Online Booking
The online booking feature allows guests to request or book accommodation directly through the website – around the clock, with no manual effort required.
Setup
Online booking can be set up in the administration area under Settings → Online Booking . There the feature can be activated and one defines which accommodations and rooms should be bookable – either all or a specific selection.
Design options are also available: colours and optional custom CSS can be adjusted to match the look of the website. Payment terms, cancellation policy, and a custom confirmation message can be stored here as well.
An email template can be selected for the automatic confirmation email sent to guests.
Booking Process
The booking process guides guests through four simple steps:
- Search: The guest enters the desired period, number of guests, and number of rooms.
- Selection: For each available room category, all bookable occupancy options are displayed with their respective prices. The guest selects the desired number of guests per room and the number of rooms.
- Details: The guest enters their contact details (name, address, email) and receives a cost summary along with information on payment and cancellation terms.
- Confirmation: After submitting, a confirmation page appears with the configured message text.
Availability is checked in real time so guests always receive up-to-date information.
Booking Mode
There are two booking mode options to choose from, depending on the preferred workflow:
- Inquiry: The guest submits a non-binding request. A notification is sent and the booking is confirmed manually. Ideal when one wants to review each stay personally.
- Direct booking: The guest books immediately and bindingly. The reservation is created automatically in the system. Recommended for fully automated processing.
In both cases, the guest automatically receives a confirmation email. Additionally, an email notification can be sent to the administrator if this is enabled in the app settings.
Embedding the Booking Page
The booking page can easily be embedded into an existing website, for example as an iFrame. The ready-to-use embed code can be found directly in the online booking settings – ready to copy.
Email Notifications
After a successful booking or inquiry, emails are sent automatically:
- Confirmation email to the guest: Created using the template configured in the settings. If no template is set, a predefined default message is used.
- Notification to the administrator: Can be enabled in the general app settings so that one is immediately informed about new inquiries or bookings.
Occupancy & Pricing
In the second step of the booking process, each room category is displayed with all available occupancy options and the corresponding price for each. Every option appears as its own line showing the number of guests and the total price.
All amenities and images stored for a room category are also shown in the selection, allowing guests to get a clear picture of what each category offers.
Bookable Extras
Miscellaneous price categories that are marked as bookable online in the price settings are displayed as selectable extras in the second step of the online booking process.
The display differs depending on the price type:
- Per person/night (e.g. breakfast): The price is automatically calculated based on the number of guests and nights. The extra can be toggled on or off.
- Per room/night or flat rate (e.g. parking, final cleaning): The price applies per unit. The desired quantity can be selected via a dropdown.
All selected extras are itemised in the booking summary (step 3) and included in the total price.
Availability Restrictions
Under Settings → Online Booking , it is possible to control exactly which rooms are available for online booking and under what conditions. These restrictions apply exclusively to online bookings – reservations entered directly in the application are not affected. Rooms that do not meet a restriction do not appear in the selection for guests.
Minimum Stay
For each room category, a minimum number of nights can be defined. Different values can be set for weekdays (arrivals Monday to Thursday) and weekends (arrivals Friday to Sunday). If no value is entered, there is no minimum stay requirement.
Special Periods
For particular time periods – such as public holidays, school holidays, or peak season – different minimum stay requirements can be stored. These special periods can apply to individual room categories, several, or all of them. If multiple rules overlap, the highest value always takes effect. The end date entered is treated as the departure date .
Maximum Rooms per Category
It is possible to limit how many rooms of a category are visible and bookable online – independently of actual availability. This allows certain rooms to be kept available for walk-in guests or phone bookings without offering them online.
Minimum Occupancy
A minimum number of guests can be set per room category. A double room with a minimum occupancy of 2, for example, is not offered for single occupancy online. If no valid occupancy options remain for a category, the entire category is hidden.
Booking Horizon
It is possible to define how many months in advance guests may book online. If this field is left blank, there is no time restriction.