Originally Posted by writerguyfl

Typically, there are several rounds of checks at any decently-run hotel that will ensure that a checked-in but vacant room doesn't get points and/or night/stay credit with the frequent guest program. The average Front Desk clerk wouldn't know about these checks unless she or he is crossed trained. So, don't take the word of the Front Desk as gospel here.

Although it will vary depending upon job responsibilities and size of the hotel (smaller hotels might combine tasks into a single job), here are example of the various checks:

• Night Auditor: The Night Auditor will use reports like key logs to verify that checked-in rooms actually have guests in them.
• Housekeeping: On the check-out day, Housekeeping will note any room that was checked-in but vacant. Those rooms should get investigated by someone. (Who that someone is will vary by property. Sometimes it's a Front Desk Supervisor. Or in some cases it might be the Executive Housekeeper.)
• Auditor of the Night Auditor: Before the nightly numbers are finalized, someone will audit the work of the Night Auditor. One part of that process is verifying that no-show rooms are properly categorized. (This task can be performed by different people within the accounting department. Large hotels will have a dedicated staff member known as an Income Auditor. Limited-service hotels might hand this task over to Accounts Receivable. In the smallest of hotels, this function is usually handled by the Accounting Manager.)
• Hotel Controller/General Manager: The final check would be the Hotel Controller and/or General Manager (at smaller properties). Although given the fact that no-shows would have been checked multiple times by the time it reaches this step, it's theoretically possible that whoever finalizes the financial data might take a personal interest in ensuring no-shows rooms aren't receiving points or night/stay credits.

There are a couple reasons why hotels want to be accurate and mark these cases as no-shows. First, no-shows are tracked differently by accounting. Second, no-shows aren't counted in terms of sales goals for bonuses for Sales Managers and other salary-plus-bonus positions. Next, hotels don't have to pay occupancy taxes on no-shows in some municipalities. Fourth, most hotel groups require hotels to accurately disclose the total number of occupied rooms every night. And finally, hotels aren't required to pay the hotel group for points on no-show rooms.

[In my hospitality career, I worked in the following positions: Front Desk Representative, Front Desk Supervisor, Income Auditor, and Revenue Manager (a salary-plus-bonus job where no-shows directly affected my compensation). The above information is based on that experience.]