RMS Booking Engine - Overview, Features, and Configuration Checklist
Overview
The RMS Booking Engine is an online reservation system that allows guests to book rooms directly from your website. It displays live availability, rates, and property information in real-time, enabling direct bookings without third-party intermediaries.
The RMS Booking Engine works seamlessly on desktop, tablet, and mobile devices, giving your guests a consistent booking experience across all platforms.
Using the RMS Booking Engine helps you:
- Reduce commission fees by capturing direct bookings
- Control your brand experience with customizable colours, logos, and messaging
- Display accurate live rates and availability from your RMS system
- Collect guest information and add-on purchases at the point of booking
Tip! The RMS Online module must be enabled on your property account. Contact RMS Sales to activate this module.
Please Note! RMS is highly configurable. Some Terminology, User Access & Permissions, Images, Labels, and Functions used in these articles may differ from your setup. CLICK HERE to find out more.
Customisation Options
The Booking Engine can be tailored to match your property's brand and guest expectations:
- Colour Theme and Logo: Apply your property colours and logo to maintain brand consistency
- Photos: Display property images, category (room type) photos, and photos for add-ons
- Search Options: Choose which filters guests use (e.g., check-in/check-out dates, number of guests, room type)
- Rate and Availability View: Decide how rates and availability are displayed (by category, nightly, or total stay)
- Category Information: Show room class, dwelling options, descriptions, and amenities
- Add-On Services: Offer breakfast, late checkout, parking, and other revenue-generating services
- Requirements: Collect mandatory guest information (e.g., guest name, contact details)
- Terms and Conditions: Display custom T&Cs before checkout
Category Class Filters and the Booking Engine
Guests can filter the search results by the type of space they want to book. The RMS Booking Engine shows a filter option for each Category Class the property has available online, so Accommodation, Site and Dock Categories can be browsed together or separately.
Every Class filter is selected when the page first loads, so guests see all available Categories until they choose one. Results are grouped by Class rather than listed in Category order.
The filter uses the label the property uses for that Class, read from System Labels.
Please Note! Class filters are only shown when two or more Category Classes are available online. A property that sells a single Class online sees no filter options.
Accommodation Categories
Accommodation Categories have no dwelling dimensions, so no further filters are shown for them. Selecting the Accommodation filter narrows the results to Accommodation Categories, and the dwelling filters used by Site Categories are hidden.
Each Accommodation category card shows its Category Class label only.
Dwelling Filters for Site Categories
When a guest is viewing all results, or has selected the Site filter, two further filters are available so they can find a site their dwelling fits on: Dwelling Type and Dwelling Length. Both are hidden when the guest selects Accommodation.
A dwelling type or length is offered to guests online only when Show in RMS Online is selected on its Lookup Table record, and it is assigned to the Categories and Areas that can accommodate it using Category Dwelling Options and Area Dwelling Options.
A site that has availability but cannot take the selected dwelling length is not removed from the results. It moves to a separate group between the available and unavailable Categories, with a message explaining why it does not match, for example that the site is too small, and no booking button. Clearing the filter returns those sites to the available group.
Each Site category card shows its Category Class label and the dwelling type the guest has selected while the Site filter is selected, followed by its power status when Power Options is set on the Category (see Power Filter for Site Categories below). The selected dwelling length is not shown on the card.
Please Note! Where Dwelling Type or Dwelling Length is set as mandatory in Online Options - Page Settings, guests are not stopped from browsing. They are asked for both details when they select Book now, and cannot continue until both are entered.
Power Filter for Site Categories
The Power filter lets guests narrow the Site Categories on the RMS Booking Engine to powered or unpowered sites. It appears when RMS has turned the Power filter on for the property and at least one Site Category has Power Options ticked in the IBE Filter Options section of its Category Online Options tab.
The Power filter is shown when the guest is viewing all results or has selected the Site filter, and is hidden when the guest selects Accommodation or Dock. It has three options, and only one can be selected at a time:
- All - Selected by default. No power filtering is applied.
- Powered - Shown with a plug icon.
- Unpowered - Shown with a plug icon that has a line through it.
On desktop, the Power filter sits in the same row as the Category Class filters and shows icons only, with no "Power" label. On mobile, the Power filter has its own row labelled Power, and each option shows its icon and name.
When a guest selects Powered or Unpowered:
- Site Categories with the selected power status stay in the available results.
- Site Categories with the other power status, and Site Categories without Power Options ticked, move to the "Available, but don't match your search" section. Selecting All returns them to the available results.
- Accommodation and Dock Categories are never filtered by power.
The guest's power selection is kept when they switch to the Accommodation or Dock filter, and is applied again when they return to All or Site.
Each Site category card in a Category with Power Options ticked shows its power status after the Category Class label and any selected dwelling type: Powered with a plug icon, or Unpowered with a crossed-out plug icon. The power status shows whether or not the guest has used the Power filter, and even when the Power filter is not turned on for the property. A Category without Power Options ticked shows no power status.
Please Note! The power status comes from the Category only. Every Area in the Category takes the Category's power status, and Rate Type names are not used. A Category set to Powered is shown as Powered even if one of its Rate Types sells it as unpowered.
Important! Set Power Options on every Site Category that is available online. A Site Category without Power Options ticked never matches the Powered or Unpowered filter.
Boat Filters for Dock Categories
When a guest selects the Dock filter, the RMS Booking Engine can show up to four further dropdowns so the guest can narrow the results to berths that suit their vessel: Boat Type, Boat Draft, Boat Length and Boat Width.
Each dropdown only displays when at least one Area in the Dock Category has options allocated for that field on its Boat Options tab. A field with nothing allocated on any Area does not display as a dropdown at all. The dropdowns are always optional, and a guest can continue without using them.
Important! When a guest filters on one of these fields, only Areas with that option allocated are returned. An Area with no allocation for the field the guest filtered on is excluded from the results even when it is otherwise available.
Amenity Filters on the RMS Booking Engine
Amenity filters let guests narrow the RMS Booking Engine search results to Categories with the features they want, such as an ocean view. Each amenity filter is a Category Attribute. Amenity filters work on the rates list and the Interactive Map, on desktop and mobile.
Which Attributes appear as amenity filters
An Attribute appears as an amenity filter on the RMS Booking Engine only when both of the following are true:
- The Attribute has RMS Online Filter selected in Setup > Lookup Tables > Attributes.
- The Attribute is assigned to at least one Category on the Category's Attributes tab.
Important! Attributes assigned to an Area are not shown as amenity filters on the RMS Booking Engine.
When no Attribute meets both conditions, the Filters button is not shown.
Tip! To check which Attributes are assigned to each Category, run the Attribute List report.
How guests filter by amenity
Guests filter the RMS Booking Engine results by amenity in the Filters window:
- Select Filters on the rates list or the Interactive Map.
- Select one or more amenities. If the list is long, select See more to show the rest.
- Select Show Results. Closing the window also applies the filters.
When more than one amenity is selected, a Category must have every selected amenity to match. For example, a Category with an ensuite but no air conditioning does not match a search for "Ensuite" and "Air conditioning".
After filters are applied, the Filters button shows how many are in use. Clear all in the Filters window removes every filter in that window. On the rates list and the desktop Interactive Map, the Filters window holds amenity filters only, so Clear all does not reset the Category Class, dwelling or Power filters shown on the page. On the mobile Interactive Map, the Filters window also holds the Category Class, dwelling and Power filters, so Clear all resets those too.
Categories that do not match the selected amenities
Categories available for the guest's dates that do not have every selected amenity stay visible on the RMS Booking Engine:
- Rates list: the Categories move to a separate section with the message "Available, but don't match your search. Try removing some filters to see more options".
- Interactive Map: the Categories are greyed out and cannot be booked.
Pending Pencil Reservations
When a guest adds an Area to their cart in the RMS Booking Engine, RMS automatically creates a Pencil Reservation.
A Pencil Reservation is a temporary placeholder reservation with "IBE Pending" status that holds inventory for the guest while they complete the booking process.
Here's how Pencil Reservations work:
- Cart Added: Guest selects a room category and adds it to their cart. A Pencil Reservation with "IBE Pending" status is created in your RMS system.
- Checkout Completed: Guest completes payment and booking details. The Pencil Reservation status updates to "Confirmed" and becomes a real reservation.
- Abandoned Cart: If the guest removes the room from their cart or does not complete checkout within the 15-minute countdown timer shown in the RMS Booking Engine, the Pencil Reservation is automatically cancelled and the room becomes available again.
To view Pencil Reservations and track status changes, check the Audit Trail in your RMS system. The Audit Trail shows all changes to the reservation, including when it moved from "IBE Pending" to "Confirmed" status.
Availability Messaging - "X Areas Left"
When availability for a Category falls to 3 rooms or fewer, the RMS Booking Engine displays a banner with "X Areas Left" messaging. This creates urgency and encourages guests to complete their booking.
Same-Day Arrival Notifications
If a guest completes a booking with a same-day arrival date, the Message Centre sends a notification alert to your team. This allows your front desk to prepare for the guest's arrival with minimal notice.
Taxes and Fees
The RMS Booking Engine displays taxes and fees to guests during the checkout process. How taxes appear depends on your RMS tax configuration.
Tax Display Setting
To configure how taxes are shown in the RMS Booking Engine, follow these steps:
In the side menu of RMS, go to Setup > Online Bookings > Channel Management.
- Select the RMS Book Now Button > Edit.
- On the Options tab, Show Net Rate can be selected if required.
- Select Save/Exit.
Fee Breakdown
Additional fees (e.g., resort fees, booking fees) are displayed AFTER the guest adds items to their cart.
Hovering over or selecting the information icon next to Fees shows the message "Additional fees may apply including booking fee". The same message is shown in the cart, on the guest details page and on the booking confirmation page.
Configuration Checklist
Before launching your RMS Booking Engine, complete these 9 configuration steps in order. Each step builds on the previous one to ensure your Booking Engine functions correctly and displays all required information to guests.
Attributes
Attributes are features and amenities that guests use to filter room searches (e.g., "Sea View", "Non-Smoking", "Wheelchair Accessible"). They help guests find the exact room that matches their needs.
Select RMS Online Filter on each Attribute and assign it to the Categories that have that feature. Category Attributes appear as amenity filters on the RMS Booking Engine; Area Attributes do not.
Category Information
Categories are room types available at your property (e.g., "Deluxe Double", "Standard Twin", "Suite"). Category Information is what guests see when browsing available rooms in the RMS Booking Engine.
For each category, configure:
- Class: The Category Class, which sets the type of space the Category represents and how it can be sold online. The available Classes are Accommodation, Activity, Add Ons, Dock, Facility, Site and Ticketing
- Power Options: For Site Categories, whether the Category is powered or unpowered, set in the IBE Filter Options section of the Category's Online Options tab. See Category Online Options.
- Dwelling Options: Room variants (e.g., "1 Double Bed", "2 Single Beds")
- Long Description: Detailed description of the room, amenities, and features
- Occupancy: Number of guests the room can accommodate
- Amenities: List of included features (e.g., WiFi, TV, Air Conditioning)
Rates
Rates are the nightly prices guests see in the RMS Booking Engine. Configure pricing based on:
- Date: Different rates for different days of the week or seasons
- Number of Guests: Rates that increase based on occupancy
- Length of Stay: Discounts for longer stays
- Derived Rates: Rates automatically calculated based on a base rate
- Rate Deposits: Set the deposit amount required per booking
- Promo Codes: Create discount codes guests can enter at checkout
Rates are managed in RMS under Charts > Rates Manager. The RMS Booking Engine displays rates in real-time, pulling directly from your RMS rate setup.
Deposits
Deposits are the payment amounts required from guests at the time of booking.
Properties connected to a Payment Gateway can choose either the Online Deposit or Rate Deposit option to determine the payment taken at the time of reservation.
- The Online Deposit option can be used to apply the same deposit rules to all Rate Types on the RMS Booking Engine.
- The Rate Deposit - $0.00 = Full Deposit option can be used to set variable deposit amounts on the Rate Type or Rate Table with full payment required on any Rate Type where no deposit has been setup.
- The Rate Deposit - $0.00 = No Deposit option can be used to set variable deposit amounts on the Rate Type or Rate Table with no payment required on any Rate Type where no deposit has been setup.
- The 'No Deposit' option can be used by properties that are not connected to a Payment Gateway to enable Guests to complete the reservation with no payment required.
Requirements
Requirements are mandatory add-on services that guests can purchase during checkout. Common requirements include:
- Breakfast (included or optional)
- Late checkout (e.g., 2:00 PM instead of 11:00 AM)
- Parking (on-site or nearby)
- Airport transfers
- Any other upsell services your property offers
Requirements are configured in RMS and appear to guests in the RMS Booking Engine as purchasable options during checkout.
Photos
Photos are the visual assets guests see in the Booking Engine. Upload and assign photos to:
- Property Photos: Images of your property (lobby, exterior, common areas)
- Category Photos: Images of each room type
- Requirement Photos: Images for add-on services (e.g., breakfast spread, parking)
-
Banner Image: Image displayed at the top of the RMS Booking Engine
Tip! Files must be 5MB or smaller, with an optimal resolution of 1920px x 1080px for best display quality. Image orientation must be Landscape / Horizontal
Online Options
Online Options control the look, feel, and functionality of your Booking Engine. Configure:
- Page Settings: Meta tags, title, description for SEO
- Colour Theme and Logo: Brand colours, logo placement, button colours
- Rate and Availability View: How rates and availability are displayed (per night, per stay, etc.)
- Category View: How room types are displayed (grid, list, or carousel)
- Extra Information: Custom text sections (welcome message, house rules, policies)
- Terms and Conditions: Your booking T&Cs that guests must accept
- Contact and Notifications: Email address for booking confirmations and inquiry emails
Channel Management
Channel Management connects your RMS Booking Engine to your RMS system, ensuring live rates and availability are always displayed to guests.
Configure:
- Channel Connection: Enable the connection between RMS and your Booking Engine
- Booking Engine URL: Your unique Booking Engine web address
- Book Now Button URL: Add this URL to your website's "Book Now" button so guests link directly to your Booking Engine
- URL Modifiers: Optional parameters for the booking experience
Add the RMS Booking Engine to the Website
After all configuration steps are complete, add the RMS Booking Engine URL to the Property website so guests can make reservations.
Please Note! The Property IT team will need to assist with embedding the URL on the Property website.
Next Steps
After completing your configuration checklist, test your Booking Engine by:
- Visiting your Booking Engine URL
- Searching for available rooms
- Adding a room to your cart
- Checking that rates, taxes, and fees display correctly
- Verifying that add-ons and requirements appear as configured
- Confirming that all photos and descriptions match your setup
- Testing on mobile and tablet devices to ensure responsive design
- Placing a test booking to verify the checkout process and Pencil Reservation creation
Cookie Consent
The RMS Booking Engine displays a cookie consent banner to ensure compliance with privacy regulations such as GDPR and ePrivacy in jurisdictions where consent is legally required.
This banner is a mandatory compliance feature and cannot be removed or disabled.
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