Hotel Terminology Glossary: 40 KPIs and Concepts (2026)
Hospitality speaks its own language — and that language is full of acronyms. This glossary brings together the 40 most-used terms across revenue management and operations, each explained in plain English with a practical example. Bookmark it as a reference.
- Revenue KPIs: ADR, RevPAR, GOPPAR, TRevPAR, Occupancy
- Distribution: OTA, channel manager, rate parity, BAR, RACK rate
- Operations: no-show, walk-in, stop-sale, CTA/CTD, OOO, house-use
- A one-line definition plus a concrete example for every term
- In-context links throughout so you can dig deeper on related topics
Hotel jargon can be a real barrier for anyone new to the industry. It's easy to mix up RevPAR and GOPPAR, stop-sale and no-show, or BAR and RACK. The glossary below groups the most frequently used terms into categories and defines them in plain language. Where it's worth going deeper, we've linked to dedicated guides.
Revenue and Performance KPIs
| Term | What It Stands For / Means | Example / Note |
|---|---|---|
| ADR | Average Daily Rate — the average room rate | Room revenue ÷ rooms sold |
| Occupancy | Occupancy rate | Rooms sold ÷ rooms available |
| RevPAR | Revenue Per Available Room | Occupancy × ADR |
| GOPPAR | Gross Operating Profit Per Available Room | Gross operating profit per room — costs included |
| TRevPAR | Total Revenue Per Available Room | Room revenue + ancillary revenue, per room |
| ALOS | Average Length of Stay | Total room-nights ÷ bookings |
| Pickup | The rate at which bookings accumulate ahead of a given date | 30/60/90-day pacing |
Distribution and Pricing
| Term | What It Stands For / Means | Example / Note |
|---|---|---|
| OTA | Online Travel Agency | Booking.com, Airbnb, Expedia, Etstur |
| Channel Manager | The layer that keeps all your sales channels in sync | Prevents overbooking |
| BAR | Best Available Rate | The day's openly bookable rate |
| RACK Rate | The undiscounted list price — the ceiling rate | Rooms are rarely actually sold at this rate |
| Rate Parity | Consistent pricing across every channel | A standard OTA contract requirement |
| Allotment | A guaranteed room quota reserved for an agency | Contracted inventory |
| Commission | The cut an OTA takes per booking | Booking.com ~15% |
Front Desk and Operations
| Term | Meaning | Example / Note |
|---|---|---|
| No-show | A guest who booked but never arrives | Governed by the cancellation policy |
| Walk-in | A guest who shows up without a reservation and asks for a room | Usually priced close to RACK rate |
| Stop-sale | Completely halting sales for a given date | When sold out, or during an event |
| CTA / CTD | Closed To Arrival / Closed To Departure | Arrivals or departures blocked for that day |
| OOO | Out of Order — a room that's unsellable due to a defect | Excluded from the occupancy denominator |
| House-use | A room used by staff or the property itself | Not counted as revenue |
| Night Audit | The end-of-day close and reconciliation | Typically run around midnight |
| Early/Late C-in | Early check-in / late check-out | Can carry an extra charge |
Guests and Room Status
| Term | Meaning | Note |
|---|---|---|
| VIP / Blacklist | A guest tag for special attention, or an entry ban | Tracked at the profile level |
| Upsell / Upgrade | Selling a guest into a higher room category | Boosts ADR |
| PAX | Number of guests (passengers) | 2 PAX = 2 people |
| Vacant/Occupied | Room status: empty or occupied | Shown on the housekeeping board |
| Clean/Dirty | Room status: cleaned or not yet cleaned | Drives the housekeeping workflow |
| Folio | The guest's itemized bill | Every charge lands here |
Frequently Asked Questions
What's the difference between RevPAR and GOPPAR?
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RevPAR (Revenue Per Available Room) measures only room revenue and is calculated as Occupancy × ADR. GOPPAR (Gross Operating Profit Per Available Room) also factors in costs, showing gross operating profit per available room — which makes it a more complete profitability KPI.
What does OTA mean?
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OTA stands for Online Travel Agency. It refers to the online sales platforms where hotels sell rooms, such as Booking.com, Airbnb, Expedia and Etstur.
Are stop-sale and no-show the same thing?
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No. A stop-sale is when a hotel deliberately halts sales for a specific date — because it's sold out or due to an event. A no-show is a guest who made a reservation but never actually arrives at the property.
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