How can I disable online bookings for certain months, such as for a seasonable business?

Setting Reservation Pages Offline for Seasonal Businesses

If your business operates seasonally—such as opening only during the summer months—you can easily prevent online bookings during your off-season. Instead of manually blocking all rooms, ReservationKey allows you to set your reservation page offline for specific date ranges and display a custom message to guests who try to book during that time.

Step 1: Open Your Reservation Page Settings

Go to the Website tab.
Click Reservation Pages.
Select the reservation page you want to adjust.

Within your reservation page settings, locate the section titled Disabled Online Bookings.

Step 2: Create a Custom Message

This message will display to guests who try to book during your closed dates. If you don’t already have a message prepared:

Go to Website → Website Messages.
Click Add New Message.
Type a message such as:

“Thank you for your interest in reserving with us! We are open May through October. Please search again within those dates.”

You can also enhance your message using optional HTML, for example:

<div style="background-color:#f5f5f5;padding:10px;font-size:16px;">
Thank you for your interest in reserving with us!  
We are open from May through October.
</div>

Click Save once you’ve added your custom message.

Step 3: Add Disabled Booking Dates

Return to your reservation page settings (under Website → Reservation Pages) and scroll back to the Disabled Online Bookings section.

Click Add New Range.
Enter your Start Date and End Date for when the property is closed (for example, November through April).
Select your custom message from the dropdown list.
Check the options:
- Hide “Continue” Button – prevents guests from continuing with a booking.
- Hide Waiting List Form – useful if you don’t take waiting lists during your closed season.

You can add multiple date ranges (for example, for different years or recurring closure periods).

Step 4: Optional – Display Announcements

This same feature can be used for announcements during special periods. For example, during a holiday or local event, you could display a message such as:

“Holiday notice: Reservations during the New Year weekend require a minimum three-night stay.”

In this case, you can leave the “Continue” button visible so guests can proceed after viewing your message.

Step 5: Save and Test Your Page

After entering your offline date ranges, click Save Changes.
Open your public reservation page and search for dates within your disabled range.
You should see your custom message appear instead of the regular availability results.

Example Result

When a guest searches for unavailable dates, they might see something like this:

Notice: Thank you for your interest in reserving with us. We are open May through October. Please select dates within our operating season.

Summary

By using the Disabled Online Bookings feature, seasonal businesses can automatically close online bookings during off months and clearly communicate availability to guests. This saves time and prevents confusion while keeping your booking page professional and up to date.

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