The hotel industry thrives on its customer relationships and the profits made during their stay in their particular establishment. If you're a hotel business, you know how important it is to provide your guests with a clear, concise, and professional invoice, so there is no miscommunication or misunderstandings when it comes to paying the bill. Your goal is to make your hotel guests happy, and offering a straightforward, fuss-free invoicing and payment system is one piece of that puzzle.

While using Microsoft Word or Microsoft Excel to create an invoice template might sound enticing, these programs require downloads, lengthy customization, and then more downloading to send to the customer. Skynova's free, customizable invoice template below allows you to create invoices within a matter of minutes and send them directly to your customers by emailing the invoice instead of downloading it as a PDF. You can also see when your invoice is opened.

In this guide, we'll help you learn what should be included in a hotel invoice template.

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How to Create a Hotel Invoice

Skynova's free hotel invoice template helps make invoicing your customers a breeze. There are a few specific sections that every invoice must have, including contact information, invoice reference numbers, due dates, and costs.

There may also be additional sections that pertain to your specific industry. A hotel business, for example, may also include a section for extra amenities like valet parking, room service, resort fees, and other hotel services purchased during the stay. Another possible section might list the dates of check-in and check-out, the number of nights the customer spent at the hotel, the nightly rate, the total number of guests, and the hotel room number they stayed in.

Here you'll find simple step-by-step instructions for how to create your invoice to reflect a customer's hotel bill.

  1. Add Your Hotel Address and Your Guest's Address

    Have you ever received an email from a name you don't recognize? Opening an email from an unknown source could lead to detrimental computer damage. Answering a call from an unknown phone number also carries potential risks. Because of this, many people automatically delete these emails and ignore these calls. This is why it's incredibly important to make sure your invoice clearly states the hotel name and/or the hotel owner and the hotel address so your customer can recognize where the invoice is coming from and what it is for without any hesitation.

    Be sure to confirm that the address for your customer is correct. This might mean calling your customer to ensure you have the right address. You don't want to risk the billing invoice getting lost in the mail and causing a delay in payment.

  2. Create an Invoice Number

    Simply put, the invoice number is essentially a tracking code for that specific invoice. It's a reference number for both you and your customer, should either one of you ever need to refer back to the invoice.

    Your hotel business will surely have an influx of invoices going out every day, and Skynova creates a unique invoice number automatically. By having an invoice number listed and filing the invoice accordingly, you'll always be able to access the invoice when it needs to be addressed for billing purposes or if the customer has a question about something.

  3. Add Your Invoice Date and Due Date

    Don't forget about due dates! Dating your invoice is extremely important if you want to ensure that your customers pay on time.

    First, select the invoice date. This is generally just the day that the invoice is created, unless your specific hotel business has different standards. Next, choose the final invoice due date. All companies handle payment methods and policies differently, so depending on your own hotel business policies, the period in which payment is due could be within 14 days, 30 days, or another set due date. Whenever that deadline may be, it must be clearly conveyed to all parties at the beginning of the transaction to avoid any issues or a lag in payment.

    Another thing to consider for your invoice is whether there is a down payment and/or security deposit made. If this occurs, it should be noted on the final invoice. Your hotel business may require a customer to give their credit card number for a down payment or security deposit on the room when they arrive at the hotel or when they are booking their reservation. Hotels refer to this charge as a "hold" for incidentals in the event that there is any damage done to the room or there are payments left unresolved after the guest has left. If there is no damage done or additional payments to take care of, that hold will be released, or perhaps applied to the final cost of the hotel stay.

  4. Calculate and Enter the Cost of Additional Amenities

    There are a lot of additional costs that can rack up during a customer's stay at your hotel. This could include things like valet parking, room service, resort fees like pool towel service or cabana usage, mini bar drinks and snacks, hotel restaurant and bar purchases, Wi-Fi, resort spa treatments or fitness classes, airport transfers, pet fees, concierge assistance, room upgrades, and early check-in or late check-out.

    If any of these things apply to your customer's experience at your hotel, they should be itemized by date on the invoice. You can easily add these items into Skynova's basic invoice template.

  5. Enter Any Discounts Provided to Your Hotel Guest

    Many hotels generate a lot of business when they offer specials on room rates, new-customer discounts, and even discounts for referrals. There should be a section on your invoice that reflects any promotional sale or discount that is included in the final price.

    Skynova's hotel invoice template makes it very easy to input these discounts. First, click on the button that says "New Line." Then, look for the small black arrow on the right side of the box in the "Item" column. Click on this drop-down menu and you'll see an option to select "Discount." Type in the description of what it is you are discounting and why, and then enter the unit price of the discount.

    For example, if the current promotion is an offer for one free night's stay for every three nights purchased, you would enter the promotion details in the description and the cost of one night's stay in the "Unit Price" column.

    Discounts should always be made very clear on the invoice so your customers never have to question whether or not they received the correct credit for whatever promotion they were participating in.

  6. Add a Note Describing Your Work and Providing Any Additional Information

    You may want to consider adding a section at the bottom of your invoice that includes additional information or notes for any of the line items on the invoice. For example, if there is a charge for a spa service, the note may reference what that service was. This section could also explain discounts in further detail or include an explanation for why you were charged for something specific that might seem out of the ordinary.

    Basically, you don't want your customer to have to question a single thing on the invoice. Everything should be explained in very clear detail. This eliminates any back-and-forth between you and your customer after their stay is complete, which, in turn, helps expedite the payment process.

Invoicing Tips and Best Practices for Hotel Businesses

Now that you know how to properly create a hotel invoice for your customers, you can add in these extras to really get the most out of your invoicing process.

  • Get to Know Your Customers

    As a hotel owner, you want to create an unforgettable experience for your guests — so much so that they continue to come back to your establishment any time they are visiting the area. To do this, make it a point to get to know your customers on a personal level and learn more about their likes and dislikes so you can make suggestions during their stay.

    When you make your hotel guests feel like VIPs with personalized treatment, they'll want to return again and again to receive that same treatment. For repeat customers, Skynova offers a template for recurring invoices so you won't have to create a new address and other contact details every time your regulars are in town.

  • Provide Options for Payment

    People like options, so be sure to offer your customers multiple choices when it comes to payment. Some guests may choose to pay with cash, check, or credit card at the hotel front desk, but others may prefer to take care of things online from their desktop computer, laptop, or mobile device. Skynova has a variety of invoicing features you can include, one of which is the ability to accept credit card payments online.

  • Encourage Guest Feedback

    In the hotel business, there is always room for growth. You should always welcome customer feedback and suggestions, as this is exactly what will help you make any necessary changes to keep your guests happy and will allow you to see what you are excelling at.

    After the invoice has been paid and you send your customer a receipt, consider adding a section to that receipt that gives your customers the opportunity to leave feedback. If the invoice is sent via email, you could add a link to an online questionnaire or simply add an email address where they can send their comments. If the invoice is paid in person while the customer is still at the hotel, you could include a questionnaire in the form of a postcard that they can mail in or leave at the hotel before their departure.

Skynova Helps You Turn Hotel Accommodations Into Income

Utilizing Skynova's free invoice template can help professionals in the hotel business simplify their invoicing process and get paid for their goods and services in a much faster, more convenient way. With this simple, user-friendly hotel receipt template system, you will easily be able to keep track of your guest reservations and purchases and streamline your bookkeeping processes.

If you follow the hotel invoice sample provided, you will know you are right on track to creating an invoice that includes all of the pertinent information needed to pass along to your customer. By using a hotel invoice template, you lessen the chance of having billing errors or unrecorded information. Another added benefit of using Skynova's invoice template is that it renders the need to pay an accountant or bookkeeper to handle invoicing for you as unnecessary.

Regardless of what industry you're in, general business tactics are hard enough on their own — but the payment process doesn't have to be! Use Skynova's templates to keep things simple so you can focus less on paperwork and more on the important end goal: building your business and making a profit.

Additional Industry Invoice Templates