ReservationKey System Overview

Thank you for considering ReservationKey. This guide provides a brief overview of the system, highlighting some of the most commonly asked questions from new or potential users. The walkthrough below introduces the key areas of a new account and explains how to perform the most frequent tasks.

Availability Calendar

The Availability Calendar is the main screen you’ll use once your account is set up. It provides an overview of all rooms, dates, and reservations at a glance.

• Numbers such as “2” on a date indicate a two-night minimum stay requirement.
• The Events Bar at the top lets you type in notes or reminders for specific dates.
• The Orange Bar can be used for waitlists or date-specific notes linked to reservations.

To add a reservation:

1. Click on the desired room and date.
2. Or click and drag to select multiple rooms or nights.
3. Click Add Reservation to begin entering details.

Reservation Details Page

The Reservation Details page stores all information about a reservation. From here, you can:

• Enter or update guest details and payment information.
• Process credit card payments (after saving a card to the account).
• Change rooms, prices, add discounts, and include items for sale.
• Modify the reservation status (e.g., set to “Confirmed”).

After saving, the reservation appears on the calendar. You can drag and drop it to another room or date, and the color will update automatically based on its status (for example, green for confirmed).

iCal Integration (Airbnb, VRBO, etc.)

ReservationKey supports iCal import and export for syncing with platforms like Airbnb and VRBO:

• Import: Click Add and paste the iCal URL from Airbnb or VRBO to pull their reservations into ReservationKey.
• Export: Copy your ReservationKey iCal link and add it to your Airbnb or VRBO account so they can pull in your ReservationKey reservations.

You can also set unique statuses or colors for imported reservations (for example, one color for Airbnb and another for VRBO).

Reservation Pages and Online Booking

Under the Website tab, open Reservation Pages to manage your online booking engine. This is what connects ReservationKey to your website for guest bookings.

Click on a reservation page name (for example, Availability) to preview how guests see your booking form. Features include:

• Availability Search: Guests can enter their dates, view available rooms, and see rates, descriptions, and photos.
• Customizable Text: Labels such as “Make Reservation” can be changed to “Send Inquiry” or similar.
• Policies Display: Guests can read your terms before submitting a booking.
• Restrictions: Set rules such as minimum stays, arrival days, or blackout periods.

We recommend making a test reservation to see the full guest experience. When a reservation is submitted, the system will save it and, if applicable, process the payment automatically.

Reservation Notifications

Whenever a new online reservation is created:

• You’ll receive an email notification immediately.
• The new reservation will also appear in your ReservationKey dashboard, marked as New Online.

Click into the reservation to review details and change its status to confirmed.

Correspondence and Messaging

Under the Correspondence tab within a reservation, you can view all outgoing and incoming messages.

• History and Queue: Shows scheduled emails and text messages that will go out automatically before or after the reservation.
• Previously Sent: Displays messages already sent (e.g., the confirmation email).
• Hover over the email tracking icons to view open history and location details.

You can also manually send emails, edit content before sending, and personalize messages as needed. Reservations can be deleted by clicking More ? Delete.

Rate Plans and Pricing

All rates and pricing are managed under the Properties tab ? Rate Plans.

• Each room can have its own rate plan, or multiple rooms can share the same plan.
• Rates can be defined per day of the week or per week.
• Minimum night stays can be applied to specific days (for example, two-night minimum on Fridays and Saturdays).

There are three main ways to manage rates:

• Standard Rate Plans: Set weekly or daily pricing and stay requirements.
• Day-by-Day Rates: Enter specific prices and minimum stays for each date manually.
• Rate Adjustments: Create temporary price changes for holidays or events.

Taxes, Fees, and Room Setup

Use the Rooms/Units section to configure photos, descriptions, and details displayed on your reservation pages. Taxes and fees can also be defined here to ensure accurate pricing for guests.

Email Templates and Website Messages

Under the Website tab, you’ll find tools to customize your emails and website text:

• Email Templates: Predefined emails included with your account can be customized or replaced with new ones. Click Add Template to create a new one or edit an existing template to modify the content.
• Merge codes, shown in {curly braces}, automatically pull data from reservations (such as guest name or check-in date).
• Website Messages: Edit the text that appears on your online booking pages. This includes page headers, footers, and messages displayed after a booking is completed.

The look and feel of your booking pages can be fully customized to match your website design. You may choose one of our pre-built themes or request a customized layout.

Conclusion

We hope this overview provides a helpful introduction to ReservationKey. If you have any questions or would like assistance with setup, please contact us. We’re happy to help by phone or email and can schedule a personalized walkthrough at any time.