Release Notes - December 13, 2024

We're excited to share with you the new features and enhancements we're rolling out. These updates are live for our U.S. and EMEA customers. Our friends in Asia will see these updates on December 16, 2024, followed by the Boyd and Venetian instances on December 17, 2024. Minimal downtime is expected.

Cendyn Booking Engine (RT4)

Customize Emails with Additional Information & Button Colors

We’ve made it easier for you to personalize your customer emails, and with this release, every element of the standard email template is now customizable!

Additional Information

When you select the standard email template, you can now use a text box in the Admin section to add custom information. This lets you go beyond the default template to include unique details or extra personalization for guests.

• HTML Support: The additional text must be entered in HTML format, allowing you to include variables and apply different styles.
• Preview Option: A preview button below the text box lets you see how your email will look before sending it.
• Placement: The added text will appear at the bottom of the email in a subsection titled "Additional Information."
• Applies to All Email Types: This feature is available for confirmation, modification, and cancellation emails.
• Go to Admin > Property Management > Property Branding to set it up.

Button Colors

You can now update the background and text color for buttons to align with your branding. The default colors, as seen above, are #132A46 (dark blue) for the background and #FFFFFF (white) for the text.

• Go to Admin > Property Management > Property Branding to select your colors.

Personalize your guest communications and make every email feel a little more special!

Property Name Displays on Individual Portals

When navigating from a multi-property portal or hotel website to a single-property portal, the property name will now appear at the top of the booking engine, if so configured. To activate this feature,  collaborate with your website agency to ensure the hotel ID parameter (hotel=hotelID) is included in the URL, along with other required parameters being passed to the booking engine.

Cashfree Payment Gateway integration now available

We’re excited to announce that CRS customers can now integrate Cashfree Payment, a popular payment gateway in MENA & APAC, to handle payments, modifications, and cancellations—including automatic processing of additional charges and refunds.

How it works

• Cashfree acts as a redirection payment gateway.
  • After guests fill out their details on the checkout page and click Book Now, they're redirected to the Cashfree payment page.
  • The Cashfree page offers multiple payment options, including wallets and QR codes, popular in the Asia market.
• Payments are processed instantly, based on the policy amounts defined in the CRS.

Refunds and Modifications made easy

Modifications: If a guest upgrades from a lower to a higher room category, the system charges the additional amount automatically.
Cancellations: Refunds for downgrades or cancellations are processed dynamically through the payment gateway.

Customer communication

• All charges or refunds are clearly detailed on the checkout page, confirmation page, and in email confirmations, ensuring transparency for guests.

Important details

• A separate contract with Cashfree and a Statement of Work (SOW) with Cendyn is needed to enable this feature.
• To configure go to: Property Management > Payment Gateway

RT3 Booking Engine

California Pricing Displays Room Rate + Fees Based on Location

We’ve given fee displays a California-friendly update on the Booking Engine to ensure a seamless booking experience. For hotels and guests in the Golden State (California), room rates will now automatically include fees (excluding taxes) under certain conditions. These conditions include: (a) the user’s IP is detected as being California-based, (b) the user’s address indicates California residency—even if their IP doesn’t match, or (c) the property itself is in California.

For example, if a guest from California is booking a property outside the state, or if the property itself is in California, the displayed pricing will include only the room’s base price and any mandatory fees required by the property. For instance: Room Price ($99) + Fees ($20) = $119.

If a guest is not in California, the displayed pricing will only include the room's base price. For instance: Room Price ($99) + Fees ($20) = $99. This ensures the price display remains competitive for non-Californian users.

This enhancement ensures competitiveness, transparency and compliance while making the booking process smoother—California dreamin’ for effortless bookings.