Apartbook has had a refresh of the Create a booking form. 

New Icons:

The new customer Icons will be system-wide making it easily recognisable to see where your customer has is booking from. 

From left to right- Agent Icon, Company Icon and Customer Icon 

New Button

• To add a new customer you now simply- click the New Button

 Agent Commission

If you are booking an Agent, the commission will show on the booking form. 

• You can change the commission values or type in this area, this could be for a promotion you are offering.  

Hold Booking button

• Click the Hold Booking button if you would like to block the calendar with a booking rather than confirm the booking. 

Along with some added features, the new Create a booking has been designed to work quicker and fit for our future mobile-first software. 

This update will be available on 03/09/2019

Thank you,

Apartbook team.

Knowing commission values is key to keeping your finances in check. 

To help our customers we have now added commission to the Agent area. It is a simple as setting up your Agents with their agreed commission and Apartbook will work out the rest. 

Go to:

• Customers & Guest - click Agents

• You can add a new Agent by clicking the button- New Agent 
• If you already have an agent set up click on the Agent you would like to update.
• Once you have opened the Agent you would like to update you will see three tabs at the top of the page, Details, Commission, and Bookings.
• Click the Commission tab 

• Now you can enter the commission details and click Save. 
• The commission will now automatically populate when making an Agent booking in Apartbook. This will also show on your invoice.

You will see the Create a booking form has also had a refresh. Keep your eyes peeled for the update. 

The update will be live on 03/09/2020.

Thank you,

Apartbook team

It has come to our attention that Booking.com has reactivated the auto-replenishment feature. 

This was switched off for all accounts during COVID 19 global lockdowns. 

What is ‘auto-replenishment on closed rooms’?

Auto-replenishment on closed rooms is a Booking.com default functionality that puts cancelled rooms back up for rent, even if the partner has removed availability for that particular date.

If you accept this feature on your Booking.com we can not close the availability from our side and this will leave the dates open to selling. 

For more information and how to deactivate this setting, or check to see if it is on your Booking.com account please click the link below. 

https://partner.booking.com/en-gb/help/rates-availability/how-can-i-set-auto-replenishment-closed-rooms   

If this is something you do not want to happen, we would suggest you check to see if this has been activated on your account, even if it wasn't before the global lockdown. 

Thank you,  

Apartbook Team

Our new additional extras area offers you the most flexibility when charging extra costs for your apartments. 

This area allows charges for:

• Cleaning fee
• City Tax 
• Tourist Tax
• Eco Tax
• Admin Fee
• Service Fee

How to use. 

For cleaning fees, admin fees, and service fees.

• Go to Rates & Availability.
• Click Rates.
• Select a rate. 
• Click the Additional Charges tab at the top of the screen.

• Click Add additional charges.
• Select Cleaning Fee, Admin Fee, or Service Fee from the dropdown.
• Add a tax rate. 
• Click inclusive or exclusive tax toggle.
• Add a fixed price of a percentage of the total booking amount.
• Click save

 This will then save and be pushed to your booking engine. 

How to use

For City Tax, Tourist Tax, and Eco Tax.

• Go to Rates & Availability.
• Click Rates.
• Select a rate. 
• Click the Additional Charges tab at the top of the screen.

• Click add additional charges 
• Select City Tax, Tourist Tax or Eco Tax

A pop up will appear 

This area allows you the flexibility to charge the tax rates based on your local laws. 

You can set this for fixed fees, length of stay, percentage of booking, adult or child or even how many nights. 

You can also add different tax season lines by clicking the plus and minus icons over the save button. 

• Add your Tax rate 
• Select how many nights you would like to charge. ( if this applies to your region) 

To add one Tax Season

• Enter a start date.
• Choose Fixed Fee, Adult Fee, Child Fee, or percentage of the total booking. ( These are specific to your region) 

If the tax is always the same click save.

If you have different fees for different times of the year

• Click the plus icon ( this is located over the save button)
• The last date entered will be saved.
• Choose Fixed Fee, Adult Fee, Child Fee, or percentage of the total booking. ( These are specific to your region) 
• Click the plus Icon

• Add a different end date to your fee and click save. 
• You can repeat this process if you have many different rates for different periods of the year.

Once your fees save you can edit whenever you want by clicking the pen icon or delete by clicking the bin. 

If you have any questions or need further training, please feel free to contact a member of the team. 

Thanks,

Apartbook team 

This is a short how-to guide to update marketing information for the booking engine. 

Go to: Rates and Availability

• Click apartment groups. 
• Select and click the apartment group you would like to update.

This will bring you to the Screen below. 

Details Tab

If you want your apartment information available to sell to third party channels, click the toggle to make it green. 

• Click Save.

Marketing info tab

• Update your marketing information by adding content to the Marketing description box. 
• Fill in the number the details in the features boxes. 
• Select the icons that relate to your apartments.

The updates are shown on the booking engine so guests know what your apartments offer. 

• Click Save.

Marketing Images tab

• Upload your apartment marketing images. You can add as many as you like and they will show on the booking engine. 
• Click the image you would like to be the primary image your bookers see. 
• Click Save.

Apartments Tab

This area is where you group your apartments to sell online. 

• Click on an apartment from available apartments that you would like to group together.
• Drag and drop the apartment, into the apartment group. 
• Click Save.

If you struggle to update any of the features please get in contact with a member of the team. 

Thank you, 

Apartbook team.

This post will help you update your booking engine to add the new features available. 

In the above image, you can see the booking engine has now moved to be under the channel manager area of the system.

Details Tab

• You will see the booking engine link at the top of the page, this can be used to test your updates and give to customers if you currently don't have a website. 
• The enable button should only be clicked once you are happy with your booking engine update. 
• Select a rate for your booking engine to connect to. We suggest using your main rate. 
• Enter a URL for your guest to click once a booking has been made,. we suggest you enter your website URL.

• Select the payment logos for the credit or debit cards you accept within your business. Thes will be displayed in the payment area of the booking engine.

• Click save once completed.

Extras Tab

If you have extras set up in Apartbook they will appear in the booking engine. 

• Select the extras you would like to use by clicking the toggle to green.
• Add a price.
• Add quantity.
• Add a tax rate you would like to use and click the toggle to green to include or exclude the tax. 
• 
• Click save once you have finished.

Styles Tab

This tab allows you to style the booking engine how you would like. From changing button colors to complete advanced design through CSS overwrite. 

• The booking engine title is for customers who do not have a logo, write the name of your company and it will appear on the booking engine. 
• Upload your logo
• Change the of buttons, text, and backgrounds by using the colour pickers or entering your brand colour HEX codes. You can check how this has updated the booking engine by clicking into the booking engine link on the details tab.

Advance styles

• If you know how you use CSS you can change styles throughout your booking engine to fit your brand.

If this is something you can not do and would like your booking engine to look more unique, we can work with you to change this for a fee. Fees are worked out on a case by case bases depending on requirements. Contact a member of the team for more information.

• Click Save.

Additional Content

Fill in the editor boxes with the policy information and terms and conditions. You can do this with HTML code or copy and paste information into the boxes. The editor allows you to also create this information. Type the information and use the editor to add styles you would like. 

• Click Save

 Integration Tab

The integration tab allows you to add a complete form to your website. Placing this form at the top of your website will promote customers to book with you. 

• Style the form by using the booking form editor, this works the same as the style tab. 
• To add this to your website copy and the code provided and paste onto your site. 
• If you do not have a have website developer or struggle to do this we will do this free of charge. All you will need to do is allow Apartbook the login details to your website. for more information contact a member of our team. 
• For other buttons on your website, you can paste the booking engine link and this will direct your guest to the booking page.

• Click Save.

 Further booking engine features on how to use will be posted in another update, this includes- icons - rates - city tax. 

The new booking engine will be available in Apartbook on Friday 14th August 2020.

Thank you, 

Apartook team.

With so much competition for accommodation, we know your online presence is so important to stand out against the rest and attract more guests. 

In order for you to help achieve more direct bookings, Apartbook has overhauled the booking engine to give you more style options, clearer design, and easier booking for your guests. 

With no commission for using Apartbooks booking engine, you get 100% of revenue from your guests. This is very rare for property management software not to charge a commission for bookings, but we feel you deserve the best chance to grow and succeed in your serviced apartment or vacation rental business. 

The new look! 

New Icons -New best rate area- New multiple images- New multiple style options/ including advance style- New calendar.

New booking summary- New style options - New extras

New guest form- New postcode check 

New Terms & conditions page- New Useful information 

New payment icons - New payment security 

New booking confirmation

The new booking engine will be available in Apartbook tomorrow, Friday 14th August 2020.

For how to update styles and make sure your booking engine is promoting your brand in the best way, we will be posting another update. 

Thank you,

Apartbook team. 

Apartbook is passionate about supporting you and your business. 

We have now started to upload how-to videos to help you use the system.

To access the videos click the GET SUPPORT button at the bottom of your system's screen. 

We will continue to add more video guides monthly. 

You can also view our videos on our YouTube channel - Apartbook YouTube

You can now close your availability for arrivals and departures.

This feature allows you to be more flexible when selling your apartments. 

If you choose to stop sell arrivals and departures on a specific date it allows the guest to book over that period but they can not arrive or leave on the date selected. 

You may not want arrivals on a Sunday but want to keep the calendar open for people to book the entire weekend. This feature allows you to do that. 

A new look availability calendar has been created with the update. New features include a date box, hover functions, and simple design.

New Availability Calendar 

Stop sell/ arrivals / departures bulk up date.

Stop sell/ arrivals/ departures for specific date.

New Date Box.

New functionality is important to everyone using Apartbook and we want to keep you posted with new and exciting functionality.

New Reports

• Year on year 
• Debtors 
• Booking Acquisitions 

Details on how the reports work will be released as the update is pushed live. 

Downloading information 

• Report downloads 

There are continuing projects and features being developed alongside this announcement which we will update all customers about when testing has been completed. 

Thank you for choosing Apartbook to support the running of your business. 

Apartbook Team 😃