A reservation holds a room on set dates at an agreed price. Bookings arrive by phone, email, the hotel website and online travel agencies, and they all end up in the PMS. Key terms are the rack rate, guaranteed bookings, no-shows and walk-ins.
Why it matters
Every booking error becomes a problem at the desk later. Accurate reservations protect the guest's plans and the hotel's income.
Key ideas
Rack rate
The hotel's standard, undiscounted room price. Many guests pay other rates, such as advance or package rates, with their own conditions.
Guarantees and no-shows
A guaranteed booking is secured by card or deposit, so the room is held for a late arrival. A no-show neither arrives nor cancels and may be charged.
Cancellation policy
Each rate has its own rules on free cancellation. Explain them clearly before you confirm.
Step by step
- 1
Ask for the dates, the number of guests and any special needs.
- 2
Check availability in the PMS.
- 3
Offer suitable rooms and rates, with what each includes and its cancellation rules.
- 4
Take the guest's name, contact details and guarantee.
- 5
Read the details back and give a confirmation number.
Do
- Spell names and email addresses back letter by letter.
- Note requests, such as a cot, in the booking.
- Give a cancellation number for every cancellation.
Common mistakes
- Don't write card details on paper.
- Don't promise a specific room number unless your hotel allows it.
- Don't quote a rate without checking whether breakfast and taxes are included.
The situation
A guest arrives at 11 pm without a booking and asks for a room. This guest is a walk-in.
What a professional does
You check availability and quote tonight's rate. If a room is free, you check ID, take payment or a pre-authorisation in advance as your policy requires, and check the guest in. If the hotel is full, you offer to call a nearby hotel.
Useful phrases
“Let me check availability for those dates.”
“This rate includes breakfast and is free to cancel until two days before arrival.”
Pro tip
Read every booking back to the guest, because it is the easiest moment to catch a wrong date or name.
Quick check
What is a no-show?
Think about it, then show the answer
A guest with a booking who neither arrives nor cancels. The hotel may charge a fee under its policy.