The property should rarely modify OTA reservations brought in via the Channel Manager. Notable exceptions are Vrbo reservations, no-shows, handling tax issues, and adding notes on reservations.
If a guest wants to purchase something...
If you have a gift shop or you need to add ancillary charges to a guest's reservation, anything that would increase the bill amount - and it's an OTA reservation, Stop.
Items added to OTA reservations could be removed without warning if the OTA sends an update to that booking.
Unless the item was added via the OTA, or it's a Vrbo reservation, it's not recommended to add items to OTA reservations.
Instead, follow this process:
Enable "Folios".
Click the gear icon Actions, then Enable Folios
Confirm in the popup
In the new Billing tab, create a new folio with the black plus sign Add button to the right of Folios
Give the new folio a name, or leave "Folio #2" as the default.
Assign a customer to the folio if you wish.
Click Save in the popup.
Select the new folio and add the items there. If they are in Folio #1, you can move them easily to Folio #2.
Payments can be made to this folio as well.
Email or print the folio for the guest. It will only include the items and payments on the new folio you created.
OTA reservation updates or changes will not impact the new folio!
Alternative process without folios:
Click the ThinkReservations menu, and choose New Bill...
This will create a blank point-of-sale (POS) bill to which you can add purchases that are not directly related to the OTA reservation.
Use the URL of this POS bill as a note in the OTA reservation. Special Accommodations notes are not overwritten.
If a guest wants to extend their stay...
An OTA reservation is for a specific room type, dates, and occupancy. Extending the OTA reservation would not be appropriate if a guest wants to stay another night.
Reservation changes to OTA reservations could be removed without warning if the OTA sends an update to that booking.
If a guest wants to extend their stay, they can do so via the OTA's platform without involving the property, although that is not always ideal.
You likely can request the modification via the OTA's online portal.
You may be charged commissions unnecessarily if the original OTA reservation is extended.
Unless it's a Vrbo reservation, do not add a room or extend the guest's stay (or shorten it).
Instead, create an entirely new reservation.
The OTA reservation is for the number of nights it was for, and the direct booking reservation is for however many additional nights the guest would like to stay with you, booking with you directly.
Related: If a guest wants to make other changes, see here:
The above article covers:
The guest contacting you to edit or move their reservation
Guest calling you directly to cancel
The guest is a no-show
The reservation came in without a valid credit card
Below is an excerpt from that article:
If a guest wants to upgrade, downgrade, or otherwise change...
If the guest calls or emails to move or edit their reservation, you will need to remind them that because they didn't book with you direct, you don't have the authority to modify their reservation. The change must happen through the OTA. If you edit an OTA reservation in ThinkReservations, this can result in a double-booking as no message is sent to the OTA.
The Fix:
Ask them to use the links in the confirmation email they received from the OTA to update their reservation.
See if you can make an adjustment request as a host/hotelier via the OTA's online portal.
Have them log into their account, if they have one, to update their booking.
They can call the OTA's support phone for assistance. See the "Channel" of the reservation in ThinkReservations to help them identify the parent company if they don't remember where they booked.
As soon as the reservation has been updated on the OTA, it will be updated in ThinkReservations automatically.
If a guest calls or emails to cancel their reservation...
If the guest reaches out to your directly to cancel their reservation, you will need to remind them that they didn't book direct, and therefore you don't have the authority to cancel their reservation. The reservation must be canceled on the OTA somehow. Once canceled on the OTA, it will be canceled in ThinkReservations.
The Fix:
Ask them to use the OTA's provided confirmation email.
Have them log into their OTA account and modify their booking there
They can call the OTA's support phone for assistance.
Sometimes you will have guests that booked through an affiliate site and not know or remember where they booked. You can help them with the parent company that will be able to take their call, such as Booking.com or Expedia.
Alternatively, you can call and ask the OTA directly to reach out to the guest to request to cancel.
ThinkReservations will never charge or refund a guest due to a cancellation automatically.
Note: Some OTAs are making it easier to request to cancel on their portal or extranet.