Question 1

What goes on a hotel receipt (folio)?

Accepted Answer

Guest name + check-in/check-out dates, room rate per night × nights, occupancy / lodging tax, resort or destination fees (if any), parking, incidentals (room service, minibar, laundry, in-room movies), state and local taxes broken out, total charges, payments applied, and balance. Corporate guests often need the folio split to show meals separately for per-diem expense reporting.

Question 2

How do I show occupancy / lodging tax?

Accepted Answer

Always as a separate line, not folded into the room rate. Most US jurisdictions tax lodging at higher rates than retail (8-15% combined state + local + tourism). Some include city-specific tourism / convention assessments ("NYC hotel occupancy tax: 5.875% + 14.75% combined room + state, plus $3.50/night unit fee"). State the breakdown so business travelers can substantiate the lodging-only portion of their per diem.

Question 3

Are resort fees taxable?

Accepted Answer

Generally yes — resort fees, destination fees, and amenity fees are typically subject to occupancy tax in jurisdictions that tax lodging. Some states (like New York and Hawaii) explicitly tax mandatory resort fees as part of taxable lodging revenue. Surface them on a separate line so the guest sees what's mandatory vs optional, and apply tax to the appropriate portion.

Question 4

How should I bill incidentals?

Accepted Answer

Itemize on the folio: each room service order, minibar charge, laundry, parking, and in-room purchase as a discrete line with the date. Most hotels run incidentals through the POS and post them to the folio nightly. For corporate guests with direct-bill arrangements, separate "room and tax" from "incidentals" so the company can reimburse only the contracted portion.

Question 5

What's a master account vs guest folio?

Accepted Answer

Master account: charges billed directly to a corporate or group account (e.g. conference attendee rooms paid by the company). Guest folio: charges billed to the individual guest (e.g. their personal incidentals). Group bookings often have both — room and tax to master, incidentals to guest. Issueable can produce either format; for masters with multiple rooms, list each guest as a line item with their nights and total.

Question 6

How do I document a no-show or early-departure charge?

Accepted Answer

State the policy on the folio: "No-show charge per booking policy: 1 night room + tax" or "Early departure fee: $X per night cut short." Reference the booking confirmation that included the policy. Without explicit policy reference, no-show charges are commonly disputed via chargeback. Issueable's notes section is the right place to cite the booking terms.

Question 7

Should the receipt show payments separately from charges?

Accepted Answer

Yes — corporate travelers and accountants need to see the running ledger. Format: list all charges first (room, tax, fees, incidentals), subtotal, then list payments (deposit at booking, payment at check-in, balance at check-out) below. Final balance should be zero (folio is settled). For folios with outstanding balances (group masters being billed later), state "Balance due: $X" and the billing terms.

Question 8

How does this differ from short-term rental (Airbnb / VRBO) receipts?

Accepted Answer

Same basic structure but different tax treatment — most short-term rentals (rentals under 30 days) are subject to occupancy tax just like hotels, often passed through Airbnb / VRBO automatically. Direct-booked Airbnbs and VRBOs (where the host bills the guest outside the platform) need to handle occupancy tax themselves. Cleaning fees are typically taxable as part of total rental cost. Property hosts in jurisdictions like NYC, San Francisco, Barcelona — check local STR registration and tax rules.

Hotel Folio & Lodging Receipt Template

Hotel Receipt Features

Per-Night Itemization

Tax + Fee Breakdown

Incidentals Tracked

Independent to Boutique to STR

Independent Hotels & Boutique Inns

Bed & Breakfasts

Short-Term Rentals

Group & Corporate Bookings

Hotel Folio FAQ