RoomRaccoon Release 24.6 (Coming 5th November 2024)

We are excited to introduce the latest features and improvements in the RoomRaccoon 24.6 release! This update simplifies booking flows, enhances booker profile management, and introduces powerful new deposit dashboards for better insights into your pre-payments and running reservation balances.

> Booking Engine Update

We’ve streamlined the booking engine to make browsing easier, booking faster, and checkout smoother across all devices:

• Simplified Search: Guests can browse room categories without entering occupancy or rooms upfront.

• Dynamic Availability: Room listings show occupancy limits, with options to add rooms and assign guests per room.

• Personalized Rates: Only relevant rate plans are displayed based on occupancy. All plans appear by default.

• Refined Checkout: A new slide-out window shows booking details and allows adding rooms before checkout.

> Booker Profile Management

Manage payments inside the booker profile with new capabilities designed for smoother operations:

• Request Full Payments:

  • Send payment requests for outstanding invoices directly from the booker profile.

  • Note: Partial payment requests cannot be made for invoices generated from the booker profile. For example, if an invoice is for 50 euros, you cannot request a payment for 20 euros.

• Create a Booker Balance:

  • Send requests for payments not linked to a specific reservation, creating a booker balance.

  • Accept manual payments from bookers, like bank transfers, and record them in the booker profile to create a balance.

  • Use this balance to cover future reservations or additional expenses for agreed-upon scenarios like weddings, corporate travel agreements, and other events.

• Track Financial Activity:

  • Monitor outstanding invoices, payment history, and recorded sales (payments matched to invoices).

  • Ensure all payments assigned to a booker are up-to-date and properly recorded within their profile.

> NEW Deposit Dashboards for Pre-Payments

We’ve finally released our four powerful deposit dashboards to all Premium and Enterprise users to give you real-time insight into pre-payments, guest balances, and liabilities, ensuring accurate financial management. Click here to learn more.

Key Benefits of the Four Dashboards:

1. Deposits and In-House Summary Dashboard

   • Track Liabilities Accurately: View all prepayments, refunds, and in-house balances at a glance.

   • Real-Time Reporting: Monitor financial movements in real time to stay on top of liabilities and revenue.

   • Prevent Revenue Overstatement: Ensure prepayments are recorded as liabilities, avoiding premature income recognition.

2. Deposits Report (Downloadable)

   • Easy Filtering by Date Range: Use the date picker to identify reservations with prepayments.

   • Payment Transparency: See the amount, payment method, and guest profile for each deposit.

   • Track Reservation Details: Align deposits with arrival and departure dates to manage future cash flow.

3. Deposits Movement Report (Downloadable)

   • Monitor Revenue Shifts: Track how deposits convert to in-house balances when guests check-in.

   • Booking Status Tracking: Identify guests who have checked in and moved prepayments into running balances.

4. In-House Balances Dashboard

   • Manage Active Reservations: View all guests currently staying at your property.

   • Balance Flow Insight: Track how balances change from negative (prepayment) to positive (outstanding debt) as services are consumed.

> Update on Airbnb Commission Reporting

Currently, Airbnb commissions are reflected as discounts on room revenue in the PMS, which has caused some discrepancies in financial and management reporting, such as RevPAR (Revenue Per Available Room). Starting on 2 October 2024, Airbnb commissions will be categorized as commission payments rather than add-ons with negative values. This means the full room price will be reported, with commissions added as a payment on the reservation.

For example:

• Current Method: A room sold for €100 with a €20 Airbnb commission, is reported as €80 revenue.

• New Method: The same room will be reported as €100 revenue, with the €20 as a commission payment, providing a clearer picture of your total sales.

What Does This Mean for You?

• No Operational Changes: This is a backend change, and you do not need to take any action. Your Airbnb listings, bookings, and guest experiences will remain the same.

• Existing Reservations: Airbnb reservations added to your system before the change was made will remain on the old method of having the Airbnb fee add-on.

• Improved Reporting Accuracy: Your PMS will now reflect the actual room rate, leading to more accurate financial and performance metrics.

• Accounting: If you're utilising financial reports or have an accounting integration with RoomRaccoon, please provide us with the relevant ledger code for OTA commissions. This will ensure accurate reporting of these commissions in your accounting system.

Reminder: Activate Two-Factor Authentication (2FA)

Keep your property secure by enabling 2FA in your RoomRaccoon account. This additional layer of protection ensures peace of mind and prevents unauthorized access. By the end of November, you won’t be able to access your RoomRaccoon account without 2FA.