Dictionary
This Glossary is provided to help guests understand more about the rental of inns, resorts and vacation rentals. It is not comprehensive but serves as a primer for terms guests may encounter in renting specialty lodging. Not all terms apply to all properties or managers.
Lodging Taxes
Includes the sales, tourism and sometimes other taxes imposed on lodging by governments in a given destination. Facilities are required to add these taxes to the price of lodging and sometimes other costs.
Origin: Vacation Rental Association
Looker
Someone who is looking to purchase a vacation rental home. Not all lookers end up buying. Should not be used for a company, but rather for its owner or CEO.
See also: client, buyer, unit Origin: William May Link: VortexMethod.com
Mountain View
When guests can see surrounding mountains from some area of the property, not necessarily from all area of the property. May include Full, Partial or Peekaboo Views.
See also: View, Beach View, City View, Resort View, Water View Origin: Vacation Rental Association
Name Your Price
An offer to guests to specify the price they want to pay per night for lodging, and the manager then looks for lodging to meet their criteria
Origin: William May Link: VRIA.org
Obscured Rent by Owner (RBO)
When a website makes a property owners identify hidden thereby requiring guests to only communicate through their website dashboard, the rental is Obscure.
See also: Rent by Owner, Rbo Origin: May, William Link: VRIA.org
Ocean Front Accommodations
Buildings or rooms and living units in a building which is along side the ocean shore. Can be major oceans or estuaries. Generally means there are no other buildings between the building and the water. Not necessarily Beach Front.
See also: Beach Front Origin: Vacation Rental Association
Per Person Pricing (PPP)
Often used for Vacation Rental homes, a pricing model where a minimum nightly rate is set for a property allowing a base or normal number of occupants. Guests pay an additional fee for each guest over the normal, up to a maximum number of guests allowed in the property. The additional fee is often much higher for unapproved guests.
See also: Dynamic Rates Origin: Istay
Resort View
When guests can see some or all of the resort they are staying in, from some area of the property, not necessarily from all area of the property.. May include Full, Partial or Peekaboo Views
See also: View, Beach View, City View, Mountain View, Water View Origin: Vacation Rental Association
Setting
The type of area in which a property is located. Such as at the Beach, in the Mountains, part of a Resort or in the City.
Origin: Vacation Rental Association
Ski-In Accommodations
Building, rooms or living units in a ski resort area where guests can ski to the building or reasonably close to it. Could require guests to remove skis to access the building or its grounds. Not necessarily down hill to the building but access would usually be without major obstacles between the slopes and the accommodations.
See also: Ski-Out Accommodations, Ski-In Ski-Out Accommodations Origin: Vacation Rental Association
Ski-In and Ski-Out Accommodations
Building, rooms or living units in a ski resort area where guests can get out to access the ski lifts and return from the ski lifts directly from the slopes. Could require guests to walk short distances to reach snow. Not necessarily down hill to and from building to the slopes but access would usually be without major obstacles between the slopes and the accommodations.
See also: Ski-In Accommodations, Ski-Out Accommodations Origin: Vacation Rental Association
Ski-Out Accommodations
Building, rooms or living units in a ski resort area where guests can get out to access the ski lifts. Could require guests to walk short distances to reach snow. Not necessarily down hill from building to the slopes but access would usually be without major obstacles between the slopes and the accommodations.
See also: Ski-In Accommodations, Ski-In and Ski-Out Accommodations Origin: Vacation Rental Association
Therapy Animal (Dog)
Provides affection and comfort to people in Hospitals, retirement homes, nursing homes, schools, people with learning difficulties, and stressful situations such as disaster areas.
Not to be confused with Service Animals or dogs, Therapy Dogs and their Handlers have no Legal rights. Institutions may invite, limit, or prohibit access to therapy dogs. If allowed, these institutions will have their own requirements for Therapy Animals.
Therapy dogs are not Service Animals. A Service Animal has a skill which directly reduces the effect of a disability and so can legally accompany their disabled handler anywhere they can legally go. In the United States, Service Animals are legally protected by the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990. As Therapy Dogs do not provide direct assistance they are not protected by the Americans with Disabilities Act.
See also: Service Animal (Dog) Origin: FreeMyPaws.org Link: FreeMyPaws.org
Towels
Fleece based materials used for bath towels, hand towels, wash clothes, bath mats
See also: Textiles, fleece, bedding Origin: May, William
Vacation Rental Angels
Voluntary program from Vacation Rental Association. Members who regularly donate vacation home use to charitable causes are listed on VacationRentalAngels.com website and display the VRIA Angel Icon.
Origin: Vacation Rental Association Link: VacationRentalAngels.com
View
What can be seen from an area of the property, not necessarily from all areas of the property.
See also: Beach View, City View, Mountain View, Resort View, Water View Origin: Vacation Rental Association
Water Front Accommodations
Buildings or rooms and living units in a building which is along side a body of water, salt or fresh water. Could be major oceans, estuaries, lakes, rivers or streams. Generally means there are no other buildings between the building and the water. Not necessarily Beach Front.
See also: Ocean Front, Beach Front Origin: Vacation Rental Association
Water View
When guests can see a body of water (Such as a lake, ocean, pond or river) from some area of the property, not necessarily from all area of the property. May include Full, Partial or Peekaboo Views.
See also: View, Beach View, City View, Mountain View, Resort View Origin: Vacation Rental Association
Website Registration
A webpage on which people can register to become users of a website. Usually requires name, address, email and type of membership but that can vary based on type of Registration.
See also: Simple Registration, Regular Registration, Complex Registration Origin: Redstone.net