|
|
|
Party Option
Party functionality is available when the Reservations > Party application function is set to Y.
The Party feature is typically used when one guest is making reservations for a small number of associated guests who will be staying at the property during the same, or nearly the same, period. For example, the party option might be used if a guest makes reservations for a family celebration or for a group of friends on holiday together. To apply the party feature in this type of scenario create a single reservation for the total number of rooms needed by the group, then use the Party option from the Reservation Options menu to split the multi-room reservation into separate reservations. (The Reservation Options menu is accessible from the Reservation screen or from the Reservation Search screen .) The resulting separate reservations will be identical to the starting reservation; you may edit each reservation as necessary, for example to change the guest name or to modify the number of adults and children, if there is any variation. Each reservation is assigned its own confirmation number after the split.
The benefit of using the party feature is that separate reservations for members of the party are easily created from the initial multi-room reservation, which serves as a "template". The Parent Reservation's Confirmation Number followed by the Parent Reservations name (e.g., 1234567 Watkins, Daniel) appears in the Party field on the Reservation screen for all reservations associated with the party. In addition, all members of the party can be readily identified by their party affiliation when searching for in-house guests or for reservations. Searching by party can be especially useful to telephone operators.
The party feature may also be used to combine reservations that were made separately into a party. You might create a party this way, for example, if room types and rate codes differ for the various reservations comprising the party. In this case there is less advantage in creating a single reservation and using it as a "template" for the other reservations in the party.
Select the Party option from the Reservation Options menu to:
Note: The Party option is not available for group or block reservations.
These activities are described in the sections that follow.
Note: When the license code OPX_HX2 (OPERA Exchange through Holidex) is active, reservations may only be split if the arrival date equals the current business date.
To split a multi-room reservation into separate reservations for a party, select the Party option from the Reservation Options menu. The Party screen appears with the currently selected reservation highlighted. The name on this reservation will be used to identify the party.
At the top of the screen the name of the guest from whose reservation the Party option was selected appears in the Guest field. This name will become the name of the party (shown in the Party Name field) once the party has been created.
Note: The party name is further identified by the confirmation number of the originating reservation, for example 476425 Watkins, Daniel. This kind of detail helps differentiate parties when separate guests having the same name (e.g., John Smith) have a party.
Conf No. The confirmation number for the reservation.
Name. The name of the guest.
Room Type. The room type for this reservation.
Adults. The number of adults on this reservation.
Children. The number of children on this reservation.
Rooms. The number of rooms booked by the reservation. This column is not displayed when the Reservations > Room Limit Per Reservation application setting is set to 1 and the Reservation > Shares application function is set to N.
Select either of the following buttons to create new reservations associated with the party. (The Split and Split All buttons will be unavailable unless the number of rooms attached to the reservation is greater than 1.)
Note: Split off reservations are saved immediately upon selecting the Split or Split All button. You cannot reverse the split by using the Close button to close the Party screen without saving.
Split. Divide the highlighted reservation to create one additional reservation attached to this party. You may repeat the split action until all rooms in the original reservation are accounted for. For example, if the original reservation is for 3 rooms, you may split it twice to create three 1-room reservations. Each new reservation will be for the same number of adults and children as appear on the reservation being split.
Split All. Divide the highlighted reservation to create one additional reservation for every room attached to the original reservation. For example, if the highlighted reservation is for 3 rooms, Split All will split the reservation into 3 reservations. Each reservation will be for the same number of adults and children as appear on the reservation being split.
The following are among the features copied from the original reservation to each of the split-off party reservations:
After splitting the original reservation, the Party screen shows the new reservations. Notice that the total numbers of adults and children shown at the bottom of the screen now reflect the fact that each reservation is for the same number of adults and children as appear on the reservation being split. To change the guest name or reservation details, such as number of adults, number of children, room type, or number of rooms. (To change other reservation details, such as rate code or stay dates, you can edit the Reservation screen for the guest.)
The new confirmation numbers for the split off reservations appear in the Conf. No. column.
If a multi-room party reservation has a rate code that includes a deposit rule, and the deposit paid is not equal to 0, when splitting off separate reservations the deposit request amount is not reduced. For example, a 3-room reservation for Jones has rate code BUS1 attached. BUS1 has a deposit requirement of $100 ($300 total for 3 rooms). Jones makes a payment of $50. Then one reservation is split off of the party reservation. The split-off reservation also has a rate code BUS1 but it has no deposit requirement. Jones's reservation still has an outstanding deposit requirement of $250.
If no deposit payment has been received at the time reservations are split off from the party reservation, the deposit request is copied to the split off reservation and the deposit request on the multi-room party reservation is reduced accordingly. For example, a 3-room reservation for Smith has rate code BUS1 attached. BUS1 has a deposit requirement of $100 ($300 for 3 rooms). No deposit payment has been made. One reservation is split off of the party reservation. The split-off reservation also has a rate code BUS1 with a $100 deposit requirement. Smith's reservation (now 2 rooms) has a $200 remaining deposit requirement.
To detach a reservation from the party, highlight the reservation on the Party screen and select the Detach button. You are prompted to confirm your decision.
Note: The Detach button is not available if the reservation that is highlighted is the reservation from which the party originated.
You can create a party by joining individual existing reservations. To join reservations to a party, select the Party option from the Reservation Options menu. The Party screen appears with the currently selected reservation highlighted.
Select the Add to Party button. The Combine Reservation screen appears.
Search for a specific reservation using the Name, First Name, and Room search criteria fields. Matching reservations having stay dates that coincide with any of the stay dates of the reservation selected on the Party screen are displayed. Reservations that are associated with a group or a block are not listed.
Name. The guest's name.
Status. The reservation status of the guest's reservation. Reservations may be Reserved, Due In or Checked In.
Arrival. The arrival date for the reservation.
Departure. The departure date for the reservation.
Rate Code. The rate code attached to the reservation.
Room Type. The room type for the reservation.
Rooms. The number of rooms attached to the reservation. This column is not displayed when the Reservations > Room Limit Per Reservation application setting is set to 1 and the Reservation > Shares application function is set to N.
Room. The room number assigned to the guest, if any.
Highlight your choice and choose the Select button to include the reservation in the party. If more than one reservation is to be joined to the party, each one must be highlighted and selected individually. When you return to the Party screen, the reservations joined to the party are shown. The total number of adults, children, and rooms shown at the bottom of the screen now reflect the additional rooms and guests now included in the party.
You can move reservations from one party to another party, provided the stay dates of the reservation you want to move coincide with at least one day of the stay dates for the other party. Highlight the reservation you want to move to another party and select the Chg. Party button. The Combine Reservation screen appears. Canceled and checked out reservations are not displayed.
Note: The Chg. Party button is not available if the reservation that is highlighted is the reservation from which the party originated.
The Combine Reservation screen displays all parties having stay dates that coincide by at least one day with the reservation selected on the Party screen. (Cancelled and checked out reservations are not displayed.) Should no reservations be available, a message prompt is displayed notifying the user that no party reservations were found.
Highlight the party to which the reservation is to be moved and select the Select button. The reservation will be moved to the party you selected.
From the Party screen you may make changes to the guest name, the number of adults and children, the number of rooms, and the room type for the reservations included in a party. To do so, highlight the reservation you want to change and select the Resv. button. The Reservation Edit screen appears (see Reservation for details).
