Stayntouch PMS: Release Notes (v5.82)

Modified on: Fri, 30 Aug, 2024 at 7:11 AM

Stayntouch PMS

Release Notes (v5.82)


Effective:


TABLE OF CONTENTS



ⓘ We'd like to call out a very exciting new item that has been long-awaited and will make many of our customers happy:

  • All new custom group rates and restrictions! Read more to learn how this affects the groups module when enabled.
  • The Stayntouch PMS integration with Toast POS now supports revenue centers. When a revenue center is included in a redeem request in Toast POS, the check will be posted to Stayntouch PMS as the revenue center.
  • You can now copy rate sets from an existing date range to a new date range from Settings > Rates > Rates. Once copied, the copied rate set can then be edited. Changing the rate amount or copied set does not update existing reservations. If there are multiple rate sets on a date range that is copied, the rate sets will be copied to the new date range. When the rate is saved, the activity will be recorded in the rate Activity Log, and necessary updates will be sent to the Rate Manager and CRS.
  • You can now navigate to a stay card from the Credit Check Report by selecting the hyperlinked reservation. You can then return to the report by clicking the << REPORTS button from the stay card. If the report has pagination, clicking the << REPORTS button from the stay card will return the user to the page they originated from.

 

Too Long; Didn’t Read?

 

We've got your back with this abridged version of the v5.82 product release! If you want the full details, click the linked enhancements in the Table of Contents above for a full explanation of each enhancement.

 

Groups

  1. Custom Group Rates/Restrictions: We are currently piloting the all new custom group rate functionality! After a successful pilot, we will be rolling out this functionality to all hotels. If you’re interested in being one of the first to use and test this functionality, please contact Customer Support. This functionality will enable the all new Rate Info tab for custom group rates. From this tab, you can set deposit requirements, cancellation policies, commissions, and restrictions on a custom group rate, which was previously only possible for configured group rates.

 

 

Reservations

  1. External Reference Number Actions Recorded In Activity Log: When an external reference number is added, changed, or removed from a reservation, the stay card Activity Log will show the external reference action performed.

 

 

  1. Add Children After Reservation Creation: If you add children to a reservation after initially creating a reservation without children and the rate has a child add-on, then the child add-on will be added to a room, per expected functionality.

 

Rates

  1. Copy Rate Sets: You can now copy rate sets from an existing date range to a new date range from Settings > Rates > Rates. Once copied, the copied rate set can then be edited. Changing the rate amount or copied set does not update existing reservations. If there are multiple rate sets on a date range that is copied, the rate sets will be copied to the new date range. When the rate is saved, the activity will be recorded in the rate Activity Log, and necessary updates will be sent to the Rate Manager and CRS.

 


Housekeeping

  1. In Progress Room Status Indicator: From Housekeeping > Room Status, you can now view which rooms are currently being cleaned. When a Floor and Maintenance staff member selects START for a cleaning task, an IN PROGRESS indicator will appear as the room status for that room. When a Floor and Maintenance staff member selects DONE for a cleaning task, the IN PROGRESS indicator will be removed for the room, and the room status will update to Clean or Inspected.

 

 

Reports

  1. Credit Check Report Now Clickable: You can now navigate to a stay card from the Credit Check Report by selecting the hyperlinked reservation. You can then return to the report by clicking the << REPORTS button from the stay card. If the report has pagination, clicking the << REPORTS button from the stay card will return the user to the page they originated from.

 


 

Stationery

  1. Confirmation Email: Pay By Link Text Translation: When the Pay By Link functionality is activated for confirmation emails, the PAY BY LINK TEXT defined in Settings > Hotel & Staff > Stationery > Confirmations/Cancellations > General Confirmations/Cancellations Settings can now be translated on a property level.

 

 

  1. Pay By Link: Edit Background Color: When the Pay By Link functionality is activated for confirmation emails, you can now customize the PAY BY LINK BACKGROUND COLOR used on the confirmation email from Settings > Hotel & Staff > Stationery > Confirmations/Cancellations > General Confirmations/Cancellations Settings.

 


 

Stayntouch Guest Mobility

  1. Stayntouch Guest Mobility: Mandatory Additional Guest Information: When ASK ADDITIONAL GUEST DETAILS and ADDITIONAL GUEST DETAILS ARE MANDATORY are enabled from Settings > Guest Mobility > Check In, guests will not be able to skip past entering additional guest details, per expected functionality.

 

 

Integrations

  1. Toast POS: Revenue Centers: The Stayntouch PMS integration with Toast POS now supports revenue centers. When a revenue center is included in a redeem request in Toast POS, the check will be posted to Stayntouch PMS as the revenue center.

 

 

  1. Connect APIs: access_code Added To POST/reservation & PUT/reservations/{id}: Reservations created via POST/reservations API that include object = access_code will now have the primary Company or Travel Agent Card attached in Stayntouch PMS. Moreover, reservations updated via PUT/reservations/{id} API that include object = access_code will also have the primary Company or Travel Agent Card attached in Stayntouch PMS.

 

Groups

Custom Group Rates/Restrictions

 

You can now choose to enable custom group rates and restrictions for your hotel. Please note, this functionality is currently in pilot phase and must be enabled by Stayntouch Admin, so please contact Customer Support if you are interested in piloting this functionality.

 

Once this functionality is enabled, when you navigate to Groups > New Group, you’ll notice a few changes to the groups module. Most of the fields on the group Summary tab remain unchanged; however, you’ll notice a new Rate Info tab, to which a few existing Summary fields have been moved. Before moving to the Rate Info tab, as per existing functionality, you’ll be required to enter the mandatory group fields first.


 

Once you’ve entered the required fields for creating a new group, you can navigate to the Rate Info tab. From here, you’ll notice the ADD-ONS, HIDE RATE, TAX EXEMPT, and BYPASS CC GUARANTEE fields now display on this tab instead of the Summary tab. As before, if you add a Travel Agent Card to the group, the COMMISSION toggle will appear, and once enabled, you can enter a commissionable amount. However, as per the new custom group rates functionality, you can now select commissionable charge codes. If using a custom rate, configured rate commissionable charge codes must still be set up from Settings > Rates > Rates. Moreover, if you attach an add-on to the group, you can choose to make the add-on charge code commissionable, as well.








You’ll also see two new fields for DEPOSIT REQUIREMENTS and CANCELLATION PENALTIES. When you select a deposit requirement and cancellation penalty, you’ll see a description of the policies. For a configured rate, you will not be able to edit the deposit requirements or cancellation penalties from the group, but any attached to the rate will display.



 

The deposit requirements and cancellation penalties will pull from what your hotel has configured from Settings > Rates > Rules & Restrictions > Rules.


 

Moving onto the Room Block Details tab, once you’ve added rooms to the group block, when you toggle from the ROOMS view to the RATES view, you’ll now see the option to choose to SHOW RESTRICTIONS. This will allow you to set Closed to Arrival (CTA) or Minimum Length of Stay restrictions across all dates of the group block, for all room types on certain dates, or just for specific room types on certain dates. 











Please note, if the Closed to Arrival or Min Length of Stay restrictions are toggled OFF from Settings > Rates > Rules & Restrictions > Restrictions, they will not appear for selection here.


 

As an example, if you’ve applied a Minimum Length of Stay restriction of 2 days across the entire group block, and edit the first date to a Minimum Length of Stay of 3 days and keep the other dates the same (so 2 days), the group block will still show that Minimum Length of Stay restriction across the entire group block, because 3 days is still greater than the 2-day minimum. However, if you change the first date to a Minimum Length of Stay restriction of 1 day, the Minimum Length of Stay restriction will not show as applied across the entire group block, as 1 day is less than the 2-day minimum.




Additionally, if you set a Closed to Arrival restriction across the entire group block, but then remove the Closed to Arrival restriction from one date, the group block will no longer show the Closed to Arrival restriction across the entire group block.

 

 

Please note, Stayntouch PMS will check for restrictions when creating a reservation via the dashboard, from Front Desk > Create Reservation, online via a CRS, and so forth; however, the system will not check for restrictions when creating a reservation via the group Rooming List tab.

 

Please remember to click SAVE CHANGES every time you apply a restriction for that restriction to be applied or updated.

 

Reservations

External Reference Number Actions Recorded In Activity Log

 

When an external reference number is added, changed, or removed from a reservation, the stay card Activity Log will show the external reference action performed. The following action types will be recorded in the Activity Log:

  • Add External Reference
  • Edit External Reference
  • Remove External Reference

 

Add Children After Reservation Creation

 

If you add children to a reservation after initially creating a reservation without children and the rate has a child add-on, then the child add-on will be added to a room, per expected functionality. This enhancement is to address the scenario where the child add-on was not being added to a room after children were added to an existing reservation.


Rates

Copy Rate Sets

 

You can now copy rate sets from an existing date range to a new date range from Settings > Rates > Rates. Once copied, the copied rate set can then be edited. Changing the rate amount or copied set does not update existing reservations. If there are multiple rate sets on a date range that is copied, the rate sets will be copied to the new date range. When the rate is saved, the activity will be recorded in the rate Activity Log, and necessary updates will be sent to the Rate Manager and CRS.


 



 

Housekeeping

In Progress Room Status Indicator

 

From Housekeeping > Room Status, you can now view which rooms are currently being cleaned. When a Floor and Maintenance staff member selects START for a cleaning task, an IN PROGRESS indicator will appear as the room status for that room. When a Floor and Maintenance staff member selects DONE for a cleaning task, the IN PROGRESS indicator will be removed for the room, and the room status will update to Clean or Inspected. Please note, the In Progress will appear in both desktop and mobile view. The IN PROGRESS indicator will also be removed by any housekeeping room status update, even if completed by another user from the Room Status screen or Room Diary.



 

Reports

Credit Check Report Now Clickable

 

You can now navigate to a stay card from the Credit Check Report by selecting the hyperlinked reservation. You can then return to the report by clicking the << REPORTS button from the stay card. If the report has pagination, clicking the << REPORTS button from the stay card will return the user to the page they originated from.



 

Stationery

Confirmation Email: Pay By Link Text Translation

 

When the Pay By Link functionality is activated for confirmation emails, the PAY BY LINK TEXT defined in Settings > Hotel & Staff > Stationery > Confirmations/Cancellations > General Confirmations/Cancellations Settings can now be translated on a property level. When multiple languages are enabled for a property, you can select the appropriate language and enter the translation in the appropriate field. When the translation field is left blank, Stayntouch will use the Stayntouch Admin translation by default.




Pay By Link: Edit Background Color

 

When the Pay By Link functionality is activated for confirmation emails, you can now customize the PAY BY LINK BACKGROUND COLOR used on the confirmation email from Settings > Hotel & Staff > Stationery > Confirmations/Cancellations > General Confirmations/Cancellations Settings.



  

Stayntouch Guest Mobility

Stayntouch Guest Mobility: Mandatory Additional Guest Information

 

When ASK ADDITIONAL GUEST DETAILS and ADDITIONAL GUEST DETAILS ARE MANDATORY are enabled from Settings > Guest Mobility > Check In, guests will not be able to skip past entering additional guest details, per expected functionality. This enhancement is to address the scenario where guests were able to skip past entering these details, even when both ASK ADDITIONAL GUEST DETAILS and ADDITIONAL GUEST DETAILS ARE MANDATORY were enabled.


 

Integrations

Toast POS: Revenue Centers

 

The Stayntouch PMS integration with Toast POS now supports revenue centers. When a revenue center is included in a redeem request in Toast POS, the check will be posted to Stayntouch PMS as the revenue center. When the redeem request does not include a revenue center, the check will post to Stayntouch PMS as the configured restaurant name. A single restaurant can contain multiple revenue centers depending on the operational needs, Stayntouch PMS fully supports this feature.

 

Revenue Center Displayed On Guest Bills

 

 

Users can access detailed charges under the revenue center by clicking on the downward-facing arrows.


Connect APIs: access_code Added To POST/reservation & PUT/reservations/{id}

 

Reservations created via POST/reservations API that include object = access_code will now have the primary Company or Travel Agent Card attached in Stayntouch PMS. Moreover, reservations updated via PUT/reservations/{id} API that include object = access_code will also have the primary Company or Travel Agent Card attached in Stayntouch PMS.

 

Deposit Invoices

Deposit Invoices For Groups

 

We’ve made enhancements to deposit invoices to align with European legal requirements for generating deposit invoices, in which deposit invoices are now supported for group accounts. 

 

Please note, this is only applicable for specific customers residing in countries where the Deposit Invoice requirement is mandated by the government.

 

The following new enhancements have been added:

  • When the deposit invoice functionality is enabled for a hotel, and a deposit is applied to a group account, which is linked to a future group booking (FROMdate of the group), the deposit bill logic will be applied. 
    • Deposit invoices created will use the same deposit invoice sequence set for the hotel.
    • When a group is cancelled, the deposit moved at check-in logic will be applied.
    • When a deposit is paid for a group, and the entity is selected, the deposit invoice will be generated using the entity details selected for the deposit bill.
    • Deposit invoices generated from group accounts are available from Financials > Invoice Search > DEPOSIT INVOICES.
    • Group shoulder dates do not affect moving a deposit from the deposit ledger to the guest ledger.
    • Deposit invoice charges will move from the deposit ledger to the guest ledger when the start date of the group is the same as the business date of the hotel (creating the deposit moved at check-in charges).
  • When the deposit invoice functionality is enabled for a hotel, group account deposit invoices are available from Financials > Invoice Search > DEPOSIT INVOICES.

 

 

  • When the deposit invoice functionality is enabled for a hotel, and a deposit is applied to the group account, users can void the deposit bill.
  • To generate deposit invoices for a group account, your hotel will need to configure the following stationery settings for deposit invoices from Settings > Hotel & Staff > Stationery > Deposit Invoice:
    • EMAIL DEPOSIT INVOICE ON CREATION: Enable toggle.
    • DEPOSIT INVOICE EMAIL SUBJECT
    • DEPOSIT INVOICE EMAIL BODY
    • HEADER
    • FOOTER
    • DEPOSIT INVOICE LABEL
    • COPY OF DEPOSIT INVOICE LABEL

 

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