This article explains how RMS sends Group Allotments to Duetto, how the Guaranteed checkbox and Group Status change what Duetto receives, and how to set up allotments so Duetto's group figures stay accurate.

How RMS Sends Group Allotments to Duetto

RMS sends each Group Allotment to Duetto as a group block, which Duetto uses to forecast group demand and revenue separately from individual reservations. This applies when Duetto is the Type on the Rate Manager tab (Setup > Property Options > Property Information > edit the property > Rate Manager) and to allotments created under Reservations > Groups. For the connection setup, see Duetto Interface.

RMS sends an allotment as soon as it is created, before any rooms are picked up, and cannot hold it back. Changes are sent throughout the day as they happen. Duetto receives the allotment in two ways:

• Group block messages carry the group name and ID, Group Status, stay dates, Category, rate and rooms for each date.
• The daily summary file reports, for each stay date, the total rooms held in group blocks and the rooms booked against them. Reservations with a Group Allotment assigned count towards the booked figure.

Reservations made against an allotment are also sent individually, like any other reservation.

Important! Only allotments created on a Group are sent as group blocks. Travel Agent allotments are not, although their reservations still reach Duetto as ordinary reservations.

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.

How Do Guaranteed and Group Status Affect What Duetto Receives?

The Guaranteed checkbox and the Group Status (Proposal, Provisional or Definite) on a Group Allotment decide the block status Duetto receives and whether the held rooms count in the daily summary's group block total.

RMS normally does not let a Guaranteed allotment be saved with Group Status Proposal, so the Ticked and Proposal combination is uncommon.

A Guaranteed, Definite allotment reaches Duetto as committed rooms, with their revenue, before any guest reservation exists. Duetto receives the block status with every message; how it forecasts Tentative and Prospect blocks is configured in Duetto.

An allotment with no Group Status is still sent: as Tentative and counted when Guaranteed is ticked, or as Prospect and not counted when it is not.

A new Group Allotment opens with Guaranteed ticked and no Group Status, so an allotment saved with those defaults reaches Duetto as Tentative and counts in the summary block total.

Please Note! Group Status also controls bookings in RMS (see Create and manage group allotments). Reservations against a Provisional allotment can only be saved as Unconfirmed, and no reservations can be made against a Proposal allotment, so setting either status to lower Duetto's figures also stops staff confirming bookings.

Which Rate Does Duetto Receive for a Group Allotment?

The rate RMS sends to Duetto for a Group Allotment comes from the Rate Type on the allotment's Rate Assignment tab. RMS quotes it for the allotment's first night only and uses that value for every date, so long and permanent allotments are never re-quoted.

• Reporting ADR is not used. It feeds RMS reporting only.
• More than one Rate Type assigned. RMS uses the first Rate Type in the Rate Assignment list.
• Rate Type Name, not Code. The block identifies the rate plan by Rate Type Name, as Duetto's rate decisions do.
• Secondary currency. RMS converts the rate to the property's currency before sending.

For example, a June to October allotment with a high first-night rate in June sends that rate for every night, inflating Duetto's group Average Daily Rate (ADR). Assign a Rate Type whose first-night rate represents the whole block.

What Happens When an Allotment Overlaps, Overbooks or Is Removed?

Changes to a Group Allotment are sent to Duetto as updates to the same block, and these situations change what Duetto receives:

• Overlapping allotments. Two allotments on the same Group covering the same Category and date are sent as one combined room figure, at the rate of the first allotment RMS reads.
• Bookings above the allotment. RMS allows them, but Duetto does not accept more rooms booked than held, so RMS raises the summary's group block total to the rooms booked.
• Making an allotment inactive. It is sent as cancelled for its dates. Inactivating a Group's last active allotment sends a cancellation for the whole group block; reactivating it sends the block again.
• Deleting an allotment. While a Rate Manager such as Duetto is active, RMS blocks deletion and asks for the allotment to be made inactive instead.

To make an allotment inactive, edit it, turn off the Active switch at the top right of the allotment section, and save.

Recommended Setup for Group Allotments on a Duetto Property

Connectivity recommends these practices to keep Duetto's group data consistent with RMS:

• Set a Group Status on every Group Allotment.
• Tick Guaranteed only for committed rooms, because Guaranteed blocks count before any reservation is made.
• Respect the allotted rooms: increase the allotment before booking extra rooms.
• Do not overlap the dates of two allotments on one Group with the same Category and Rate Type.
• Remove an allotment by making it inactive, not by deleting it.
• Use a Group, not a Travel Agent allotment, for rooms Duetto should see as a group block.

How to Report a Group Block Discrepancy with Duetto

RMS can investigate a group block discrepancy with Duetto only with the specific block and date. When raising one with RMS Support, include:

• Your RMS Client ID.
• The Group Block ID, shown in the first column of the Group's allotment list.
• The Category Code (the "Room Type Code" in Duetto) of the affected Category.
• The affected stay date.
• A screenshot of the Group Allotment setup in RMS.
• A screenshot of Duetto's daily summary for that date, with the group block expanded.

For differences beyond group blocks, see Duetto - Figures Differ from RMS Reports.

Related Articles

• Create and manage group allotments
• Duetto as the Property's Rate Manager
• Duetto - What RMS Sends and Receives