Managing Bookings

Tier: Growth 🌱 | Business 💼
Time: 5-10 minutes
Prerequisites: At least one booking in the system

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Overview

The Bookings page is your central hub for managing all guest reservations across all properties. View upcoming check-ins, track past stays, send welcome messages, and manage the complete booking lifecycle from reservation to checkout.

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What is a Booking?

A booking represents a single reservation at one of your properties:

Booking Components

Guest Information:

• Guest name (required)
• Guest phone number (required)
• Guest email (optional but recommended)

Property & Dates:

• Which property
• Check-in date
• Check-out date
• Number of nights (auto-calculated)

Unique Booking URL:

• Automatically generated: /b/{unique-token}
• Pre-loads guest name
• Enables email capture
• Links to property guidebook

Communication:

• SMS sent status
• SMS sent date
• Guidebook link status
• Email capture status

Platform Data (Optional):

• Booking platform (Lodgify, Booking.com, Airbnb, etc.)
• External booking ID
• Total price
• Number of guests

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Accessing Bookings

How to Get There

1. Click "Bookings" in the left sidebar
2. Or visit: /dashboard/bookings
3. Or use keyboard shortcut: G then B

Bookings Dashboard

Header Section:

• Total booking count
• Search bar
• Filter tabs
• Action buttons (Import CSV, Add Booking, Send SMS)

Bookings Table:

• Guest name
• Property
• Check-in and check-out dates
• Booking status
• SMS status
• Quick actions

Pagination:

• 25 bookings per page (default)
• Next/previous navigation
• Jump to page

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Booking Status Explained

Each booking has a status based on check-in/check-out dates:

Status Types

Upcoming 🔵

• Check-in date is in the future
• Guest hasn't arrived yet
• Good time to send pre-arrival SMS
• Actionable booking

Current 🟢

• Check-in date has passed
• Check-out date is in the future
• Guest is currently staying
• Monitor for issues

Past ⚪

• Check-out date has passed
• Guest has left
• Good for follow-up campaigns
• Request review

All 📋

• Shows all bookings regardless of status
• Default view
• Complete history

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Viewing Bookings

Table Columns

Guest Name

• Full name from booking data
• Click to view details
• Editable

Property

• Property name
• Links to property page
• Color-coded by property

Check-In

• Arrival date
• Format: MMM DD, YYYY
• Sort by this to see upcoming arrivals

Check-Out

• Departure date
• Format: MMM DD, YYYY
• Auto-calculates nights

Nights

• Duration of stay
• Auto-calculated
• Read-only

Phone

• Guest phone number
• International format
• Click to copy

Platform

• Source (Lodgify, Booking.com, Airbnb, Manual)
• Badge with icon
• Filterable

SMS Status

• ✅ Sent - SMS delivered successfully
• ⏸️ Not Sent - No SMS sent yet
• ❌ Failed - Delivery failed
• 📅 Scheduled - Set for future delivery

Actions

• Send SMS
• View booking URL
• Edit booking
• Delete booking

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Sorting Bookings

Click column headers to sort:

By Check-In Date (Most useful)

• Soonest First - See who's arriving soon
• Latest First - See far-future bookings

By Guest Name

• Alphabetical A-Z or Z-A
• Find specific guest quickly

By Property

• Group by property
• See all bookings per property

By Status

• Group upcoming/current/past
• Manage by booking state

Default Sort: Check-in date (soonest first)

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Filtering Bookings

Quick Filter Tabs

All Bookings

• Shows every booking (default)
• No date filter
• Complete history

Upcoming

• Check-in date in the future
• Most actionable bookings
• Send pre-arrival SMS
• Pro Tip: Check daily for new arrivals

Current

• Currently staying guests
• Today is between check-in and check-out
• Monitor active stays
• Handle issues quickly

Past

• Check-out date has passed
• Historical data
• Request reviews
• Win-back campaigns

Advanced Filters (Coming Soon)

• By property
• By date range
• By platform
• By SMS status
• By booking source

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Searching Bookings

Quick Search

Search bar (top right):

• Type guest name
• Type phone number
• Type booking ID
• Results filter instantly

Examples:

• "Smith" - finds all Smith guests
• "+1614" - finds bookings with 614 area code
• "Beach" - finds bookings at properties with "beach" in name
• "June" - finds bookings in June

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Viewing Booking Details

To View a Booking:

1. Click on any booking row in the table
2. Booking details modal opens

Detail View Shows:

Guest Information:

• Full name
• Phone number
• Email address (if captured)
• Opt-in status

Booking Information:

• Property name
• Check-in date and time
• Check-out date and time
• Number of nights
• Number of guests
• Total price (if available)

Booking URL:

• Unique URL for this booking
• Copy button
• QR code
• Share options

Communication History:

• SMS messages sent
• Dates and times
• Delivery status
• Email captures

Metadata:

• Platform (Lodgify, Airbnb, etc.)
• External booking ID
• Created date
• Last updated

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Editing Bookings

Inline Editing

Some fields can be edited directly in the table:

1. Click field to edit
2. Make changes
3. Press Enter to save
4. Auto-syncs to database

Editable Fields:

• Guest name
• Guest phone
• Guest email

Full Edit Modal

For comprehensive changes:

1. Click "Edit" button on booking row
2. Edit modal opens
3. Update any field
4. Click "Save Changes"

All Editable Fields:

• Guest name
• Guest phone
• Guest email
• Property
• Check-in date
• Check-out date
• Number of guests
• Total price
• Platform
• External booking ID
• Notes

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Adding Bookings Manually

When to Add Manually

✅ Add manually if:

• Direct booking (not from platform)
• Phone booking
• Last-minute booking
• Walk-in (rare but happens)
• Future booking not in CSV yet

How to Add a Booking

1. Click "+ Add Booking" button (top right)
2. Fill in required fields:
   • Guest Name (required)
   • Guest Phone (required)
   • Property (select from dropdown)
   • Check-In Date (required)
   • Check-Out Date (required)
3. Optional fields:
   • Guest email
   • Number of guests
   • Total price
   • Platform source
   • Booking ID
   • Notes
4. Click "Create Booking"
5. Booking immediately appears in table
6. Unique booking URL auto-generated

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Sending SMS from Bookings

Individual SMS

To send SMS to one guest:

1. Find booking in table
2. Click "Send SMS" button
3. SMS compose modal opens
4. Message pre-filled with template:

   Hi {Guest Name}! Welcome to {Property Name}.
   Your guidebook: {Booking URL}
   Check-in: {Check-In Time}
   

5. Edit message as needed
6. Click "Send SMS"
7. SMS delivered instantly
8. Status updates to ✅ Sent

Bulk SMS

To send SMS to multiple guests:

1. Filter bookings (e.g., "Upcoming")
2. Select bookings with checkboxes
3. Click "Send SMS to Selected" button
4. Choose template or write custom message
5. Preview recipients
6. Click "Send to All"
7. SMS sent to all selected
8. Delivery reports shown

Pro Tip: Use bulk SMS for:

• All guests checking in tomorrow
• Send guidebook link 2 days before arrival
• Send thank you message after checkout
• Weather alerts or property updates

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Booking URLs

Each booking has a unique URL that serves multiple purposes:

URL Format

https://yourdomain.com/b/{unique-token}

Example:

https://guestloop.com/b/abc123xyz789

What Happens When Guest Visits

1. Guest clicks URL (from SMS or email)
2. Name pre-loaded - "Welcome, John!"
3. Email capture form - Guest enters email
4. Opt-in checkbox - Marketing consent
5. Guidebook opens - Full property guide
6. Guest record created - Added to CRM

Benefits of Booking URLs

✅ Personalization - Guest name shown
✅ Email capture - Build marketing list
✅ Tracking - See who accessed guidebook
✅ Unique per booking - No confusion between guests
✅ Easy to send - Via SMS or email
✅ Mobile-friendly - Works on any device

Sharing Booking URLs

Via SMS (Recommended)

• Highest open rate (98%)
• Instant delivery
• Mobile-friendly

Via Email

• Include in booking confirmation
• Send as part of welcome series
• Good for backup

As QR Code

• Generate QR code for booking URL
• Include in printed materials
• Place in property (for current guests)

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Deleting Bookings

⚠️ Warning: Use Carefully!

Deleting a booking:

• ❌ Removes from bookings table
• ❌ Breaks booking URL (404 error)
• ❌ Removes SMS history
• ✅ Keeps guest in database (guest record preserved)
• ❌ Cannot be undone

When to Delete

✅ Delete if:

• Booking was cancelled
• Duplicate booking created by mistake
• Test booking from import
• Guest never existed

❌ Don't delete if:

• Just want to hide past bookings (use filter instead)
• Guest complained (keep for records)
• Need historical data

How to Delete

1. Find booking in table
2. Click "Delete" button (trash icon)
3. Confirmation modal appears
4. Type guest name to confirm
5. Click "Yes, Delete Booking"
6. Booking immediately removed

Better Alternative: Mark as "cancelled" instead of deleting (coming soon)

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Booking Lifecycle

Complete Booking Journey

1. Booking Created

• From CSV import OR
• Manual entry OR
• API integration (Pro)

2. Pre-Arrival (3-7 days before)

• Send welcome SMS
• Share booking URL
• Guest accesses guidebook
• Email captured

3. Check-In Day

• Reminder SMS (optional)
• Check-in instructions shared
• Property access info sent

4. During Stay (between check-in and check-out)

• Guest uses guidebook
• Questions via SMS
• Support as needed

5. Check-Out Day

• Checkout reminder (optional)
• Thank you message
• Review request

6. Post-Stay (after checkout)

• Review follow-up email
• Join email list
• Future booking offers
• Referral program invite

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Bulk Operations

Selecting Multiple Bookings

To select bookings:

1. Check box next to booking
2. Or click "Select All" (top checkbox)
3. Selected bookings highlighted

Available Bulk Actions

Send Bulk SMS

• Send same message to all selected
• Personalization available (guest name, property, etc.)
• Delivery reports

Export Selected

• Download CSV of selected bookings
• Import into other systems
• Backup data

Update Property (Coming Soon)

• Change property for multiple bookings
• Useful if imported wrong

Delete Selected (Careful!)

• Remove multiple bookings at once
• Cannot be undone

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Exporting Bookings

CSV Export

To export bookings:

1. Filter bookings as desired (e.g., "Past")
2. Click "Export" button (top right)
3. Choose export options:
   • All bookings
   • Filtered bookings only
   • Selected bookings only
   • Date range
4. Click "Download CSV"
5. File downloads to computer

Export Includes

• Guest name
• Guest phone
• Guest email
• Property name
• Check-in date
• Check-out date
• Number of nights
• Total price (if available)
• Platform
• Booking ID
• SMS status
• Created date

Use Cases for Export

Accounting/Tax Purposes:

• Revenue tracking
• Occupancy reports
• Guest counts

Marketing Analysis:

• Average booking length
• Popular properties
• Seasonal trends
• Repeat guest identification

Backup:

• Keep offline copy
• Migrate to other system
• Historical archives

Integration:

• Import into accounting software
• Share with property owners
• Sync with PMS

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SMS Credits & Booking Messages

SMS Credits (Starter & Pro Only)

Starter Plan:

• 150 SMS credits/month
• Approximately 150 bookings notified
• $0.10 per additional SMS

Pro Plan:

• 600 SMS credits/month
• Approximately 600 bookings notified
• $0.08 per additional SMS

Monitoring SMS Usage

View remaining credits:

1. Settings → Billing
2. See "SMS Credits Remaining"
3. Resets monthly on your billing date

What happens when you run out:

• Cannot send more SMS until next month
• OR purchase additional credits
• Email campaigns still work unlimited

SMS Best Practices

When to Send:

• ✅ 2-3 days before check-in (optimal)
• ✅ Day of check-in (reminder)
• ✅ Day after checkout (thank you)
• ❌ Not more than 3 SMS per booking (avoid spam)

Message Length:

• Keep under 160 characters
• Longer messages = multiple credits
• Be concise!

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Common Booking Scenarios

Scenario 1: Guest Checking In Tomorrow

Goal: Send guidebook link

Steps:

1. Go to Bookings page
2. Click "Upcoming" tab
3. Sort by check-in date (soonest first)
4. Select all guests checking in tomorrow
5. Click "Send SMS to Selected"
6. Send pre-filled welcome message

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Scenario 2: Update Guest Phone Number

Goal: Guest provided new number

Steps:

1. Find booking in search
2. Click phone number field
3. Update with new number
4. Press Enter to save
5. Re-send SMS to new number

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Scenario 3: Duplicate Booking Imported

Goal: Remove duplicate

Steps:

1. Find both bookings (search by name)
2. Compare check-in dates
3. Keep the correct one
4. Delete the duplicate
5. Verify guest still in Guests database

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Scenario 4: Guest Changed Check-In Date

Goal: Update booking dates

Steps:

1. Find booking
2. Click "Edit" button
3. Update check-in date
4. Update check-out date if needed
5. Save changes
6. Send updated SMS with new dates

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Troubleshooting

Problem: SMS Not Sending

Possible Causes:

• No SMS credits remaining
• Invalid phone number format
• Number is landline (not mobile)
• Twilio not configured

Solutions:

1. Check SMS credits in Settings → Billing
2. Verify phone number includes country code (+1)
3. Ensure number is mobile (SMS capable)
4. Contact support if issue persists

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Problem: Booking URL Returns 404

Causes:

• Booking was deleted
• Token expired (shouldn't happen)
• Typo in URL

Solutions:

1. Check if booking still exists in table
2. Generate new URL for booking
3. Re-send to guest
4. Contact support if problem continues

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Problem: Can't Edit Booking

Causes:

• Browser cache issue
• Permissions (team member with view-only access)
• Booking locked (rare)

Solutions:

1. Refresh page (Ctrl+F5)
2. Check your team member permissions
3. Try different browser
4. Contact support

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Frequently Asked Questions

Q: What's the difference between a booking and a guest?

A: A guest is a person (unique email). A booking is a reservation. One guest can have multiple bookings.

Q: Can I edit past bookings?

A: Yes! All bookings are editable regardless of status. Useful for correcting mistakes or adding info.

Q: Will editing a booking re-send SMS?

A: No. SMS is only sent manually when you click "Send SMS". Editing doesn't trigger automatic messages.

Q: Can guests see all their bookings?

A: Not currently. Each booking URL is unique and only shows that specific booking's guidebook. Guest portal coming soon!

Q: How do I know if a guest opened their guidebook?

A: Check the email capture status. If email was captured, they definitely opened it. Full analytics coming soon.

Q: Can I have recurring bookings?

A: Not yet. You'll need to create each booking separately. Recurring bookings feature planned for future release.

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Best Practices

1. Send SMS 2-3 Days Before Check-In

Why:

• Guests appreciate advance notice
• Time to review guidebook
• Reduces day-of questions
• Higher open/click rates

2. Keep Booking Data Accurate

Regularly:

• Update phone numbers if changed
• Verify check-in/check-out dates
• Add notes for special requests
• Clean up test bookings

3. Use Filters Efficiently

Daily check:

• "Upcoming" → See who's arriving soon
• "Current" → Monitor active stays
• "Past" → Identify review opportunities

4. Export Monthly for Records

Create habit:

• Export all bookings end of month
• Save as backup
• Import into accounting
• Track occupancy trends

5. Personalize SMS Messages

Better engagement:

• Use guest first name
• Mention property name
• Include specific check-in time
• Add personal touch

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What's Next?

After mastering booking management:

1. ✅ Sending SMS Messages - Master SMS communication
2. ✅ Adding Bookings Manually - Manual entry process
3. ✅ Booking Lifecycle - Complete booking journey
4. ✅ Guest Database Overview - CRM management

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Need Help?

• Video Tutorial: Watch: Managing Bookings
• Support: support@guestloop.com
• Import Issues: Check CSV Import Guide
• SMS Problems: See SMS Troubleshooting

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Organized bookings = Less stress + Better guest experience + More time for hosting! 📅✨