Chapter 6: the Guest Service of Lodging

Chapter 6: The Guest Service of Lodging

Terminology

·  American plan (AP): A plan in a hotel where all meals are included in one rate: breakfast, lunch, and dinner.

·  Authorization: Permission from credit company to make a charge.

·  Block: A group of rooms placed on a temporary hold for a group.

·  Book: To sell or reserve a room or space.

·  Bucket: A file-holder for guest folios and other reserved material kept behind front desk.

·  Centralized Reservation System (CRS): A central system for multiple properties. Often accessed internally and externally.

·  Charge record: A list of all transactions specific to a department or account.

·  Check in: A procedure of receiving guests and completing the guest registration process.

·  Check out: A procedure of closing a guest folio upon the guest’s departure.

·  City account: An account for nonguests.

·  Continental plan (CP): Room plan that includes only continental breakfast. A continental breakfast is a very light breakfast offering.

·  Day rate: A lower rate charged to guests who do not occupy the room overnight. Typically, between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m.

·  DNS: Did not stay; guest who checks in and quickly returns to the desk without having occupied the room.

·  European plan (EP): A room rate with no meals included.

·  Folio: Guest account.

·  Full house: Hotel in which all rooms are occupied.

·  Gratuity: (also known as tip) Typically, money given or charged for service.

·  Guest history File: Record of guest’s previous transactions.

·  House count: Record of the total number of hotel guests at any one time.

·  Modified American plan (MAP): aka Demi-pension—A room package including breakfast and one other meal, typically dinner.

·  Night audit: Daily reconciliation of all accounts receivables, performed at night.

·  Post: To make an entry on an account.

·  Property management system (PMS): A computer system that records and integrates many systems throughout the hotel. Useful in tabulating, reporting, and predicting.

·  Rate: Price charged for a room night. Also combined within best available rate (BAR) and lowest available rate (LAR).

·  Walking a guest: When the guest has a reservation that the hotel cannot honor because they are over capacity. Usually due to overbooking. The guest is transferred to another hotel.