Difference between revisions of "Do the initial Setup"

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[[Category:How to]]
 
[[Category:How to]]
'''Properties''' can be Hotels, B&B´s, apartment houses, camp sites, etc. Beds24.com can handle multiple properties of different types.
+
[[Category:Getting_Started]]
 +
<div class="heading">Set Up Guide</div>
  
A property can have only one or very many different rooms.  
+
This page explains how to set up your account
 +
__TOC__
 +
=What you should know  and do before getting started=
 +
<div class="bluebox">
 +
This self-setup guide assists you through your initial setup. Beds24 is designed as a self-service system so you can set up and change all functions yourself at any time.
  
'''Rooms''' can, but do not need to, represent ''physical'' rooms; they are a way of splitting your property into separately bookable units.  
+
There is context sensitive help throughout our system. If you are stuck, click on the <span style="color:#019cde;“ >{{#far:question-circle}}  </span>  icons. You can also use this [[Main Page|Wiki]] for help.
  
These units or "Rooms" could be Guest Bedrooms, Hostel Dormitories, individual beds in Backpackers, camp sites, houseboats, holiday homes, individual hotel suites, etc.
+
*We provide a range of [[videos|video tutorials]]. There is also a [https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLxiq-bz-RFGEbM44Yk4SYmGt09UISNzEw&si=kgIZPd_ekiExQGk0 Youtube playlist].
 +
*There are recordings of previous [https://wiki.beds24.com/index.php/Webinars webinars] and webinar announcements.
 +
*You can let our [http://beds24.com/wizard/index.php Setup Wizards]  guide you through the set up process.
 +
*We also offer online training sessions for a fee in which we help you set your account up. Send us a support ticket from the SUPPORT button at the top if you want to book a session.
 +
*The number format in the Control Panel is the English number format, i.e. decimal places are separated by a full stop (not a comma).
  
 +
<span class="" style="color: #f3e504; font-size: 150%;" >{{#fas:lightbulb}} </span>  <span style="font-weight: bold;" >Tip</span>  Where you see this <span class="" style=color:#008ACC;“>{{#fas:copy}}</span> icon you can click and then copy the value of this setting to other rooms or properties.
 +
</div>
 +
== Properties and Rooms ==
 +
'''Properties''' can be Hotels, Hostels, B&B´s, holiday houses, vacation rentals, apartment houses, camp sites. You can have one properties or multiple properties of different types.
 +
 +
'''Rooms''' are a way of splitting your property into separately bookable units.  Rooms can, but do not need to, represent ''physical'' rooms. They are a way of splitting up a property into separately bookable sections i.e. bedrooms in a hotel or B&B, vacation rentals, holiday homes, beds in hostel dormitories,  camp sites, houseboats,  cabins, tours, classes or cars etc.
 +
 +
If you rent your property as a whole because it is a vacation rental you will still need one room which is what the guest books.
 +
 +
A property can have only one room (a vacation rental) or a number of different '''room types''' or '''categories''' (a hotel, B&B, hostel, aparthotel).
 +
 +
Each room or room type/category can have ''multiple inventories'''.
 +
 +
=== Multiple Properties or Rooms ===
 +
If you are using the channel manager we advise to set the booking system up as similar as your booking channels. If your lodgings have different hotel/property codes for Booking.com etc. then they must be setup as different properties in Beds24 so you can connect them.
 +
 +
Making different properties means each can have it's own property booking page (if required with individual design). You can also use a multiple property booking page with advanced search functions (e.g. facilities, location) showing all properties.
 +
 +
'''Vacation rentals'''
 
If you're renting your property as a whole, you still need to define one "Room" which in your case represents your complete property.
 
If you're renting your property as a whole, you still need to define one "Room" which in your case represents your complete property.
  
You're now only a few steps away from accepting on-line bookings. Follow the instructions. You will find context sensitive help throughout our system. If you are stuck, click on the '''?''' icons. You can also use this [[Main Page|Wiki]] for help.
+
If your rentals  have different hotel/property codes for Booking.com etc. then they must be setup as different properties.
 +
 
 +
For further information see [[Agency_%26_Multiple_Property_Setup|here]].
 +
 
 +
'''Hotels, B&B´s. hostels'''
 +
 
 +
Hotels, B&B´s and inns are usually set up as one property with a number of rooms. or room types. If you have several independent lodgings e.g. apartments or villas you can still set them up as rooms if it suits your marketing strategy. Each room (which can also be an apartment, house etc) can have its own pricing and booking rules.
 +
 
 +
=  Step by Step Setup =
 +
== '''Step 1''' - General Account Settings ==
 +
Click on  {{#fas:cog}} (SETTINGS)
 +
 
 +
*Go to ACCOUNT and complete your details
 +
 
 +
*If you want to use a language other than English on your booking page, go to '  {{#fas:cog}} (SETTINGS) BOOKING ENGINE > INTERNATIONALIZATION and tick the ones you want to use. If you enable more than one language you will see tabs for each language in your descriptions, information on your booking page and notifications. Descriptions have to be entered in each language tab.
 +
 
 +
== '''Step 2''' - Create properties and rooms==
 +
You can import properties and rooms or create them manually.
 +
 
 +
<embedvideo service="youtube">https://youtu.be/CsjMXF2vzEs</embedvideo>
 +
 
 +
===Import from Airbnb===
 +
If you have a listing on Airbnb you can import it and create a new property with a new room or add a room in a property you already have in Beds24. Click [[Connect_Airbnb_Account|here]] for instructions.
 +
 
 +
===Import from Booking.com===
 +
You can  [[Booking.com:_Import_Properties_from_Booking.com_to_Beds24|import your property from Booking.com to Beds24]].
 +
 
 +
===Manual creation ===
 +
==== '''Step 1''' - Create properties====
 +
*Properties and be added in  '{{#fas:cog}} (SETTINGS) PROPERTIES
 +
*After you have added a property go to '{{#fas:cog}} (SETTINGS) PROPERTIES > DESCRIPTION and complete your property information
 +
 
 +
[[File:Property_and_Room_Setup.mp4|640px]]
 +
 
 +
==== '''Step 2''' - Create rooms====
 +
 
 +
*To set rooms up go to  '{{#fas:cog}} (SETTINGS) PROPERTIES > ROOMS  . A click on '''EDIT''' will open a field where you can set the name and quantity of "Rooms" of that type available.  
 +
 
 +
If you sell dorms for which you sell individual beds and not private rooms please also see how to [[Hostel_and_Retreat_Setup|setup dorms]].
 +
 
 +
*Go to {{#fas:cog}} (SETTINGS) PROPERTIES > ROOMS  > OFFERS and define your offer(s).
 +
An offer is the price combined with certain conditions. Each room/unit has one or more offers.  "Offer 1" is your standard offer to the guest which is always displayed.
 +
 
 +
You have the option to sell a room with different prices eg. packages, promotions or discounted conditional prices. Each offer can have its own "Booking Type".
 +
 
 +
<span style="color: #f3e504; font-size: 150%;" >{{#fas:lightbulb}}</span>  If you copy a room all settings will be automatically applied to the copy. If you want to link prices between different rooms remove the prices before you copy the rooms.
 +
 
 +
==== '''Step 2''' - Customize and add offers (optional)====
 +
An '''Offer''' is the price combined with certain conditions. Each room/unit has one or more offers.  "Offer 1" is your standard offer to the guest which is always displayed.
 +
 
 +
== '''Step 3''' -  Create prices  ==
 +
Without prices the system can not show availability.
 +
 
 +
If you have several rooms with a similar pricing structure you can "link" prices  with or without offsets to multiple rooms.  
  
== '''Step 1''' - Enter your Settings ==
+
Beds24 has two types of prices:
Click on '''SETTINGS''' in the top menu bar.
+
*Daily Prices (recommended)
 +
*Fixed Prices
  
*Go to '''ACCOUNT''' and complete your details
+
This [https://beds24.com/wizard/wizard3.php setup wizard] guides you though the setup.
  
*If you want to use a language other than English on your booking page, go to '''ACCOUNT''' -> '''LANGUAGES''' and tick the ones you want to use. If you enable more than one language you will see tabs for each language in your descriptions, information on your booking page and notifications. Descriptions have to be entered in each language tab.  
+
<span class="" style="color: #f3e504; font-size: 150%;" >{{#fas:lightbulb}} </span> Click on the "Price Check" button on the CALENDAR or SUPPORT page then on "Calculate" to find our why you have not price or how a price is calculated.
  
*Go to '''PROPERTIES''' -> '''DESCRIPTION''' and enter the name and the currency symbol you want to use
+
'''Daily Prices (recommended)'''
*Go to  '''PROPERTIES''' -> '''ROOMS'''. A click on '''EDIT''' will open a field where you can set the name and quantity of "Rooms" of that type available.
 
  
Don't forget to '''SAVE'''!
+
Daily Prices are prices for one date. Daily prices are easy to manage and are the best choice for most customers.  Multiple prices per date can be defined for example for different minimum stays or different offers. Please find more information on the help page for [https://wiki.beds24.com/index.php/Category:Daily_Prices daily prices].
  
== '''Step 2''' -  Set your Prices ==
+
<embedvideo service="youtube">https://youtu.be/E4TYnrHwnDA</embedvideo>
  
===Set a simple rate structure===
+
'''Fixed Prices'''
If you have a simple pricing (eg: one price per room - not per person, no extras or discounts) go to '''CALENDAR''' in the top menu. This is a table giving you a complete overview of your bookings, rates and inventory. By ticking the boxes you can select what you want to display.
 
  
Activate '''DAILY PRICES'''. You can set your room prices here. Click in the DAILY PRICE row and set price and date range and click '''SAVE'''. You may modify individual dates as required.
+
Fixed Prices have a start and end date so they apply to a range of dates. Fixed Prices contain many rules about the conditions that must apply to make them available.  
  
===Override Dates===
+
Use Fixed Prices instead of Daily prices only:
Each date can be set to '''BLACKOUT''' in which case it is not available on that date or '''EXCEPTION''' in which case it uses the same booking strategy as the property's exceptional period. If no override is set (- - - - -) the booking strategy is as defined for the property.
+
*If your prices are fixed ahead and you do not want to adjust them and you have none or few seasons
 +
*If you want to allow guest to enquire when no price can be found but the room is not fully booked
 +
*If you want to grant referrer discounts
  
To remove a price set it to 0 (numeral zero)
+
Please find more information on the help page for [https://wiki.beds24.com/index.php/Category:Fixed_Prices Fixed Prices].
  
The price offered to the guest will be the lowest from your DAILY PRICES and your RATES which match the requested stay period.
+
'''Combination of Daily Prices and Fixed Prices'''
  
===Set a refined rates and discount structure===
+
<span style="color:#fe746c;“ >{{#fas:exclamation-triangle}}  </span> If you use Fixed Prices you do not need to set up Daily Prices for every day. If required you can use a Daily Price to adjust the prices for an individual date or date range.
To set a defined structure go to RATES in the top menu.  Multiple rates and discounts may be defined for each room. When multiple rates exist for a given date the system default will calculate and offer the lowest price that matches your criteria. You can override this in the rates settings.
 
  
When creating multiple rates you would generally set your highest price to always be available and create discounted price rates for longer stays, specific days of the week or date ranges as you require. This way you can create sophisticated rate models.
+
*You can use Daily Prices to override the Fixed Price for a few individual dates. If you often adjust prices use Daily Prices only.
 +
*You can add a Gap Filler to  fill gaps when using daily prices with minimum stays required
  
'''Adding Rates and Discounts''': To add a new rate click on the button  ADD RATE
+
<span style="color:#fe746c;“ >{{#fas:exclamation-triangle}}  </span> Rules in Fixed Prices have no effect on daily prices.
  
'''Copy a Rate:''' If you want to use the same rate for another room click on SAVE AS A COPY
+
==  '''Step 4''' -  Set up payment collection (optional)==
 +
You need to  connect a payment processor to automatically [[:Category:Payments|collect payments]] in {{#fas:cog}} (SETTINGS)  >PAYMENTS > PAYMENT COLLECTION. [[Stripe|Stripe]] is our preferred partner which offers the best functionality.
  
'''Changing Rates and Discounts''': Click on the rate you want to change and enter your changes. You can delete rate setting and add new ones. You may re-use old rates that are still in the system by changing their start and end dates.
+
==  '''Step 5''' -  Set up the Channel Manager (optional)==
 +
Set up the [[:Category:Channel_Manager| channel manager]]  to synchronise your sales channels.  
  
== '''Step 3''' -  Add your Bookings ==
+
Here some short example videos. For detailed instructions see:
To avoid double bookings it is advisable to enter the bookings you already have. In CALENDAR you will find a row INVENTORY.  The number shows  rooms remaining to sell. They can be edited to quickly change your availability. Doubleclick to open a popup and save the changes.
 
  
'To ''Add Bookings'''  click on the person+ icon, fill in the information and SAVE. Your booking has now been entered into the system.
+
*[[Airbnb_Mapping| How to connect Airbnb]]
 +
*[[Booking.com:_Synchronise_bookings_prices_availability | How to connect Booking.com to sync prices and availability]]
 +
*[[Expedia_Mapping | How to connect Expedia to sync prices and availability]]
 +
*[[VRBO_Setup | How to connect to Vrbo]]
 +
*[[:Category:Channel_Manager| List of all channels with link to detailed setup instructions]]
  
== '''Step 4''' - Install your Booking Button, Box, Strip, Calendar or one of our other Booking Widgets ==
+
<embedvideo service="youtube">https://youtu.be/_KORtELJyNk</embedvideo>
Booking widgets connect your website to your booking page. Beds24 offers you a choice including booking buttons, booking boxes, booking strips, calendars. Click on '''SETTINGS''' -> '''BOOKING WIDGETS'''. Choose the widget you want to use. If required you can customise the appearance. If you need help please click on the HELP button on the top rights of the widgets page.
 
  
Copy your widget to your website. To install the booking widgets on your web site you will need the ability to edit the HTML of your page. This may involve knowing the passwords for your web server and the ability to transfer your files. Your web hosting service should be able to provide information and assist you with this.  
+
==  '''Step 6''' -  Enter existing bookings==
 +
To avoid double bookings it is advisable to enter the bookings you already have.
 +
 
 +
*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 {{#fas:cog}} (SETTINGS) CHANNEL MANAGER->AIRBNB/BOOKING.COM/EXPEDIA.
 +
 
 +
*Other bookings can be uploaded as a .csv file from  in {{#fas:cog}} (SETTINGS) PROPERTIES.
 +
 
 +
*To manually add or blocked dates click on the suitcase icon in the CALENDAR or on "Add Booking" at the top.
 +
 
 +
*If you do not need the actual booking you can adjust the availability in the CALENDAR in the row "Inventory".  The number shows  rooms remaining to sell. They can be edited to quickly change your availability. Double-click to open a pop-up and save the changes. (it is only possible to lower the number  based on the value in {{#fas:cog}} (SETTINGS) PROPERTIES > ROOMS > SETUP "Quantity of this type" and any existing bookings).
 +
 
 +
==  '''Step 7''' -  Automate messaging and processes==
 +
Go to {{#fas:cog}} (SETTINGS)  > GUEST MANAGEMENT > AUTO ACTIONS to  
 +
*set up messaging templates for automatic and manual sending
 +
*automatically perform modifications on bookings based on predefined criteria
 +
 
 +
==  '''Step 8''' -  Customize and connect the booking engine for commission free direct bookings (optional)==
 +
Go to {{#fas:cog}} (SETTINGS) BOOKING ENGINE.
  
Setting up your Beds24.com account is free if you do it yourself. We can do the setup for you for a small one off fee starting from €19. Technical support for you or your web designer to integrate the availability calendars and booking widgets into your website is free. Upon request we can do this for you as well. Please contact clicking on  SUPPORT in the top menu.
+
You have the option to fully customise the look and the content of your booking page. For an overview of your options please go to [[Customise Booking Page]].
  
== '''Step 5''' - Do some test bookings to check everything is working. ==
+
Booking widgets connect your website to your booking page. There is a choice  including booking buttons, booking boxes, booking strips, calendars. Go to {{#fas:cog}} (SETTINGS) > BOOKING ENGINE > BOOKING WIDGETS. Choose the widget you want to use. If required you can customise the appearance. If you need help please click on the HELP button on the top rights of the widgets page.  
  
'''Congratulations! You are now receiving on-line bookings.'''  New on-line bookings will be added automatically. You can also enter new bookings manually.  
+
Copy your widget to your website. To install the booking widgets on your web site you will need the ability to edit the HTML of your page. This may involve knowing the passwords for your web server and the ability to transfer your files. Your web hosting service should be able to provide information and assist you with this.  
  
== '''Customise''' ==
+
Guests who book directly will automatically receive a [:category:Confirmation_Messages|confirmation message]] which you can customise the [ in {{#fas:cog}} (SETTINGS)  > GUEST MANAGEMENT > CONFIRMATION MESSAGES.
You have the option to  fully customise the look and the content of your booking page. If you go to '''SETTINGS''' -> '''BOOKING PAGE'''  you can customise
 
  
*'''BOOKING QUESTIONS''' the information you require your guests to submit to you when booking
+
=='''Step 9''' - Download the free Beds24 app(optional)==
*'''ROOMS''' pictures and descriptions of your room and offers. If you have more than one price for one room (e.g. packages, special conditional rates) you can also set and describe them here.
+
Our free App for IOS and Android is there to help you with daily tasks which might need to be done while away from the desk. [[Mobile_App_Android_and_IOS|More information about the app]].
*'''PAGE DESIGN''' Colours and fonts, logo, pictures and texts for the top and the bottom section of your booking page.
 
*'''CONFIRMATION MESSAGES''' You can customise the default message the guests sees on the screen after booking or the Email text.
 
  
If you want to set refined '''Refined Settings''' like [[Properties/Booking Rules|Booking Rules]], [[Properties/Discount Codes|Discount Codes]], [[Properties/Upsell Items|Upsell Items]], use deposit collection through [[Properties/Paypal|Paypal]] collect [[Properties/Credit Card|Credit Card ]], [[Rooms/Setup|Room Dependencies]] choose from the menu on the left.
+
=  More functions and options=
 +
*Customise the display of the  [[:category:Calendar| control panel CALENDAR]] page in {{#fas:cog}} (SETTINGS)  > ACCOUNT > PREFERENCES.
 +
*Customise the display of the  [[Preferences|control panel]] in {{#fas:cog}} (SETTINGS)  > ACCOUNT > PREFERENCES.
 +
*When you click on FUNCTIONS in SUPPORT you will see links to the menu pages of key features and functions or check the start page of this support wiki.

Latest revision as of 17:59, 25 April 2024

Set Up Guide
This page explains how to set up your account

1 What you should know and do before getting started

This self-setup guide assists you through your initial setup. Beds24 is designed as a self-service system so you can set up and change all functions yourself at any time.

There is context sensitive help throughout our system. If you are stuck, click on the icons. You can also use this Wiki for help.

  • We provide a range of video tutorials. There is also a Youtube playlist.
  • There are recordings of previous webinars and webinar announcements.
  • You can let our Setup Wizards guide you through the set up process.
  • We also offer online training sessions for a fee in which we help you set your account up. Send us a support ticket from the SUPPORT button at the top if you want to book a session.
  • The number format in the Control Panel is the English number format, i.e. decimal places are separated by a full stop (not a comma).

Tip Where you see this icon you can click and then copy the value of this setting to other rooms or properties.

1.1 Properties and Rooms

Properties can be Hotels, Hostels, B&B´s, holiday houses, vacation rentals, apartment houses, camp sites. You can have one properties or multiple properties of different types.

Rooms are a way of splitting your property into separately bookable units. Rooms can, but do not need to, represent physical rooms. They are a way of splitting up a property into separately bookable sections i.e. bedrooms in a hotel or B&B, vacation rentals, holiday homes, beds in hostel dormitories, camp sites, houseboats, cabins, tours, classes or cars etc.

If you rent your property as a whole because it is a vacation rental you will still need one room which is what the guest books.

A property can have only one room (a vacation rental) or a number of different room types or categories (a hotel, B&B, hostel, aparthotel).

Each room or room type/category can have multiple inventories'.

1.1.1 Multiple Properties or Rooms

If you are using the channel manager we advise to set the booking system up as similar as your booking channels. If your lodgings have different hotel/property codes for Booking.com etc. then they must be setup as different properties in Beds24 so you can connect them.

Making different properties means each can have it's own property booking page (if required with individual design). You can also use a multiple property booking page with advanced search functions (e.g. facilities, location) showing all properties.

Vacation rentals If you're renting your property as a whole, you still need to define one "Room" which in your case represents your complete property.

If your rentals have different hotel/property codes for Booking.com etc. then they must be setup as different properties.

For further information see here.

Hotels, B&B´s. hostels

Hotels, B&B´s and inns are usually set up as one property with a number of rooms. or room types. If you have several independent lodgings e.g. apartments or villas you can still set them up as rooms if it suits your marketing strategy. Each room (which can also be an apartment, house etc) can have its own pricing and booking rules.

2 Step by Step Setup

2.1 Step 1 - General Account Settings

Click on (SETTINGS)

  • Go to ACCOUNT and complete your details
  • If you want to use a language other than English on your booking page, go to ' (SETTINGS) BOOKING ENGINE > INTERNATIONALIZATION and tick the ones you want to use. If you enable more than one language you will see tabs for each language in your descriptions, information on your booking page and notifications. Descriptions have to be entered in each language tab.

2.2 Step 2 - Create properties and rooms

You can import properties and rooms or create them manually.

2.2.1 Import from Airbnb

If you have a listing on Airbnb you can import it and create a new property with a new room or add a room in a property you already have in Beds24. Click here for instructions.

2.2.2 Import from Booking.com

You can import your property from Booking.com to Beds24.

2.2.3 Manual creation

2.2.3.1 Step 1 - Create properties

  • Properties and be added in ' (SETTINGS) PROPERTIES
  • After you have added a property go to ' (SETTINGS) PROPERTIES > DESCRIPTION and complete your property information

2.2.3.2 Step 2 - Create rooms

  • To set rooms up go to ' (SETTINGS) PROPERTIES > ROOMS . A click on EDIT will open a field where you can set the name and quantity of "Rooms" of that type available.

If you sell dorms for which you sell individual beds and not private rooms please also see how to setup dorms.

  • Go to (SETTINGS) PROPERTIES > ROOMS > OFFERS and define your offer(s).

An offer is the price combined with certain conditions. Each room/unit has one or more offers. "Offer 1" is your standard offer to the guest which is always displayed.

You have the option to sell a room with different prices eg. packages, promotions or discounted conditional prices. Each offer can have its own "Booking Type".

If you copy a room all settings will be automatically applied to the copy. If you want to link prices between different rooms remove the prices before you copy the rooms.

2.2.3.3 Step 2 - Customize and add offers (optional)

An Offer is the price combined with certain conditions. Each room/unit has one or more offers. "Offer 1" is your standard offer to the guest which is always displayed.

2.3 Step 3 - Create prices

Without prices the system can not show availability.

If you have several rooms with a similar pricing structure you can "link" prices with or without offsets to multiple rooms.

Beds24 has two types of prices:

  • Daily Prices (recommended)
  • Fixed Prices

This setup wizard guides you though the setup.

Click on the "Price Check" button on the CALENDAR or SUPPORT page then on "Calculate" to find our why you have not price or how a price is calculated.

Daily Prices (recommended)

Daily Prices are prices for one date. Daily prices are easy to manage and are the best choice for most customers. Multiple prices per date can be defined for example for different minimum stays or different offers. Please find more information on the help page for daily prices.

Fixed Prices

Fixed Prices have a start and end date so they apply to a range of dates. Fixed Prices contain many rules about the conditions that must apply to make them available.

Use Fixed Prices instead of Daily prices only:

  • If your prices are fixed ahead and you do not want to adjust them and you have none or few seasons
  • If you want to allow guest to enquire when no price can be found but the room is not fully booked
  • If you want to grant referrer discounts

Please find more information on the help page for Fixed Prices.

Combination of Daily Prices and Fixed Prices

If you use Fixed Prices you do not need to set up Daily Prices for every day. If required you can use a Daily Price to adjust the prices for an individual date or date range.

  • You can use Daily Prices to override the Fixed Price for a few individual dates. If you often adjust prices use Daily Prices only.
  • You can add a Gap Filler to fill gaps when using daily prices with minimum stays required

Rules in Fixed Prices have no effect on daily prices.

2.4 Step 4 - Set up payment collection (optional)

You need to connect a payment processor to automatically collect payments in (SETTINGS) >PAYMENTS > PAYMENT COLLECTION. Stripe is our preferred partner which offers the best functionality.

2.5 Step 5 - Set up the Channel Manager (optional)

Set up the channel manager to synchronise your sales channels.

Here some short example videos. For detailed instructions see:

2.6 Step 6 - Enter existing bookings

To avoid double bookings it is advisable to enter the bookings you already have.

  • 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.
  • To manually add or blocked dates click on the suitcase icon in the CALENDAR or on "Add Booking" at the top.
  • If you do not need the actual booking you can adjust the availability in the CALENDAR in the row "Inventory". The number shows rooms remaining to sell. They can be edited to quickly change your availability. Double-click to open a pop-up and save the changes. (it is only possible to lower the number based on the value in (SETTINGS) PROPERTIES > ROOMS > SETUP "Quantity of this type" and any existing bookings).

2.7 Step 7 - Automate messaging and processes

Go to (SETTINGS) > GUEST MANAGEMENT > AUTO ACTIONS to

  • set up messaging templates for automatic and manual sending
  • automatically perform modifications on bookings based on predefined criteria

2.8 Step 8 - Customize and connect the booking engine for commission free direct bookings (optional)

Go to (SETTINGS) BOOKING ENGINE.

You have the option to fully customise the look and the content of your booking page. For an overview of your options please go to Customise Booking Page.

Booking widgets connect your website to your booking page. There is a choice including booking buttons, booking boxes, booking strips, calendars. Go to (SETTINGS) > BOOKING ENGINE > BOOKING WIDGETS. Choose the widget you want to use. If required you can customise the appearance. If you need help please click on the HELP button on the top rights of the widgets page.

Copy your widget to your website. To install the booking widgets on your web site you will need the ability to edit the HTML of your page. This may involve knowing the passwords for your web server and the ability to transfer your files. Your web hosting service should be able to provide information and assist you with this.

Guests who book directly will automatically receive a [:category:Confirmation_Messages|confirmation message]] which you can customise the [ in (SETTINGS) > GUEST MANAGEMENT > CONFIRMATION MESSAGES.

2.9 Step 9 - Download the free Beds24 app(optional)

Our free App for IOS and Android is there to help you with daily tasks which might need to be done while away from the desk. More information about the app.

3 More functions and options

  • Customise the display of the control panel CALENDAR page in (SETTINGS) > ACCOUNT > PREFERENCES.
  • Customise the display of the control panel in (SETTINGS) > ACCOUNT > PREFERENCES.
  • When you click on FUNCTIONS in SUPPORT you will see links to the menu pages of key features and functions or check the start page of this support wiki.