Reservations & availability

A reservation is five facts: name, dates, room type, rate, and guarantee. Repeat them back on every new booking and every change — dates are where money is lost ('the 12th' means a different night to a guest counting arrival day differently). Note where the booking came from (direct, phone, or an online agency) because the cancellation rules and commission differ, and never promise a specific room number — promise the room type, and treat a specific room as a request.

When the hotel is full, precision turns into diplomacy. Hold guaranteed bookings until the agreed time, release unguaranteed ones on schedule, and know your hotel's no-show policy (usually the first night charged). If overbooking leaves a guest without a room, the professional standard is 'walking' them: a comparable or better room at a nearby hotel, transport there, and the difference covered — delivered with a manager's apology, not shrugged at the desk.