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 Length of Stay restrictions can be set up in the following areas of RMS:

• Control Panel Override
  Overrides any Length of Stay set in Rate Setup (Rate Table, Rate Period, Property Rate Rules, Derived Rate Type and Rate Type).

• Rate Table
  Overrides Length of Stay set on the Rate Period, Property Rate Rules, Derived Rate Type or Rate Type.

• Rate Period
  Overrides Length of Stay set on the Property Rate Rules, Derived Rate Type or Rate Type.

• Rate Type Property Rule
  Overrides Length of Stay set up on the Derived Rate Type, Master Rate Type or Stand Alone Rate Type for the specific Properties it is set up for, unless a higher-level restriction (Control Panel Override, Rate Table or Rate Period) exists for the same dates.

• Derived Rate Type
  Overrides the Length of Stay set up on the Master Rate Type if selected on the Derived Rate setup.

• Rate Type
  Base-level restriction that will not be applied if any overlaying restriction exists (Derived Rate Type, Property Rate Rules, Rate Period, Rate Table or Control Panel Override).

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.

• Reservations arriving on the 1st use the minimum and maximum Length of Stay set on the Rate Type.

• Reservations arriving on the 2nd use the minimum and maximum Length of Stay set on the Derived Rate Type, if selected on setup to override the Master Rate Type.

• Reservations arriving on the 3rd use the minimum and maximum Length of Stay set on the Rate Type Property Rules.

• Reservations arriving on the 4th use the minimum and maximum Length of Stay set on the Rate Period.

• Reservations arriving on the 5th use the minimum and maximum Length of Stay set on the Rate Table.

• Reservations arriving on the 6th use the minimum and maximum Length of Stay set as an Override in the Control Panel or on the Rate Manager Chart.
   

Tip: 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. Control Panel Length of Stay restrictions (if any)

2. Rate Table Min/Max Res Period

3. Rate Period Min/Max Res Period

4. Rate Type Property Rules

5. Derived Rate Type

6. Rate Type

If a Control Panel restriction includes both a Rate Override and a Length of Stay restriction for the same dates, the Control Panel Length of Stay restriction will take precedence over any rate-level Length of Stay setup.

If a Rate Override is applied without any Control Panel Length of Stay restriction, RMS will continue to use the Length of Stay rules from the highest applicable rate-level layer (Rate Table, Rate Period, Property Rules, Derived Rate Type 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, provided both have been set up optimally.

Example: MLOS (On Arrival) and Soft Close Together

• 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.