Topics: Function room groups | Viewing and modifying booking event details | Moving, modifying, and creating booking events | Viewing availability for multiple properties
Availability: Function space
To view your property's function space, click the Availability tab to open the Function Diary. All of your function space has been entered into the system and is displayed here in an easy-to-read format.
After you open the Availability page, enter the client's arrival date in the Date field and press the Enter key, or click the Calendar button and select the date, then click Go. The page will update to display availability for that day.
Function rooms are listed on the left with the date and time across the top. The events are color coded by status: red is prospect, blue is tentative, and green is definite.
You can quickly change your view to a varying number of days or weeks using the buttons at the top of the page. Use the 1 Day view when you need exact times. The 2 Week and 4 Week views are convenient when a group needs a particular room for five consecutive days or the bride is looking for any available Saturday night in June.
If you need more room to work, click the Open in New Window 
button in the top left corner.
Function Room Groups
When you first open the function diary it automatically displays all function rooms. For small single property hotels this is ideal. However, if you sell function space at multiple properties or if your property has a lot of function space, it can be time consuming and cumbersome to search hundreds of rooms. To filter your view, use the Function Room Groups picklist. Select the check box next to each function room group you want to view and click Go.
The following example displays meeting rooms for Newmarket Plaza and The City Hotel. To clear the function room group filter, click the X next to the Function Room Groups picklist. This clears all filters on the Diary.
If you leave the Availability page open most of the day, you may want to click the Refresh 
button occasionally to ensure that you have the most up-to-date data.
Viewing and modifying booking event details
It's easy to check space and manage events directly from the Function Diary. Use the right-click options to open the Manage Events window where you modify the details of your group's program or start detailing their BEO by opening the Manage Menus and Items window.
To modify basic information about an event, double-click it to open the Quick Create window.
Need more information? You can jump directly to the event or booking by clicking the Open in New Window button to the right of each field.
Modifying, moving, and creating booking events
You can move, modify, and create new events directly from the Function Diary. Later in this course we'll review how to create booking events in more detail—this is just a preview!
To move a booking event to a new time or room click and drag the event.
To modify the start or end time of a booking event, point to its start or end time. Your cursor changes to a double-sided arrow. Click and drag that edge to the new time.
To create a new booking event directly from the Function Diary, locate the appropriate room and time and then click and drag to block the space. In this image you can see the click and drag to block an event from 8:00AM to 8:45AM—release the mouse, and the Quick Create window will open.
You can delete a booking event by right-clicking it in the Function Diary and clicking Delete.
Viewing availability for multiple properties
If you book a cluster of hotels and you need to see which one has the space you need on a certain date, remember this time saver. Using the Properties picklist, you can switch between properties if you want to see them one at a time, or you can view all of them together for comparison.
Watch this video to learn how to view availability for multiple properties.
If you book business at multiple properties, you can set up your Availability page to display inventory for those properties. Select two or more properties in the Properties picklist selection window, then click Go to quickly see which one has availability for your group.
Watch this video to learn how to view room blocks at multiple properties.
Quiz Time
- You just added a Breakfast event to your booking and want to add the breakfast buffet menu. What's the quickest way to add the menu?
- Click the Add Menus button at the top of the Availability page.
- Close the Function Diary. Open the booking and click the Add Menu icon.
- Right-click the event and select Manage Menus and Items. You can then search for the menu you want to add.
- Based on the following image Salon AB is available on the evening of Tuesday, April 24th.
- True
- False
Summary
The Availability page provides the most complete view of your property's space. Although there are other ways to check space, the Availability page is the one that provides the most information in one convenient view.
Continue to the next lesson to learn how to how to create and manage inquiries. You'll be pleased to learn how easy it is to add and manage inquiries and convert them to bookings.
Next Topic > Inquiries