Published August 27, 2026 by the Travel Hospitality Review Editorial Team
Travel booking pages use a lot of short terms that can materially change the final price or flexibility of a reservation. This glossary explains common hotel, booking-platform, rate, fee, cancellation and loyalty terminology in plain English.
Rates and Pricing
Base Rate
The room price before taxes, mandatory fees or optional add-ons.
Total Price
The full amount payable for the reservation, including applicable mandatory taxes and fees shown at checkout.
Dynamic Pricing
Pricing that changes according to demand, dates, occupancy, events, booking patterns or other factors.
Member Rate
A discounted rate available to members of a hotel loyalty program or booking platform.
Advance Purchase Rate
A discounted rate that typically requires prepayment and may have stricter cancellation rules.
Best Available Rate
A hotel term generally referring to the lowest publicly available flexible rate under specified conditions.
Fees and Charges
Resort Fee
A mandatory property fee charged in addition to the base room rate, often associated with amenities or services.
Destination Fee
A mandatory fee similar to a resort fee, often used by urban hotels.
Service Fee
A fee charged by a booking platform, property or service provider for facilitating or administering a booking.
Cleaning Fee
A fee commonly associated with vacation rentals or alternative accommodations to cover turnover cleaning.
Incidental Hold
A temporary card authorization placed by a hotel to cover possible charges such as room service or damages.
Tourism Tax
A tax or levy imposed by a local or national authority on visitors or accommodations.
Cancellation and Changes
Free Cancellation
A rate allowing cancellation without a penalty before a specified deadline.
Non-Refundable Rate
A booking where some or all payment is generally forfeited if canceled, subject to the reservation terms and applicable law.
Cancellation Window
The period before check-in during which a reservation can be canceled without the stated penalty.
No-Show
Failing to arrive for a reservation without canceling according to the booking terms.
Modification
A change to dates, room type, guest name or other booking details. A modified reservation may be repriced.
Booking Channels
Online Travel Agency (OTA)
A third-party booking platform that sells hotel rooms and other travel services.
Direct Booking
Booking directly with the hotel or hotel chain rather than through a third-party platform.
Metasearch
A service that compares rates or availability from multiple booking sources and sends users to another site to complete the booking.
Merchant Model
A model where the booking platform collects payment from the traveler and settles with the property separately.
Agency Model
A model where the property typically charges the traveler and the booking platform earns a commission.
Rooms and Inventory
Room Type
A category defined by attributes such as bed configuration, occupancy, size, view or amenities.
Run of House
A rate or booking where the specific room type is assigned by the hotel based on availability.
Occupancy
The number of guests a room is designed or permitted to accommodate.
Inventory
The room availability a hotel makes available for sale across direct and third-party channels.
Overbooking
Selling more reservations than physical capacity based on expected cancellations or no-shows.
Loyalty and Benefits
Elite Status
A loyalty-program tier earned through stays, spending, points or qualifying activity.
Points Rate
A redemption price expressed in loyalty points rather than cash.
Free Night Award
A loyalty benefit or certificate that can be redeemed for a qualifying stay under program rules.
Late Checkout
Permission to remain in the room after the standard checkout time, subject to availability or status benefits.
Room Upgrade
Assignment to a higher room category than booked, subject to availability and the property’s rules.
Reservation Status
Confirmed
A reservation accepted by the booking system or property under the stated terms.
Pending
A reservation or request that has not yet been fully confirmed.
Guaranteed Reservation
A booking secured with a payment method or deposit so the room is held according to the guarantee terms.
How to Use This Glossary
Always compare the final checkout total and cancellation terms, not only the headline nightly rate. A cheaper base rate can become more expensive after mandatory fees or may be less flexible because of stricter cancellation rules. Use this glossary alongside How We Review and About Travel Hospitality Review.