How to view and manage Availability and Allotments.
Overview
Availability in RMS refers to the number of unoccupied inventory units, rooms, sites, or spaces, indicating how many reservations you can still take on any given date.
How availability is displayed depends on:
How your categories are set up (Book by Area vs Book by Category),
Which screen you are using (Availability Chart, Rate Manager, Booking Chart, Daily Summary),
Whether advanced options like allotments and overbooking are enabled.
To interpret availability correctly, it’s important to understand:
The difference between area availability and category availability, and
Where each type of availability is used in RMS.
Area Availability
Area availability reflects the physical vacancy of individual areas (for example, Room 101 or Site 5).
Best viewed on the Booking Chart, which shows allocated and vacant areas across dates.
Used when a category is set to Book by Area, meaning an area must be assigned at the time of reservation.
In this setup, area availability is your primary inventory control.
Category Availability
Category availability is based on the total number of units within a category (for example, Deluxe King, Powered Site). It shows how many reservations can be made without assigning a specific area.
Category availability is used on:
Book by Category screen
All connected online channels, including the RMS Booking Engine
Key Differences in Availability Management
How availability is viewed and interpreted in RMS depends on a few key factors:
Area Availability reflects the physical vacancy of individual areas (for example, specific rooms or sites).
Category Availability represents the total inventory within a category and is not tied to the vacancy of specific areas.
Book by Area requires an area to be assigned at the time of reservation, making area availability the controlling factor.
Book by Category allows reservations to be created without assigning a specific area, relying instead on category availability.
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Category availability may display differently depending on:
The category setup (Book by Area vs Book by Category),
The property setup,
Any use of Oversell Allotments or Maximum Property Oversell settings.
Managing Availability Effectively
When a category is Book by Area:
You must manually manage area availability so it aligns with category availability.
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Keeping them in sync helps:
Maximise occupancy opportunities.
Avoid situations where category availability exists, but no area is available.
Reduce the risk of online reservations without an assignable area.
When a category is Book by Category:
Reservations use category availability without an area assigned up front.
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Areas can be allocated closer to arrival, which:
Optimises occupancy,
Reduces manual reshuffling on the Booking Chart,
Lowers the chance of category and area availability getting out of sync.
Areas can be allocated:
Directly on the reservation,
On the Booking Chart,
From In/Out Movements,
In bulk, using the Auto Area Allocation Utility.
Advanced Overbooking Options
With Book by Category, RMS supports additional control through:
Category Setup (category‑level overbooking),
Property Setup settings,
Maximum Property Oversell thresholds.
Category availability in RMS changes based on:
Whether Category Overbooking and/or Oversell Allotments are enabled,
Property‑level overbooking limits,
How your inventory is structured (Book by Area vs Book by Category).
Quick Reference Guide
Use this table as a quick comparison of how availability behaves with different configuration options.
|
Area Availability |
Book by Category |
Category Overbooking |
Oversell Allotments |
Maximum Availability |
Category availability matches the total physical area count. |
Category availability matches the total physical area count. |
Category availability matches the total physical area count. |
Category availability is the total physical area count plus any oversell allotment value set. |
Remaining Availability |
Matches the remaining physical areas. Area allocation may need changing on reservations to create continuous gaps. |
Remaining category availability. |
Remaining category availability. |
Remaining number of reservations that can be made in the category. |
‘0’ Availability |
Total reservations match the physical area count, or a Stop Sell exists. |
Total reservations match the physical area count, or a Stop Sell. |
Total reservations match the physical area count, or a Stop Sell. |
No more reservations can be made in the category. |
Overbooking |
N/A |
N/A |
Category availability shows as a negative value for reservations beyond physical capacity. |
Included in the countdown to ‘0’. |
Availability Chart
The Availability Chart provides a complete overview of property inventory for the selected date range.
It shows:
Physical area count, and
Category availability, with options to also show the rate or average daily rate (ADR).
Category availability on the chart reflects:
Category Overbooking,
Oversell Allotments,
Group Allotments,
Channel Allotments,
Travel Agent Allotments (depending on the selected view).
At the bottom of the chart, you’ll see a summary of:
Accommodation inventory booked,
Day use inventory booked,
Areas of maintenance,
Remaining available inventory,
Current occupancy percentage,
Total guest count.
The occupancy percentage is determined by the Occupancy Calculation Rule on the property, which can:
Base occupancy on individual category occupancy or total property occupancy,
Choose whether maintenance reservations count as “occupied” for reporting.
(Maintenance reservations always reduce actual available inventory.)
You can create reservations directly from the Availability Chart for the selected dates, with an option to open a Quick Quote.
Key Features
The following key features are available on the Availability Chart in RMS:
- Dynamic overview of property inventory.
- Availability breakdown, including a summary of inventory booked, available, and occupancy.
- Options to show special events, rates, and average daily rate (ADR).
- Create reservations or quote reservations from the availability view.
Viewing Availability on the Availability Chart
The Availability Chart uses category availability and will display inventory differently based on:
Category setup,
Use of allotments,
Selected view,
Whether overbooking is enabled.
Category availability uses the total inventory in a category to show how many reservations can be created.
Area availability shows physical vacancy and is viewed on the Booking Chart.
Key views:
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Full Availability
Shows maximum inventory, including Oversell Allotments, less existing reservations and maintenance.
Includes guaranteed allotments.
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House Available
Deducts guaranteed allotments from Full Availability.
Increases as guaranteed allotments are released, even if Full Availability stays the same.
Area Availability vs Category Availability
Area availability = vacancy of individual rooms/sites.
Category availability = how many reservations can be made in that category.
Used where:
Availability Chart, Rate Manager, Book by Category, and online channels all use category availability.
Booking Chart is the visual view of area availability.
Aligning area and category availability (when not using Book by Category):
Maximises multi‑night availability for individual areas,
Improves occupancy opportunities,
Prevents “no available area” errors when category availability exists.
Example
The Availability Chart shows category availability of 1 for a date range (e.g. 1–5 June).
The Booking Chart shows no single area free for all those dates.
By moving reservations on the Booking Chart to close gaps, you create continuous area availability matching the category availability.
The area availability now matches the category availability, maximising occupancy opportunities.
Book by Category (Availability Chart)
Book by Category allows you to:
Create reservations using category availability,
Allocate areas later, any time up to arrival.
Benefits:
Reduces manual reshuffling of areas,
Keeps area and category availability in sync,
Supports flexible room/site assignment practices.
Book by Category also supports:
Category Overbooking,
Oversell Allotments,
with category availability displayed differently depending on which options are used (see Quick Reference guide above).
Category Overbooking (Availability Chart)
When Category Overbooking is enabled:
The total physical areas in a category (shown next to the category name) always match the maximum availability when no Oversell Allotments are used.
When reservations reach physical capacity or a Stop Sell is applied, availability shows 0.
Any overbookings appear as a negative availability value, indicating reservations beyond the physical capacity of the category.
If Do Not Overbook Property is enabled:
Total reservations at the property (Booked row) will not exceed the physical area count.
If Property Overbooking is enabled:
Booked reservations can exceed the physical capacity by up to the Maximum Property Oversell value.
If Maximum Property Oversell is less than the sum of Category Overbooking limits:
Category availability shows remaining reservations allowed until the property limit is reached.
Once the limit is reached, all category availability shows 0.
Oversell Allotments (Availability Chart)
Category availability shown on the Availability Chart when using Oversell Allotments reflects the remaining number of reservations that could be made in the category for the viewed date.
This is different from the way category availability is displayed when only using Category Overbooking or Book by Category.
The Oversell Allotment will increase the category availability to the limit set, resulting in an availability number that is higher than the physical area count shown next to the category description.
Reservations created in the category will deduct from this increased inventory, counting down to '0'.
When availability reaches zero, this indicates that all available inventory, including any Oversell Allotments, has been used for that date.
Rate Manager
The Rate Manager is the revenue management control centre for availability and rates in RMS.
Rates, availability, and restrictions are displayed dynamically with contextual actions determined by the selected view.
The Daily Summary provides a comprehensive review of inventory with a breakdown of allotments and oversell limits to enable clear oversight of property availability.
The Control Panel is a central utility on the Rate Manager providing in‑depth management of all rate and inventory restrictions.
Rate setup and management are available directly from the Rate Manager, including viewing or changing the price point when using Multiple Best Available Rates.
Key Features
The following key features are available on the Rate Manager in RMS:
Revenue management control centre for inventory and rates.
Dynamic views with contextual actions.
Daily Summary with breakdown of inventory, allotments, and availability.
Viewing Availability (Rate Manager)
The Rate Manager uses category availability and will display inventory differently based on:
Category setup,
Use of allotments,
Selected view,
Whether overbooking is enabled.
Category availability uses the collective inventory in a category to determine the number of reservations that could be created on the date viewed. Area availability represents the physical vacancy of individual areas and can be viewed on the Booking Chart.
The Total Available row shown in the Daily Summary is the category availability of physical areas, less any existing reservations or maintenance reservations, and does not include any Oversell Allotments. The availability figures shown on the Rate Manager are inclusive of any Oversell Allotments and reflect the way inventory would be viewed on connected online channels, including the RMS Booking Engine.
Area Availability vs Category Availability (Rate Manager)
Area availability represents the physical vacancy of individual areas, whilst category availability uses the collective inventory in a category to determine the number of reservations that could be created on the date viewed.
The Availability Chart, Rate Manager, Book by Category, and connected online channels, including the RMS Booking Engine, all use category availability. The Booking Chart is a visual representation of area availability based on allocated reservations.
Aligning area availability with category availability when not using Book by Category maximises the availability of individual areas for multi‑night reservations, improving occupancy opportunities. Not aligning them can prevent a reservation from being saved due to existing area allocations.
Example
The Rate Manager shows category availability of 1 for Acacia Cabin for 1–5 June.
The Booking Chart shows no single area free for all those dates.
By moving reservations on the Booking Chart to close gaps and increase individual area availability, a new multi‑night reservation can be created with an area assigned at the time of reservation.
The area availability now matches the category availability, maximising occupancy opportunities.
Book by Category (Rate Manager)
Book by Category enables creating a reservation without an area assigned, using the category availability. Areas can be allocated any time between initial reservation creation and reservation arrival.
Allocating areas closer to reservation arrival automatically reduces the occurrence of area availability and category availability being out of sync, as shown in the example above.
Book by Category includes the ability to:
Allow Category Overbooking, and
Use Oversell Allotments,
with category availability displayed differently based on the options used.
Category Availability (Rate Manager)
Category availability on the Rate Manager when using Category Overbooking will be different from only using Book by Category or Oversell Allotments.
When only using Category Overbooking:
The total number of physical areas in a category will always match the maximum availability shown for the category on the Rate Manager.
When reservations in the category match the number of physical areas, or a Stop Sell is applied, availability shows 0.
Any overbookings in the category are shown as a negative availability value.
If Do Not Overbook Property is enabled:
The overbooking of an individual category will never exceed the remaining physical availability at the property.
If Property Overbooking is enabled:
The overbooking of individual categories can exceed the total physical capacity at the property, within any limits set with Category Overbooking and Maximum Property Oversell.
If the Maximum Property Oversell limit is lower than the combined Category Overbooking limits:
Category availability displays the remaining reservations allowed until the property oversell limit is reached.
Once that limit is met, all category availability is set to 0.
Oversell Allotments (Rate Manager)
Category availability shown on the Rate Manager when using Oversell Allotments reflects the remaining number of reservations that could be made in the category for the viewed date, with a countdown ending at 0.
This is different from the way category availability is displayed when only using Category Overbooking or Book by Category.
The Oversell Allotment increases category availability to the limit set, resulting in an availability number that is higher than the physical area count in that category.
Reservations created in the category for dates with an Oversell Allotment will deduct from this increased inventory, counting down and ending at 0.
When availability reaches 0, this indicates that all available inventory, including any Oversell Allotments, has been used for that date.
Daily Summary
The Daily Summary provides a comprehensive review of inventory with a breakdown of allotments and oversell limits to enable clear oversight of property availability.
Select the Daily Summary icon on the Rate Manager to open the Daily Summary for the viewed date range.
The Daily Summary always displays two weeks starting from the selected date (from the icon or the Rate Manager date range).
Use the navigation buttons to scroll the viewed dates in two‑week blocks.
The Stats filter can be used to only show availability based on Area Statistics.
The Special Events and Promotion rows always display at the top of the Daily Summary to highlight any special events or promotions active for the viewed date range.
Availability shown on the Daily Summary is category availability and is not reflective of the vacancy of any one specific area.
The Total Available row is the remaining physical availability at the property and excludes any Oversell Allotments.
The Maximum Property Oversell row displays the limit set for overbooking the property and indicates the maximum number of reservations above the physical capacity that can be created.
The Oversell Allotments, Guaranteed Allotments, and Non‑Guaranteed Allotments rows show a summary of each type of allotment and can be expanded to view details of the Oversell Allotment, Group, or Travel Agent these inventory numbers belong to. The allotment numbers show how many of each allotment type have been used and the total for that allotment type on the date viewed.
The Maintenance row shows the number of maintenance reservations for the viewed date.
The Quote row shows the number of reservations in Quote status for the viewed date. Quote reservations do not deduct from the Total Available number until the reservation status is changed to Unconfirmed or Confirmed.
Each category row shows a summary of the availability, oversell allotments, and guaranteed allotments for that category, and can be expanded to view a breakdown of the Oversell Allotment, Group, or Travel Agent contributing to those numbers.
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