What Is RO, BB, HB, FB in a Hotel? Board Basis Codes Explained

The Short Answer

RO. BB. HB. FB. Four codes. Four meal levels.

RO = Room Only. BB = Bed and Breakfast. HB = Half Board (breakfast and dinner). FB = Full Board (all three meals). These are the standard board basis codes used on OTAs, in property management systems, and on GDS terminals worldwide. The code on a booking tells you exactly what meals the guest has paid for.

What Are Board Basis Codes?

When a guest books a hotel room, they are not just paying for a bed. They are choosing a package: how many meals, if any, are included in the rate. That package is called the board basis.

RO, BB, HB, and FB are the four standard board basis codes used across the global hotel industry. You will see them in your OTA extranet when creating rate plans, in your PMS on reservation folios, in your channel manager's mapping screen, and on GDS terminals used by travel agents.

The code appears on every booking confirmation the guest receives
It tells your front desk and restaurant team exactly what is pre-paid
Getting it wrong creates guest complaints and bad reviews
Every rate plan you list on an OTA must have a board basis code assigned to it

            Why it matters: A guest who books BB is expecting breakfast to be included. If your system shows RO on the reservation, your restaurant team will charge them and the guest will dispute it. The board basis code is operational, not just administrative.
          

RO: Room Only

Room Only

Also known as: EP (European Plan)

Just the room. No meals included at all
Guest pays separately for any food, at the hotel restaurant or outside
The lowest listed rate for any room type
Most flexible option for the guest
Most common at city hotels, business hotels, and airport properties
Some systems label this EP (European Plan). Both mean exactly the same thing

RO is your base rate. Every other board basis is priced above it. When you set up rate plans on Booking.com, RO is the plan you list first. Then BB, HB, and FB are added on top as separate rows.

BB: Bed and Breakfast

Bed and Breakfast

Also known as: CP (Continental Plan)

Room plus one breakfast per guest per night
The most widely booked board basis globally
Breakfast style varies: continental, buffet, cooked, or a combination
Guest is free for lunch and dinner. No commitment beyond the morning meal
Strong converter for business hotels, short stays, and family trips
Some systems label this CP (Continental Plan). Same meaning, different name

            Tip: BB is the board basis most guests default to when unsure. If you only list RO, you are leaving upsell revenue on the table. Always have BB as a separate rate plan row on your OTA listing.
          

HB: Half Board

Half Board

Also known as: MAP (Modified American Plan)

Room plus two meals per day, typically breakfast and dinner
Lunch is not included; guests are free during the day
Popular at resorts, hill stations, and leisure properties
Works well when dining options outside the hotel are limited
Encourages guests to return to the property for dinner rather than eating out
Some systems label this MAP (Modified American Plan). Same structure, different name

FB: Full Board

Full Board

Also known as: AP (American Plan)

Room plus all three meals: breakfast, lunch, and dinner
Guest rarely needs to leave the property for food
Most common at all-inclusive resorts, heritage properties, and remote lodges
Some properties include afternoon tea or evening snacks as well
Highest listed rate, but also the most convenient for the guest
Some systems label this AP (American Plan). Identical meaning

Side-by-Side: All Four Board Basis Codes

Here is how all four codes stack up, and what each one includes.

Code	Full Name	Meals Included	Also Called	Best For
RO	Room Only	None	EP (European Plan)	Business travel, city hotels, budget stays
BB	Bed and Breakfast	Breakfast	CP (Continental Plan)	Business trips, short stays, family travel
HB	Half Board	Breakfast + Dinner	MAP (Modified American Plan)	Resorts, leisure stays, remote properties
FB	Full Board	Breakfast + Lunch + Dinner	AP (American Plan)	All-inclusive resorts, jungle lodges, heritage hotels

For a deep dive into how to price and list each plan, see our guide on hotel rate plans: EP, CP, MAP and AP.

Where You Will See These Codes

These codes appear across every system a hotel uses. Knowing where to look helps you catch mapping errors before they reach a guest.

OTA listing pages: Booking.com and Agoda display each board basis as a separate row on your property page. Guests see RO, BB, HB, FB as distinct options with different prices
OTA extranet: When you create a rate plan on Booking.com, the meal type dropdown shows Room Only, Bed and Breakfast, Half Board, Full Board. You select the correct one for each plan
Channel manager: The rate plan mapping screen links your internal rate plans to the correct board basis code on each connected OTA. A wrong mapping pushes incorrect meal information to the platform
PMS (Property Management System): The board basis code appears on every reservation folio. Your front desk and restaurant team use this to know what the guest has pre-paid
GDS terminals: Amadeus, Sabre, and Galileo use RO, BB, HB, FB as standard rate codes. Travel agents booking through GDS will see and filter by these codes
Global hotel chains: IHG, Marriott, and Hilton use BB, HB, and FB across their central reservation systems globally

            Common mapping error: If your channel manager is not set up correctly, your BB rate plan may push to the OTA without a meal type assigned. The OTA will display it as Room Only, and guests who booked expecting breakfast will arrive and find no record of it. Check your board basis mapping every time you add a new OTA connection.
          

How OTAs Display Board Basis to Guests

On a platform like Booking.com or Agoda, a guest searching for your hotel will see multiple rows for the same room type. Each row is a different board basis at a different price.

Each board basis you have set up appears as its own row on the search results and property page
The meal inclusion is shown clearly next to the price: "Breakfast included," "Half Board," "Room only"
Guests can filter by board basis on some platforms, which is why having multiple plans live improves visibility
A property with only RO listed will be invisible to guests filtering for "Breakfast included"
The price difference between RO and BB is clearly visible, which nudges guests toward the higher plan if the gap feels reasonable

            Practical tip: Always have at least RO and BB live on every OTA. Add HB if your property has a restaurant and is in a leisure or resort location. FB is worth adding only if you are a remote or all-inclusive property where guests genuinely cannot easily eat outside.
          

If you are managing rates across multiple OTAs, a channel manager ensures your board basis codes are pushed correctly to every platform from one place. See also our guide on how to update hotel rates on all OTAs at once.

Frequently Asked Questions

What does BB mean in a hotel?

BB stands for Bed and Breakfast. The room rate includes the room for the night plus breakfast the next morning. It is the most commonly booked board basis globally and is equivalent to CP (Continental Plan) in some hotel systems.

What does RO mean in a hotel booking?

RO stands for Room Only. No meals are included. The guest pays for the room and nothing else. It is the base board basis and the lowest-priced option. Some systems call this EP (European Plan), which means the same thing.

What is the difference between HB and FB?

HB is Half Board: room plus two meals, typically breakfast and dinner. FB is Full Board: room plus all three meals, breakfast, lunch, and dinner. FB is more expensive and most common at all-inclusive resorts or remote properties where outside dining is not practical.

Is HB the same as half board?

Yes. HB stands for Half Board. It includes the room plus two meals per day, most commonly breakfast and dinner. Lunch is not included.

What meals are included in FB?

FB stands for Full Board and includes all three meals: breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Some properties also include afternoon tea or light snacks. It is the most comprehensive standard board basis available.

Which board basis sells best on Booking.com?

BB (Bed and Breakfast) is the most booked board basis globally on Booking.com. RO (Room Only) also performs well in city and business hotels. HB and FB convert best at resort and leisure properties where dining options outside the hotel are limited.