Hospitality glossary
Reservation language, made simple.
Clear definitions for the terms restaurant, beach-club and hospitality teams use every day.
43 terms found
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Booking channel mix
The distribution of reservations across direct websites, phone, walk-ins, social links and third-party platforms.
Booking conversion rate
The percentage of people who start or view a reservation journey and complete a confirmed booking.
Booking lead time
The time between the moment a reservation is made and the guest's scheduled arrival.
Booking widget
An embeddable reservation interface that lets guests check availability and book without leaving a venue's website.
Booking window
The period before a service during which a guest is allowed to make a reservation.
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Cancellation policy
The published conditions explaining how and when a guest may cancel and whether a fee, deposit loss or refund applies.
Capacity management
The process of controlling how many guests, tables, seats or bookable assets can be accepted for each period.
Card guarantee
A payment-card authorisation used to secure a reservation without necessarily charging money when the booking is made.
Commission-free booking
A reservation for which the software provider does not charge the venue a percentage or fixed commission per booking.
Cover
One guest served by a restaurant. A reservation for four people represents four covers.
Covers per service
The total number of guests booked, seated or served during a breakfast, lunch, dinner or other defined service.
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Direct booking
A reservation made through a venue's own website, social profile or booking link rather than a third-party marketplace.
Dwell time
The amount of time a guest or party occupies a table, seat, bed or bookable area.
Dynamic pricing
A pricing approach in which the price or commercial condition changes according to demand, timing, inventory or another stated rule.
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Occupancy rate
The percentage of available seats, tables or bookable assets occupied during a selected period.
Online reservation system
Software that publishes availability, accepts guest bookings and gives venue teams tools to manage reservations and service.
Overbooking
Accepting more reservations or guests than the venue can reliably accommodate at the same time.
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Party size
The number of guests included in one reservation or walk-in group.
POS integration
A connection between reservation software and a point-of-sale system used to exchange relevant guest, table or spend data.
Prepayment
Money collected before arrival for all or part of a booking, package, menu or experience.
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Repeat guest
A guest who returns for another recorded visit or reservation at the same venue or group.
Reservation confirmation
A message sent after booking that records the agreed date, time, party size, venue details and important policies.
Reservation deposit
An advance payment used to secure a booking. The venue decides whether it is refundable or applied to the final bill, subject to the terms shown to the guest.
Reservation pacing
The controlled distribution of guest arrivals across time slots so the venue can serve demand smoothly.
Reservation source
The channel or campaign that produced a booking, such as the venue website, phone, Instagram, Google or a marketplace.
RevPASH
Revenue per available seat hour, calculated by dividing revenue by the number of seats available multiplied by the hours measured.
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Table allocation
The process of assigning a reservation to a specific table or compatible combination of tables.
Table management system
Software used by venue teams to assign reservations, track table status and coordinate seating throughout service.
Table turn
The period from seating one party until a table is ready for the next reservation.
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Waitlist
A list of guests who want a time that is currently full and may be contacted if suitable availability opens.
Walk-in guest
A guest or party that arrives without a reservation and asks to be seated from current availability.
White-label booking
A reservation experience presented with the venue's own name, visual identity and guest-facing language rather than the software provider's brand.
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