Creating and Managing Allotment Blocks

The Cloudbeds Groups and Events module is a redesigned, centralized hub that allows properties to manage group business with greater flexibility and multi-property visibility. By separating high-level organization data (Profiles) from property-specific operational details (Events), this module serves as a powerful tool for hotels that rely on corporate, travel agency, and group bookings.

Overview

Allotment blocks serve as the property-specific configuration layer within the Events module. While a Profile represents the organization-wide relationship, the Event captures the specific booking occasion, and the Allotment Block handles the granular inventory and rate details.

A key architectural feature of the Groups and Events module is the ability for one event to support multiple allotment blocks. 

This allows you to manage different guest segments (e.g., "Wedding Party" vs. "General Guests") with unique dates, rates, inventory, and routing rules under a single event.

Table of contents

1. How to Access the Blocks tab
2. Creating a New Allotment Block
3. Rate Plan and Promo Code Compatibility
4. Configure Block Routing
5. Monitoring & Managing Performance

How to Access the Blocks tab

1. Log in to the Cloudbeds PMS
2. In the main navigation menu, click Groups and Events

3. The module opens by default on the Events tab. Click on the hyperlinked name of the desired Event to open the Event Holistic View.

4. Ensure the Blocks tab is selected. If no allotments have been previously configured for the event, click the Add block button to begin.

Creating a New Allotment Block

1. Initiate the Block: Click the + Allotment Block button to open the creation modal.

2. Configure Block Details: Fill in the primary operational settings for this segment:
   • Block Name & Status: Give the block a descriptive name and set the status: Lead, Tentative, or Definite.
   • Stay Dates & Days of Week: Define the date range. You can also specify if the block only applies to certain days (e.g., weekends only) using the Days of Week checkboxes.
   • Allotment Type:
     • Block: Hard-blocks specific inventory for the group.
     • Based on Availability: Allows guests to book from the general house pool at the group rate for the specific Accommodation Types selected for the block. This option continues until those specific room types are no longer available in the property's general inventory.
   • Release Schedule: Determine how unpicked-up inventory is returned to the house. Options include:
     • Do Not Release Inventory
     • Release all inventory for all dates simultaneously
     • Release inventory day by day
   • Rate: Select an existing rate plan or choose Custom. If the event requires a special group rate, use Custom or select a rate plan that does not require a promo code. For guidance on which setup to use, see Rate Plan and Promo Code Compatibility.
   • Routing: Select how transactions from reservations created from this block should be routed. You can follow the event-level routing setup, choose a preset routing option, or configure a custom rule by transaction type.

3. Add Shoulder Dates (Optional): Use the Add button to configure pre-arrival and post-departure intervals. This ensures guests can book extended stays at the group rate before or after the core event dates.
4. Define Inventory Scope (Accommodation Type or Unit): Establish whether inventory is allocated by general room categories or pinned to specific physical spaces:
   • Accommodation Type: Allocates a numerical quantity of rooms from general room categories. This setup is appropriate for standard group contracts where any available room within the selected category fulfills the block criteria.
   • Unit: Anchors the block to specific, individual room numbers or physical units. This selection provides granular inventory control for operational workflows that require specialized placement, such as VIP tracking, specific group tier requirements, or event-focused architectural configurations.
5. Finalize: Review the block details, routing, and inventory settings, then click Save to add the block to the event.

Rate Plan and Promo Code Compatibility

When configuring the Rate for an allotment block, choose the setup based on how guests should access the event rate in the Booking Engine.

Group/event booking codes and promo codes are separate booking paths. The Booking Engine cannot apply both at the same time for the same booking flow.

Configure Block Routing

Use the Routing field to define how transactions from reservations created from the allotment block are routed to folios.

The event-level routing rule acts as the default for the event. If an allotment block has its own routing rule, the block-level rule takes precedence for reservations created from that block.

Available routing options include:

Same as event: Follows the routing rule configured at the event level. Room only: Routes room-related charges, including Room Rate, Manual Room Revenue, No-show fee, and Cancellation fees. Room and Tax: Routes room charges and their corresponding taxes. Room, Tax and Fee: Routes room charges and their corresponding taxes and fees. All charges: Routes all financial transactions to the selected folio. Custom: Allows you to select specific transaction types and choose whether related taxes and fees should follow the parent charge to the same folio.

The routing rule setup displays the transaction types included in the selected routing option and the folio where those transactions should be sent. When using Custom, select the specific transaction types to route.

Monitoring & Managing Performance

Once your allotment block is active, the Events module provides real-time visibility into your group's performance. This allows you to monitor inventory consumption and manage guest access effectively through the Blocks table summary.

1. Granular Inventory Grid: Click the arrow next to the block name to expand the day-by-day view. Here you can monitor performance by specific Accommodation Type and see the exact number of rooms blocked, picked up, and available for each specific date in the calendar grid.
2. Block Performance Summary: The main table headers provide a high-level snapshot of the block's contractual and operational status:
   • Picked / Allotted: View real-time visibility into how many rooms have been reserved against your total allocated inventory.
   • Release Status & Schedule: Monitor the current status of your inventory release protocols (e.g., Scheduled, In Progress, or Released) and the specific timeframes configured.
   • Booking Code / URL: Access the unique code and use the copy icon to get the Booking Engine URL with the group parameters pre-applied for guest self-booking.

3. Block Actions: Click the three dots menu to manage the block as the event evolves. From this menu, you can select Edit Allotment Block to update details, including routing, Release individual dates to manually return unpicked-up inventory to the house for specific days, or Delete the allotment block.

Beyond the high-level summary provided in the Blocks table, the module offers specialized tools for day-to-day operations and guest coordination. Explore the sections below to learn how to track real-time pickup and share direct booking links: