Introduction: This guide is designed to help manage bookings for individual rooms or a full venue within our reservation system. The aim is to accommodate requests for combined space bookings, which may come with or without discounts while maintaining a straightforward booking process.

Example Scenario Rates:

• Combined Space (Grand Hall, Conference Room, Cafeteria & Lobby):

  • Standard Hourly Rate (08:00-17:00): £26.00
  • Premium Hourly Rate after 17:00: £36.00

• Grand Hall, Cafeteria & Lobby:

  • Standard Hourly Rate (08:00-17:00): £21.00
  • Premium Hourly Rate after 17:00: £31.00

• Conference Room only:

  • Standard Hourly Rate (08:00-17:00): £6.00
  • Premium Hourly Rate after 17:00: £9.00

Strategy 1: Individual Space Reservation Blocks

Overview: Create a dedicated booking entry for "Abbey Hall - Entire Venue" with specific hourly rates, then manually block off the individual components of this space when booked to prevent double booking.

Steps for Implementation:

1. Create a Combined Venue Listing:

   • Set up "Abbey Hall - Entire Venue" with the following rates:
     • Standard Hourly Rate: £26.00
     • Premium Hourly Rate: £36.00

2. Manual Blocking of Spaces:

   • Once "Abbey Hall - Entire Venue" is booked, manually reserve the individual rooms (e.g., Grand Hall, Conference Room) at a zero fee during the booking period.

3. Business Rules and Training:

   • Develop business rules for manual blocking and ensure staff are trained to avoid booking conflicts.

Strategy 2: Adjusted Pricing Model

Overview: Adjust pricing to ensure that individual bookings are logically more expensive when not booked together, using a 'customer type' feature for discounts on combined bookings.

Steps for Implementation:

1. Venue Listings for Individual Spaces:

   • Maintain listings for:
     • "Grand Hall, Cafeteria & Lobby" at £21.00 (standard) and £31.00 (premium)
     • "Conference Room only" at £6.00 (standard) and £9.00 (premium)

2. Use of 'Customer Type' for Discounts:

   • Apply discounts for combined bookings of individual spaces to incentivize booking the full venue.

3. Review and Adjust Pricing:

   • Ensure that the sum of booking individual spaces is logically consistent and provides a discount when booked as "Abbey Hall - Entire Venue."

Conclusion: These strategies will help to navigate the current system's limitations and accommodate customer booking preferences effectively. For additional support or clarification on these processes, please contact our support team.

Staff Reminder:

• Always verify that manual blocking is performed accurately to prevent double bookings.
• Communicate any pricing adjustments to customers clearly to maintain transparency.