HOSPITALITY Cheat Sheet 2026

The 30 highest-yield HOSPITALITY facts, distilled from real exam questions. Print it, save it as a PDF, or study it here — free, no sign-up.

1. What is 'direct booking' and why do hotels prefer it? → Guests booking directly through the hotel's own website or phone, avoiding OTA commissions
2. What is 'cultural tourism'? → Traveling to experience the arts, heritage, customs, and culture of a destination
3. What is a 'loyalty program' in hotel marketing? → A guest rewards program offering benefits for repeat stays
4. What is 'heritage tourism' in the US context? → Traveling to experience the history, culture, and stories of people and places in the US
5. What is 'overbooking' in hotel operations? → Accepting more reservations than available rooms
6. What is the standard check-in time at most US hotels? → 3:00 PM
7. What does CRS stand for in the hospitality industry? → Central Reservation System
8. What does PMS stand for in hotel technology? → Property Management System
9. What is the purpose of a 'run of show' document in event management? → A minute-by-minute timeline of all activities and cues during an event
10. What is the primary purpose of a food and beverage cost percentage? → To measure how much of revenue is spent on food and beverage products
11. What is 'upselling' in the context of hotel front desk operations? → Encouraging guests to purchase a higher room category or add-ons
12. What is a 'no-show' in hotel front office terminology? → A guest with a reservation who never arrives
13. What does two-factor authentication (2FA) protect in hotel technology environments? → Staff and manager access to sensitive hotel management systems and guest data
14. What does 'double occupancy' mean in hotel terms? → A room occupied by two guests
15. What does the 'Les Clefs d'Or' designation represent in the concierge profession? → An international professional association of elite hotel concierges
16. What is 'competitive set' (comp set) in hotel benchmarking? → A group of comparable hotels used for performance comparison
17. What is 'dark tourism' as a recognized niche in the tourism industry? → Travel to sites associated with death, tragedy, and historical atrocities
18. What does ADR stand for in hotel management? → Average Daily Rate
19. What is 'RevPAG' and in which hospitality sector is it most relevant? → Revenue Per Available Guest, used in all-inclusive resort analysis
20. What is the primary function of a hotel loyalty program technology platform? → Tracking guest stays, awarding points, and managing member benefits and redemptions
21. What is the 'innkeeper's lien' right in hospitality law? → A hotel's legal right to hold a guest's property as security for unpaid bills
22. What is the standard procedure for handling a 'Do Not Disturb' (DND) sign in US hotels? → Respect the sign and skip cleaning unless the guest requests service
23. Why is PCI DSS compliance critical for hospitality businesses? → It protects cardholder data during payment card processing and storage
24. What is a 'minimum length of stay' (MLOS) restriction used for in revenue management? → Preventing short stays that create unprofitable gaps in occupancy around peak nights
25. What is the primary function of the front desk in a US hotel? → Guest check-in and check-out
26. What is the purpose of a hotel's 'loyalty program'? → To reward and retain frequent guests while encouraging direct bookings
27. What is 'reputation management' in hotel marketing? → Monitoring and responding to online reviews to maintain a positive hotel image
28. Which distribution channel typically charges hotels the highest commission fee? → Online Travel Agencies (OTAs)
29. What is 'sports tourism'? → Travel motivated by participation in or observation of sporting events
30. What is a 'folio' in hotel operations? → A guest's itemized bill of charges