ThinkReservations makes it easy to create and manage Packages. In ThinkReservations, a "Package" is simply a collection or grouping of "Items." This is beneficial because a package can contain items that are taxed differently. The itemized breakdown of a package is never shown to the guest. This means that you can add items such as service fees and wholesale priced items without displaying them each to the customer. Items that will be added to a Package need to be set up as an item first.
► How to Create a Package
► How to Edit a Package
► How to Delete a Package
► How to Create and Manage Items
► When to use a Package, Item, or Rate Type
RELATED: How to Create a Room Package
How to Create a Package:
Navigate to Settings ⟶ Packages
1) Click the New button at the top right of your list of existing packages in Settings.
2) Enter the basic details for the package, adding the appropriate items.
NAME: Name of the package. This is how it is displayed online if upselling.
DESCRIPTION: If you are upselling this item online, the description you set here will be displayed in the online booking engine after a guest has selected a room. This is the only place you explain to your guests what they receive in/with their package. The line items are obscured from the bill. The description supports a limited amount of HTML.
Items: Click the Add Item button to add an item to the package. Click the button for each item you need to enter into your package.
ITEM: Choose an existing item from the drop-down selector. The default price will be entered into the PRICE box. You can override this number if you wish.
Click the Remove button to remove that item from the list.
Sell the Package in your ThinkReservations Online Booking Engine
3) If you also want to sell this item online, Check the Upsell to Customers who are making a reservation online box. This will allow a guest to add this package to their bill on their own when making a reservation through the booking engine. This will display the UPSELL POLICY.
4) Fill out the UPSELL POLICY as you see fit.
ELIGIBLE ROOM TYPES: Specify if this package can be purchased with all or a select group of room types.
ELIGIBLE DATES: Specify if this package can be purchased every day of the week, specific days of the week, or during specific time periods.
MINIMUM NUMBER OF NIGHTS NEEDED TO ADD THIS ITEM: Enter the number of nights required for a guest to stay before this package is eligible. Leave blank to indicate no minimum.
MAXIMUM NUMBER OF NIGHTS NEEDED TO ADD THIS ITEM: Enter the maximum number of nights a guest can stay for this item to be eligible. Leave blank to indicate no maximum.
MAXIMUM NUMBER OF ITEMS A GUEST CAN ADD PER ROOM: Enter the maximum quantity a guest can add per room. If you indicate a number, a drop-down quantity box will be displayed. Leave blank to indicate a maximum of 1.
NUMBER OF DAYS OF ADVANCE NOTICE NEEDED IN ORDER TO UPSELL THIS ITEM: Enter the number of days of lead time that you would like for this package. This allows for a minimum notice to prepare for certain items.
In the above example, We are upselling our package with the following restrictions:
- The guest must select one of four specific rooms
- The guest must be staying on a weekend
- The guest must be booking five or more days in advance
5) When you are done setting up your new Package, click the Save button at the bottom.
6) Finally, upload a small image if upselling this item online. The image will show alongside the description in the online booking engine to help entice guests to purchase. A stock photo will work fine.
- Click the Photo link to the right of the name of the item.
- Depending on your Internet browser, click Browse... or Choose File and select an image from your computer.
- Click the Save button at the bottom.
Repeat these steps for all other packages that you would like to sell or add to a bill at any point.
Now, when you click the 
button on a bill, the drop-down will populate with the additional packages.
The drop-down will put them at the very bottom, prefaced with [Pkg], and then in alphabetical order.
If you would like to change the sort order of your upsellable packages and items (as they display to guests in your Booking Engine and Upsell Portal, use the instructions here: Sort Upsell Items/Packages.
How to Edit a Package
Navigate to Settings ⟶ Packages
You will see a list of your existing Packages. Simply click on the row of the package that you would like to edit. To create a new package, click the New button at the top right.
The list of packages gives you a quick overview of your existing packages:
- Name of package
- Items listed in the package
- Total package price
- Is the package currently being upsold
This list here is also where you upload a photo for the package to accompany its name and description when upselling this package online.
Edit the details for the Package
Click on the row of the packs you wish to edit. This will take you to the Edit Package page.
NAME: Name of the Package as is displayed online (if upselling) and in your bills.
DESCRIPTION: If you are upselling this Package online, the description you set here will be displayed in the online booking engine after a guest has selected a room. It is important to note that your description should indicate to the guest what they are getting since they do not see a line-item breakdown of the items inside the package.
Items: Click the Add Item button to add a new item to this package. Choose the item from the dropdown, override the price if you need to. Repeat for each item you need to include in your package.
PRICE: Override the price this item will add to the overall cost of the package. Changes you make here do not affect the item price on other packages or of the item itself.
Remove: Click the Remove button to delete that item from the package.
Delete: Click the Delete button to delete the entire package.
Please note that changes you make to packages do not effect bills that currently or previously contained that package. (This is true for Items as well.)
Note that in the above example, we are not upselling this item in the ThinkReservations online booking engine. We can see this because the box is not checked.
Sell the Package in your ThinkReservations online booking engine
If you also want to sell this item online, Check the Upsell to Customers who are making a reservation online box. This will allow a guest to add this item to their bill on their own when making a reservation through the booking engine.
TIP: If you are upselling an item, make sure to fill out the DESCRIPTION, as this is what accompanies the item in the online booking engine.
Fill out the UPSELL POLICY as you see fit.
ELIGIBLE ROOM TYPES: Specify if this item can be purchased with all or a select group of room types.
ELIGIBLE DATES: Specify if this item can be purchased every day of the week, specific days of the week, or during specific time periods.
MINIMUM NUMBER OF NIGHTS NEEDED TO ADD THIS ITEM: Enter the number of nights required for a guest to stay before this item is eligible. Leave blank to indicate no minimum.
MAXIMUM NUMBER OF NIGHTS NEEDED TO ADD THIS ITEM: Enter the maximum number of nights a guest can stay for this item to be eligible. Leave blank to indicate no maximum.
MAXIMUM NUMBER OF ITEMS A GUEST CAN ADD PER ROOM: Enter the maximum quantity a guest can add per room. If you indicate a number, a drop-down quantity box will be displayed. Leave blank to indicate a maximum of 1.
NUMBER OF DAYS OF ADVANCE NOTICE NEEDED IN ORDER TO UPSELL THIS ITEM: Enter the number of days of lead time that you would like for this item. This allows for a minimum notice to prepare for certain items.
In the above example, we are upselling the Romance Package but with these specific qualifiers:
- You must be staying in a suite
- You must be staying on a Friday, Saturday, or Sunday
- You cannot add/order more than one package per room (Since I didn't specify, the default maximum is 1 per room.)
- You must be booking your room at least five days in advance
To change or upload the photo associated with this Package:
Upload a small image if upselling this Package online. The image will show alongside the description in the online booking engine to help entice guests to purchase. A stock photo will work fine.
- Click the Photo link to the right of the name of the Package.
- Depending on your Internet browser, click Browse... or Choose File and select an image from your computer.
- Click the Save button at the bottom.
When you click the
button on a bill or reservation, the drop-down will populate with the changes you have made, if any, to the Packages. The drop-down will put them at the bottom, prefaced with [Pkg] before the package name, then in alphabetical order. If you would like to change the sort order of your upsellable packages and items (as they display to guests in your Booking Engine and Upsell Portal, use the instructions here: Sort Upsell Items/Packages.
How to Delete a Package
Navigate to Settings ⟶ Packages
You will see a list of your existing Packages. Simply click on the row of the package that you would like to delete.
At the bottom of every package is a Delete button. Click the button and confirm that you would like to delete this package.
When you delete a package, the items contained within the package and also reservations and bills have had this package added to them will not be affected.
When to use a Package, Item, or Rate Type with Items Attached to it
| Situation | Package | Items | Rate Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| When to use a Package, Item, or Rate Type? | |||
| You have multiple items in your package, but the items are taxed differently. | ✘ | ||
| You would like to specify a lead time before a package can be added. | ✘ | ||
| You don't want to change the price /NIGHT that the customer sees when searching for a room. | ✘ | ||
| You would like the customer to have the ability to add multiple packages to their bill. | ✘ | ✘ | |
| You have one or more items in your package, but they are all taxed the same. | ✘ | ✘ | |
| You need to show each line item in the bill for the customer to see. | ✘ | ||
| You would like to qualify the package with a coupon code. | ✘ | ||
| You would like to change the price of the rooms associated with the package. | ✘ | ||
| You need to be able to add an item per day, effectively changing the item quantity based on the length of their say. | ✘ | ||
Looking to create a Rate Type with items, or a "Room Package? Click HERE