“Optional” Status for Group Bookings

apaleo now supports the “Optional” status for group blocks. customice supports the new status handling of the apaleo integration and allows the associated settings to be configured directly when setting a block to “Optional”.

This means that optional blocks, including the cutoff date and availability settings, can be managed directly in customice and synchronized with apaleo.

Setting a Block to “Optional”

The status of a block can be changed in customice as usual via the status selection. When “Optional” is selected for an apaleo block, an additional window opens with the settings for the optional block.

The following settings can be configured:

Cutoff Date

A cutoff date must be specified for each optional block. This defines the deadline by which the block should either be confirmed or released.

The cutoff date can be set between the current date and the start date of the block.

Availability Deduction

The “Deduct rooms from inventory” option determines whether the rooms in an optional block should already reduce the available inventory.

If this option is enabled, the rooms reserved in the block are deducted from the available inventory while the block is still “Optional”. This ensures that availability is adjusted accordingly even though the block has not yet been definitively confirmed.

If the option is not enabled, the optional block does not initially reduce the available inventory.

At the Cutoff Date

You can also specify what should happen if the block has neither been confirmed nor released by the defined cutoff date.

If “Release inventory” is enabled, the reserved inventory is automatically released on the cutoff date and the block returns to “Tentative” status.

If automatic release is not enabled, the block initially remains “Optional”. If it is still in this status when the block start date is reached, apaleo automatically changes the status back to “Tentative”.

Confirming an Optional Block

When an optional block is confirmed, its status changes to “Confirmed”.

If the inventory was not already deducted while the block was “Optional”, apaleo performs another availability check when the block is confirmed. If the required inventory is no longer available at that time, the block cannot be confirmed.

Online Pick-Up

As long as a block has the “Optional” status, reservations cannot be picked up via the Online Pick-Up.

The Pick-Up becomes available once the block has been confirmed and has reached “Definite” status in apaleo.

Synchronization with apaleo

The settings and status changes of optional blocks are synchronized between customice and apaleo.

This also includes automatic status changes in apaleo. For example, if the inventory is automatically released on the cutoff date and the block returns to “Tentative”, this change is also reflected in customice.

Note: The “Optional” feature and its underlying status handling are provided by apaleo. For further information on how optional group blocks work, please refer to the apaleo Help Center.

→ Further information in the Apaleo Help Center