dollar figure and percent of total revenue.

Total revenues less management-controllable operating expenses/ number of available rooms.

A special room rate available at some hotels for government employees.

An event held at a hotel that marks the "official" opening of that hotel. It can be held several days or even weeks after the hotel actually opens and is intended to market the hotel to its client base and the local community.

One key that opens all guest rooms except those locked from within.

A work shift beginning about midnight.

A charge for the use of the golf course.

A legal document used to summarize the agreement between a hotel and its group client.

Group coordinator is a professional who directs, plans, and puts together various events for a particular group.

The number of rooms blocked for and ultimately used by a group during similar events held in the past.

A special room rate for a number of affiliated guests.

A large sale (in number of rooms or dollar volume) of the hotel's rooms or services. The sales and marketing department, not the front desk, book sales of this type.

Rooms and services sold primarily through the efforts of the hotel's sales and

A contractual agreement about the number of meals to be provided at a banquet event. Typically, a guarantee must be made several days in advance of the event. At that time, the entity contracting with the hotel for the event agrees to pay for the larger of the actual number of guests served or the number of guests guaranteed.

A reservation which assures the guest that a room will be held until check- out time of the day following the day of arrival. The guest guarantees payment for the room, even if it is not used, unless the reservation is properly cancelled. Types of guaranteed reservations include prepayment, credit card, advance deposit, travel agent, and corporate.

A hotel visitor. Most guests rent rooms and/or purchase food or beverages in a hotel outlet or a banquet function. b., A person who rents a guest room for a short time period with no intention of becoming a permanent resident.

A record of financial transactions occurs between a guest and the hotel.

A front office computer application which maintains guest accounts electronically, eliminating the need for folio cards, folio trays, and posting machines.

The average amount spent by a guest in a room service or dining room order. The guest check average typically includes the food and alcoholic beverage sales. Guest check average = total revenue/total number of guests served.

A division of the flow of business through a hotel which identifies the physical contacts and financial exchanges between guests and hotel employees.

A folio used to chart transactions on an account assigned to an individual person or guestroom.

A collection of guest history records constructed from expired registration cards or created through sophisticated computer-based systems which automatically direct information about departing guests into a guest history database.

The set of accounts for all guests currently registered in the hotel. Also called the front office ledger, transient ledger, or room ledger.

A report which carries the current account balances of all registered guests, typically prepared as part of the night audit.

Equipment loaned to guests upon request and at no charge.

The primary goal of a guest relations manager is to make guests feel welcome and ensure their satisfaction. A guest relations manager needs to work well with people, be able to handle stressful situations and maintain a positive attitude.

An employee working in the front desk area of the hotel. Also referred to by some in the industry as a "desk clerk."

A key which opens a single guestroom door if it is not double-locked.