Rooms / Units
Rooms/Units Setup Guide
Introduction
The primary page of the Rooms/Units section shows all rooms that have been added to the system. You can add a room one by one by clicking the Add Room/Unit link or add in bulk by clicking the Bulk Add link. You can also filter the results by property and room type using the dropdown fields.
This page also has a link to iCal Links, which opens a window where you can add links for importing and exporting iCal data. The iCal Links link is also found in the Reservation Manager tab at the bottom of the availability calendar. More details on iCal Links are found in that user guide section.
The Rooms/Units Sections
The Rooms/Units settings are divided into the following sections:
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- Primary Settings
- Additional Settings
- Reservation Page Details
- User Permissions
- Property Manager Options
1. Primary Settings
In this section, you can enter the room or unit name, which is how the unit is referenced throughout the system and in online bookings. The room/unit number can also be added. If enabled, room numbers will show in the internal availability calendar (this setting is found under the Settings tab, Preferences).
Next, link the room to the property by selecting it from the Property dropdown. Choose the room type from the Room Type dropdown; this is useful for categorizing rooms and is also displayed on hotel-style booking pages.
Select a rate plan for the room from the dropdown. There is also an option to select additional rate plans. This is helpful for offering different rates, such as one with breakfast and one without. Ensure you set a primary rate plan, which will be used internally and in other search modes.
The maximum occupancy setting defines the total number of guests (adults plus children) that can be accommodated in the room. This number will appear in availability listings. The default number of adults and children can also be set here and will appear in the drop-down menus when guests search for availability. You can use the Update All option to apply these default values to all rooms, rooms of this type, or rooms linked to a particular rate plan.
2. Additional Settings
This section includes settings to customize the order of the room and its display on various pages, such as the internal calendar, public reservation pages, and reports. The Sort Order setting controls this.
You can set the Maximum Children field to determine how many children are allowed in the room. If set to zero, the children option will be hidden on the reservation page. You can also select an alternate rate plan, which can be triggered by a discount code, such as a government employee discount.
Set the room status to Offline to remove the room from search results on the public reservation pages, though it will still be visible on the internal calendar.
The Internal Color section allows you to change the text and background colors of the room name on the internal availability calendar. You can override the default property-level color by selecting the option to set colors directly here.
3. Reservation Page Details
The Description field is where you provide the room description that appears in search results. You can also use image merge codes or HTML to add images to the description.
The Additional Details field displays further information in a pop-up window. You can also upload images to show in the primary photo or as part of a slideshow. To enable the slideshow, ensure you have at least two images uploaded and set the Show Additional Photos and Slide Show radio buttons to Yes.
If amenities have been added in the Settings tab (under Lists > Amenities), they will be listed here. Check the box next to each amenity that applies to this room/unit so guests can filter by amenities when searching for availability.
4. User Permissions
In this section, you can manage which users have access to this room/unit. This works similarly to the user permissions set in the Settings tab (under Users), but applies to one room/unit at a time.
5. Property Manager Options
This section includes optional settings primarily used by property managers:
- Select the owner of the room from the Owner dropdown.
- Set the commission for the room, which will be used in owner reports.
- Enter a website URL for the room, which can be used with the merge code {{roomurl}} in email templates.
- Choose an Automatic Email Schedule to use when the room is reserved. This will override other email schedules for internal, iCal, and channel manager reservations but will not override email schedules for reservation pages.
- Enter details for email templates, which can be included using merge codes like {{detailstemplate}} or {{roomnameplusdescription}}.
Create Duplicates
At the bottom of this page, you can use the Create Duplicates link to create new units that copy all of the settings from the current room/unit.
Bulk Add Rooms/Units
To add rooms in bulk, first select the number of units you want to add from the dropdown. It is recommended to add no more than 40 units at a time to avoid system timeouts. Then click Continue.
A table will appear with several columns for adding room details, such as:
- Room Status
- Room Name
- Room Number
- Property Dropdown
- Rate Plan Dropdown
- Alternate Rate Plan Dropdown
- Room Type Dropdown
- Sort Order Dropdown
- Maximum Number of Guests Dropdown
- Maximum Children Dropdown
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Deleting a Room
If you need to delete a room, you will find the Delete Room link at the bottom of the Room Settings page.
- What properties should be added as rooms?
- I rent _____ (fill in your unit type, such as condos, cabins) rather than rooms. Should I use this section differently than someone renting rooms?
- What is affected by the sort order?
- How many rooms may I add?
What properties should be added as rooms?
The word rooms may not be the ideal description of your units. Substitute whenever he word for rooms that you normally use, such as condos or cabins. You should add rooms for each unit that can be reserved. If you rent out one condo as a unit, then this should be added as the room.
I rent _____ (fill in your unit type, such as condos, cabins) rather than rooms. Should I use this section differently than someone renting rooms?
Think of the word rooms as a generic description for units. As long as your unit can be rented out as one complete unit, you should add it as a room.
What is affected by the sort order?
Sort order affects how your room are displayed. The display begins with the room listed as number one in the sort order.
How many rooms may I add?
You may add as many rooms as needed, subject to limitations of your current account plan. If you need to add more rooms then your account allows for, you will first be prompted to upgrade your account.