How to use Merge Fields: To create or edit any letter, go to Setup | Parameters | Letters. See Add Letters and, Customize and Edit Letters. To set up Automated Emails, see Auto Letters Setup. To start using Merge Fields:
Open Letter: choose the Letter you want to edit by clicking on the Letter I.D. The Letter will open in an Editor
Editor Toolbar: The toolbar at the top has many features you can use to customize your Letter including Merge fields used to place booking, financial and guest information from your records and transactions.
BookingCenter "merge fields": To see a list of merge fields, click in the "merge fields" ontop left corner of the editor.
To insert the value of the merge field you want, place your cursor at the location in Letter you want it to appear. Then, click on the desired value from the merge fields list
To change or edit your Merge fields in the Letter, highlight the field and click on the BookingCenter "globe" icon in the top-left of the editor. Choose the new field from the drop down menu and it will replace the highlighted field.
Merge Fields available for Group Letters. See below for details on each field.
Today's Date - Inserts the date of the current day.
Hotel Details - Inserts Hotel details: Entered in SETUP|SETTINGS|SITE DETAILS. See Site Details
Guest Booking Data - Inserts the data entered in group Booking Information Section of the Booking Data. See See Booking Details
Group Booking Details - Inserts details entered in the Booking Information for the group and the contact person. See Group Booking Details
The tables below lists all current variables that may be used in creating letter templates. Click on each title to see Merge Field details
Example of Merge Fields in Letter
Date
Merge Field
Identifier
Today's Date
%%todays-date%%
Hotel Details
Merge Field
Identifier
Hotel Name
%%hotel-name%%
Hotel Address
%%hotel-address1%%
Hotel Address2
%%hotel-address2%%
Hotel City
%%hotel-city%%
Hotel State
%%hotel-state%%
Hotel Zip
%%hotel-zip%%
Hotel Country
%%hotel-country%%
Hotel 800 Phone
%%hotel-tollfree-phone%%
Hotel Main Phone
%%hotel-main-phone%%
Hotel Fax
%%hotel-main-fax%%
Hotel Email
%%hotel-email%%
Example of Merge Fields in Letter
Guest Booking Data
Merge Field
Identifier
Group Name
%%group_name%%
Group Title
%%group_booking_title%%
Full Name
First Name
%%guest-first-name%%
Last Name
%%guest-last-name%%
Full Address
%%guest-title%%
Address
%%guest-address1%%
City
%%guest-city%%
State
%%guest-state%%
Zip
%%guest-zip%%
Country
%%guest-country%%
Business Phone
%%work-phone%%
Home Phone
%%home_phone%%
Cell
%%cell_phone%%
Fax
%%guest-fax%%
Dear
%%dear%%
Email
%%email%%
Name on Credit Card
%%name-on-credit-card%%
Credit Card Number
%%credit-card-number%%
Group Comments
%%group-comments%%
Group Booking Details
Merge Field
Identifier
Confirmation Number
%%reservation-identifier%%
Status
%%status%%
Source
%%group_source%%
Market
%%market_name%%
Arrival Date
%% reservation-arriving-date%%
Departure Date
%% reservation-departing-date%%
Company Name
%%company-name%%
Travel Agent
%%travel_agent%%
Booking Comments
%%booking-comments%%
Rooming List (terse)
%%room-list%% shows a summary of Bookings in the Room List such as:
Rooming List (verbose)
%%room-list-verbose%% shows details of all Bookings in the Room List such as:
Group List Count
%%group_count%% (total number of bookings in the Rooming List, such as 4 if the Group has a Rooming List with 4 bookings)
Cancellation Number
%%cancellation_number%%
Marketing and Policies
Merge Field
Identifier
Cancellation Policy
%%cancellation-policy%%
Deposit Policy
%%deposit-policy%%
Marketing Message
%%marketing-message%%
Retrictions
%%restrictions%%
Site Description
%%description%%
Location Description
%%location-description%%
Customer Reviews
%%customer-reviews%%
Registration
%%registration%%
Thank you Message
%%thank-you-message%%
Driving Directions
%%driving-directions%%
Financials
Merge Field
Identifier
Projected Income
%%total-cost%%
Project Income & Charges
%%projected_income_and_charges%% (use carefully as described under 'Notes' below)
Projected Accommodation Cost
%%projected-accommodation-cost%%
Projected Accommodation Tax
%%projected-accommodation-tax%%
Group Revenue
%%group-revenue%%
Balance due upon arrival
%%balance-due%%
Folio Balance
%%folio-balance%%
Folio Charges Total
%%folio-charge-total%%
Folio Payments Total
%%total-payments%%
Display all Folio Items
%%write-folio%%
Tax 1 Rate % (Primary)
%%main-tax%%
Tax 2 Rate % (Secondary)
%%main-tax2%%
Tax 1 Total
%%tax1-total%%
Tax 2 Total
%%tax2-total%%
Sum of all additional Taxes
%%additional-tax-total%%
Tax Totals
%%total-taxes%%
Group Booking Engine
Merge Field
Identifier
User ID
%%reservation-identifier%%
Password
%%password%%
Group Booking Engine
Note:
If you insert a merge field that involves payment in the Folio, the field will appear blank if there aren't any transactions in the Folio yet.
A common request from customers is for Charges, Rents, and Payments to be seen on a confirmation. If your business policy is to place the RENT charges on the folio at time of booking, then 'Display All Folio Items' will be the right choice.
However, if you pre-book some Charges, such as a spa or transportation charge, but let Night Audit post the RENT charges (most common), and you wish for a Guest to get a clear indication of what has been charged and will be charged, then use the 'Display All Folio Items' for the Charges posted and, in another section of your Letter, the 'Daily Rate Grid' so that 'current' charges on a folio are on one portion of the letter, and the 'projected' Rate Grid is on another portion of the letter. This allows the Guest to see what will be charged, assuming dates and rates don't change.
When using the Group Booking merge element: "%%projected_income_and_charges%%" note that this will only work accurately if:
all the Days and Rates that are on the Edit of the Group Booking are accurate for each Booking in the Group and
all Charges are all applied to the Group folio.
If there are individual booking(s) that are part of a group that have rate over-rides or have arrival or departure dates different than what was sold at the Group, or an individual booking(s) that are part of a group have Charges on their folios, then this value will become 'stale' and no longer reflect the total sum of all parts of the Group Booking. Thus, this merge field should only be used for Group Bookings well-organized and following the setup for that specific Group. Once individual bookings are edited (rates or rooms are edited for longer or shorter stay on individual bookings, or Charges are applied to individual Booking folios) this calculation will no longer be accurate. Use with these cautionary restrictions.