Lock-Off Rooms
Table of Contents
Lock-Off Rooms................................................................................................................................ 3
How to Create a Lock-Off Room ........................................................................................... 4
How to Create Rates for Lock-Off Rooms............................................................................. 9
How to Change a Lock-Off Room ....................................................................................... 33
How to Delete a Lock-Off Room.......................................................................................... 35
How to Create a Reservation for a Lock-off Room ............................................................. 37
Making a Lock-off Reservation on eRes ............................................................................. 43
How to Check-In a Lock-off Reservation............................................................................. 46
How to Check-Out a Lock-off Reservation .......................................................................... 48
How to Cancel a Lock-off Reservation ................................................................................ 50
Posting Charges/Payments on Lock-off Reservations ........................................................ 54
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How to Create a Lock-Off Room
Lock-off is a function in the PMS that allows two (or more) connecting rooms to be linked together
to create a single, multi-room suite. The following article reviews how to configure specific rooms
for use as lock-offs.
How to Create a Lock-Off Room
To create a Lock-off Room, proceed to the Rooms tab (System Configuration > Room
Numbers), and select the Lock-off Rooms tab located in the middle of the screen.
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Click New
Adding the Master Room
The first step in the Lock-off Room Configuration screen is to pick the Master Room. This will
be the room that the reservation must be booked under in order for a lock-off to work properly.
Ensure the black arrow is pointing towards the correct room and then click on the “Master Room”
button at the top of the screen.
The selected room will now appear in the Master Room box.
If this Lock-Off Room is meant to made available for booking on the eRes Online Booking Engine,
check the Available for Hotel Website box.
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NOTE: A room number can only be a Master Lock-off ONCE. For example: If rooms 401 and 403
connect as well as rooms 401 and 402, for the first set of rooms, 401 would be used as the Master
Lock-off. Since 401 cannot be selected again as a Master Room, room 402 must be selected as
the Master Room for the 2nd set of Lock-off Rooms (401 would then be selected as the Attached
Room).
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Adding the Connecting Room(s)
Select the rooms that are to be attached to the Master Room. Select the room(s) from under All
Rooms (ensure the black arrow is pointing towards the correct room) and click Add to move it to
the Attached Rooms column.
• Under Lock-off Room Type Description, write the name of the lock-off (this will appear
as the name of the room on the eRes Booking Engine)
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• Under Hotel Website – Description, write the lock-off room description (this will also
appear on the eRes Booking Engine)
When done, click Post to save.
The lock-off room will now appear in the Lock-Off tab.
NOTE: Each Lock-off will appear on the eRes Booking Engine as an individual room. Therefore, if
there are two lock-offs called “One Bedroom Suite”, they will both display on eRes as two separate
lines for “One Bedroom Suite”. eRes does not combine Lock-off Room Types together as it does
with other room types in eRes. The reason for this is because there are specific room numbers
attached to each Lock-off room.
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How to Create Rates for Lock-Off Rooms
The following article reviews the ways that rate plans can be created and configured for use with
Lock-Offs in the PMS and eRes Mobile Booking Engine.
Rate Plans for Lock-Offs
There are two main options for creating rate plans for Lock-Offs:
• Method 1 - Create a Master Rate Plan for the combined price of all the rooms in the lockoff, and create a second Complimentary Rate Plan for the attached rooms. This means
that the entire room rate will post on the Master room, and the attached room's rates will
post at $0.00. This method is simple for billing purposes, however may negatively impact
ADR on the attached rooms.
• Method 2 - Create unique pricing for each room in the Lock-Off (this can be done using a
single Rate Plan that includes only the Room Types used in the Lock-Off). If the Lock-off is
intended to be sold on the eRes Mobile Booking Engine, this is the option that must be
used.
Method 1 - Master + Complimentary Rate Plans
If the Lock-off consists of multiple Room Types (ie: a suite + standard room(s)) then the Master
Rate Plan would be attached to the Master room (in this case, the Suite). During the booking
process, the Suite would be picked first, and the Master Rate plan would be selected. Then the
attached room(s) would be selected, with the Complimentary Rate attached.
The following example reviews how to create a Master Rate, and a Complimentary Rate for the
attached rooms in the Lock-Off. The configuration of this Lock-Off suite will be the combination of
the Presidential Suite (PDS), and a Premiere Executive Room (PK).
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Step 1: Rate Category
The first step to creating a Rate Plan is to ensure an appropriate corresponding Rate Category
exists. To create one, proceed to System Configuration > Rate Wizard, and click on Rate
Categories
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1. Click Add to create a new Rate Category
2. Enter the Rate Category name
3. Click OK to save
Description and Sort Order are optional fields for use on eRes Mobile Booking Engine.
• Description – a short description of the Rate Category which will appear on the eRes
Booking Engine
• Sort Order – allows configuration of the order in which Rate Categories are displayed on
eRes
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Step 2: Creating a Master Rate
In the Rate Wizard, click the + sign to start a new rate plan
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Working from the General tab:
• Select the Rate Category that was just created
• Choose a Rate Name
• Check off Direct Hotel only (this method of Lock-Off cannot be sold on eRes or 3rd Party
booking engines)
• DO NOT check Lock off (using for online booking)
• Set Min Persons and Minimum Length of Stay (typically both set to 1, unless other
restrictions always apply to this rate plan as a whole)
• Set any other applicable restrictions and Market Segment as needed
For more detailed information on creating a Rate Plan and the various settings on this screen, see
the article How to create a Rate Plan using the Rate Wizard in the Rates manual.
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More Details
Click the More Details button.
In this box, choose which Room Type the Lock-off's Master Room belongs to. In this case, the
PDS Room Type stands for the Presidential Suite. It will be the only Room Type that this rate plan
is applicable for, so all other Room Types will be unchecked. Because this type of Lock-off cannot
be sold on eRes, only the Hotel Direct channel will be checked off.
Click Apply.
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Back on the General tab, click Create to save the new Rate Plan.
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Step 3: Setting the Rate
From the main screen of the Rate Wizard, ensure the correct rate is selected (will be highlighted in
blue) and click Next.
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At this point there are two options for setting up this Rate Plan:
1. Set the rate manually on the General tab (For more information on publishing rates, see
the article How to Publish Rates to a Rate Plan Using the Rate Wizard in the Rates
manual)
2. Use the Rate Tiering tab to tier the rate off another rate plan (For more information on
tiering rates, please see the article How to Setup Tiering in the Rates manual)
For the purpose of this example, the Rate will be set up manually.
NOTE: When setting up the rate plan, the More Details feature was used to select only the PDS
Room Type, which is why it is the only Room Type showing on this plan. This plan cannot be used
to book any other room types.
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1.
2.
3.
4.
Enter the desired pricing into the Base Rate box
Select the Date From and Date To
Check Update Rate Amounts
Click Save to publish the rate
NOTE: If Triple, Quad and Extra person pricing applies, be sure to account for it here in the
appropriate boxes.
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Step 4: Creating the Complimentary Rate (for the Attached Rooms)
To create the Complimentary Rate, follow Steps 1-3 above (the same Rate Category can be
used). The rate in this example was named Presidential Suite Lock-Off to indicate that it is only
to be used in the Lock-Off rate configuration.
When it comes time to publish the rate in Step 3, use a $0.00 value for the attached rooms. Set
the date range, check Update Rate Amounts, and click Save.
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Step 5: Client Types
Attach each Rate Plan (Master and Complimentary) to the appropriate Client Type in the Client
Types tab.
Click on the Rate Plan in the Rate Wizard (ensure it's highlighted in blue), and click the Edit
button.
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Proceed to the Client Type tab and select the appropriate Client Type for this rate plan.
Remember to do this for both Rate Plans.
When done, click Update.
These rates are now ready to use when selling a Lock-Off.
Method 2 - Rate Plan with Rates for each Room Type
In order for Room Revenue to be allocated appropriately between all rooms in the Lock-off, or to
be able to sell the Lock-off on the eRes Mobile Booking Engine, the following method must be
used.
IMPORTANT NOTE: When selling Lock-offs on the eRes Mobile Booking Engine, only one Lockoff rate plan per room type can be used.
When selling Lock-off rooms on eRes, it will add the price of all the rooms together, and present it
as one unit, at one price.
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For example, a Lock-off being sold as a 2 Bedroom Suite on eRes consists of:
• 1 x Premier Executive Room (Master) = $600
• 1 x Superior Room (Attached)
= $200
The displayed rate on eRes for the (2 Bedroom Suite) Lock-off will be $800.
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Step 1: Rate Category
As in Method 1, if the appropriate Rate Category does not exist, it should be created prior to
setting up the rate.
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Step 2: Creating the Rate
Unlike Method 1 where two separate Rate Plans were created (a Master Rate, and a
Complimentary Rate for the attached room(s)), Method 2 will utilize a single Rate Plan for all
rooms in the Lock-Off.
In the following example, the Lock-off will consist of a Courtyard View King (CVK) room, and an
Ocean View Double Queen (OVQQ) room. Both room types will have unique pricing, allowing for
a rate to post nightly on each room in the Lock-off. (NOTE: Upon checkout, the PMS will
automatically transfer the Room & Tax charges from the Attached room to the Master room,
keeping the charges and payments all on one folio).
In the Rate Wizard (System Configuration > Rate Wizard) click the + button to start a new Rate
Plan.
Working from the General tab:
• Select the appropriate Rate Category
• Choose a Rate Name
• Check off Direct Hotel only
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• Check the box next to Lock off (using for online booking) - This will allow this rate to be
sold on eRes Mobile Booking Engine. NOTE: This option may only be checked on ONE
rate plan in the Rate Wizard, therefore only one Lock-Off configuration can be sold on
eRes. It is not possible to sell multiple variations of Lock-off configurations on eRes.
• Set Min Persons and Minimum Length of Stay (typically both set to 1, unless other
restrictions always apply to this rate plan as a whole)
• Set any other applicable restrictions and Market Segment as needed
For more detailed information on creating a Rate Plan and the various settings on this screen, see
the article How to create a Rate Plan using the Rate Wizard in the Rates manual.
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More Details
Click the More Details button.
Because this Lock-off consists of a Courtyard View King (CVK) room and an Ocean View Double
Queen (OVQQ) room, only those two rooms will be selected for this particular rate plan. When
adding the rates, it will ensure that those are the only two rooms on this Rate Plan.
Click Apply when done.
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Back on the General tab, click Create to save the new Rate Plan.
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Step 3: Setting the Rate
From the main screen of the Rate Wizard, ensure the correct rate is selected (will be highlighted in
blue) and click Next.
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At this point there are two options for setting up this Rate Plan:
1. Set the rate manually on the General tab (For more information on publishing rates, see
the article How to Publish Rates to a Rate Plan Using the Rate Wizard in the Rates
manual)
2. Use the Rate Tiering tab to tier the rate off another rate plan (For more information on
tiering rates, please see the article How to Setup Tiering in the Rates manual)
For the purpose of this example, the Rate will be set up manually.
NOTE: When setting up the rate plan, the More Details feature was used to select only the CVK
and OVQQ Room Types, which is why they are the only Room Types showing on this plan. This
plan cannot be used to book any other room types.
To enter the rates for these two Room Types, uncheck the box next to Lock the Grid.
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The template can be used to create a price variance between the rooms, or the prices can be
entered directly into the grid itself. For more information on setting up a Template, please see the
article How to Build a Rate Template in the Rates manual.
For this example, the prices have been entered directly into the grid itself.
1.
2.
3.
4.
Check Lock the Grid
Enter the Date From and Date To
Check Update Rate Amounts
Click Save to publish the rates
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Step 5: Client Types
Attach the Rate Plan to the appropriate Client Types in the Client Types tab.
Click on the Rate Plan in the Rate Wizard (ensure it's highlighted in blue), and click the Edit
button.
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Proceed to the Client Types tab and select the appropriate Client Type(s) for this rate plan. In
this example, because the rate is being sold on eRes and directly at the hotel, both Leisure
(Direct) and Online Booking (eRes) have been checked off.
When done, click Update.
The rate is now ready to use when selling the Lock-Off on both eRes, and directly at the hotel.
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How to Change a Lock-Off Room
The following article reviews how to make changes to a Lock-off room.
IMPORTANT NOTE: Changes should never be made to a Lock-off room that has active In-House,
or upcoming reservations.
Making Changes to Lock-off Rooms
Proceed to System Configuration > Room Numbers > Lock-off Rooms tab.
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Ensure the black arrow is pointing towards the desired Lock-off Room to be changed, and click
Edit.
Proceed to make any desired changes to the Lock-off Room. When finished, click Post to save
the changes.
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How to Delete a Lock-Off Room
The following article reviews how to delete a Lock-off Room.
IMPORTANT NOTE: Lock-off Rooms should never be deleted if there are active In-House or
upcoming reservations for it.
Deleting a Lock-Off Room
To delete a Lock-off Room from, proceed to System Configuration > Room Numbers > Lock-off
Rooms tab.
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Ensure the black arrow is pointing towards the Lock-off Room to be deleted, then select the
Delete button below.
A dialogue box will open, confirming the delete action. Click Yes to proceed, or No to cancel
without deleting.
The Lock-off will now be deleted from the PMS.
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How to Create a Reservation for a Lock-off Room
The following article reviews how to create a reservation for a Lock-Off room using the PMS (as
opposed to booking online through the eRes Mobile Booking Engine).
Making a reservation for a Lock-off Room
When booking a Lock-off Room, the Master Lock-Off must always be booked first. For this reason,
it may be advisable to provide a list of Lock-off's for Reservations and Front Desk showing which
rooms are the Master Rooms and which rooms are Attached Rooms.
To book a Lock-off Room, click New Res to begin the reservation process.
After the appropriate reservation information has been selected, click Refresh.
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Ensure the black arrow is pointing to the room type of the Master Lock-off. In the below example,
this is the PK room type.
Click the + icon under the Rate column, and select the Master rate.
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• Check the Enable Assignment box, and choose the Master room number
• Check the Lockoff box (the Lock Off tab will now show along the top)
Proceed to the Lock Off tab, and fill in the number of Adults and Children staying in that room.
Note that the associated connecting room is already shown.
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Click the + icon under the Rate column, and select the rate for the second room (if booking the
rates made under Method 1, this would be the complimentary rate plan. If booking the rate from
method 2, this would be the same rate plan as the Master Room).
For more information on the methods used for building Lock-off rates, see the article How to
Create Rates for Lock-Off Rooms
Place a check in the Book column.
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Proceed back to the Calendar tab, and place a check in the Book column.
Continue to fill in the Guest Info tab, and any other tabs that apply to this booking.
Once completed, select the OK to book the room(s).
Once the booking is complete, it will appear as multiple reservations (one for each room in the
Lock-off).
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Reservation Confirmation
The Reservation Confirmation will identify the Room Type as the name of the Lock-off Room, and
the Room Charges will reflect the cost of both the Master Lock-off and Attached Lock-offs
combined,
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Making a Lock-off Reservation on eRes
The following article reviews how Lock-off rooms appear on eRes Mobile Booking Engine.
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Lock-Off Rooms on eRes
Because each Lock-off consists of a combination of specific room numbers, when viewing Lock-off
Rooms on eRes, each lock-off combination will appear as a individual room.
In the below example, there are four 2 Bedroom Suites showing, as each one is a combination of
two specific rooms.
For example, one 2 Bedroom Suite will represent rooms 703 & 704, another will represent rooms
803 & 804, another represents rooms 903 & 904, and so on. Though the room numbers are not
displayed on eRes, when a reservation is made for one of these lock-off's, eRes will automatically
assign the rooms at the time of reservation, to prevent double booking of one or all of the rooms
needed to make the lock-off.
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Reservation Confirmation
The Room Type booked will display as the Lock-off, and the total rate for all rooms will display as
one.
In the PMS, the Lock-off will show as multiple reservations. Because it was booked through eRes,
and both rooms in the lock-off have individual rates, it will show the rate breakdown per room.
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How to Check-In a Lock-off Reservation
The following article reviews the steps required to check in a Lock-off reservation.
Checking in a Lock-Off Reservation
To check-in a Lock-off Reservation, ensure the black arrow is pointing towards either the Master,
or the Attached Lock-off room, then click Check-In.
The PMS will default to check-in the Master Lock-off room. Notice that the Room Number is
grayed out so it cannot be changed and a note appears to inform you that “This Guest has been
assigned to room 804 (lockoff room)”.
Click Check-In to continue the check-in.
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NOTE: The PMS will automatically check in all Lock-off rooms, there is no need to check in each
room individually.
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How to Check-Out a Lock-off Reservation
The following article outlines the steps to checking out a Lock-off reservation.
Checking out a Lock-Off Reservation
Ensure the black arrow is pointing towards the Master Lock-off room and then click Check Out.
When Check-Out is clicked, all charges on the Attached Lock-off reservation will transfer over to
the Master Lock-off reservation.
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The check-out screen will reflect the total bill which includes the charges from the Master Lock-off
reservation and the Attached Lock-off reservation. Click Check Out to complete the check out
process.
All rooms associated with the Lock-off reservation will now be checked out. The Guest Folio will
reflect the Room Charge on the Master Lock-off and the Room Charge on the Attached Lock-off
as one Room Charge.
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How to Cancel a Lock-off Reservation
The following article reviews the steps to cancelling a Lock-off Reservation in the PMS.
Cancelling a Lock-Off Reservation
There are two options when cancelling a Lock-off Reservation:
1. Cancel the Master Lock-off first, which will result in both the Master AND the Attached
rooms to be cancelled all at once.
2. Cancel the Attached Lock-off rooms first, which will leave the Master reservation intact.
Cancelling the Master Lock-off first:
Ensure the black arrow is pointing towards the Master Lock-off room, and click Cancel.
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Select the Reason for cancelling the reservation, then select Cancel Res (or Cancel & Charge if
the cancellation policy requires a cancellation fee be obtained) to process the cancellation.
Both reservations (Master Lock-off and Attached Lock-off) are now cancelled.
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Cancelling the Attached Lock-off first:
Ensure the black arrow is pointing towards the Attached Lock-off room, and click Cancel.
Select the Reason for cancelling the reservation, then select Cancel Res (or Cancel & Charge if
the cancellation policy requires a cancellation fee be obtained) to process the cancellation.
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The Attached Lock-off reservation has been cancelled, but the Master Lock-off remains as a
reservation.
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Posting Charges/Payments on Lock-off Reservations
When posting charges or payments to the Attached Lock-off reservation, the PMS will instead post
the charges or payments to the Master Lock-off reservation by default.
In the below example, Room 1003 is the Attached room in the Lock-off (Room 1004 is the Master).
Note what happens Post Charges is clicked:
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When attempting to post a charge to room 1003, the PMS will switch to the Master room (1004).
Note the Res ID for 1004 is 2831. All charges will automatically post the Master room.
NOTE: Even though Room Charges may post to the Attached room throughout the stay, upon
check-out, all Room Charges from the Attached room will also transfer to the Master room,
keeping everything on one final invoice.
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