Front office
What is a no-show in a hotel?
A no-show is a guest with a confirmed reservation who neither arrives nor cancels before the hotel's cut-off time. The room goes unsold for that night, so most hotels charge a no-show fee, typically the first night, when the booking was guaranteed by card or deposit.
Handling no-shows
Set a clear cut-off (for example 6pm for unguaranteed bookings) and state the fee in the booking confirmation. During the night audit, reservations that did not arrive are marked as no-shows, the fee is charged where the policy allows, and the room returns to inventory.
Reducing them
Deposits, card guarantees and a reminder message before arrival all cut no-show rates. Hotels with a predictable no-show rate sometimes overbook slightly to compensate.
Common questions
Is a late cancellation the same as a no-show?
No. A late cancellation is a guest who cancels after the free-cancellation deadline. A no-show never cancels. Both may be charged under the hotel's policy.
Related terms
- OverbookingOverbooking is when a hotel accepts more reservations than it has rooms for a given night. Some hotels do it deliberately to offset expected no-shows and cancellations. It also happens by accident when OTA availability is not updated quickly enough after a booking.
- Night auditA night audit is the daily routine that closes one hotel business day and opens the next. It posts the night's room and tax charges to guest folios, reconciles the day's payments and cash, identifies no-shows and errors, and produces the daily reports for management.
- Occupancy rateOccupancy rate is the percentage of a hotel's available room nights that were sold in a period. It is calculated by dividing room nights sold by room nights available. It shows how full the hotel was, but not what guests paid.
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