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Length of Stay Restrictions and Hierarchy

Information on how minimum night restrictions apply in RMS. 

 

Overview

Length of Stay (LOS) restrictions can be applied to Rates at various levels, with each level of restriction taking precedence over the previous layer.

In this article, Length of Stay and LOS refer to the same concept.

Minimum and maximum nights are worked out separately for the reservation's arrival date, using the following hierarchies:

Minimum Nights

  Lead Time MLOS (1)  
  Control Panel MLOS (On Arrival) (2)  
  Derived Rate Type Min/Max Nights (3)  
  Rate Table  
  Rate Period  
  Rate Type Property Rule  
Rate Type

 

Maximum Nights

  Derived Rate Type Min/Max Nights (3)  
  Rate Table  
  Rate Type Property Rule  
Rate Type
1. Lead Time MLOS applies when one of its tiers matches the number of days until arrival.
2. A Control Panel or Rate Manager minimum replaces the rate's minimum, even when it is lower. The Control Panel and Rate Periods do not set a maximum.
3. Only when 'Set New Min/Max Nights' is selected on the Derived Rate Type, or 'Set Min/Max Nights' on its Property Rule. Its values then replace the Rate Table and Rate Period values. Without it, a Derived Rate Type uses the values of the Rate Type it is derived from, including that Rate Type's Control Panel MLOS, Lead Time MLOS and Soft Close.
 
Minimum and maximum nights are worked out for the reservation's arrival date. A Soft Close on any night of the stay raises the minimum when it is higher.
  • Lead Time MLOS
    Set in the Control Panel. Applies when the time between the booking and the arrival date falls in one of its tiers, and then takes precedence over every other minimum.
  • Control Panel Override (MLOS)
    An On Arrival Day Only (MLOS) restriction set in the Control Panel or on the Rate Manager Chart. Replaces the minimum set in Rate Setup, even when it is lower. It does not set a maximum.
  • Derived Rate Type
    When 'Set New Min/Max Nights' is selected on the Derived Rate Type, or 'Set Min/Max Nights' on a Rate Type Property Rule for it, its own minimum and maximum replace the Rate Table, Rate Period and Rate Type values. Without it, the Derived Rate Type uses the Length of Stay of the Rate Type it is derived from, including that Rate Type's Control Panel MLOS, Lead Time MLOS and Soft Close.
  • Rate Table
    Minimum and maximum for the arrival day of the week, from the Rate Table used on the arrival night. Overrides the Rate Period, Rate Type Property Rule and Rate Type.
  • Rate Period
    The Minimum Res Period, used when the Rate Table has no minimum for the arrival day. A Rate Period sets a minimum only.
  • Rate Type Property Rule
    When 'Set Min/Max Nights' is selected on the rule, its minimum and maximum replace the Rate Type's values for the Properties it is set up for. A rule for the Property is used before a rule for its Property Group.
  • Rate Type
    Base level. Its minimum and maximum for the arrival day of the week apply when no level above sets a value.

Minimum and maximum are decided separately. A level that sets only a minimum, such as the Control Panel or a Rate Period, does not stop a lower level's maximum from applying.

Tip! Each hierarchy flows from bottom to top, with the Rate Type as the base. RMS uses the highest level that has a value set.

 

Example: Hierarchy by Arrival Date

The example below shows how the Length of Stay hierarchy applies for reservations arriving on different days of the month.

Month
1st 2nd 3rd 4th 5th
        Control Panel (MLOS)
Rate Table
Rate Period
Rate Type Property Rule
Rate Type
  • Reservations arriving on the 1st use the minimum and maximum set on the Rate Type.
  • Reservations arriving on the 2nd use the minimum and maximum set on the Rate Type Property Rule.
  • Reservations arriving on the 3rd use the minimum set on the Rate Period and the maximum set on the Rate Type Property Rule, because a Rate Period sets a minimum only.
  • Reservations arriving on the 4th use the minimum and maximum set on the Rate Table.
  • Reservations arriving on the 5th use the minimum set in the Control Panel or on the Rate Manager Chart and the maximum set on the Rate Table, because the Control Panel sets a minimum only.

Please Note! A Derived Rate Type with its own Min/Max Nights works differently. Its own minimum and maximum replace the Rate Table and Rate Period, so only a Control Panel restriction added for the Derived Rate Type itself sits above them.

Rate Overrides and Length of Stay

A Rate Override is a Control Panel change that replaces the Rate Table amount for selected Categories and Rate Types over a date range. It changes the price charged, but does not create its own Length of Stay rules.

When a Rate Override is in effect, RMS still applies Length of Stay restrictions using the same hierarchy:

  1. Lead Time MLOS in the Control Panel (if any)
  2. On Arrival Day Only (MLOS) in the Control Panel or on the Rate Manager Chart (if any)
  3. Derived Rate Type with its own Min/Max Nights
  4. Rate Table Min/Max Res Period
  5. Rate Period Minimum Res Period (minimum only)
  6. Rate Type Property Rules
  7. Rate Type

A Control Panel minimum (Lead Time MLOS or MLOS) applies whether or not a Rate Override exists for the same dates. They are separate Control Panel restrictions, and the minimum replaces any rate-level minimum.

If a Rate Override is applied without any Control Panel minimum, RMS continues to use the Length of Stay from the highest applicable rate-level layer (Derived Rate Type with its own Min/Max Nights, Rate Table, Rate Period, Property Rules or Rate Type) according to the hierarchy above.

 

MLOS (On Arrival) & Soft Close

A Minimum Length of Stay (On Arrival) (MLOS) requires guests’ reservations to be of a certain minimum number of nights based only on the Arrive Date when a MLOS is set.

A Soft Close (Minimum Nights – Any Day Within Stay) requires guests’ reservations to be of a certain minimum number of nights if any stay date falls on a date where a Soft Close is set. RMS looks at all dates in the stay and applies the longest minimum stay that applies across those dates.

Where a combination of a MLOS (On Arrival) and a Soft Close are set up across the dates the guest reservation is being created, RMS evaluates:

  • The MLOS is based on the Arrive Date, and

  • The Soft Close based on all stay dates,

and then enforces the higher minimum nights value required by either rule for that reservation.

The arrival-date minimum compared with the Soft Close is the full minimum from the hierarchy above (Lead Time MLOS, MLOS, Derived Rate Type, Rate Table, Rate Period or Rate Type), not only a Control Panel MLOS. A Soft Close can only raise the minimum.

Example: MLOS (On Arrival) and Soft Close Together

Month
1st 2nd 3rd 4th 5th 6th 7th 8th 9th 10th
      Soft Close - 4 Nights      
MLOS (On Arrival) - 3 Nights

  • Reservations arriving 1st will be required to have a minimum stay of 3 nights due to the MLOS (On Arrival). They will be able to depart on 4th.

  • Reservations arriving 2nd or 3rd will be required to have a minimum of 4 nights.

    • The MLOS (On Arrival) prevents the guest departing prior to the 4th, when the Soft Close takes effect.

    • The Soft Close requires the reservation to be at least 4 nights if it includes the 4th in the stay dates.

In these cases, RMS applies the 4‑night Soft Close requirement because it is a longer minimum stay than the 3‑night MLOS on arrival.

 

 

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