Minimum Stay and Maximum Stay

This page explains how to set minimum stays.

Minimum stays set at the room level (SETTINGS->PROPERTIES->ROOMS-> SETUP) set the lowest allowed value of minimum stay at all times.

Each RATE can have it's own value of minimum stay, using this will make rates unavailable for shorter stays than the minimum. Creating multiple rates each with different minimum stays is an easy way to offer different prices for different length stays.

1 Minimum Stay for a Period

This can be done by using multiple rates.

Example 1: The normal minimum stay is 1 night. For July you want a minimum stay of 5 nights.

Solution 1:

1. Normal Rate:

• Last night: 5th Jan (following year)
• Minimum stay: 1 night
• Strategy: Do not allow lower prices

2. Create a high season rate with these settings:

• First night: July 1st
• Last night: August 31st
• Minimum stay: 5 nights
• Strategy: Do not allow lower prices

Solution 2:

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Example 2: The normal minimum stay is 2 nights. For check-ins between 27th Dec and 5th Jan you want a minimum stay of 5 nights and the price to be higher for the first 5 nights if checkin is at any given date between these dates.

Solution 1: Create a holiday rate with these settings:

• First night: 27th Dec.
• Last night: 5th Jan (following year)
• Minimum stay: 5 nights
• Strategy: Do not allow lower prices

This solution will enforce the holiday price until the 5th of January but from the 6th onwards it will revert to your normal price.

Solution 2: Break your normal rate so it ends on the 26 of December and start a new one on January 8th

Create your holiday rate with these settings:

• First night: 27th Dec.
• Last night: 7th Jan (following year)
• Minimum stay: 5 nights
• Strategy: Allow lower prices

Create a filler rate for your normal price with these settings: (this rate allows people checking in on the 6th or 7th to pay the normal rate but people checking out on the 6th or 7th do not)

• First night: 6th Jan.
• Last night: 8th Jan
• Minimum stay: 2 nights
• Strategy: Allow lower prices
• Check-out: not allowed on the weekdays the 6th and the 7th fall on

This solution will force people booking up to the 6th (checkout on the 7th) to pay the holiday price but people checking in on the 6th or later will pay the normal price.

4 Minimum Stay only on Weekends

This can be done by using two rates. One would be set for a minimum stay of one night and have the "Rate Allowed" deselected for the weekend nights. Make sure the check-in and check-out tick boxes are enabled on all days otherwise this rate will not be allowed for a booking that arrives or departs on a weekend but also includes weekdays.

The second rate should have a minimum stay of 2 nights. If the price is the same or higher than the first rate you can leave this rate available on all nights. If the 2 night weekend price is lower and not allowed on weekdays you can deselect the "Rate Allowed" tick boxes for the weekdays. Again make sure the check-in and check-out tick boxes are selected for all nights so the two rates can be combined for bookings which overlap both.

By creating two rates you can specify a different minimum stay based on the day of the check-in. This example shows how to make a 2 night minimum for Friday arrivals while a 1 night minimum applies to arrivals on every other day.

5 Minimum Stay for Friday Check-in

Normal Rate:

• Minimum stay = 1
• Rate allowed = All days
• Check-in Allowed = All days except Friday
• Check-out Allowed = All days

Friday Rate:

• Minimum stay = 2
• Rate allowed = All days
• Check-in Allowed = Only Friday
• Check-out Allowed = All days