What is a Reservation?

A Reservation is the central entity in Recranet Booking. It represents a booking made by a guest for a specific Accommodation and AccommodationUnit during a defined period. Every transaction, guest record, and financial operation in the system ultimately connects back to a reservation.

The reservation acts as the single source of truth for a booking, capturing not only the basic details of who is staying and when, but also the complete financial picture, the supplements included, the communication history, and the current status of the booking throughout its lifecycle.

Core Components

A reservation connects several key entities that together form the complete booking.

Guest: The Guest is the person responsible for the reservation. They are the primary contact for all communication and the party to whom the booking is invoiced. A guest can have multiple reservations over time, allowing properties to track returning visitors and build guest history.

Accommodation: The Accommodation represents what is being booked (e.g., "Deluxe Suite", "Beach Cottage"). It defines the type of lodging, its features, and its pricing configuration. A reservation is typically linked to one accommodation.

AccommodationUnit: The AccommodationUnit defines the specific unit of that accommodation that has been booked. For example, a guest books a "2-bedroom cottage" (accommodation), but stays in "Cottage 12" (unit). This allows flexible unit assignment based on availability.

SupplementOrderLines: SupplementOrderLines are additional services or charges attached to the reservation. These include items like cleaning fees, tourist tax, breakfast packages, or equipment rentals. SupplementOrderLines can be automatically included, optionally selected by the guest, or added during the stay. Each SupplementOrderLine references a Supplement, which defines the configuration for that specific item.

Transactions: Transactions represent all financial movements on the reservation: payments received, refunds issued, and adjustments made. Together, they form a complete ledger that determines the reservation's balance.

Reservation Workflow

A reservation follows a predictable journey from initial creation to final checkout. While the exact flow may vary depending on the organization's configuration and booking source, most reservations follow this general pattern.

Creation: The reservation is created when a guest completes a booking. This can happen through various channels: the organization's website, an OTA like Booking.com, or manually by staff. At this point, the system captures the guest details, selected accommodation, dates, and calculates the total price based on the applicable rates and supplements.
Confirmation: Once the booking is placed, it blocks the accommodation unit for the reserved period. The organization can then choose to confirm or deny the reservation. Some organizations confirm immediately upon booking, while others wait for payment verification. If the reservation is denied or cancelled, the block is removed and the unit becomes available again.

Upon confirmation, the guest typically receives a confirmation email with their reservation details and a link to view or manage their booking.
Pre-arrival: In the days leading up to arrival, additional communication may be sent to the guest. This can include check-in instructions, access codes, directions, or requests for additional information. Organizations can automate these communications based on configurable triggers.
Check-in: When the guest arrives, the reservation can be marked as checked-in. This activates the stay and may trigger related systems such as access control (door codes, key cards) or on-site services. Check-in can be performed by reception staff or through guest self-service, depending on the organization's setup.
During the Stay: While the guest is on-site, additional charges may be added to the reservation: minibar consumption, spa services, late checkout fees, or other extras. These are recorded as supplements and immediately calculated and added to the reservation balance.
Check-out: Upon departure, the reservation can be marked as checked-out. If there is an outstanding balance, the guest is prompted to settle it. Access credentials are deactivated and the accommodation unit is released for cleaning and the next guest.
Post-stay: After checkout, the reservation remains in the system for historical and reporting purposes. Organizations may send follow-up communication such as thank-you emails, review requests, or promotional offers for future stays.

Reservations are the foundation of every integration with Recranet Booking. Whether you're building a channel manager, automating guest communication, synchronizing financial data, or managing access control, you'll be working with reservations.

A solid understanding of how reservations are structured and how they progress through their lifecycle will help you:

Retrieve the right data – Know which related entities to query and when they become available
React to changes – Handle status updates, payment events, and modifications appropriately
Avoid common pitfalls – Understand when units are blocked, how balances are calculated, and what triggers system events

As you explore other core concepts like Guests, Accommodations, and Supplements, you'll see how they all connect back to the reservation. Mastering this entity is the key to building robust and reliable integrations with Recranet Booking.