Glossary
Understanding ABRA’s vocabulary helps you get the most out of the platform. This glossary covers the core concepts and data types you’ll encounter.Guest Intelligence
These are the building blocks of guest knowledge in ABRA.Preference
Any request, requirement, or guest intel that relates to a specific department.
| Department | Examples |
|---|---|
| Housekeeping | Feather-free bedding, extra pillows, hypoallergenic products |
| Food & Beverage | Allergic to peanuts, vegetarian, loves French red wine |
| Front Desk | Late checkout when available, high floor, quiet room |
| Spa | Prefers deep tissue massage, sensitive skin |
- Allergies - Food, environmental, or material sensitivities (flagged with special visibility)
- Dietary - Vegan, kosher, gluten-free, etc.
- Room - Bed type, floor level, view preferences
- Service - Communication preferences, housekeeping timing
Golden Nugget
Meaningful personal details that can be used to personalize future interactions and are not related to any specific department.
| Category | Examples |
|---|---|
| Personal Information | Has a dog named Spot, practices yoga daily, loves crossword puzzles |
| Related to This Stay | First ski trip, traveling for business, mother-daughter trip |
| Life Context | Just got promoted to VP, daughter starting college, training for marathon |
Preference vs. Nugget: If the information helps a specific department do their job better, it’s a Preference. If it’s general knowledge that helps anyone personalize service, it’s a Nugget.
Celebration
Any special occasion the guest is celebrating during their stay.
| Type | Description |
|---|---|
| Anniversary | Wedding or relationship anniversary |
| Birthday | Guest’s birthday during or near their stay |
| Honeymoon | Recently married, honeymoon trip |
| Babymoon | Expecting parents, pre-baby trip |
| Graduation | Recent graduate celebrating |
| Engagement | Recently engaged |
| Retirement | Celebrating retirement |
Touchpoint
A recorded interaction between staff and a guest.
- Lobby greeting on arrival
- Concierge consultation for dinner reservations
- Housekeeping special request fulfillment
- Manager table visit at restaurant
Issue Management
Hurdle
Any complaint or issue that arises - big or small.
| Field | Description |
|---|---|
| Department | Select the department the issue relates to |
| Tags | Select relevant tags for reporting |
| What happened? | Brief summary (e.g., “Guest called front desk and shared that the heat in the room is not working”) |
| Temperature | Rate guest’s disappointment on a scale of 1-10 |
| Action Taken | What was done to resolve the issue |
| Compensation | Dollar amount if applicable (e.g., $60 for champagne) |
- AC not cooling properly in room 412
- Wrong meal delivered to room service order
- Noise complaint from wedding in ballroom
- Lost item in laundry
Compensation
Service recovery offered to a guest in response to a Hurdle.
- Complimentary room upgrade
- Meal credit ($60 for champagne)
- Late checkout
- Spa discount
- Points/loyalty credit
Guest Delight
Wow Moment
Any gesture - big or small - where you or the team went above & beyond for the guest.
- Remembered guest’s coffee order and brought it unprompted
- Delivered an “after-skiing” hot cocoa bar in the room and congratulated them on surviving their first day skiing
- Surprise birthday cake with personalized message
- Room decorated for honeymoon arrival
- Description - What was done
- Photos - Visual documentation (optional)
- Staff involved - Tag yourself and team members who made it happen
Magic Tracker
A system for moving guests from unknown to delighted.
| Stage | Description |
|---|---|
| Mystery | New guest, needs unknown |
| Needs Magic | Opportunities identified, ready to delight |
| Wowed | Exceptional experience delivered |
Profiles & Data
Living Profile
The dynamic, combined view of everything known about a guest.
- Bio information (contact, occupation, demographics)
- All Nuggets across stays
- All Preferences (including allergies)
- Celebration dates
- Stay history
- Hurdle history
- Wow Moments received
- Accompanying guests (family, travel companions)
Accompanying Guest
A guest traveling with another guest, linked via the PMS.
Add preferences to each guest’s individual profile - not just the primary guest. Each accompanying guest has their own preferences and needs.
- Spouse/Partner
- Family member
- Business associate
- Travel companion
Bio
Core biographical information about a guest.
- Phone number
- Occupation
- Gender
- Address
- Birthday
- Anniversary
Reservations
Reservation
A guest’s booked stay at the property.
| Status | Description |
|---|---|
| Upcoming | Future reservation |
| Arrivals | Checking in today |
| In-House | Currently staying |
| Departures | Checking out today |
| Past | Completed stay |
| No Show | Guest didn’t arrive |
| Cancelled | Reservation cancelled |
Reservation Note
Notes attached to a specific reservation, often synced from the PMS.
Organization
Department
An organizational unit within the hotel.
- Front Desk
- Concierge
- Housekeeping
- Food & Beverage
- Spa
- Engineering
- Management
- Assign Hurdles
- Categorize Preferences
- Receive automated preference emails
- Filter reports
- Route notifications
Hotel
A property configured in ABRA.
- Guest database
- Staff users
- Departments
- Room inventory
- PMS integration settings
- Branding/colors
Quick Reference
| Term | When to Use | Key Distinction |
|---|---|---|
| Preference | Department-specific request or requirement | Relates to a department, auto-emails team |
| Nugget | Personal detail for future personalization | NOT department-specific, general knowledge |
| Celebration | Special occasion during stay | Opportunity to delight |
| Hurdle | Any complaint or issue | Auto-notifies team for follow-up |
| Wow Moment | Above & beyond gesture | Tag team members for recognition |