Difference between revisions of "Category:Bookings"

This page is about the menu BOOKINGS

1 General

Bookings have a "status" which can be manually changed or changed via an Auto Action.

• "New" are bookings which have not been opened to view. Once you open them and save or update them the status will change to "Confirmed". In (SETTINGS) PROPERTIES > BOOKING RULES > BOOKING STATUS you can set which status you want to apply to new bookings.
• "Confirmed"
• "Request"
• ""Inquiry" bookings do not block the room.
• "Cancelled"
• "Black" bookings are bookings without guests. They can be used to close a room. Black bookings are not considered in reports.

The second selection allows you to add a "sub status". The sub status has no direct effect on the booking. Its purpose is to hold information and allow you create reports according to this information.

For an overview can choose from different views to view all bookings:

• Grid with drag-and-drop function to quickly change rooms
• Sortable list

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• Calendar view
• Guests
• Pending payments

1.1 Group bookings

In the calendar group bookings are marked with a icon. For the master booking, the circle is filled.

More information on how to manage group bookings.

2 Add Bookings

Bookings are entered into the system by the following methods:

• online by your guest using the availability calendars, booking buttons and booking page.
• manually by yourself.
• imported from other channels by the channel manager.

2.1 Manually add a new booking

Click on the ADD BOOKING Button on the top right.

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To add a booking for multiple rooms or to check for available rooms click on "Price Check"

click to see a demo

Add bookings in CALENDAR directly into the room or even the room and the date.

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If you want to manually add a booking for a guest who previously stayed use the "Search" field in the booking.

2.2 Import existing bookings when you are starting

• For Booking.com, Airbnb and Expedia we have the option to automatically import all upcoming bookings. We recommend to use this method because for bookings imported directly from Booking.com we will then be able to automatically import changes. You can use this function when the channel manager is set up but not activated. The button is available in (SETTINGS) CHANNEL MANAGER->AIRBNB/BOOKING.COM/EXPEDIA.

• Other bookings can be uploaded as a .csv file from in (SETTINGS) PROPERTIES.

3 Room Assignment

By default the system automatically assigns a room to each booking.

If you generally want to assign rooms manually you can change the setting for "Booking Allocation" in (SETTINGS) PROPERTIES > ROOMS > SETUP.

If you want to rearrange your room assignment you can move the booking

If you have a room type with a quantity of more than one the system will allow a guest to book multiple days as long as one room of the type is a available on each day. If this causes that the guest will have to move during the stay you will need to shuffle the bookings manually.

3.1 Prevent Room Changes

If a booking is imported from a channel and you have changed the room in Beds24 you need to change the setting for "Allow Channel Modifications" in the "Details" tab ot the booking to prevent the channel to override the room change with the next update.

If the info codes LOCKROOM or LOCKUNIT manual room changes by staff are not possible.

If you do not see these in the the drop down list you can manually add them in (SETTINGS) ACCOUNT > PREFERENCES "Booking Info Code Presets "

4 Check guests in and check guests out

If you are using the components "Arrivals", "Departures" and "Current Guests" you can manage the check-in and check-out process from the dashboard and see which guests are currently checked-in. This video explains how to check guests in and how to check guests out:

Also you can always check a guest in by opening the booking and setting the info code "Checkin" in the "Info" tab.

In (SETTINGS) ACCOUNT > PREFERENCES "Check-in Rules" you can limit the check-in function for the Dashboard modules.

If you use our integrations with Nuki or Remotelocks guests will be auto checked in when they first open a lock. For more information on self-check-in please see here.

5 Manage bookings

After clicking on BOOKINGS in the top menu you will see your bookings in a CALENDAR view or LIST view. By default you will see all bookings from today. You can use the selector to view only certain bookings.

You can edit a booking by clicking on it to open the booking in a popup. When you open the booking you see several tabs:

5.1 Overview

The most important information from other tabs so you can have the essentials in one view. 

The overview opens is read only and opens via the icon. A click on an "Edit" icon will take you to the tab where you can make changes. We are planning to build out the overview which will eventually encorporate all functionality and replace the tabs.

5.2 Info

On the Info tab you can add "Info Codes" and internal notes.

The Info tab consists of a customizable summary ("Booking Info Template") of the booking information and a set of info items which can be attached to a booking. Booking Info Templates can contain template variables.

Booking Info Template

The customizable summary can be created in (SETTINGS) ACCOUNT > PREFERENCES "Booking Info Template" using template variables.

If you want to hide the info tab click on the 'User' icon on the top right and then on 'Account Management (in the old control panel SUB ACCOUNT in the top right) then click on "Manage Account" and add the phrase bookedit-info in "Hide menu pages"

Info Items

Info items can be attached to a booking. They consist of an "Info Code" and a freetext filed in which you can add additional notes. They are a powerful function which can be used:

• for reporting in custom reports to show or hide selected bookings
• to trigger auto actions for bookings with certain criteria
• to filter bookings
• to mark certain bookings with icons

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Example:

If you use the code "CHECKIN" when guests check in and "CHECKEDOUT" when guests check out, you could create a custom report to show bookings with the info code "CHECKEDIN" but without the info code "CHECKOUT" effectively showing only guests who have checked in and haven't checked out yet.

Create your own info codes

Presets for info codes can be defined in (SETTINGS) ACCOUNT > PREFERENCES "Booking Info Code Presets ". Ideas for commonly used info codes:

BREAKFAST

CANCELLED_BY_OWNER

CANCELLED_BY_OWNER_INVALID_CARD

CANCELLED_BY_OWNER_NO_PAYMENT

CANCELLED_BY_OWNER_UNIT_NOT_AVAILABLE

LOCKSTATE_PIN (for customers using our integration with Lockstate lock system)

After you have created an info code will be able to manually add it from the list of presets in the booking or automatically add them via auto actions.

5.2.1 Bedding

You can set up Info Codes with bedding information.

Step 1: Go to (SETTINGS) ACCOUNT > PREFERENCES and add Info Codes for the bed types you have the Info Codes have to start with BED_ Examples:

BED_DOUBLE

BED_TWIN

BED_SINGLE

Step 2: Add the applicable Info Code on the "Info" tab of the booking.

Step 3: Go to the DASHBOARD and add the "Bedding" Column to the modules in which you need this information.

Step 4: If you require a report you can generate a "Group Arrivals" report

5.2.2 Icons

Enhance display of bookings with icons.

1. Go to (SETTINGS) ACCOUNT > PREFERENCES and set "Booking Show Icons" = Show.

2. Go to (SETTINGS) ACCOUNT > PREFERENCES and and create "Booking Info Code Values".

Supported are all free solid Font Awesome icons. Get the name for the icons you want to use from there and enter I- followed by the icon name :

I-money-bill

I-bell

TRANSFER I-money-bill

CHECKIN I-bell

After you have created an info code will be able to manually add it from the list of presets in the booking or automatically add them via auto actions. If you add a text with it will show when you hover on the icon.

5.3 Summary

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The "Slice" function allows to divide a booking into individual bookings with different start and end dates. This functions is useful if for example a guest changes rooms during his stay.

When you want to select a different UNIT, if the symbol ® is next to a unit/room, this indicates there is already a booking in this unit, so you should choose another unit.

Which information you see on this tab is defined by the settings activated in (SETTINGS) PROPERTIES > BOOKING QUESTIONS.

5.4 Detail

Split can be used to split a booking for multiple rooms into separate bookings so each can be assigned to an individual room. All split bookings will be linked so they can be easily managed.

FLAG can be used to flag bookings that require special attention. The flag text is displayed with the other booking fields within the control panel and the [FLAG] template variable can be used to display this text as "hovertext" when the mouse cursor is positioned over the flagged booking in the Calendar view. Flags can also be automatically applied via Auto Action which you can set up in (SETTINGS) GUEST MANAGEMENT > AUTO ACTIONS.

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Which information you see on this tab is defined by the settings activated in (SETTINGS) PROPERTIES > BOOKING QUESTIONS.

5.5 Charges and Payments

In the tab Charges and Payments you can manage guests charges and payments.

Information from your booking page or sent from a channel are automatically entered. For bookings from OTAs you can adjust how the charges and payments are imported in (SETTINGS) CHANNEL MANAGER.

On this tab you can:

• Enter or change chargeable items, payments or pending payments. Click on the + icon to add and enter a blank new row.
  • Upsell Items which are created in (SETTINGS) BOOKING ENGINE > UPSELLING can be automatically selected as charges.
  • You can create invoice items for items sold on site in (SETTINGS) GUEST MANAGEMENT > INVOICE "Invoice Items".
• To remove an item click on the ... menu and then choose "Delete".
• Under "Pending Payments" you can schedule outstanding payments. Pending payments can be collected manually or automatically. The option to charge automatically is available for customers who use Stripe only.
  • For automatic charging set the "pending payment" to "auto" and enter a due date in the future.
  • Channel collect payments with virtual cards can be set to be automatically collected in the respective channel menu.
  • A manual charge to a card can be made if the credit card has been sent to Stripe by clicking on the ... menu and then clicking on "charge now".
  • In (SETTINGS) GUEST MANAGEMENT > PAYMENT RULES you can create rules and info codes for pending payments.

After the payment was collected you will see a status information on the "Info" tab. Successful collections will be moved from "Pending Payments" to "Payments".

The "Status" field can be used to specify the type of an item. Examples are payment methods or categorizing items for reporting. You can preset your status values in (SETTINGS) GUEST MANAGEMENT -> INVOICE "Invoice Items".

By default the description of the lodging price displays room name, check-in date and check-out date. You can change what is displayed there in (SETTINGS) GUEST MANAGEMENT-> INVOICE "Invoice Item Room Description".

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5.6 Invoice

In the tab INVOICE you can generate and print an Invoice.

• Customisation for the invoice can be done (SETTINGS) GUEST MANAGEMENT > INVOICE.

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You can also manage and create group bookings.

• Changes have to be made in each individual booking

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• If a booking required separate invoices (i.e. room charged to a company, extras charged to the guest) you can use the "Invoicee" function in (SETTINGS) GUEST MANAGEMENT -> INVOICEE.

5.7 Mail

In the tab "Mail" you can send out the standard e-mails you have defined under (SETTINGS) GUEST MANAGEMENT

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5.8 Messages

If the booking is from a channel which makes messages available you can view and reply to messages from guests in the Messages tab.

5.9 Guests

In the tab "Guests" tab you can see and manage the connection of the booking to the guest database (GUEST in top menu),

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You have the option to add guests to the booking or remove guests. Guests can also be deleted if they are not connected to another bookings.

• Create Guest from Booking : A guest will be created from the information from the "Summary" tab of the booking.
• Create New Guest: A new guest will be added to the database.
• Add Existing Guest: Search the database for an existing guest to add it to the booking.

Updating a guest will not change the content to the "Summary" tab of the booking.

5.10 Logs

The logs shows changed which have been made to the booking.

Logs are available until one month after check-out.

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5.11 Delete Bookings

Deleted bookings are permanently removed from the system and can not be restored.

If you have a booking with a locked invoice you will not be able to delete the booking.

5.12 Cancellations

Direct booking can be cancelled by changing the status to "Cancelled". For bookings from channels the cancellation has to be made on the channel either by the guest or by the channel. If this is not possible you can change the status in Beds24 and set "Allow Channel Modifications" = No in the "Details" tab of the booking. This will stop and update from the channel to override the status change but not actually cancel the booking in the channel.

You can allow guests to cancel bookings themselves. By default the system uses the policy you can set under (SETTINGS) PROPERTIES > BOOKING RULES. You have the option to override these settings for offers ( (SETTINGS) PROPERTIES > ROOMS >OFFERS) or individual bookings. If you allow cancellations you can send your guests a link to let them cancel via the system without contacting you. Include the template variable [CANCELURL] into your e-mail confirmation message. When guests cancel a booking they will receive a system notification that the booking was cancelled. If required you can set up an additional Auto Action Email in (SETTINGS) GUEST MANAGEMENT > AUTO ACTIONS.

5.13 Bulk Changes

To bulk change bookings click on the 'User' icon on the top right and then on 'Account Management (in the old control panel SUB ACCOUNT in the top right) then click on "Manage Account" then "Manage Property" then "Manage Room". There you can:

• Change the status of bookings.
• Move bookings to another room.
• To bulk delete bookings the status has to be changed to "Cancelled" first.

5.14 Search Bookings

To search for a booking, use the SEARCH box on the top of any page.

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You can search on First name, last name, Beds24 booking number, Channel booking number. You will see the list that match your criteria, if not, then you can click on 'Search More' this will search all guest information in a booking.

6 Template Variables

Template variable can be used to display information from the booking in confirmation messages to guests, auto action Emails, host notifications or invoices.

7 Register Guests

Our partner Chekin.io automate the guest identification and legal obligations. For more information please see here