Update your property settings
Add/update property details
To add or update your property details:
Navigate to Setup
Under Property settings click on the following settings to update:
General information
Property details
Services
Policies
Media library
Click on the pencil icon to edit the setting you would like to update
Click Save
Add/update property features and images
To add or update property features and images:
Navigate to Setup
Under Property settings click on Media library
Upload and assign property images for your booking engine, including a banner image.
💡 We recommend the following image dimensions:
Banner images: 2560px width x 640px height
Property images: 2560px width x 1500px height
Room type images: 2560px width x 1500px height
Manage direct rates and inventory
Activate direct booking rates
First, create room rates in the Rooms and Rates page. Then you need to activate them on your direct booking engine:
Navigate to Direct booking > Rates.
Click the Inactive tab and tick the checkboxes next to the room rates you want to activate.
Click the Activate rates button.
Once each rate is activated, you can edit the rate to update additional settings such as occupancy settings and direct booking controls.
Set up taxes
To set up taxes for your Little Hotelier booking engine:
Navigate to Payments > Taxes.
Add required taxes in compliance with local tax laws and regulations.
Set up tax settings: select either Show rates including tax and service charge on the direct booking engine and/or Include tax and service charges on Inventory grid rates for the booking engine. These settings affect how taxes and rates display to guests.
Set direct rate booking policies
Set up cancellation policies
To set up cancellation policies for your booking engine:
Navigate to Direct booking > Configuration > Cancellation settings.
Set up property and room-specific cancellation policies.
Set up any penalties that apply when guests cancel.
💡 Your cancellation policies will display on your booking engine as:
"Non-Refundable": when full payment applies if cancelled
"Cancellation fee applies": when a partial amount is charged if cancelled
"Free cancellation!": when there's no cost to cancel
"Free cancellation before [date]": when there's no cost to cancel before a specified date
Set up deposits
Set up a direct booking deposit to collect a partial or full payment at the time of booking:
Navigate to Direct booking > Rates.
Click the ellipsis button (three dots button) for the direct rate.
Select Edit rate.
In the General tab, click the Deposit toggle to turn it on.
Select a Deposit type (Full amount, First night, Fixed amount, or Percentage). Enter the amount if setting a fixed amount or percentage.
Set the rate's Reservation policy settings to choose whether payment details are required at booking. Select Pre-payment details needed to secure booking, Pre-payment not needed to secure booking, or Pre-payment needed if the guest intends to check in after a certain time.
Click Save.
💡 Deposit types will display on your booking engine as:
"Book now, pay later": when no deposit is required
"Pay today": when full payment is required at booking
"One-night deposit required": when first night payment is required
Specific amounts: for fixed or percentage deposits
💡 You don't need to set up a deposit to require guests to enter payment details. You can collect card details at booking by selecting Pre-payment details needed to secure booking under Reservation policy settings — even if the Deposit toggle is turned off.
Customise booking engine appearance and guest experience
Customise banner image and colour theme
Customise the look of your direct booking engine:
Navigate to Direct booking > Configuration > Branding.
Add a banner image and set a colour theme that matches your website.
Configure guest display options
Set up how rates appear to guests on your booking engine:
Navigate to Direct booking > Configuration > Guest display options.
Configure enquiry settings if you don't want to allow instant bookings.
Set room availability display options: Hide unavailable rates, Show low-availability alerts, Show "Early bird special" for rates with release periods.
Customise the guest details form with additional fields like phone number, address, and special requests.
Set occupancy age settings and maximum room occupancy options.
Add languages and translations
Make your booking engine available in multiple languages:
Navigate to Direct booking > Configuration > Translations.
Turn on AI-powered automatic translation to instantly translate and publish your booking engine content into 22 languages, or add your own translations manually.
Set up direct booking email templates
Send e-mails to guests who book through your booking engine. Enable outgoing e-mails in Direct booking > Configuration > Guest communications by turning on the toggle next to each e-mail type you want to send:
Reservation confirmation
Reservation modification
Reservation cancellation
Pre-arrival message
Post-departure message
⚠️ Once you have enabled each e-mail type, you will need to customise each e-mail template, or guests will receive blank e-mails.
Manage direct booking reservations
To manage direct booking reservations:
Navigate to Reservations.
Filter by "Direct booking" to view bookings made through your booking engine.
Process modifications or cancellations as needed.
Optimise direct booking rates
Create direct rate promotions
Set up exclusive discounts using promotion codes for direct bookings:
Navigate to Direct booking > Promotion codes.
Create a promo code with a special discount or offer.
Distribute the code to specific customers.
Add extras
Offer additional services on your booking engine such as late check-out, meals, snacks, or airport transfers:
Navigate to Direct booking > Extras.
Click the Add extra button.
Enter the extra's name, description, and price.
Select the dates the extra will be available.
Tick the room rates you want to assign the extra to.
Upload or assign images of your extra.
Click Save extra.
Set up dynamic discounts
Encourage more direct bookings by setting up Dynamic discounts (length of stay discounts, package deals and stay pay deals) for your booking engine.
Navigate to Rooms and rates > Rate plans.
Add a new rate plan or edit an existing rate plan.
Under Direct booking controls, click the Dynamic discounts toggle and set up the discount.
Highlight rate plans on your booking engine
Display your best rate plans and their inclusions and discounts at the top of your booking engine:
Navigate to Rooms and rates > Rate plans.
Add a new rate plan or edit an existing rate plan.
Under Direct booking controls, click the Highlight rate plan on direct booking engine toggle.
Set up the display settings including the hero image, tagline and description.
Set up Direct booking controls
Control the way you sell your direct booking rates by configuring specific restrictions such as applicable dates and discounts on your rate plans:
Navigate to Direct booking > Rates.
Edit the direct booking rate you want to update.
Configure direct booking controls such as applicable dates, advertised dates, restrict rate to mobile device, and maximum advance booking dates.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can guests modify or cancel their own direct bookings?
Yes, guests can cancel or change certain details for their direct booking if it is outside your cancellation penalty window, and your cancellation settings are set to "Allow guest cancellation". If so, guests will see the cancel or modify option in their reservation confirmation e-mails.
What payment options can I offer guests?
Configure accepted payment methods in Payments > Accepted payments. These payment options will be available to guests when they book through your booking engine.
Will my booking engine work on mobile devices?
Yes, your Little Hotelier booking engine is fully responsive and works on all devices including desktop, tablet, and mobile.
How does minimum length of stay (minLOS) work in the booking engine?
Your Little Hotelier booking engine supports "Min Stay Based on Arrival Day". The minimum stay requirement applies to the check-in date only. For example, if August 2nd has a 3-night minimum stay, guests checking in on that date must book for at least 3 nights.
Does the Little Hotelier booking engine support accessibility?
Yes. Your Little Hotelier booking engine is designed to meet the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) Level AA standard. WCAG are international standards that make web content accessible to people with a wide range of disabilities, including visual, hearing, motor, speech, and cognitive impairments.