Hotel Terms You Should Know:

Your Hotspot helps you to take the guess work out planning your next trip. Here are some commonly used hotel terms and their explanations.

A la carte restaurants : Buffets are the most common eateries at all-inclusive resorts, but many offer more intimate dining options with menu selections. Some hotels include a set number of meals per person per stay at the a la carte restaurants. Others charge a fee.

American breakfast/English breakfast/German breakfast : A full breakfast prepared according to the customs of the country. For example, the American breakfast consists of omelettes, sausages, bacon, home fries and pancakes.

American plan : a room rate that includes three meals a day.

Continental breakfast : coffee or tea, juice and baked goods like muffins, croissants, and rolls.

Couples only : what you won’t find: children under the age of 18 or a singles scene. But take note, some of these properties have clothing-optional beaches and activities, so ask before booking.

European plan : a room that include continental breakfast.

Excursions : off-site activities, such as guided, hiking, shopping, outings and historic tours, generally offered by outside vendors and not included in the hotel’s room rates.

Family-friendly : just what it sounds like, but you find that these resorts also offer an adults-only pool, a casino and an over-18 disco.

Garden view : less expensive rooms without ocean views.

Local taxes : government surcharges that is generally not included in the room rate.

Membership fees : an extra fee to use the indoor fitness center and spa amenities.

Motorized water sports : these include jet skis, scuba gear, parasailing and banana boat rides – which are usually available for an extra fee.

Non-motorized water sports : kayaks, sunfish (these are small sailboats), boogie boards snorkeling rentals and gear that are generally included in a single all-inclusive room tariff.

Partial ocean view : no sweeping ocean views with these rooms. The up side is that you’re usually closer to the resort’s other amenities.

Service charges : these may be gratuities or tips for the use of the resort’s amenities.

Transfers : this refers to transportation, usually round trip, from the hotel to the airport or to excursion sites.