How to set maximum occupancy overall
Here's a logic puzzle that I can't solve! Can anyone help?
I have four rooms available, to give maximum options to potential bookers and allow them to choose between twin beds, double, kingsize, superking, family suite etc. Two of my rooms share a bathroom, so as soon as one of those rooms gets booked I close off the other room so that no one has to share a bathroom. However, two single persons travelling together but not wanting to share a bedroom might not mind sharing the bathroom, so I want to keep this option available, which is why I include both those rooms on Booking.com.
Additionally, I want to limit the occupancy overall to six people rather than eight, for legal reasons. Therefore, when two or three rooms get booked for any particular night, I close off the fourth room and this controls the occupancy levels. But if one booker makes a booking for all four rooms at once, at maximum occupancy, I am faced with the prospect of 8 guests (9 if one couple have a child in my family suite). This has happened already and it's a real risk. What is the best solution?
Hi there,
Thanks for the post, it's an interesting puzzle you have here.
Now I'm not quite sure if I remember correctly, but when I was struggling with calendar restrictions then Booking.com opened quite a lot of tools out of which I could then choose. I vaguely remember a Max Occ tool on the calendar. The only way you can get access to those tools though is by phoning/messaging Booking.com. In your case I suggest phoning because I might be mistaken.
Just tell the consultant you want to restrict Max occupancy and don't they have a calendar tool for you?
Best of luck!
I have a similar problem, and found a solution.
We have 2 rooms for rent, with only one bathroom upstairs - so if we get one booking we 'close' the other room. with 1 double bed, 2 single beds, and an extra mattress we can sleep up to 6 people and this booking would take up both rooms.
The Solution ? We list it as a 'holiday Home' - and list all the beds we have, as if they were in the same room. this way yhe site gives me 'price per guest' - not per room.
So I list the room rate for 6 people then discount 15% per person ( less than 6 people )
this is what booking.com calls - " Derived Pricing "...
the problem is - you need to do this when you create your account - or contact booking.com and ask them to add this option to your accunt.
How can I set or update room rates for different occupancies?
/en-gb/help/rates-availability/how-can-i-set-or-update-room-rates-different-occupancies
But you can't do it yourself - you need to ask them to do it...
( or setup a new 'room' - and select this option when you create the 'room' )
Can I automatically set room rates for different occupancies?
https://partnerhelp.booking.com/en-gb/help/rates-availability/how-can-i-set-derived-pricing-automatically-change-my-rates-different
To add this function, our Accommodation Services team must first adjust your extranet settings. You can call them on the local support centre number.
So the result looks like this..
rather than listing two rooms, I now have 1 room with multiple rates, depending on how many will stay. ( Maximum of 6 )
Thanks for these ideas. Sadly they wouldn't work with my set-up, and the advice from my channel manager is that there no other solution than to close off my fourth room if necessary, and if someone books all my rooms at maximum occupancy, to explain the situation and ask them to cancel the booking!
Ok, sorry it was not able to help. Can I suggest - Instead of the chance of 'overbooking' and asking to cancel, why not keep the room offline, ( and only add it as an option later - based on bookings. ) - better to have 'Zero Chance' of cancellations... rather than risk it - just to offer one more room option ?
Or using my example above - but just treat these two rooms as 'one' room. with a capacity of 1,2 3 or 4 people... so one booking, both rooms are 'booked'... Regardless of the number... ( this will be the same as you closing the other room. )
i hope you understand what I mean. - the booking will treat the two rooms as one booking, you can call them the 'twin rooms'... 2 people booking... they can 'pick' a room. but if it's 3 or 4 they get the keys to both rooms. - Simple right ?
The first option is of course possible, but I've discounted it because I do get "father/daughter" combinations who need to book separate rooms. The second option wouldn't solve the problem because one booker could still book the two-room unit for 4 people! I think the reason why the kind of algorithm I'm suggesting wouldn't be possible is that bookings from other sources show up as "closed" or "non-available" and b.com has no way of knowing how many other people have already booked rooms via other sources.
Ok, understood. The developers ( on each booking platform ) would need to add a total 'persons booked' - for this to work. then the booking software could offer the room - Only " if total person booked is less than X People "
A very specific problem, requiring a complex solution, on multiple platforms.
Unless that data is already available to the developers ?!?!
Just having a quick look around, I am quite sure that data is available to the developers.
You just need to find the right forum to start asking developers if anyone is working on anything like this ? - and that you as a location owner would be very interested in this solution.