Lobbi PMS Glossary

2FA (Two-Factor Authentication): An extra layer of security used to ensure that only you have access to your account, even if someone knows your password. In Lobbi PMS, users need to enable 2FA themselves to protect their accounts.

Accounting Integrations: Features in Lobbi PMS that allow it to integrate with accounting software for easier financial management.

ADR (Average Daily Rate): This is a key performance indicator that measures the average rate paid for rooms sold. It is calculated by dividing total room revenue by rooms sold.

Allotment: A certain number of rooms set aside for a specific OTA, travel agency or internal bookings. It allows you to control the number of rooms available for sale through each channel, preventing overbooking and ensuring a fair distribution of inventory. This strategic allocation of rooms helps optimise occupancy rates and streamline the overall booking process. You can control the allotment e.g. using the allotment grid underneath the room rack.

Arrangement: An arrangement refers to a combination of a room type and a rateplan that can include additional supplements and / or meals.

Availability: In the hotel industry, availability refers to the number of rooms a hotel has available to sell for a specific period. It’s crucial for hoteliers to manage their availability effectively to maximise occupancy and revenue.

Banqueting: Banqueting refers to the provision of food and beverage services for large gatherings, events, or functions held within a hotel or catering venue. Banqueting services are commonly associated with events such as weddings, conferences, meetings, parties, and other special occasions where a significant number of guests are expected. Lobbi PMS has banqueting  features included.

BAR (Best Available Rate): The lowest unrestricted rate offered by your hotel.

Booking Code: This is a unique identifier assigned to each booking in the Property Management System (PMS) or by the OTA. It helps in tracking and managing the booking efficiently in the PMS but also in the OTA or channel manager.

Booking Status: The current state of a booking, such as confirmed, checked-in, checked-out, cancelled, or no-show.

City Tax: A local tax imposed by a city or municipality on guests staying at accommodations within its jurisdiction. This tax is often added to the guest's bill and is intended to contribute to local public services and infrastructure. The rate and regulations regarding city tax can vary between different cities.

Close for Sale: This is a term used to indicate that a hotel is not selling rooms for a specific period. This could be due to various reasons such as being fully booked, closed for renovations, or any other factor preventing the hotel from accepting new bookings.

Channel Code: This is a unique identifier assigned to each distribution channel or Online Travel Agency (OTA) connected to the hotel’s PMS or Channel Manager. It is used to map room types, rates, supplements or meals with the channel manager. So when bookings are send to the PMS the system can use to codes to link wat is requested by the guest to items in the PMS. Changing the channel codes on the fly is not a very good idea. It should be done with caution.

Channel Conflict: A situation where different OTAs or channels are competing for the same bookings, often leading to rate parity issues.

Channel Manager: A tool that allows hotels to manage all their online distribution channels from a single interface. It helps to update inventory and rates in real-time across all connected OTAs. With Lobbi PMS you can integrate with Lobbi Channel manager, Cubilis, Siteminder or Octorate.

Channel Mapping: The process of linking the hotel’s room types and rates to the corresponding ones on each OTA. This is a crucial step in setting up a channel manager.

Channel Mix: The combination of different OTAs and distribution channels used by a hotel.

Channel Manager Sync: This refers to the synchronisation of data between Lobbi PMS and the Channel Manager. This ensures that all booking channels have real-time updates on room availability, rates, and reservations, helping to prevent overbooking and rate parity issues. This synchronisation is a background task that runs automatically every few minutes. But, while mostly not necessary, it can be triggered manually.

Check-In Policy: The hotel’s rules regarding the check-in process, including the check-in time and required identification.

Check-Out Policy: The hotel’s rules regarding the check-out process, including the check-out time and payment methods.

Credit Note: A "Credit Note" serves as a document issued by the hotel to acknowledge that a certain amount is owed to the guest. It essentially functions as a credit memorandum, indicating a credit balance that can be applied to future charges or used to offset existing charges on the guest's account. In Lobbi PMS, the credit note will be displayed in the administration section. See our support pages on how to create a credit note.

Credit Card Pre-Authorization: A temporary hold placed on a certain amount on a guest’s credit card. This is often done at check-in to cover the cost of the room and any additional charges that may be incurred during the stay. The pre-authorized amount is released once the final bill is settled. See our support pages on how to pre-authorise an amount on a credit card.

CRM (Customer Relationship Management): CRM manages your hotel interactions and relationships with both current and potential guests. It enhances the guest relationship through managing guest interaction, tracking leads, and streamlining processes.

CRM Notes: Information added to a booking via the CRM in the booking details. When marked as ‘housekeeping’, the note will appear as a task in the housekeeping app. CRM notes can also be created for internal use only. Next to that any change in the booking or reservation will be logged and can by viewed filtering on access type "log" in the CRM note section on the booking details page in Lobbi PMS.

Cross-Selling: The practice of encouraging guests to purchase a related product or service.

Damage Policy: The hotel’s rules regarding the responsibility for damage to the rooms or property.

Department: A department refers to a distinct functional area or division within the hotel that is responsible for specific tasks or services. Examples of departments in a hotel may include Breakfast, Cancellations / no shows, Baby Bed, City Tax, POS, etc. Each department plays a crucial role in the overall operation of the hotel.

Deposit Policy: The hotel’s rules regarding the collection of deposits for room reservations.

Direct Booking: When a guest books a room directly through the hotel’s website or booking engine, bypassing OTAs. This is often the most profitable type of booking for a hotel.

Dynamic Pricing: A pricing strategy where room rates are adjusted in real-time based on demand and other factors.

Early Departure: A guest who checks out before their scheduled departure date.

End of Shift: The time when a hotel employee’s work shift ends. In the context of a Lobbi PMS, there may be certain tasks that need to be completed at the end of each shift, such as closing out the cash drawer or generating a shift report.

Extra Charge: A charge posted to a guest’s folio for additional services or amenities used.

F&B: An abbreviation for "Food and Beverage." F&B refers to the segment of a business that is involved in the preparation, serving, and management of food and drinks. This department is integral to hotels where food and beverages are offered to customers.

Folio: A folio consolidates multiple invoices over an extended period for periodic billing. In Lobbi PMS, you can access folios in the Administration > Invoices and Receipts > Folios tab. Folios are used when a company pays for the stay/whole booking of the guest. After a period (weekly/monthly), you can bundle all the invoices and send them to the company.

GDS (Global Distribution System): A network that enables transactions between travel industry service providers and travel agencies. It is often used by large hotels and airlines.

Guest Feedback: Comments or reviews provided by guests about their stay at the hotel.

Guest History: A record of a guest’s previous stays at the hotel, stored in the PMS.

Guest Portal: A platform where guests can leave all their contact details and pay their bill.

Guest Profile: Information about a guest, such as contact details and preferences, stored in the PMS.

Guest Satisfaction: A measure of how well a hotel meets the expectations of its guests.

Guarantee Policy: The hotel’s rules regarding the guarantee of room reservations, often requiring a credit card or deposit.

House Status: An overview of all room statuses in the hotel.

Housekeeping App: Tools in Lobbi PMS that help manage housekeeping tasks, report damage and wear, lost and found items, etc. The housekeeping task can be added to you subscription on request. Please find our housekeeping document and what it can do for you on our support pages.

Invoices List: A feature in Lobbi PMS that keeps track of booking balances, payments, and total amounts, while also allowing users to add payments, create credit notes, and send invoices via email. It can be accessed by clicking on the Administration>Invoices and Receipts>Invoices tab.

Late Check-Out: A guest who checks out after the hotel’s standard check-out time.

Ledger Account: An account used in accounting to record financial transactions. Ledger accounts may include accounts for revenue, expenses, assets, and liabilities.

Loyalty Program: A program that rewards guests for their repeat business with points or benefits.

Marketing Automation: The use of software to automate marketing actions, such as email campaigns or social media posts.

Maximum Stay: A restriction that specifies the maximum number of nights a guest can stay for a single reservation.

Minimum Stay or Minimum Length of Stay (MinLOS): A restriction requires guests to book for a certain number of nights.

Net Rate: The price of a room after the OTA’s commission is deducted.

Non-refundable (NRF): Refers to a booking or rate that cannot be refunded if the guest cancels their reservation. Non-refundable rates are often cheaper than flexible rates, but they come with the risk that the guest will lose their money if they need to cancel.

No-Show: A guest who made a reservation but did not arrive at the hotel.

No-Show Policy: The hotel’s rules regarding guests who do not arrive for their reservation.

Occupancy or Occupancy rate: This is a key performance indicator for your hotel. It is calculated by dividing the number of occupied rooms by the total number of available rooms. Occupancy rate is essential for hoteliers to monitor as it provides insights into the utilisation of the hotel's room inventory.

Online Payment: A feature in Lobbi PMS that allows guests to pay their bills online.

Online Reputation Management: The practice of monitoring and responding to online reviews and comments about the hotel.

Open API: A set of rules and protocols for how software applications should interact with each other. In the context of a PMS like Lobbi, an open API allows the PMS to integrate with other software systems, such as a channel manager, POS, revenue management tool, accounting software, etc enhancing its functionality and flexibility.

OTA (Online Travel Agency): An online platform that allows travellers to book various travel related services such as hotels, flights, car rentals etc. Examples of OTAs include Booking.com, Expedia, and Agoda. These platforms are often used by hotels to reach a larger audience and increase their bookings.

OTA Commission: The fee that OTAs charge hotels for every booking made through their platform.

Overbooking: When a hotel sells more rooms than it has available. This can happen when inventory is not updated in real-time across all channels. Or when mistakes are made. It is very important to have throughout knowledge of the PMS and to train all employees using the features that control the room availability.

Overstay: A guest who stays longer than their original reservation.

Package: A package refers to a deal or offer that includes a room and additional services or amenities, such as meals, spa treatments, or activities, often at a discounted price. Packages are a great way to increase revenue and enhance the guest experience.

Package Rate: A special rate that includes the room and additional services or amenities, such as breakfast or airport transfer.

Payment Refund: This refers to the process of returning money to a guest. This could be due to a cancellation of a booking, a correction of an overcharge, or a return of a deposit. In Lobbi PMS, you can easily initiate a refund for a payment in the administration section of the booking details page.

Payment Gateway: A service that processes credit card payments for online transactions. Lobbi PMS is integrated with Mollie, Stripe, and Viva Wallet. Including payment terminal integration.

PCI Compliance: Adherence to the Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard, which is required for all businesses that handle credit card information. Lobbi PMS is PCI complaint.

Personalisation: The customisation of a guest’s experience based on their preferences and behaviour.

PMS (Property Management System): A software that supports hotels and hostels, and essentially all businesses that rent spaces on a daily or hourly basis. It guides a hotelier from A to Z during the guest journey.

PMS User: A type of user in Lobbi PMS who can log in to the PMS system. This account is typically used by hotel staff, such as receptionists and managers, and offers access to all the features of the PMS system, such as managing bookings, tracking inventory, managing guest profiles, and generating reports.

Point of Sale (POS) Sales: Revenue generated from sales made at the hotel, such as restaurant, spa, or gift shop sales. This is included in the total revenue breakdown in the Daily Report in Lobbi PMS.

POS Sales: Point of Sale sales, or the revenue generated from sales made at the hotel, such as restaurant, spa, or gift shop sales. This is included in the total revenue breakdown in the Daily Report in Lobbi PMS. With Lobbi PMS you can integrate with several POS systems: Lightspeed, Mplus, Nappkin, MrWinston, Vectron, Trivec, HorecaTouch...

RA (Rates and Availability): This term is used to refer to the room rates and availability status in a hotel. These are key pieces of information that need to be updated in real-time across all booking channels, typically through a Channel Manager, to ensure accurate and consistent information for potential guests.

Receipt: In the context of Point of Sale (POS) systems, a receipt is a document provided to customers as proof of their purchase or transaction. When a customer makes a payment for goods or services at a point of sale, the POS system generates a receipt containing essential details about the transaction.

Rate Code: A unique identifier for a specific rate plan in the PMS.

Rate Parity: The practice of maintaining consistent rates for the same room type on all online distribution channels, regardless of the commission that the OTA makes.

Rate Plan: A pricing structure for rooms in a hotel. A rate plan may include different prices for different days of the week, seasons, or booking conditions (like refundable vs non-refundable).

Rate Plan Mapping: The process of linking the hotel’s rate plans in the PMS to the corresponding ones on each OTA. Also see channel mapping.

Rate Shopping Tool: A tool that allows hotels to compare their rates with those of their competitors on various OTAs.

Revenue by Department: This refers to a financial report that breaks down the total revenue generated by your hotel into specific departments or functional areas. In the context of the hospitality industry, a hotel typically consists of various departments such as: 
Accommodations, Food and Beverage, Events and Conferences, Spa and Wellness, Other Services

REVPAR (Revenue Per Available Room): This is a performance metric in the hotel industry, which is calculated by dividing a hotel’s total guestroom revenue by the room count and the number of days in the period being measured.

REVPOR (Revenue Per Occupied Room): This is a performance measure used in the hospitality industry. It is calculated by dividing the total guestroom revenue by the number of rooms occupied.

REVPOR (Revenue Per Occupied Room): This is a performance measure used in the hospitality industry. It is calculated by dividing the total guestroom revenue by the number of rooms occupied.

Reservation Delivery: The process of a new booking made on an OTA being automatically entered into the hotel’s PMS. Also see Channel Manager Sync.

Revenue By Customer Report: A report in Lobbi PMS that provides information about each customer, such as a total number of stays and bookings and the average daily rate. This information can be used to identify valuable customers and track their spending patterns over time.

Revenue By Type Report: A report in Lobbi PMS that breaks down revenue by different types or categories.

Revenue Management: The application of disciplined analytics that predict consumer behaviour at the micro-market level and optimise product availability and price to maximise revenue growth. Lobbi PMS is integrated with RoomPriceGenie and RevControl.

Room Block or Group reservation: A number of rooms reserved for a specific group of guests, such as a wedding party or conference attendees.

Room Charge: A charge posted to a guest’s folio for the use of the room.

Room Status: The current state of a room, such as vacant, occupied, dirty, or out of order.

Room Type Mapping: The process of linking the hotel’s room types in the PMS to the corresponding ones on each OTA.

Room Rack: A visual display of all rooms in a hotel, showing their current status (occupied, vacant, out of order, etc.). It’s a useful tool for front desk staff to quickly check room availability and manage reservations.

Self Check-in Application: A feature in Lobbi PMS that allows guests to check in from their mobile device, reducing physical contact and queues at the front desk.

Sell Rate: The price at which a room is sold to the guest.

Smoking Policy: The hotel’s rules regarding smoking in the rooms and public areas.

SMTP (Simple Mail Transfer Protocol): A protocol for sending email messages between servers. Most email systems use SMTP to send messages from one server to another. The use of SMTP in Lobbi PMS is discouraged. We are integrated with Google Gmail and Microsoft Outlook.

Stop Sell: This is a term used in the hotel industry to indicate that a hotel is no longer selling rooms for a specific period. This could be due to the hotel being fully booked, closed for renovations, or any other reason that would prevent the hotel from accepting new bookings.

Supplements: Additional services or items that can be added to a booking. These are important for housekeeping as there is a task linked to the supplement.

Supplements: Additional services or items that can be added to a booking. These are important for revenue as they add to the total room revenue.

TO BE Processed List: A feature in Lobbi PMS that helps hotels keep track of past bookings that require invoicing. It can be accessed under the Administration tab and displays the reservation number, contact information, payment status, and remaining balance of each booking.

Total Room Revenue: This is the total revenue generated from the sale of rooms in the hotel. It includes revenue from room rate as well as any extras included in the package. Extra supplements are not counted.

Two-Way Interface: A connection between a hotel’s PMS and OTAs that allows for real-time updates of rates, availability, and reservations in both directions.

Upselling: The practice of encouraging guests to purchase a higher-priced item, upgrade, or add-on.

Upselling and Cross Selling: Techniques used to encourage customers to purchase more expensive items, upgrades, or other add-ons to generate more revenue.

VAT (Value Added Tax): A type of tax that is added to the cost of goods or services. In the hotel industry, VAT is often added to room rates and other charges.

Virtual Credit Card (VCC): A temporary credit card number that can be used for online transactions.

Web Booking: The process of a guest making a reservation through the hotel’s website or booking engine.

Yield Management: A pricing strategy that allows hoteliers to maximize their revenue by adjusting prices based on demand.