Hotel Terms Glossary: 60+ Hotel and Booking Words Explained
A plain-English A to Z of hotel and booking jargon: ADR, BAR rate, OTA, turndown, rack rate, run of house, no-show and more, with UK, US and Australian differences.
Key takeaways
- Knowing booking jargon helps you compare rates and avoid nasty surprises.
- Watch for rate words like 'non-refundable', 'advance purchase' and 'run of house'.
- Some terms mean different things in the UK, US and Australia.
In this guide
Hotels and booking sites use a lot of jargon. Some of it is harmless; some of it affects how much you pay and what you can change. Here is a plain-English glossary, grouped for easy scanning.
Booking and rates
- Advance purchase rate: a discounted rate for booking well ahead, usually non-refundable.
- BAR (best available rate): the hotel's standard flexible rate for a given date.
- Rack rate: the full published price before any discounts.
- Member rate: a discounted rate for loyalty programme members, usually free to join.
- Non-refundable: no refund if you cancel or do not show up. See free cancellation vs non-refundable.
- Flexible rate: can be cancelled free of charge until a deadline.
- Package rate: includes extras such as breakfast, parking or a spa treatment.
- Opaque rate: a discounted rate where the hotel's identity is revealed after payment.
- Corporate rate: negotiated rate for companies; may require proof of employment.
- Government rate: discounted rate for government employees and sometimes military; ID required.
- Minimum length of stay (MinLOS): the hotel will only accept bookings of at least a certain number of nights.
- Closed to arrival (CTA): you cannot check in on that date, though you can stay over it.
- Price parity: the practice of offering the same price across channels.
- Best rate guarantee: the hotel's promise to match a lower price found elsewhere.
- OTA (online travel agency): websites like Booking.com, Expedia and Agoda.
- Metasearch: sites that compare prices from several booking sites.
- Channel: any route through which a hotel sells rooms.
Fees and payments
- Resort fee / destination fee / urban fee: mandatory nightly fees charged by the hotel. See our resort fees guide.
- Tourist tax / city tax / occupancy tax / bed tax: government charges per person or per room per night.
- Incidentals: extras charged to your room.
- Pre-authorisation / hold: a temporary block on your card. See incidental holds explained.
- Folio: your hotel bill.
- Guarantee: card details used to secure a booking.
- No-show: failing to arrive without cancelling; usually charged.
- Dynamic currency conversion: offer to pay in your home currency abroad, often at a poor rate.
- Service charge: a percentage added to bills, common in UK restaurants and parts of Asia.
Rooms and beds
- Run of house (ROH): any room type available at check-in.
- Standard / superior / deluxe: room grades, not standardised.
- Junior suite: large room with seating area in the same space.
- Connecting rooms: two rooms with a door between them.
- Adjoining rooms: next to each other, not necessarily connected.
- En suite (UK/AU): private bathroom inside the room.
- Twin: two single beds (UK/AU); in the US, a twin is also a single bed size.
- Rollaway / extra bed: a folding bed added to the room.
- Cot (UK/AU) / crib (US): a baby bed.
- Accessible room: adapted for guests with disabilities.
See hotel room types explained for more detail.
Meals
- RO, BB, HB, FB, AI: room only, bed and breakfast, half board, full board and all inclusive. See board basis explained.
- Continental breakfast: a light breakfast of bread, pastries, cereal and drinks.
- Full English / cooked breakfast: a hot breakfast common in UK hotels.
- Club lounge / executive lounge: a private area with snacks and drinks for certain guests.
Service and stay
- Turndown service: evening room tidy and bed preparation.
- Concierge: staff who help with reservations, tickets and recommendations.
- Bellhop / porter / bellman: staff who carry luggage.
- Valet parking: staff park your car.
- Do not disturb (DND): sign to stop housekeeping entering.
- Green choice / eco option: skip housekeeping for points or credit.
- Early check-in / late check-out: outside standard times. See our check-in and check-out guide.
- Day use: a room booked for daytime hours only.
- Walk-in: a guest who arrives without a booking.
- Walked: being moved to another hotel because yours is overbooked.
- Upgrade: being given a better room than you booked. See how to get a hotel upgrade.
Hotel types
- Boutique hotel: small, design-focused, independent.
- Aparthotel / serviced apartment: apartments with hotel services.
- Motel: roadside accommodation with parking near rooms, common in the US and Australia.
- B&B / guest house: small, owner-run accommodation, common in the UK.
- Inn: small hotel, often with a pub or restaurant (UK).
- Resort: hotel with extensive leisure facilities.
- Capsule / pod hotel: compact sleeping pods, popular in Japan.
- Hostel: budget shared or private rooms with communal facilities.
Industry metrics you might see in the news
- ADR (average daily rate): average price paid per occupied room.
- Occupancy: percentage of rooms sold.
- RevPAR (revenue per available room): a key hotel performance measure.
Terms that most affect what you pay
If you only remember a handful of terms, make it these:
- Non-refundable: you lose the money if plans change.
- Resort fee / destination fee: mandatory charges added per night.
- Tourist tax / city tax: government charges, often paid at the hotel.
- Pre-authorisation / hold: money blocked on your card.
- Run of house: you do not choose your room type.
- Minimum stay: you must book a set number of nights.
- Board basis: which meals are included.
UK vs US vs Australian hotel vocabulary
| UK | US | Australia |
|---|---|---|
| Lift | Elevator | Lift |
| Ground floor | First floor | Ground floor |
| First floor | Second floor | First floor |
| En suite | Private bathroom | En suite |
| Cot | Crib | Cot |
| Bill | Check | Bill |
| Car park | Parking lot / garage | Car park |
| Holiday | Vacation | Holiday |
| Queue | Line | Queue |
| Torch | Flashlight | Torch |
Floor numbering catches many travellers out: a UK or Australian "first floor" is one level above the ground floor, which Americans call the second floor.
The bottom line
You do not need to memorise every term, but understanding rate types, fees and room descriptions will save you money and confusion. Bookmark this page for your next booking.
Frequently asked questions
What does 'run of house' mean?
Run of house (ROH) means the hotel will give you any available room type at check-in, usually the standard category. You cannot choose the room type in advance.
What is a rack rate?
The rack rate is a hotel's full, undiscounted published price. Most guests pay less than the rack rate.
What is an OTA?
An online travel agency, such as Booking.com, Expedia or Agoda, that sells hotel rooms on behalf of hotels.
Prices, fees, taxes and booking rules change often and vary by hotel, date and country. Figures in this guide are typical ranges for planning, not quotes. Always confirm the total price and cancellation terms with the hotel or booking site before you pay.
