Entering a Reservation - Guest Card
This page describes the fields on the 'Guest' card in the Reservation record window. Please follow the links below for descriptions of the other parts of the Reservation record window:
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The format of the 'Guest' card was changed in January 2025.. If you were using Reservations prior to this date, on updating to a version later than this date you will need to convert these Reservations to the new format before you can continue using them. The most obvious sign that Reservations need converting will be that Guest Names are missing. Please refer to the description of the 'Update Reservations to New Matrix Format' Maintenance function here for details about the conversion process.
Prior to January 2025, the Reservation matrix was used to list the Guests who would be staying in the Room specified on the 'Check In/Out' card. From January 2025, you will still use the matrix to list Guests but you can also use it to list Items and Packages.
This allows for the following example circumstances and many others:
- A Guest purchases the standard Room Package and needs some additional Items e.g. champagne, flowers, etc that are not included in the standard Package.
- You have configured some standard Room Packages and also some non-bespoke add-on Packages that Guests can purchase as additional options.
Anything that is listed in the matrix will always be added to the main Package specified on the
'Booking' card. It is not possible to subtract from the main Package. For example, if a family books an activity holiday and the children will only take part in some of the activities, it is not possible to use the matrix to subtract the activities that the children will not do. Instead, the Package specified on the
'Booking' card should only include the activities that everyone will do and the additional activities for the adults should be listed in the matrix. So, you should design your Room Packages in a way that will allow for additions.
The order in which you list rows in a Reservation is important. Items and Packages at the top of the matrix will be charged (by the 'Charge Stay' and 'Charge Until Check Out Date' functions on the Operations menu (Windows/macOS) or Tools menu (iOS/Android)) to the Customer or Agent specified on the 'Check In/Out' card or to the first Guest. Items and Packages listed below a Guest will be charged to that Guest. For example, if the rows are as follows:
- Item 10101
- Guest 001
- Item 10102
- Package EXTRA
- Guest 002
- Item 10103
- Package EXTRA2
then:
- Item 10101 will be charged to the Customer or Agent specified on the 'Check In/Out' card or to the first Guest.
- Item 10102 and the Items in Package EXTRA will be charged to Guest 001.
- Item 10103 and the Items in Package EXTRA2 will be charged to Guest 002.
If it transpires that Guest 001 also needs an Item 10104, then you should insert this Item in the matrix above the row for Guest 002.
If Guest 001 cancels or does not arrive, then removing Guest 001 from the matrix will also remove Item 10102 and Package EXTRA (providing these have not been charged).
Each Guest that you list in the matrix will automatically be given their own Guest Account (Folio Account). Before being able to check the Guests out, you will need to charge all Room charges and Package Items for the full duration of the stay to one of the Guest Accounts, and you will also need to create Invoices for each Guest Account to which Items have been assigned. Please refer to the Adding and Managing Items on Guest Accounts (Folio Items) page for details about charging Room charges and Package Items to Guest Accounts and to the description of the 'Invoice' function on the Create or + menu here for details about invoicing.
It is usually recommended that you only add Items and additional Packages to the matrix in a Reservation that has not yet checked in and for which you have yet not created any charges. If you have already created charges from the Reservation, an Item that you add to the matrix for a date that has already been charged will not be caught by the charging routine and so will not be charged. Use the 'Add Items' function on the Operations menu Windows/macOS or Tools menu (iOS/Android) instead for such Items.
If you do not specify a Customer on the 'Check In/Out' card in a Reservation, you must list at least one Guest on the 'Guest' card. If there is no Customer, the first Guest will be treated as the Customer and will be charged for the Room and the Package Items.
When you save a Reservation, a check will be made that you have not listed more adults and/or children in the matrix than you have specified in the fields in the footer. For this purpose, a child is a Guest with a Classification belonging to the Class. Type (Child) specified in the Hotel Settings setting and/or an Age Status of "Child". All other Guests will be counted as adults.
The Request Guest Classification and Request Guests on Reservations options on the 'Guests' card in the Hotel Settings setting give you an additional measure of control over the Guests that you list in the matrix. Please refer to the description of the 'Guests' card in the Hotel Settings setting here for details.
The matrix on the 'Guest' card is divided into four horizontal flips. When you click (Windows/macOS) or tap (iOS/Android) a flip tab (marked A-D), the two or three right-hand columns of the grid will be replaced.
If you are using Windows or macOS, you can add Guests, Items and Packages to the matrix in a Reservation by clicking in any field in the first blank row and entering appropriate text. To remove a row, click on the row number on the left of the row and press the Backspace key. To insert a row, click on the row number where the insertion is to be made and press Return.
If you are using iOS or Android, you can add rows by tapping the + button below the matrix. To remove a row, long tap on the row number on the left of the row and select 'Delete Row' from the resulting menu. To insert a row, long tap on the row number where the insertion is to be made and select 'Insert Row' from the resulting menu.
Flip A
- Row Type
- Paste Special
Choices of possible entries
- Use this field to specify whether the row represents a Guest, Item or Package. Use 'Paste Special' to increase input speed.
- Code
- Paste Special
Guests in Guest/Contact register, Item register or Room Packages setting, Hotel module
- Depending on the Row Type that you have specified in the field to the left, enter the Contact Code of a Guest, an Item Number or a Room Package Code here. The Row Type will determine whether the 'Paste Special' window will list Guests, Items or Room Packages when you open it from this field.
- When entering Guest rows, it is quite likely that you will need to create new Guest records as you enter each new Reservation. Follow these steps:
- Set the Row Type in the first empty row to "Guest".
- Click (Windows/macOS) or tap (iOS/Android) in the Code field.
- Open 'Paste Special' (press Ctrl-Return or Ctrl-Enter (Windows) or ⌘-Return or ⌘-Enter (macOS) on your keyboard, click the magnifying glass icon in the field (Windows/macOS) or tap the > icon on the right of the field (iOS and Android)).
- Click or tap the [New] button to create a new Guest record.
- Please refer here for more details about entering a new Guest record.
- Before adding any Room charges or Items to any of the Guest Accounts in the Reservation, you will be able to add, edit and remove Guests as necessary. After adding to a Guest Account, you will not be able to remove the relevant Guest.
- Please refer to the introductory description above for details about the order in which you should list rows in a Reservation.
- When entering Item rows, be sure to specify a Date (if necessary), a Frequency and a Qty on flip B.
- Name
- The Name of the Guest, Item or Package will be placed in this field when you specify the Code in the field to the left.
- Price List
- Paste Special
Price List register, Pricing module
- In an Item row, specify a Price List here if you need the Unit Price of the Item (shown in the field to the right) to be taken from a particular Price List. Please refer to the description of the Unit Price field below for more details about how the Unit Price will be chosen.
- In a Guest row, the Price List that you specify here will be used to calculate the prices in any Bar Tab or POS Invoice that you assign to the Guest's Guest Account. The Price List in a Guest row will not affect any pricing (e.g. of Room charges) in the Reservation itself.
- If you need to be able to add Bar Tabs and POS Invoices to Guest Accounts, add "On Hotel Guest Account" buttons to the Bar Tab and POS Invoice windows.
- If you need Price Lists to be printed on Reservation forms, add the "Price List, row" field to the Form Template.
- Unit Price
- In an Item row, enter here the Unit Price of the Item that is to be charged to the Guest.
- A default Unit Price will be brought in to this field when you specify the Item Number, chosen as follows:
- If you have specified a Price List in the field immediately to the left and the Item is included in that Price List, the Price of the Item in that Price List will be brought in. If the Item is not included in the Price List, the Item's Base Price will be brought in. Changing the Price List in a row will cause the Unit Price to be changed accordingly.
- If you have not specified a Price List in the field immediately to the left but you have specified a Price List on the 'Pricing' card in the Reservation and the Item is included in that Price List, the Price of the Item in that Price List will be brought in. If the Item is not included in the Price List, the Item's Base Price will be brought in. Changing the Price List on the 'Pricing' card will not cause the Unit Prices of Items in the Reservation to be updated.
- In all other cases, the Item's Base Price will be brought in.
- Bar Tabs
- Paste Special
Choices of possible entries
- Set this field to "Do not allow" for a particular Guest if you want to prevent that Guest from adding Bar Tabs or POS Invoices to their Guest Account.
Flip B
The fields on flip B are only used in Item rows.
- Date
- Paste Special
Choose date
- If the Item is to be specified on a particular date, specify that date here. You must also choose "-" as the Frequency.
- Frequency
- Paste Special
Choice of possible entries
- Specify here how often the Item is to be charged to the Guest. The available options are:
- -
- The Item is to be supplied and charged once, on a specific date (as specified in the field to the left). You must specify a Date if the Frequency is "-".
- Once
- The Item is to be supplied once, on a date yet to be specified. The Item will be charged on the Check In Date.
- First Day
- The Item is to be supplied and charged on the Check In Date.
- Every Day
- The Item is to be supplied and charged every day. For example, if the Check In Date is March 26 and the Check Out Date is March 31, the Item will be supplied and charged five times, on March 26, 27, 28, 29 and 30.
- Every Day Excl. First
- The Item is to be supplied and charged every day except the Check In Date. Using the example dates above, the Item will be supplied and charged four times, on March 27, 28, 29 and 30.
- Last Day
- The Item is to be supplied and charged on the last full day of the stay (one day before the Check Out Date).
- Check Out Day
- The Item is to be supplied on the Check Out Date, and will be charged on the last full day of the stay (one day before the Check Out Date).
- Qty
- Specify the number of units that are to be supplied and charged for. The default is 1.
Flip C
- Class.
- Paste Special
Contact Classifications setting, CRM module
- Classification Terms allow you to offer percentage discounts or uplifts on Room charges depending on the Contact Classification of a Guest. For example, you can use Classification Terms to reduce Room charges for children.
- If you are using Classification Terms and you are adding a Guest row to a Reservation, enter the appropriate Classification for the Guest here.
- The 'Paste Special' list will only display Classifications belonging to the Class. Type (Adult) and to the Class. Type (Child) specified in the Hotel Settings setting, and only Classifications belonging to those Types will be brought in to the Reservation from the Contact record for the Guest.
- Adding a Guest with a Classification to a Reservation and changing the Classification in a row will both cause the pricing in the Reservation to be recalculated automatically. Please refer to the description of the Classification Terms setting here for more details.
- Status
- Paste Special
Reservation Status setting, Hotel module
- If a Guest checks in or checks out early, you can change the Status of that Guest to make a note. Record the date and time of the Guest checking in or checking out on flip D.
- Changing the Status of an individual Guest is for information only and has no effect on the Status of the Reservation as a whole.
- The 'Paste Special' list will only show the Statuses that can follow on from the current Status of the Reservation specified in the header, as defined in the Reservation Status Sequences setting, and you will not be able to save a Reservation if you enter a Status that does not follow on from the current Status.
- It is not possible to remove a checked in or checked out Guest from a Reservation.
- Arrival Sequence
- The Arrival Sequence is a sequential number for Guests that will be filled in automatically when you check a Reservation in.
Flip D
- Check In
- Paste Special
Choose date
- Time
- Paste Special
Current time
- If you use the Status field on flip C to mark an individual Guest as having checked in, use these fields to note when the Guest checked in.
- Check Out
- Paste Special
Choose date
- Time
- Paste Special
Current time
- If you use the Status field on flip C to mark an individual Guest as having checked out, use these fields to note when the Guest checked out.
Footer
- Comment
- Use this field to record notes about the Reservation.
- If you enter the Code of a record in the Text Types setting in the CRM module, the Comment from that Text Type field will be brought in automatically, replacing the Code.
- The Comment will be copied to the Comment field in any Down Payment Invoices that you create from the Reservation.
- If you need this Comment to be printed on Reservation forms, add the "Comment" field to the Form Template(s). The Comment will also be included in the Guest History report.
- Pax, Adults, Children
- The Adults and Children fields are the same fields as the No. of Adults and Children fields on the 'Booking' card: you can change these figures in either place. The Pax figure is the number of Guests in the Reservation, calculated by adding together the figures in these two fields.
- When you save a Reservation, a check will be made that you have not listed more adults and/or children in the matrix than you have specified in these fields. For this purpose, a child is a Guest with a Classification belonging to the Class. Type (Child) specified in the Hotel Settings setting or with an Age Status of "Child". All other Guests will be counted as adults.
- Max Pax, Max Adults, Max Children
- These fields display the maximum numbers of Guests, adults and children respectively that you can include in the Reservation.
- When you specify a Room Type in a Reservation, these figures will be copied from the relevant Room Type record. This can be useful as a guide when taking a provisional Reservation. When you specify the Room, these figures will be overwritten by the equivalent figures from the relevant Room record.
- You will be warned immediately if you enter a number of pax, adults or children that is greater than the relevant maximum, and this will also mean that you will not be able to save the Reservation.
- [Rooming List] button
- The [Rooming List] button will print a report to screen listing the Guests in the Reservation.
- [Guest History] button
- The [Guest History] button will print a Guest History report to screen for one of the Guests in the Reservation. This report will list the Reservations representing the times when the Guest stayed in the hotel, and will also list the Guest Services requested by the Guest.
- If you click (Windows/macOS) or tap (iOS/Android) in a row in the Guest matrix before pressing the [Guest History] button, the report will be for the Guest you selected. Otherwise it will be for the first Guest in the matrix.
- Please refer here for more details about Guest Services and here for more details about the Guest History report.
- [Add Guest Service] button
- Use this button to add Guest Services to the Reservation. A Guest Service is an instruction to the relevant department (e.g. the front desk or housekeeping) to provide a service required by a Guest.
- If a Reservation includes more than one Guest, click or tap in any field in the row containing the relevant Guest before pressing the button. This will ensure the Guest Service is created in the name of the correct Guest.
- When you press the button, a 'Guest Service: New' window will open. On the 'Other Details' card, the Guest field will be filled in as mentioned in the previous paragraph and the Check In and Check Out Dates will be copied from the Reservation. Referring to the description of the Guest Services setting here, enter the details of the Service that is required by the Guest and save. The Service will be saved in the Guest Services setting.
- If you need to charge for a Guest Service, add it to the relevant Guest Account by selecting 'Add Items' from the Operations or Tools menu. If a service will be provided daily, use the function on the same menu.
- [Guest Service List] button
- Use this button to print a Guest Services List report for the Reservation to screen. This report will list Daily Guest Services of all Types, and Specific Day Guest Services that are scheduled for the date when you produce the report. If you click or tap in any field in a row in the matrix before pressing the button, the report will list the Guest Services requested by the Guest in that row. Otherwise, it will list the Guest Services requested by every Guest. Please refer here for more details about the Guest Services List report.
- [Rest. Booking] button
- Use the [Rest. Booking] button if you need to create a Booking in the Restaurant. A 'Restaurant Booking: New' window will appear, allowing you to create a Booking:
- Please refer here for details about Restaurant Bookings.
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The Reservation register in Standard ERP:
Go back to:
Reservation Register - Introduction and Workflow
