Hotel: Defaults

If a hotel is associated with multiple events, the text and selections made on this page become the default settings for each event.

Set Event Locale

The locale determines the default languages and currency code used for the Attendee Website.

Important: The languages you select will also determine the set of available languages you can provide for your communications, alerts, and updates.

• To add a language, click on the locale in the left box then click the right arrow.

• To remove a language, click on it in the right box then click the left arrow.

• Use the drop-down list to select the currency accepted at this hotel.

• Use the Select Default Locale drop-down list to choose the primary language. Note that this language will also be the assumed default input for pages in your hotel profile.

• Use the Your current time zone drop-down list to set a default timezone to use for creating bundles and events.

• • Note: This feature will only be available if enabled by Passkey for the hotel.

Character Sets For Reservation Data Entry

Note: This feature will only be available if enabled by Passkey for the hotel.

The Character Sets drop-down list allows you to set a default for the character sets allowed for reservation entry in the attendee website and other reservation channels. The default is Latin/Roman characters only, which means that only characters up to the Latin Extended B set can be entered. The other selection, Allow Additional Character Sets, permits reservation data in all other character sets (e.g. Chinese or Cyrillic).

This setting can also be changed at the bundle and event levels. It is the event level setting that determines what reservation data entry is ultimately permitted.

Important: Many hotel property management and central reservation systems do not accept non-Latin characters. By allowing non-Latin characters, some reservations may not electronically transfer correctly to those hotel systems.

Default Inventory Cap Rule Defaults

This section allows you to set a default for Inventory Cap Rules for all events created.  The rules give you more control over your inventory and how you sell with Passkey.  The three rules are:

• Sell rooms until reservation close. Do not count Primary rooms sold towards the contracted block.

• Sell rooms until the sum of all rooms from all nights hits 100% including rooms sold from Primary.

• Sell contracted rooms until each room night hits 100% including Primary sold. When a room night hits 100%, inventory will continue to be sold from Primary only.

Tip: The default setting for all events is the first option; Sell rooms until reservation close. Do not count Primary rooms sold towards the contracted block.

Reservation Defaults

Check the boxes for those features supported by the hotel.

• Allow Blank or Partial Addresses in a Reservation. If not checked, guests are required to enter their mailing and billing address for reservations.

• Note:  In Citywide events where the Hide from Hotels feature has been enabled, the Blank or Partial address option will override the setting on the hotel profile.

• Allow Call Center users to change allowed Payment Types allows a user with call center level access to change the attendee's payment method from that which is associated to that guest's attendee type.

• If Allow Multiple Payments in Reservation box is checked, be aware that the guest's additional payments are not automatically sent to the hotel's Property Management System unless this capability has been added to the hotel's GroupLink connection.

• If Enable custom travel information questions is checked, the collection of travel-related information is enabled for individual guests on a reservation, and the layout you define becomes the default for bundles and events.

• Edit. Opens a panel where you can edit the defaults for the travel information.

• Instructions to guest. Provides translatable instructions to a guest booking on the attendee website.

• Offer transportation to and from hotel. Check the box if you want to offer transportation options to a guest on the attendee website. The options include: Not Needed, To Hotel, From Hotel, and Round Trip.  Tip: The instructions can be used to offer more details on this option and/or pricing information.

• Preview. Click to show an example of what the guest will see on the attendee website when booking. The preview dynamically updates for the instructions you provide and also for the checkbox to offer transportation

• Done. Click to close the panel when you have finished editing the defaults.

• If Enable secondary name fields is checked, the collection of a Surname and Given Name (in addition to the First Name and Last Name) is enabled for individual guests on a reservation.

• If Enable Group Booking workflow is checked, the Group Booking feature is enabled for reservations. Enter the number of rooms (2 or more) which trigger the collection of booking contact information in the Attendee Website and Call Center.

Reservation Contact Defaults

The contact information should be a person or a group that guests could contact if they need information about their hotel reservations.

Add Custom "Reply-To" Emails

Use this section to set up a reusable library of "reply-to" email addresses to apply to communications such as campaigns, planner emails, acknowledgements, and block request notifications.

This will allow you to easily monitor replies and facilitates responding to inquiries. (Note that bounced emails are not included as replies to your emails).

All of the communications will come from a standard email "info@cvent.com", which is easily recognizable by recipients, but is not configurable.

To add an email address:

1. Enter an email address and select Add Email.

2. Repeat this process as needed.

3. Optionally, select one email as a default using Set to default. This email will be used as the default "reply-to" address whenever you create a new communication in your library or events.

To change an existing email address, select the , make changes, and then select the to save your changes. Changes you make here will be reflected wherever this list is used in your library or events.

To remove an email, select the and confirm the deletion.  Note that if the email is used within a campaign, the default reply-to address None (which is "noreply@noreply.com") will be used instead for that campaign.

Using the emails:

Once you have a library of emails, you can select them for use in your library level or event level Communications described in Overview of Group Campaigns and Acknowledgements.  

To actually select them in campaigns see the section Adding_or_Editing_Content to learn how to use the reply-to addresses in your Communications.

This allows you to set up email lists or individuals to start monitoring replies to your campaigns.

GML Settings

GroupMasterLink (GML) settings control how Passkey will process group block messages that are received either from your PMS/CRS or Sales and Catering system.

If auto create is enabled, a Passkey group will be automatically created based upon the information provided in the GroupMasterLink message sent by your PMS/CRS or Sales and Catering System. Certain housing indicators or status codes within your PMS/CRS or Sales and Catering system can be excluded from auto-create by mapping these indicator/codes within the various Bundles established for the property. Please see the Passkey Customer Care Center for an example mapping of Bundle codes based on your specific GroupMasterLink integration. A typical use of the excluded code feature is to inhibit the auto creation of Citywide events.

To enable auto create:

1. Select the option to Enable the Auto Creation of Groups Upon Receipt of a GroupMasterLink Message

2. Select how GML updates should occur.  Note that the exact options that appear will depend on the hotel setup, and these settings may be changed within events:

• Disregard. This setting will ignore incoming GML updates.

• Use Block Numbers.  Bases changes to room level inventory on examining the current block numbers.

• Use Contract Numbers. Bases changes to room level inventory on examining the original contract numbers.

3. Optionally select Enable Auto Update of Sub-Block Rates (detailed example follows). If this is not selected then only room level inventory and rates will be updated. This setting can be changed within an event.

To update the bundle codes which will be excluded from auto create (e.g. to inhibit auto creation of Citywide events):

1. Select Associate Bundle Codes Which Will Be Excluded From Auto Creation of Groups to expand this section

2. To associate a new bundle code for exclusion, enter the code in the text box and then select Add New

3. To remove a bundle code from the exclusion list, select the red "X" to the right of the listed code

NOTE: When a group is automatically created an Alert on the home screen will be visible. You will need to clear this alert by updating the group type within the group in Passkey. In addition to this Alert, the optional GroupLink emails will also list any groups that have been automatically created. Auto Create can be used with or without this feature.

If Automatic Updates are enabled, any group created automatically through Auto Create will be defaulted to allow automatic updates within Passkey. When creating groups using the GroupMasterLink Wizard, an option will be presented to allow auto-create to be turned on or off. At the group level, Auto Update can also be enabled or disabled within the Event: Details: Details section of the group.

NOTE: Cancelling a group is not supported via GML and must be done manually within an event on Event: Details: Details.

Example For "Enable Auto Update of Sub-Block Rates"

This setting allows GML to update not only room level, but also sub-block inventory and rates.

To illustrate, imagine a scenario with a King room with 4 attendee types (sub-blocks):  Attendee, Vendor, Staff, VIP.

Also consider that there are some additional guest fees set up within these sub-blocks.

For example:

And then a GML Update message is received for the KING room with:

                           1 person $200       2nd person $215               3rd person $230

Some rates will be updated (shown in blue) while others will not. The comment explains why this occurred.

Children Settings

Hotels have the ability to offer a children’s rate policy for events where children will be occupying a guest room with adults. This children’s rate policy is displayed on the Attendee Website as well as the Call Center reservation form.

• If the rate policy field is left blank, child reservation information will not be collected on the website or reservation form.

• If no text is entered into the Hotel Child Rate Policy field, the number of children will not be collected in reservations.

• Children are not included in guest counts for rates if the Hotel Child Rate Policy field contains text (i.e., “stay for free”) and the Children Stay Free box is checked. Otherwise, a child occupying the room will be treated as a full-adult.

• The Children Stay Free box cannot be checked until text has been entered in the Hotel Child Rate Policy field.

• The Hide number of children in website reservations box can be checked to hide the selection of number of children in the attendee website. This setting is generally used in conjunction with the Children Stay Free box so that the guest only needs to indicate the number of adults. This setting can be adjusted at the event level as well.

• To provide translated versions of the text, click the translation icon ().

Cancellation Policy

Enter the hotel's standard cancellation policy. Users creating events will be able to edit this policy as necessary for specific events.

Inventory

Allows a default order for the room types on all events.

• Alpha Order  - This is the default setting.  Room types will appear in the Create Event Wizard and in the Event Inventory in Alpha order
• Blocked Inventory - Room types will appear in descending order based on peak night inventory.
• Room Library - Room types will appear in the order set in the Room Type Library.

Dynamic Upsell

Dynamic Upsell is a model that provides a precise room upsell revenue calculation based on actual reservation charges and base room nightly rate.

Select Enable Dynamic Upsell to use the Dynamic Upsell model as a default for your hotel, and for any future events you create.  The upsell model used can also be adjusted per event on Event: Details: Details.

Scheduled Tasks

This section allows you to set up automated inventory tasks that are designed to run within your HotelDirect events on a schedule you select.

Note:  Existing events will not be impacted by the choice you make here under Enable and you can always change settings within an event. For example, you could enable this task to run on existing events, or you could turn this OFF once an event is created, so that it will not run.

Wash Inventory

This task allows you to wash inventory in your HotelDirect events. Specifically, this will set the current block equal to pickup for all rooms and all nights. For example, you might set this to run at cutoff to ensure there is no availability of rooms at lower priced group rates.  The defaults you provide here will copy into events you create.

To set up the default rule:

1. Select a date under Run Date. You can choose to run this on, before, or after the Reservation Open, Reservation Close, or Event Cutoff (Hotel Cutoff) date.

2. Select Recurs to make this task repeat. You can choose to repeat every hour, day, or week until the Last Inventory Date or the Event End Date. (Within events, a Custom Date is also offered as an option).

3. Select ON under Enable to make this rule run as a default for future events.

NOTE: This action will remove inventory from the event. It is not equivalent to the legacy feature Roll-up Assigned Inventory Into Free-Sell, which moved inventory from the sub-block to free-sell level on a predefined date.

Sell Primary Inventory

This task allows you to turn on Sell Primary Inventory in your HotelDirect event automatically, and to optionally Sell Only From Primary and Sell At Highest Rate. Specifically, this will enable the selected settings for all rooms and all nights in the hotel when the given date is reached.  For example, you might set this to run at cutoff so that you don't have to manually reset inventory pools and rates once the cutoff date has passed.  The defaults you provide here will copy into events you create.

To set up the default rule:

1. Select a date under Run Date. You can choose to run this on, before, or after the Reservation Open, Reservation Close, or Event Cutoff (Hotel Cutoff) date. (Within events, a Custom Date is also offered as an option).

2. Optionally select Sell Only From Primary to request the system to sell inventory only from Primary Inventory even if there is availability at the room or sub-block levels.

3. Optionally select Sell At Highest Rate to request the system use the highest rate when using Primary Inventory. If this is off, the event rate will be used.

4. Select ON under Enable to make this rule run as a default for future events.

NOTE:

• Be sure to associate primary inventory rooms to rooms within the event to use this feature, and ensure that Primary Inventory is available.

• Enable Free-Sell must be turned ON at the sub-block level in order for Primary Inventory to be sold.  The task will not adjust this setting when it runs.

• If guaranteed blocks are used, that inventory will be consumed before selling from Primary Inventory occurs.

Planner Dashboard

Enter a Hotel Review Contact who will receive planner reviews of the hotel from the Planner Portal.

Select Enable new Planner Dashboard to use the Planner Portal., or deselect to continue using the older Event Dashboard.

Nor1 Upselling

If the hotel has the Nor1 system, check the Enable Nor1 Upselling box to allow users creating events to enable Nor1 features on the Attendee Website for that event.

The Nor1 Hotel Code (PCD) and Nor1 Chain Code (PCH) fields are also used in conjunction with the Nor1 upselling feature for selected properties and should not be changed without verifying with Passkey.