Hospitality Glossary
– plain-English terms for hotels, resorts & vacation rentals
Hospitality runs on acronyms. CTD, MLOS, GDS, rate parity, net vs. sell… here's every term distribution throws at you — for hotels, resorts, and vacation rentals — explained in one or two sentences. No jargon loop.
Most-asked terms
If you're new to hotel distribution, these three show up in almost every other definition on this page. Start here and the rest will click faster.
Foundational
Allocation
The number of rooms a hotel has available to be sold.
Foundational
Average Daily Rate (ADR): Hotel Metric Explained
What Is Average Daily Rate? Average Daily Rate (ADR) is a key performance metric that measures the average revenue earned per occupied room per day. It is calc…
Foundational
Booking Engine: Direct Booking Technology Explained
What Is a Hotel Booking Engine? A booking engine is the software that powers direct reservations on a hotel’s website. It connects to your property management…
A
Allocation
The number of rooms a hotel has available to be sold.
Average Daily Rate (ADR): Hotel Metric Explained
What Is Average Daily Rate? Average Daily Rate (ADR) is a key performance metric that measures the average revenue earned per occupied room per day. It is calc…
B
Booking Engine: Direct Booking Technology Explained
What Is a Hotel Booking Engine? A booking engine is the software that powers direct reservations on a hotel’s website. It connects to your property management…
Brand
What is a hotel brand? A hotel brand is referred to as the hotel chain (such as Holiday Inn, or Hilton) that a hotel joins with. A hotel can change their brand…
C
Channel Manager vs. CRS: What’s the Difference?
Channel Manager vs. CRS: Same Inventory, Different Jobs If you run three+ hotel properties, you’ve probably heard both terms—channel manager and CRS—used almos…
Channel Manager: What It Is and Why You Need One
What Is a Hotel Channel Manager? A channel manager is software that synchronizes room inventory, rates, and availability across multiple Online Travel Agencies…
ChannelRUSH vs Cloudbeds vs RateHawk: A Multi-Property Operator’s Guide to Channel Managers
Cloudbeds, RateHawk, and ChannelRUSH each solve parts of the multi-property distribution problem. Here’s which one solves the part you actually need.
CTA
Closed to Arrival
What does CTA or Closed to Arrival mean? When CTA aka “closed to arrival” is set for a date, a guest can not book this date if their stay begins on this date.…
CTD
Closed To Departure
What does CTD or Closed To Departure mean? When CTD aka “closed to departure” is set for a date, a guest can not book this date if their stay ends on this date…
Corporate Rate Hotel — How Negotiated Rates Work
What Is a Corporate Rate Hotel? A corporate rate hotel is a property that offers discounted room rates to employees of companies that have negotiated a rate ag…
Cut Off Days
What does hotel cut off days mean? Cut Off Days (or sometimes also called Cut Off Hours or Cut Off Date) allows inventory to be closed out, or appear unavailab…
D
Direct Booking Strategies for Independent Hotel Groups
The OTA Commission Problem (and Why "Just Go Direct" Doesn’t Work) Independent hotel groups — think 3–20 properties, no franchise brand backing — face a struct…
Distribution Channel
What is a hotel distribution channel? A hotel distribution channel is an intermediary or company that creates the reservation on behalf of the hotel. Another w…
Dynamic Pricing in Hotels — How It Works and Why It Matters
What Is Dynamic Pricing in Hotels? Dynamic pricing in hotels is the practice of adjusting room rates in real time based on demand, availability, competitor pri…
M
Markup & Margin
What does hotel margin or hotel markup mean? Hotel markup and margin are terms used to calculate how much a sales website collects as their fee from booking on…
Max Nights, Max LOS, Maximum Length of Stay
What does hotel max nights (aka max los, or maximum length of stay) mean? TL;DR Max LOS, also referred to as “maximum nights on arrival,” activates on the arri…
Min Nights, MLOS, Minimum Length of Stay
What does hotel min nights (aka MLOS, or minimum length of stay) mean? A minimum length of stay restriction only shows the stay as bookable if the stay is equa…
N
Net Rate
What does hotel net rate mean? Understanding Hotel Net Rates Hotel net rates are essentially the rates offered to OTAs (Online Travel Agencies) or other bookin…
No-Show Hotel Policy — What It Is and How to Enforce It
What Is a No-Show Hotel Policy? A no-show hotel policy is a property's stated rule that guests who make a reservation but fail to arrive — without canceling or…
O
OTA Commission — What Hotels Pay and How to Reduce It
What Is OTA Commission? OTA commission is the fee that Online Travel Agencies charge hotels for each booking made through their platform. It's typically calcul…
OTA Commission Optimization: Reducing Distribution Costs
The OTA Commission Problem If you run multiple hotel properties, OTA commissions are probably your second-largest distribution cost after staff. At 15–25% per…
OTA Hotel — What It Means for Property Managers
What Is an OTA Hotel? An OTA hotel is a property that distributes its rooms through Online Travel Agencies (OTAs) — third-party booking platforms like Booking.…
R
Rate Parity
Understanding Hotel Rate Parity: What Does It Mean? Introduction In the competitive world of hospitality, hoteliers are constantly seeking strategies to maximi…
Rate Parity Compliance: A Multi-Property Operator’s Guide
Rate Parity Compliance: Why It Matters More at Scale If you run one hotel, rate parity is a contract clause you sign and mostly forget. If you run five, ten, o…
Rate Parity in Hotels — What It Is and Why It Matters
What Is Rate Parity? Rate parity is the practice of offering the same room rate — including discounts, promotions, and packages — across all distribution chann…
Revenue Management — A Practical Guide for Operators
What Is Hotel Revenue Management? Hotel revenue management is the practice of selling the right room, to the right guest, at the right time, for the right pric…
Revenue Management Basics for Small Hotel Chains
Revenue Management Isn’t Just for Marriott If you run three to twenty hotel properties, you probably think revenue management is something big hotel chains do…
S
Sell Rate
What does hotel sell rate mean? When your hotel’s room nights are sold via one of your distribution channels, the amount the guest has to pay for your hotel’s…
Stop Sell
What Does Hotel Stop Sell Mean? A Comprehensive Guide Managing room inventory effectively is crucial for hotels, especially during high-demand periods. One of…
W
What Does a Hotel PMS or Property Management System Mean?
In this dynamic hospitality industry, hotel operating systems have become a critical tool to conduct daily operations with ease. Among these systems, hotel sof…
What is a Hotel Wholesaler?
Understanding the Role of a Hotel Wholesaler in the Hospitality Industry The hospitality industry is a vast, complex network of businesses, services, and profe…
Why Your Channel Manager Keeps Disconnecting (And How to Fix It)
The five most common causes of channel manager disconnections — and how to diagnose which one is hurting your properties right now.
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