This is a list of things to know and remember.  For step by step instructions see Hotel Control Files Setup.


Before starting, determine your room types.  You can have as many as you wish, but make it manageable for the users and make the codes easy to remember or figure out.  Each code may be four or fewer characters, alphanumeric. 

Count your rooms and know how many you have of each type.  Know which rooms should be which type.

Set up your rooms first.  Each room number should be four or fewer characters.  You may use alpha characters but remember that interfaces such as call accounting will have to be remapped if the extensions do not match the room numbers.  Don't enter the rates if all rooms of each type have the same rate.  You can enter the rates for the room types and then update the rates for the rooms from the room type setup.  That's faster.

If you have seasons, set those up first.  The season record is where you define the seasons and which codes apply to each season; you do not set up the rates there.  For example January 01 through March 31 may be Season A; April 01 through May 31 may be Season B; June 01 through August 31 may be Season C; then October 01 through December 31 may be back to Season A.  If you have holidays within those date ranges (such as December 23 through December 27) you can set those seasons up with a different code such as H.

It's easier to set up similar rooms together.  After setting up the first room you can select "Save/duplicate" to duplicate that record for the next room, just entering the new room number and making any necessary changes.

When you are setting up new rooms, you have to exit out of the room setup screen and go back in to see the new rooms that you set up.

Remember to click Save or Save/Duplicate when setting up new rooms or making changes.

If you have connecting rooms, there are things you need to know about the functionality of connecting rooms.  The connecting room for each needs to be entered.  For example, if 101 connects to 103, you need to enter connecting room103 for room 101 and vice versa.  When either of those rooms is reserved or checked in, a popup will allow you to select the connecting room.  NOTE:  If you select a connecting room, the two rooms become a single entity.  Both rooms are taken out of inventory, but you will have only one reservation and only one folio.  Room and tax charges will post only once.  Therefore you should adjust the rate accordingly or assign a different rate code.  You cannot cancel the reservation for only one of the rooms and you cannot check out only one of the rooms, as they are a single unit once you have connected them via the reservation or check-in.

After you have completed the room setup, you can set up room types.  This is where you set up the rates.  If you do not use seasons you can enter the rates on the main screen.  If you use seasons, click the "season rates" button and then enter the rates for each season. 

Remember to click Save when setting up new room types or making changes.

To update the rooms with the rates assign to the room types, click "Update room prices".  A popup will tell you how many rooms of that type were found.  Make sure that number matches what you entered for "number of rooms" for this room type.  If it does not, the count is wrong, a room has an incorrect type, a room was not set up, or something similar.

To verify rates, you can go to "Room Types" or "Tape Chart".  You also can print a room inventory or you can go to Manager/setup and go to "Print Charge/Payment/Misc codes" and print room rates.

If your rates change daily or extremely frequently, you can update rates from a spreadsheet.  This works only if someone is responsible for keeping the spreadsheet updated and importing the rates when the spreadsheet is changed.

You can have up to five rate codes, 1-5.  Rate codes 6 and 7 are used for comp rooms.  Rate code 6 is a normal comp and rate code 7 is an owner comp, typically used in Condo hotel properties.  You also can have rate code P for package, W for weekly, and M for monthly.

The five rate codes can have customized titles such as RACK, AAA/AARP, MILITARY, etc.  These are defined in the MENUINI.FIL  configuration. 

You also can use the "Corporate File" which allows you to set up specific rates for companies such as Execu/Tech and other entities such as AAA.  The rates can be a flat dollar rate, a dollar discount, or a percent discount. You also can set up a company called 15% discount if you wish.  In a reservation or folio you will populate the "company" field with the companies you've set up in the Corporate File.  This is optional, a tool for those wanting to use it. 

Rates also can be defined for specific groups, packages, etc.

See also:
Room Types 
Rooms
Season Records







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