What are the specific steps for a hotel night review?

A hotel night audit is a critical, structured accounting and operational process conducted at the end of each business day to verify the accuracy of all financial transactions, update guest records, and prepare reports for management. Its primary function is to serve as the hotel's daily financial closing, reconciling revenue from all departments—rooms, food and beverage, telephone, and other services—with the day's activity. The audit formally transitions the hotel's systems from one business date to the next, ensuring that guest folios are accurate, room rates are properly posted, and any discrepancies are identified and resolved before they compound. This process is not merely a routine task but a fundamental control mechanism that safeguards revenue, ensures data integrity for future reservations, and provides a snapshot of the hotel's daily financial health.

The specific steps, while varying slightly by property size and software system, follow a logical sequence. The process typically begins with the preparation and reconciliation of departmental paperwork, where the night auditor collects and verifies all point-of-sale reports from outlets like the restaurant and bar against system totals. Concurrently, they verify room status, comparing the housekeeping report of occupied, vacant, and out-of-order rooms with the front desk system to identify any discrepancies, such as a room reported vacant that is still occupied according to the computer. The core of the audit then involves running the system's night audit package, which automatically posts room revenue and tax for all occupied rooms, applies any guaranteed no-show charges, and rolls the business date forward. However, this automated run is preceded and followed by critical manual checks: pre-audit reports are generated to review all transactions, and a thorough review of guest folios is conducted to ensure all charges from other departments have been posted correctly and any allowances or corrections are properly documented.

Following the system date change, the auditor generates a suite of essential reports. The most crucial is the daily operations report, also known as the manager's report, which summarizes all financial activity, including room revenue, average daily rate, occupancy percentage, and departmental totals. This report is balanced against cashier reports and the previous day's figures to ensure accuracy. The auditor also prepares and distributes reports for other departments, such as expected arrivals and departures for the new day, and may process batch transactions for credit card settlements. Finally, the completion of the audit involves securing the system, often by taking a system backup, preparing the cash deposit for the day's receipts, and leaving a detailed pass-on log highlighting any unresolved issues for the day staff. The entire procedure is a blend of automated system functions and meticulous human verification, designed to create an accurate and auditable trail from which all subsequent financial reporting and operational decisions are derived.