[NEW!] 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.