Information on Rate setup and suggested naming conventions for ease of use.

Overview

A rate defines the pricing structure applied to a reservation, with the flexibility to calculate pricing based on factors such as day of the week, number of guests, or length of stay.

For more complex pricing strategies, advanced options like Dynamic Pricing, Multiple Best Available Rates (BARs), Packages, and Derived Rates can be configured to create nuanced rate structures.
 

Rate Components

A rate is composed of multiple components linked together through a Rate Lookup, which determines the availability, pricing structure, rules, and limitations for that rate.

1. The Rate Type defines the name and characteristics of a rate, including its structure, options, conditions, and criteria.

2. The Rate Period sets the date ranges during which the rate applies, effectively defining the seasonal changes for pricing and fees.

3. The Rate Table specifies the fees and how they are calculated, including any additional charges for extra guests, packages, or no-shows.

4. By connecting these components within a Rate Lookup, each element can be reused multiple times—reducing setup time and simplifying ongoing maintenance.

Consistent Naming Conventions

Using consistent naming conventions across all rate components helps simplify setup, improve maintenance, and group related items together for easy reference.

Example Rate Type Naming Formats

• Best Available Rate (BAR)
• Nightly Rate
• Weekly Rate

Example Rate Period Naming Formats

• 2026 High Season
• 2027 Memorial Day
• 2026/2027 New Years

Example Rate Table Naming Formats

• 2026 - PEAK - BAR - Acacia Cabin (YYYY - Period - Rate Type - Category)
• 2026 - BAR - PEAK - Acacia Cabin (YYYY - Rate Type - Period - Category)
• 2026 - Acacia Cabin - BAR - PEAK (YYYY - Category - Rate Type - Period)
• 2026 - Rental - Long Term (YYYY - Rate Type - Category)

Best Available Rate

The Rate Type designated as the Best Available Rate (BAR) represents a property’s baseline or starting rate and must be the first rate set up in RMS.

The Best Available Rate serves as the key rate for the property and can represent various pricing strategies, such as the Rack Rate, Best Available Rate, Lowest Available Rate, or Best Unrestricted Rate. The ‘BAR’ label identifies this Rate Type as the property’s primary reference rate.

This Rate Type is used to display the starting rate for a category in the minimized view of the Rate Manager Chart, as well as in the Booking Chart and Quick Quote tools.

Multiple Best Available Rates

Multiple Best Available Rates (Multi-BAR) is an alternative to the traditional single BAR structure, allowing you to define multiple price points as the Best Available Rate. You can then toggle the active BAR for specific dates or date ranges to align with your revenue management strategy.

When used in combination with Derived Rates, Multi-BAR enables rapid price adjustments across all linked rates by simply switching the active BAR—streamlining updates and ensuring consistency.

Use Multi-BAR to create preset pricing tiers and simplify rate management, especially in dynamic pricing environments.

Rate Structures

The Rate Structure defines how fees are calculated on a Rate Table and determines the rate’s compatibility with channel connections.

• The OTA Rate Structure is designed for compatibility with Online Travel Agents (OTAs) and supports only Nightly and Extended Stay calculation methods, as required by those platforms.

• The Direct Rate Structure offers more flexibility, supporting Hourly, Daily, Nightly, Per Guest, and Extended Stay pricing. It can be used internally, or on the RMS Internet Booking Engine.

Choosing the appropriate Rate Structure ensures accurate pricing and seamless integration across booking channels.

OTA Rate Structure

The OTA Rate Structure offers a limited set of Rate Table options to ensure full compatibility with all supported Online Travel Agents (OTAs) channel connections.

Most OTAs accept rates in a "Per Period" format—meaning a fixed price per night or date—which is reflected in the available Rate Table configurations when using the OTA Rate Structure.

Additionally, this structure includes support for Extended Stay pricing, which can be used with compatible channels that allow for tiered pricing based on the length of stay.

Direct Rate Structure

The Direct Rate Structure is the most flexible option in RMS, supporting all available Rate Table fee structures, including Hourly, Daily, Nightly, Per Guest, and Extended Stay pricing.

However, most external channel connections—aside from the RMS Internet Booking Engine—do not support the complexity of these rate formats. As a result, the Direct Rate Structure is best suited for direct bookings made through the RMS Booking Engine or for in-house reservations managed within the system.

Rate Types

A Rate Type is the charge descriptor that defines the pricing structure used on a reservation. It forms the foundation of how rates are applied, displayed, and managed within RMS.

• Standalone Rate Type
  A Rate Type can be configured as a standalone rate, with its pricing structure defined directly in a connected Rate Table.

• Derived Rate Type
  A Rate Type can also be configured as a Derived Rate, which automatically calculates pricing based on a predefined adjustment (e.g., percentage or fixed amount) from a selected Master Rate Type.

  • A Derived Rate can:

    • Inherit availability from its Master Rate Type, or

    • Be assigned its own Rate Periods.

Advance Purchase Rate

The Advance Purchase option allows you to define how far in advance a Rate Type must be booked from the reservation’s Arrival Date.

• Ideal for early booking promotions or discounted rates.

• Encourages guests to book further in advance.

Last Minute Rate

The Last Minute option works in reverse of Advance Purchase. It defines how close to the Arrival Date a Rate Type becomes available for booking.

• Ideal for last-minute deals or occupancy-fill strategies.

• Attracts spontaneous travelers with time-sensitive offers.

Restricted Rate Access

• Members-Only Rate Types
  These rates are only available when the Guest Profile linked to the reservation has an active membership.

• Contracted Rate Types
  These are exclusive to Companies or Travel Agents with a contract tied to the specific Rate Type, ensuring access is limited to authorized bookings.

Additional Rate Configuration Options

A wide range of customization options can be applied to a rate to control its availability, define reservation criteria, and influence how pricing is calculated. These advanced options give you powerful tools to fine-tune rate behavior, implement revenue management strategies, and ensure your pricing adapts to demand and booking conditions.

These extras include:

• Additional Guest Fees

• Deposit Requirements

• No-Show Fees

• Length of Stay Restrictions

• Dynamic Pricing

Rate Hierarchy

When a rule is configured across multiple layers of a rate setup (e.g., Cancellation Policy, Deposits, Length of Stay Restrictions), the Rate Hierarchy determines which version of the rule takes precedence.

Length of Stay Restrictions

These restrictions require a reservation to meet a minimum or maximum stay duration in order for the rate to be available for selection.

• Can be applied at multiple levels of the rate setup (e.g., Rate Table, Rate Type).

• Can be overridden manually in the Control Panel.

Dynamic Pricing

Dynamic Pricing allows RMS to automatically adjust a rate based on real-time occupancy levels or time-based triggers.

• The adjustment amount is defined in the rate setup and triggered when specific occupancy thresholds or times are reached.

• Calculations are dynamic and occur at the time of Rate Recalculation, meaning the adjustment is based on the current occupancy at that moment.