Introduction

A Pre-booking is meant to allow the user (and guests via the website) to make a reservation on an accommodation for a future period the accommodation has not been released yet.

A pre-booking in terms of the system is a booking where the reservation status = Pre Booking

Main restrictions are:

The booked accommodation is not released yet for the required stay period
There is a valid rate marked as Pre-booking rate
There is a valid Pre-Booking rentability set for the required stay period
There is a valid Pre-Booking price ( 0.- or any fixed amount)
Implies are closed for this year (end book date via Batch update)
Valid implied add-ons should have been checked on correct configuration for the year pre bookings can be made
Rentability for add-ons (and other resources) is generated for two years ahead. For periods after 2 years, the "ignore rentability toggle in the mandatory add-on linked to the accommodation type should be enabled
Pre booking payment term set
Pre bookings can be created for every DC/RC via the Reservation manager
Payments can be added to a Pre booking (be aware the reservation status remains on Pre booking till the user has update the Pre bookings via Reservation batch update in the reservation manager)

Before a Pre-booking can be created there are several steps to be taken.

Step by step guide:

Back office manager > Rights and role (one time setup)

Make sure the user who will create the configuration does have the correct permissions.

Channel manager > Pre-Booking status per reservation category (one time setup)

It needs to be decided per reservation category if the Pre-Booking status should be allowed or not.
if it is allowed the Pre-Booking status should be part of the available statuses. Means that the Pre-Booking status should not be visible in the reservations status excluded list. Use Add new reservation status to exclude it when Pre-Booking is visible on the excluded list.
Create a pre booking payment term set if you want to charge the customer for the Pre booking > Enabling such a pre-booking payment set should be handled in the Database. Contact the PO of Reservation manager to enable this setting via DB team.

Content manager > Release setup accommodation types (setup per year)

Open the accommodation type you want the user to create Pre-Bookings for
Create a new release for Everybody > for Pre-Bookings in 2023 the Available until should be set to 31-12-2022
Per location, per accommodation type the release should be setup
Use the batch update to setup the release for multiple locations/multiple accommodation types
A pre-booking can be made up to a year after the release date Please note that (implied) add-ons can only be booked up to 2 years ahead from today, so they need an end date if you want to pre-book for a period after 2 years.

Rate manager > Pre-Booking rate option (one time setup)

Create a new rate option on the default Rate type
It is also possible to create a new Rate type Pre-Booking where you add the new Pre-Booking rate option to

Rate manager > Pre-Booking rentability set (One time set up and to be extended for each new book year)

Create a new Pre-Booking rentability set per group of accommodation types/per location/multiple location
Activate the check box Pre-booking to make it usable for Pre-Booking reservations
Add the Pre-Booking rentability rules for the Pre-Booking period after the release date
Link the representations of the Pre-Booking accommodation types to the Pre-Booking rentability set