Front Office Terminologies

ROOM STATUS TERMINOLOGY During the guest’s stay, the Front office/housekeeping status of the guestroom changes several times. The various terms defined are typical of the room status terminology of the lodging industry. Not every room status will occur for each guestroom during every stay. 1) Occupied: A guest is currently registered to the room. 2) Complimentary: The room is occupied, but the guest is assessed no charge for its use. 3) Stay Over: The guest is not expected to check out today and will remain at least one more night. 4) On-change: The guest has departed, but the room has not yet been cleaned and readied for re-sale. 5) Do Not Disturb: The guest has requested not to be disturbed. 6) Sleep-out: A guest is registered to the room, but the bed has not been used. 7) Skipper: The guest has left the hotel without making arrangements to settle his or her account. 8) Sleeper: The guest has settled his or her account and left the hotel, but the front office staff has failed to properly update the room’s status. 9) Vacant and ready: The room has been cleaned and inspected and is ready for an arriving guest. 10) Out-of-order: The room cannot be assigned to a guest. A room may be out-oforder for a variety of reasons including the need for maintenance, refurbishing, and extensive cleaning. 11) Double Lock: The guest room door is locked from inside and outside two times so that no one can enter. 12) Lockout: The room has been locked so that the guest cannot re-enter until a hotel official clears him or her. 13) DNCO (Did Not Check Out): The guest made arrangements to settle his or her account (and thus is not a skipper), but has left without informing the front office. 14) Due out: The room is expected to become vacant after the following day’s checkout time. 15) Do Not Paid: The guest is going to check out from the hotel today. 16) Checkout: The guest has settled his or her account, returned the room keys, and left the hotel. 17) Late Check-out: The guest has requested and is being allowed to check out later than the hotel’s standard check-out time. 18) European plan: A billing arrangement that includes only guest room charges 19) Continental plan: A billing arrangement which includes room rates and continental breakfast 20) Modified American Plan/demi-pension/half-board: A billing arrangement which include charges for the guest room, b/f and one major meal i.e. lunch or dinner 21) American plan/full-board/en-pension: A billing arrangement which includes charges for the guest room, b/f and two major meals 22) Back to back: a full house situation where there are equal no. of arrivals and departures. 23) Commercial rates: A special rate given to business guests who are repeat visitors. 24) Concierge: An employee whose basic task is to serve as a guest liaison with both hotel and non-hotel attractions, facilities, services and activities.

25) C.V.G.R. Company volume guarantee rate: A type of special rate given to a company which signs a contract with the company guaranteeing a certain volume of business and accepts financial responsibilities for no-shows 26) Expected Arrivals list: A daily report showing the no. and names of guest who are expected to arrive. 27) Expected Departure list: A daily report showing the no. and names of guests expected to leave as well as the no. of stay overs. 28) Folio: A document used to record all financial transaction that takes place during a guest stay 29) House count: The total no. of guests in-house at any given time or date 30) Late arrival: A guest with confirmed reservation who expects to arrive after the hotels fixed cancellation hour and has notified the hotel of his plans 31) PAX:- Person Approximately 32) No-show: A guest who has a guaranteed reservation but does not register or cancel 33) Posting: The process of recording transactions on a guest folio 34) PBX: Private Branch Exchange, a telephone switch board 35) Room status discrepancy: A situation in which the H.K. departments description of a rooms status differ from the room status information at the front office 36) Reservation Map: This is a general term used by some hotel to determine what type of rooms are available and when they are available