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
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…
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.…
C
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…
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…
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…
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…
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