About Visual One Group Booking IDs

1. Groups room blocks are only accessible to those who have been given a valid booking ID by the property or group convenor.
   
   

2. The Visual One File Card that the booking ID is associated with must be set as "available on web".
   
   
   1. Note: there is no setting on the individual group for "available on web"; it is driven by the File Card. Therefore, every booking ID on the File Card is bookable online when the File Card is made "available on web".
      
      
      
      
3. The Group Tariff must be mapped in the OTA Monitor. See Agilysys Visual One Tariffs & chameleon™.
   
   
4. If the Group Booking ID has a tariff or package associated:
   
   
   1. The tariff or package must be built in Visual One and in the b4checkin Admin Site. See Agilysys Visual One Tariffs & chameleon™ and Agilysys Visual One Packages & OTA Monitor Mapping.
      
      
   2. The tariff or package must be mapped in the OTA monitor. See Agilysys Visual One Tariffs & chameleon™ and Agilysys Visual One Packages & OTA Monitor Mapping.
      
      
5. The group cut-off date must be accurate. After this date, bookers will not be able to access the group online.
   
   
6. If you do not want the group to see the rates associated with the group block, the "Suppress Rate on Reg. Card" flag must be selected.
   
   
   
   
7. Room types offered online may be controlled per group by utilizing the "pick-up online" functionality within the booking. If no room types are selected, chameleon will automatically pull all room types associated with the group.
   
   
   
   
   

Mapping Visual One Group Tariffs in the Agilysys OTA Monitor

The GROUP tariff must be mapped in the OTA Monitor in order to offer group bookings online.
All tariffs associated with groups must be mapped in the OTA Monitor.
All packages associated with group booking IDs must be mapped in the OTA Monitor.

Below are the OTA Monitor requirements for chameleon by b4checkin. Note: it is possible that Agilysys may require other items to be completed in the OTA Monitor for other PMS related purposes. To learn more about why the OTA Monitor is required for Group Booking ID's, please refer to the section Agilysys Visual One Interface to chameleon™.

To map the GROUP tariff in the OTA Monitor, the following is required:

1. The GROUP tariff needs to be mapped in the Agilysys OTA Monitor to have all groups bookable online. Note: Individual booking ID's do not need to be mapped, only GROUP. If properties opt to associate tariffs with booking IDs, those tariffs must also be mapped in the OTA Monitor.
   
   
2. The "rate plan" field must match "GROUP" exactly. This field is case sensitive.
   
   
3. The GROUP tariff must be selected in the tariff drop-down menu.
   
   
4. If the group has a tariff or package attached, the tariff or package must be mapped separately in the OTA monitor and built in the b4checkin Admin Site. See Agilysys Visual One Tariffs & chameleon™, and Agilysys Visual One Packages & OTA Monitor Mapping.
   
   
5. "Use Custom Market Segments" check-box must be selected and the appropriate codes need to be associated.
   
   

Before Setting Up a Group in the b4checkin Admin Site

The following must be completed within Visual One prior to updating the b4checkin Admin Site.

1. The group must be built in Visual One along with rates and inventory associated.
   
   
2. The File Card containing the Booking ID must be set as "available on web".
   
   Note: There is no setting on the individual group to enable it as "available on web"; the setting is driven by the File Card. Therefore, every Booking ID on the File Card is affected. 
   
   
3. The GROUP tariff must be mapped in the OTA Monitor with the associated segment and origin codes. 
   
   If you associate different Tariffs with your Booking IDs, those Tariffs must be mapped in the OTA Monitor.
   
   If you associate packages with your Booking IDs, those Packages must also be mapped in the OTA Monitor.

You have the option of enabling booking ID’s with or without customizations. Once the above items are complete within Visual One, you can then add your Groups to the b4checkin Admin Site as described below.

Add Booking ID to chameleon™ – No Customization

To add a group to chameleon™ without customization or unique functionality:

1. All items in the above section must be completed.
   
   
2. The GROUP tariff must be built in the b4checkin Admin Site as a group type Rate Plan. This is typically done at the time of the chameleon™ build. Once built, nothing further is required to make the Group Booking ID live.
   
   
   
   

3. All Group Booking ID’s can now be accessed in chameleon™, provided the “Allow Selection from Web” check box is selected on the File Card.
   

Add Booking ID to chameleon™ – With Customization

To activate group customization, additional items must be created within the b4checkin Admin Site. Custom functionality includes:

1. Default Group Tab
   
2. Custom Group Messaging
   
3. Group Rate Landing Pages

For each of the above items, you must build the Group Booking ID as a rate plan within the b4checkin Admin Site:

1. All items must be fully set up in Visual One. 
   
   
2. Select “Rate Plans” then “Manage Rate Plans”.
   
   
3. Select “+ Add a Rate Plan”.
   
   
   
   
4. Select the “Rate Plan Type” as Group from the drop-down.
   
   
5. Active: enables the rate plan to be bookable online.
   
   
6. Is this default for property: Not applicable for groups, as only a tariff or package is appropriate as the public default.
   
   
7. Sort Order: determines how this group will be sorted on the drop-down menu when a booker has logged into the Group. Note: Groups will not appear in the drop-down menu unless the booker has logged in using the Group Booking ID.
   
   
8. Rate Plan Code: the Group Booking ID as created in Visual One.
   
   
9. Hours to Cancel and Change: the number of hours within which a booker is not allowed to change or cancel online.
   
   
10. Show in Drop-down Menu: Does not apply for groups as this automatically happens when a booker is is logged into a group.
    
    
11. Show on Special Offers Page: Does not apply for groups. 
    
    
12. Hide Credit Cards When Rates Are Suppressed: If this group has suppressed rates, this flag will eliminate the requirement for the booker to input credit card details at time of booking. 
    
    
13. Logo: a logo can be uploaded to display on the UX#2 front page when a guest is logged into the group.
    
    
14. Enter the name and description to be associated with the group.
    
    
15. Save.
    
    
    

Custom Group Messaging

You can create custom group Messages based on the Booking ID, appropriate for custom Terms & Conditions or a custom Cancellation Policy per Booking ID.

See "Adding a Message" at Messages in chameleon™ and ensure that the Rate Plan ID selected is the Booking ID in question.

Default Group Tab Functionality

If you have enabled tabs in chameleon™, you can make a group default to a tab. This can be helpful if your group consists of room types that are scattered among your room groups.

1. Select the Group Booking ID under “Manage Rate Plans”.
   
   
2. Select the appropriate default tab under the “Default Group Tab” drop-down menu.
   
   If “None” is selected, the group will automatically default to the first tab.
   If “Apply Group Tab” is selected, all existing tabs will be eliminated and a new tab will be created pulling in all rooms from the various tabs.
   
   
3. Save.
   
   
   

Without Group Tab

With Group Tab

Specific Tab Selected

Group Rate Landing Page

In addition to being helpful to communicate corporate rate offerings, a rate landing page (RLP) can also be created for any Group Booking ID.

A rate landing page is a web page devoted to an organization, thus enabling you to present information specific to the group and create a customized booking experience for group members.

See Agilysys Visual One Group Rate Landing Pages in chameleon™.

Group Convenor Page

The Group Convenor Page is an optional feature that lets you provide selected Group Convenors the ability to remotely monitor reservations and cancellations made under their group block.

1. Properties must ask their b4checkin Account Manager to set up this feature.
   
   
2. Any Group ID can be accessed from this page. The Group Convenor must be provided the Group Booking ID by the property in order to access booking data.
   
   
3. The password is set on the Group File Card in Visual One, at Group File Card > Select the appropriate group > Group Web Page Settings Tab > Set Group Contact Password field is located bottom left.
   
   
   
   
   

Group Convenor Log-In Page

Sample Group Convenor Page

The top section which displays the rooms booked and blocked can be hidden upon request, but such settings are global, and become hidden for all Group ID's.

The Room List display can be sorted by clicking the column headers.

Editing a Group Booking ID

The most common edit to a Group Booking ID in chameleon™ is the adjustment of the Group Tabs or Messages. To adjust the group tab:

1. Select “Rate Plans” then “Manage Rate Plans”
   
   
2. Select the edit button next to the Group Booking ID.
   
   
3. Adjust the default tab under the “Default Group Tab” drop-down menu.
   
   
4. Save.

To adjust the messages pertaining to a group:

1. Follow the steps in the section "Editing a Message" at Messages in chameleon™.
   
   
2. Save.
   
   
   

Removing a Group Booking ID

There is only one way to deactivate a Group Booking ID from chameleon™ is to set the File Card in Visual One to not "available on web".

Note that is no setting on the individual group to enable it as "available on web"; this is driven by the File Card. Therefore, every Booking ID on each File Card is affected by this setting.