What is Confirmed Reservation ?

A confirmed reservation is that which is made by
a guest prior to their arrival at the hotel and is
made with enough time for the hotel to respond
to the request. Prospective guests who have a
reservation for accommodations that is honored
until a specified time represent the critical
element in no-shows. Confirmations can be
given over the telephone but this is not as good a
method as putting the response in writing. The
letter of confirmation has certain advantages,
i.e. it allows the hotel to inform. the guest of the
details of the request and includes information
such as the rate(s) quoted, gives information
on cancellation procedures, suitable methods
of payment, and any special requests made.
A confirmed reservation will only be held until
the cancellation hour deadline after which the
reservation will be released for sale to the next
interested customer.
Various types of travelers with confirmed
reservations – corporate, group, or pleasure –
have varying no-show rates. For example,
corporate confirmed reservations may have a 1%
overall no-show rate. Group travelers may have
a 0.5% no-show rate, with no-shows all coming
from one or two particular bus companies.
Pleasure travelers may have a 10% no-show
rate. The detailed investigation of each of these
categories will suggest methods for minimizing
no-show rates.