Availability: Fixed & Flexible reservations

This article will walk you through the intricacies of Reservation Rules and how they impact your club’s availability, pricing, and overall booking efficiency. 

Understanding Reservation Rules

Reservation Rules are critical for defining how your club's availability is displayed in the Playtomic Marketplace. These rules specify the spacing allowed between reservations, influencing how bookable slots are generated.

Types of Reservation Rules

We offer three main types of Reservation Rules:

1. Fixed Pricing Rules
2. Flexible Pricing Rules with Allow Unbookable Time
3. Flexible Pricing Rules with Avoid Unbookable Time

Each rule has unique characteristics and applications, which we’ll explore in detail.

Fixed Pricing Rules

How Do Fixed Pricing Rules Work?

Fixed Pricing Rules ensure that reservations start at specific intervals, leaving no unbookable slots between reservations.

Example:

If your club opens at 11:00 AM and you set a Fixed Pricing Rule with a 90-minute duration, bookings will be available at:

• 11:00 AM
• 12:30 PM
• 2:00 PM

And so on...

This rule is ideal for maintaining a structured schedule without gaps.

Flexible Pricing Rules

Flexible Pricing Rules offer two configurations: allowing unbookable time and avoiding unbookable time. These rules provide more flexibility compared to Fixed Pricing Rules.

Flexible Pricing Rules - Allow Unbookable Time

How Do They Work?

This configuration allows reservations to start every 30 minutes, even if it leaves unbookable slots. It's perfect for low occupancy periods where flexibility for clients is more important than maximizing occupancy.

Example:

For a club with low occupancy from 11:00 AM to 4:00 PM, bookings could be made at:

• 11:00 AM
• 11:30 AM
• 12:00 PM

And so on...

Even if there are 30-minute unbookable slots between reservations, this setup provides greater booking flexibility.

Flexible Pricing Rules - Avoid Unbookable Time

How Do They Work?

This setting ensures that no unbookable slots are left. It allows reservations to start every 30 minutes, but only if it doesn't leave unbookable slots between them. This is suitable for peak hours to maximize occupancy.

Example:

For a club operating from 9:00 AM, with reservations of 60, 90, or 120 minutes, bookings could be made at:

• 9:00 AM
• 10:00 AM
• 10:30 AM
• And so on...

A reservation cannot start at 9:30 AM if it leaves a 30-minute unbookable slot before or after.

Recommended Configuration

To achieve higher occupancy, it’s beneficial to combine flexibility during low occupancy hours with stricter rules during peak hours.

Suggested Setup

1. Low Occupancy Hours (e.g., 10:00 AM to 3:00 PM):
   • Rule: Flexible, Allow Unbookable Time
   • Durations: 60, 90, 120 minutes
   • Booking Start Times: Every 30 minutes
2. High Occupancy Hours (e.g., 3:00 PM to 10:30 PM):
   • Rule: Flexible, Avoid Unbookable Time
   • Durations: 60, 90, 120 minutes
   • Booking Start Times: Every 30 minutes without leaving unbookable slots

This approach balances customer flexibility with optimized occupancy during peak times.

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