This article will walk you through the process to create a new Promotion or modify an existing one.
Please note that a Rate Type can have a promotion code as a qualifier, meaning a guest cannot find that rate type without entering the code. However, this article is about creating a true Promotion, not just a promotion code on a Rate Type.
1. Navigate to Settings > Promotions
2. If you are creating a NEW Promotion, click the New button on the top right. If you want to edit an existing Promotion, simply click on the Promotion name.
3. Give your promotion a name, and if necessary, a description as well. Below is an example of a promotion configured in ThinkReservations, and then how it is displayed on the booking engine.
4. Under "Promotion requirements," check any boxes on the left for requirements you want to include as qualifiers. This means the customer's search must meet these specifications in order for them to be eligible to receive this promotion. If their search doesn't meet them, ThinkReservations won't offer the promotion to them at all.
A) Promotion Code: If you want to require that a specific code be entered in order to see the promotion, check this box and enter the code that you would like the customer to enter on the booking engine. They are not case-sensitive
B) Booking created between: Use this restriction if you want to offer the promotion for a limited time, meaning that the guest must CREATE their reservations within a specified time-frame. This is helpful for a flash-sale type of promo to get customers booking their stays ASAP.
C) Stay date range: This date range restriction is based on when the guest is checking in and out, rather than when they're creating their booking. This restriction may be handy for a seasonal promotion, perhaps something that is only available in your slow season. This restriction also has a lot of flexibility, as you can specify specific days of the week, and you can even add multiple stay date ranges if you want to A) offer it for several time-frames, or B) want to exclude specific time-frames.
D) Days of the week: If you want to require a certain day (or certain days) of the week to be included in the booking, this restriction allows you to specify which day(s) and whether it must include ALL of those days selected, or just SOME (meaning one or more) of those days selected, in order to qualify for the promotion. A great example of when this may come in handy is the popular "Two + Tuesday" promo, in which the guest receives a discount for staying at least 3 nights that include a Tuesday.
E) Min/max stay: Specify minimum or maximum number of nights within the stay to qualify for the promotion.
F) Advanced booking: Set a limit on how far prior to arrival the guest must book in order to be eligible for the promotion. Perhaps it's an "Early Bird Special" for which guests must book greater than 90 days in advance. Perhaps instead it is a "Last Minute Deal" for guests booking less than or equal to 1 day prior to arrival. You choose the number of days in advance and whether the guest must be booking more or less than that number of days prior.
G) Room types: If this promotion is only available for some room types, but not all of them, enable this restriction and un-check the rooms it is not available to. By default, promotions are available to all room types, so you only need to enable this requirement if you want to limit the room types it is available to.
H) Rate types: Similar to room types, promotions are, by default, available on all active rate types. If your promotion can only be applied to some rate types, enable this requirement and un-check those rate types which are not eligible.
The Final step in creating a promotion is determining what the discount will be. The discount can be either a dollar amount or a percentage off of:
- Every night of stay
- The first night of stay
- The last night of stay, OR
- The least costly night of stay
Click Save at the bottom to save your promotion settings, and it's ready to start using!