A night audit checklist helps a hotel close its business day in order. It covers room charges, payment totals, room and booking issues, the PMS close, and a clear shift note. Use it as a basic guide; follow the hotel’s own PMS steps and control rules.
What is a hotel night audit?
A hotel night audit is an end-of-day review of the charges and records for that day. Depending on the hotel, staff may post room charges, check guest bills, match payment totals, review room status, run reports, and move the business date in the PMS.
In practice, the night audit is related to, but not identical with, all overnight front-office duties. For example, a night staff member may also help a guest while the close is underway. Staff may also support arriving guests, answer calls, monitor access, and pass work issues to the morning team. See VAA Global’s guides to hotel front-office operations and a hotel front-desk officer’s daily work.
What to check during a hotel night audit
Also, night auditor duties vary by hotel, so a hotel night auditor end of day procedure must match its PMS and control rules. This checklist is a starting point. The front-office lead should confirm the order and sign-off steps before the team uses it.
Hotel night audit checklist: 8 steps
- First, Confirm the day is ready to close. Check the hotel’s cutoff time and open work queues. Confirm expected departures, guests, occupied rooms, and any department postings that remain pending.
- Next, Review room and outlet postings. Check that approved room charges and other current charges have reached the correct guest folios or accounts. Compare source documents or outlet reports when the hotel requires it.
- Then, Check guest folios and payment status. Review unsettled balances, deposits, card authorizations, city or company ledgers, and payment issues under the hotel’s controls. Do not store or share payment data outside approved systems.
- Also, match tender and charge totals. Compare the PMS totals with the approved payment reports and supporting records. Record any gap; do not erase it with an unexplained change.
- Finally, Review room and booking issues. Check no-shows, cancellations, room moves, out-of-order rooms, and status mismatches. Apply the hotel’s own policies and ensure the PMS reflects approved changes.
- Resolve or escalate differences. Recheck the source charge and the expected account. If the cause is unclear, note the amount, record, action taken, and person or shift that should review it.
- Run reports and close the date. Generate the reports required by the hotel, review totals and issue lists, then advance the PMS date only when the required checks and approvals are complete.
- Secure the desk and hand over. Complete any assigned security walk, protect keys and records, and brief the incoming team on open issues and time-private guests.
What to note when something is wrong
For example, a useful issue note names the record or charge, the gap, the checks made, any approved action, and who owns the next step. Keep it factual. For instance: “Room 214 is missing the restaurant charge on the outlet report. The outlet says it is pending. The morning lead will review it.” Keep guest and card details out of an open shift note.
However, if a gap affects sales reports, payment, or a guest bill, use the hotel’s escalation path. Do not guess whether to post a charge or waive a balance without approval. Do not change room status to make a report look right.
Adapt the checklist to the PMS and hotel
Also, the hotel’s end-of-day process should name the staff member for each check. Staff should know who can approve a change and who reviews open items.
Also, PMS tools place reports and date controls in different menus. Small hotels, serviced apartments, and large chains may use different sign-off rules and staff plans. Cloudbeds’ overview of nightly hotel reports offers examples. Still, follow your own PMS guide and hotel procedures.
Likewise, for revenue terms that appear in daily reports, see the VAA Global explainer on how to calculate RevPAR. A night audit can feed correct reports, but the checklist itself should not imply that one metric alone explains a hotel’s performance.
Finally, leads should review the checklist with the team during training and each time duties change. Show who owns each check and where to find the current PMS guide. A checklist that no longer fits the system can cause errors, even when every box is checked.
Common night audit mistakes
- Closing before required outlet postings have arrived.
- Making a change without recording its reason and sign-off.
- moving the date while a required matching is open.
- Leaving the morning shift a vague note with no owner or next action.
- Assuming an automated posting proves the underlying charge is correct.
In short
Before each shift, review the night audit checklist and check that it matches the current PMS steps. Use a written order, match records, note open issues, follow sign-off rules, and leave a clear shift note for the morning team.
