Start this import process by selecting Room Reservations as the type of data to import on Accommodation > Import. This enables you to import Attendees' accommodation reservations into your event from an Excel or CSV file. You can add new reservations or update existing ones. After import, these details are visible and can be edited on attendees' accommodation records: Manage > Registrations > Accommodation.
Pre-Requisites
The following must be added to the event before you can import new room reservations:
- The Attendees for whom the rooms are being reserved.
- The Blocks or Sub-Blocks from which the room-nights are to be drawn.
Import file requirements
- File type: The file must be an Excel file (.xls or .xlsx) or a CSV file (.csv).
- International characters and special characters: If your import includes international or special characters, best practice is to use a .CSV file.
- The first row must be column names. You will use these when mapping the fields.
Required fields when adding new registrations
- Registration Code – The attendee.
- Hotel Code – Must be as specified in the relevant accommodation block or sub-block.
- Room Type Code – Must be as specified in the relevant accommodation block or sub-block.
- Arrival Date and Departure Date –
- Must be valid dates in mm/dd/yyyy format.
- If a Sub-Block Name is included in the import then the dates must be between the sub-block's Start and End dates.
- If no Sub-Block Name is included in the import then inventory will come from a Block.
- In that case the dates must be between the Start and End dates of a block for that hotel and room type.
- Guest 1 Name
Required fields when updating existing registrations
- Unique ID – to identify the records to update.
- Registration Code.
- Arrival Date and Departure Date –
- Must be valid dates in mm/dd/yyyy format.
- Must be between the Start and End dates of the relevant block or sub-block.
- Guest 1 Name
> Note: Only columns with values in them will update the records concerned. Columns with no values (or not included in the file) will leave the existing data unchanged.
Other data validation requirements
Other data must be valid. For example:
- Date Confirmed – If entered, must be a valid date in mm/dd/yyyy format.
> Tip: Format all date cells as mm/dd/yyyy in Excel, to help avoid errors.
- Smoking, Sharing and Overbook must be Yes, No, or blank.
Steps
Steps to follow to import Room Reservations
1. Select whether to import new reservations or update existing ones.
2. Best practice: In the first step of the wizard you can click a link to download a template Excel file to populate.
- If you're adding new room reservations, download the first Excel template.
- If you're amending existing room reservations, download the second Excel template, which starts with a Unique ID column.
- That's what identifies the reservation to be updated.
- (Note: You can run a Room Reservations report to find the Unique IDs of existing reservations.)
3. Once you have a file ready to import, click Next in the first step.
4. Drop a file into step 2, or click Choose File and select the file to upload.
5. In the next step, map the columns in your import file to the Instance Field in Certain.
6. Click Complete Import to start or schedule the import process.
7. You receive an email advising that the import is complete, with details of any rows that failed to import.
- An import will fail if, for example, it includes invalid data such as incorrectly formatted dates (see above), or an incorrect Registration Code, Hotel Code, Room Type Code, Sub-Block Name, or Unique ID.