Modifying Reservations

Change dates, room types, and rates on existing reservations. Cancel bookings, handle no-shows, and manage common modification scenarios.

Guests change their plans. Flights get rescheduled, meetings run long, and sometimes a traveller simply decides to stay an extra night. Veridien makes it straightforward to modify reservations while keeping the financial record accurate and the availability calendar in sync. This guide covers the most common modification types, explains the safeguards the system provides, and walks you through the cancellation and no-show workflows.

Changing dates

Date changes are the most frequent modification. A guest might extend their stay, shorten it, or shift the entire reservation to a different set of dates.

Find the reservation

Navigate to Front Desk > Reservations and look up the reservation by confirmation number, guest name, or arrival date. Click the reservation to open it.

Edit the dates

Click the Edit button in the reservation header. The Check-in and Check-out date fields become editable. Adjust the dates as needed. The Nights counter updates automatically.

Review availability and pricing

After changing the dates, the system checks availability for the same room type across the new date range. If the room type is available, the Nightly Rate and Total fields recalculate based on the rate plan's pricing for the new dates. If the room type is not available for any night in the new range, the system displays a warning and suggests alternative room types.

Save the modification

Review the updated Summary panel. Verify the new dates, the recalculated total, and any price differences. Click Save Changes. The system logs the modification in the reservation's Activity tab, recording the old dates, the new dates, and the user who made the change.

Extending a checked-in stay

If the guest is already checked in and wants to stay additional nights, you can extend the reservation directly from the Front Desk > In-House screen. Open the guest's active stay, click Extend Stay, and select the new check-out date. The system checks availability for the assigned room (not just the room type) to ensure the specific room is free on the additional nights. If it is not, you will need to arrange a room move for the extension period.

Rate continuity

When you extend a checked-in stay, the system applies the same rate plan for the additional nights. If the rate plan has different pricing for the new dates (for example, weekend versus weekday rates), the nightly rate on the additional nights will reflect the plan's pricing rules, not the rate the guest paid on earlier nights.

Changing room type

A guest may request an upgrade, or you may need to move a reservation to a different room type because of a maintenance issue or overbooking situation.

Open the reservation and click Edit

Follow the same search and edit process described above. Once in edit mode, the Room Type dropdown becomes active.

Select the new room type

Choose the new room type from the dropdown. The system checks availability for the new type across the reservation's date range. If availability exists, the rate plan dropdown refreshes to show only the rate plans valid for the new room type.

Choose or confirm the rate plan

If the guest's current rate plan is also valid for the new room type, it remains selected and the price adjusts accordingly. If the current rate plan does not apply to the new room type, you must select a new one. The Total field updates to reflect the new combination of room type and rate plan.

Save and communicate

Click Save Changes. If the price has changed, inform the guest of the new total before saving. The modification is logged in the reservation's Activity tab.

Changing the rate plan

Sometimes you need to change only the rate plan without altering the room type or dates. This can happen when a guest provides a corporate discount code they forgot to mention at booking, or when a rate promotion becomes available after the reservation was created.

Open the reservation, click Edit, and change the Rate Plan dropdown. The pricing recalculates immediately. Review the new total and save. Note that switching from a non-refundable rate plan to a refundable one may require manager approval depending on your property's configuration.

Cancelling a reservation

Open the reservation

Find and open the reservation you need to cancel.

Click Cancel Reservation

Click the Cancel Reservation button in the reservation header. A confirmation dialog appears showing the cancellation policy that applies to this reservation based on its rate plan.

Review the cancellation policy

The dialog displays whether a cancellation fee applies and, if so, the amount. For non-refundable rate plans, the full stay amount is shown as the cancellation fee. For flexible rate plans, the fee depends on how far in advance the cancellation is being made relative to the check-in date.

Confirm the cancellation

Select a Cancellation Reason from the dropdown (guest request, duplicate booking, invalid payment, etc.). Add any notes in the Cancellation Notes field. Click Confirm Cancellation. The reservation status changes to Cancelled, the room inventory is released back into availability, and a cancellation confirmation email is sent to the guest if their email is on file.

Cancellation policies are enforced by the system

Cancellation policies are linked to rate plans. When a front desk agent cancels a reservation, the system automatically calculates and applies the correct fee. Overriding a cancellation fee requires a user with the Manager or Property Owner role. Retroactive policy changes do not affect existing reservations.

Handling no-shows

A no-show occurs when a guest does not arrive on the expected check-in date and does not contact the hotel. Veridien identifies potential no-shows automatically at the end of each day during the night audit process.

During the night audit, the system flags all reservations with today's check-in date that have not been checked in. For each flagged reservation, you have two options:

Mark as No-Show: The reservation status changes to No-Show and the no-show fee defined in the rate plan's cancellation policy is charged to the guest's folio. If a credit card is on file, the charge can be processed immediately.
Retain Reservation: If you have reason to believe the guest will arrive the next day (for example, they called to say their flight was delayed), you can retain the reservation. The check-in date is moved to the next day and one night is removed from the stay. The room remains reserved.

Review before batch-processing

It is tempting to mark all flagged reservations as no-shows in one action. Before you do, check for messages or notes on each reservation. A guest who called ahead should not be charged a no-show fee. Taking two minutes to review the list avoids disputes and chargebacks later.

Common mistakes when modifying reservations

Changing dates without checking the rate impact. Some rate plans have different pricing for different days of the week or different seasons. Moving a reservation from a Tuesday-Thursday window to a Friday-Sunday window can significantly change the total. Always review the recalculated total before saving.

Cancelling and rebooking instead of modifying. If a guest wants to change their dates, do not cancel the old reservation and create a new one. Modifying the existing reservation preserves the original confirmation number, the booking history, and any deposits already collected. Cancelling and rebooking creates a new confirmation number, may trigger a cancellation fee, and breaks the audit trail.

Forgetting to notify the guest. Veridien sends automatic emails for new reservations and cancellations, but not for modifications. If you change the dates, room type, or rate on a reservation, inform the guest directly. You can resend a confirmation email with the updated details by clicking Send Confirmation in the reservation header.

Scenario: shortening a stay and upgrading the room

A guest calls three days before arrival. They originally booked a Standard Double for five nights but now need only three nights. They ask if they can use the savings from the shorter stay to upgrade to a Deluxe King.

You open the reservation and click Edit. You change the check-out date to reduce the stay from five nights to three. The total drops from $750 (5 x $150) to $450 (3 x $150). Next, you change the room type from Standard Double to Deluxe King. The rate plan adjusts: the Deluxe King under the same Best Available Rate is $200 per night, making the new total $600 (3 x $200).

You explain to the guest that the three-night stay in a Deluxe King will cost $600 compared to the original five-night Standard Double at $750. The guest agrees and you save the changes. The reservation activity log now shows two modifications: the date change and the room type change, each time-stamped and attributed to your user account.

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