More Status Options; Keeping Rates on Room Changes

Skip Auto Emails and Exclude From Reports

We've noticed that users are now using the Reservation Status "Don't block the calendar" for uses other than for what it was originally designed for, for cancelled reservations. Since this was originally for cancelled reservations any reservation set to a status which doesn't block the calendar would not have automatic emails sent and also would not be included in most of the reports. But since it can be useful to have real reservations set to statuses that don't block the calendar, we've added two new options, in order to make this a bit more flexible.

You can now set whether or not automatic emails should be sent based on the status. And, you can also set whether or not reservations should be excluded from reports based on the status.



In order to keep things functioning as they have been, all statuses that were previously set to not block the calendar have been updated to have both these new options checked. But if you do have a status where you want autoemails to be sent, you can now go to the Settings Tab, Reservation Status and adjust these settings.

Use Original Rates

Now, when moving a reservation to a different Room/Unit, we have an option whether or not to keep the rates of the originally assigned Room/Unit. By default this box is NOT checked, but if you want to use the original rates check the box before clicking Change. If the box is not checked, then we will pull the rates for the new Room/Unit from the rate plan.

Captcha Option for Gift Certificates

If you find you are receiving spam through your Gift Certificate purchase page, there is now an option to require users to enter a captcha code. We made this an option, because if spam is not a problem on your page, then there is no reason to make your buyers go through this extra step.

Enable this in the Gift Certificates settings page:



Once enabled, buyers will need to enter the captcha code:

Color Code Units; Search by Room/Unit

It is now possible to set the color of the Room/Unit name on the internal calendar. This can be useful for grouping units into different properties, especially for users that are managing many properties with ReservationKey.

The setting can be made at any level - Property/Location or Room/Unit or Fraction. Setting the color at the more specific level overrides a color set at a more general level. For example, a color for a specific fraction will override any color set at the Room/Unit or Property/Location level. If you want all units that are part of the same Property to use the same color, then just set the color at the Property/Location level and all units that are part of that Property/Location will inherit that color setting. Or, overrride the color by setting different colors for specific Rooms/Units.

These settings are in the edit screen. Such, as is seen here, in the Properties/Location screen:



Setting the colors, has this affect on the internal calendar:



And, unrelated to this, you can now search by specific unit, in the Reservations tab:

New Features for Property Managers

For property managers using ReservationKey, it is now easier to create owner reports. The first step is to enter all your owners, in the Settings Tab, Lists.



Next, going to the Properties Tab, and edit each unit, under Rooms/Units. At the bottom, there is a new section for linking the owner to the unit, and for setting your standard commission amount.



In the Reports section, open the Owner's Report. There you can select which columns to show, which fees to include expenses on, whether to include any expense categories, and a few more settings. The commission amount will be based on what you set in the rooms/unit settings. NOTE: the commission can be overriden on a reservation by reservation basis, by adding expenses. Any data saved in the expenses section will replace the standard commission, on this report.



To email the report to the owner, once you have all the settings as you like them, click the Email button. From the email page you can create and save email templates for use in sending the report. You also can preview the report before sending it.

New Option for Displaying Cancellation Policy

In response to requests from users, we have added an option to set whether your cancellation policy should display the full text on the reservation page, instead of being displayed in a popup box. It seems that the credit card companies have become more strict about where the cancellation policy needs to be displayed. Unless it is showing right on the page, immediately above the Make Reservation button, there is a greater chance of the credit card company siding with the buyer in the case of a challenge regarding a charge due to a cancellation.

To set this, first check the box in the Website Tab, Reservation Page settings:



Once this is checked, the full text of the cancellation policy will display on the reservation page.



If you opt to display the full text on the page, then we also will be showing the checkbox for your user to check to indicate their agreement. We hope this helps with fighting back against people that claim not to know about your cancellation policy.

New Internal Availability Search Feature

Now there is a way to search availability internally, for a date range, and select unit(s) from those that are available. In some situations, this may be faster than selecting dates from the Availability Calendar.

Just click the [S] in the Availability Tab.



This brings up the search box, where the arrive/depart dates can be entered, and it is possible to filter by a specific property (only shows if you are managing more than one property in ReservationKey).



After clicking search, the available units will be displayed. Select at least one unit (or select more to add multiple units to one reservation) and then the Add Reservation button will appear. Click it, to continue to the Reservation Details screen to complete the reservation.




One more new feature...

It is now possible to filter by Reservation Status, in the Reservations Tab. Click Show Advanced Search to open the advanced settings.