Important: Smart Policies availability status
Smart Policies is currently in a limited-release status. New properties have this feature enabled by default. Existing properties are being enabled progressively as part of a phased rollout, with a broader release planned for Q2 2026.
If you are interested in enabling the Smart Policies testing phase, please reach out to our support team for more information on eligibility and available packages.
Overview
Smart Policy Exceptions allow you to override your default Smart Policy for specific date ranges without creating additional rate plans.
This is useful for:
- Holidays (e.g., New Year’s Eve)
- Special events (e.g., conferences, festivals)
- Peak seasons
Instead of duplicating rate plans, you can apply a different policy only when needed, while keeping your standard setup unchanged.
How Smart Policy Exceptions Work
Smart Policy Exceptions are applied using a per-night evaluation logic:
- The system checks each night of the stay (from check-in through checkout, excluding checkout)
- If any night matches an exception, that exception’s policy applies to the entire reservation.
- If no nights match, the base rate or rate plan applies.
Example:
Exception: Dec 31 – Jan 2
Stay: Dec 30 – Jan 2
Dec 31 matches → Exception policy applies to full stay.
Key Capabilities
- Apply to Rate Plans and Base Rates
- Multiple date ranges per exception
- Optional day-of-week targeting (e.g., weekends only)
- Automatic resolution
- No manual intervention required
- Conflict prevention
- Overlapping exceptions on the same rate are not allowed
- Reservation-level visibility
- The applied policy is recorded for each reservation
Create a Smart Policy Exception
- Go to Rate Plans & Packages
- Open the Policy Exceptions tab
- Click to Create Policy Exception
- Complete the following:
- Exception name (internal only)
- Choose the policy to override
- Add intervals (date range)
- Days of the week (optional)
- Click Save (to create only), or Save & Assign Rates
The policy exception details will be added to the list:
Assign Rates to an Exception
After creating an exception:
- Click to Assign Rate Plans in the right side menu
- Select the Rate Plans, and/or the Base Rates (per room type)
- Click to Assign
- Save your changes.
Only rates without conflicting exceptions can be assigned.
Where Exceptions Apply
Booking Engine
- The correct policy is displayed automatically based on selected stay dates
- Updates in real time when dates change
Direct Reservations (PMS)
- Policy is resolved automatically during reservation creation
- Staff cannot override the resolved policy
Important Information
- If a stay overlaps even one exception night, the exception policy applies
- The policy is locked at reservation creation
- Changes to exceptions do not affect existing reservations
-
Exceptions apply only to:
- Booking Engine
- Direct reservations
Best Practices
- Use exceptions instead of duplicating rate plans for seasonal pricing strategies
- Group related dates into a single exception (e.g., holiday periods)
- Use day-of-week filters for flexible weekday/weekend policies
Frequently Asked Questions
No. Policy Exceptions only apply to the Booking Engine and direct reservations.
No. The system uses per-night evaluation. It checks each night of the stay, from check-in through checkout, excluding checkout. The first night that matches an active exception interval governs the entire reservation. This means a guest whose stay overlaps even one peak night will get the peak policy.
If any night within the stay matches an exception interval, that exception's policy governs the entire reservation, regardless of how long the stay extends beyond the exception's date range.
Yes. The Assign Rates drawer displays both rate plans and base rates, listed per room type. Both support the same assignment mechanics, conflict checking, and per-night resolution.
No. The governing policy is locked at reservation creation time and does not change, even if the exception is later edited, disabled, or deleted. If a different policy is needed, a new reservation must be created.
Existing reservations are unaffected. They retain the policy that was locked at booking time. Only new reservations will resolve against the updated exception intervals.
Only if their days-of-week filters are completely disjoint. For example, a "December Weekdays" exception (Mon–Fri) and a "December Weekends" exception (Sat–Sun) can coexist on the same rate for the same date range. If their day-of-week sets overlap at all, the system blocks the assignment.
The exception is created and stored but has no effect on reservations. A "No rates assigned" warning is displayed in the list view to prevent false confidence.
A disabled exception is deactivated but retains its configuration and rate assignments. It does not apply to new reservations and does not count as a conflict when assigning other exceptions. You can re-enable it later, subject to conflict validation at re-enable time.
Re-enabling is blocked. The system shows which rates have conflicting active or upcoming exceptions. You must resolve the conflicts by unassigning the blocking exception or adjusting intervals before re-enabling.
The exception policy's "Apply taxes to cancellation fee" setting governs, not the base rate's setting.
A warning is displayed: "This exception is currently active. Reservations created after deletion will revert to the rate's base policy. Existing reservations are unaffected." You must confirm the deletion. The Policy History on existing reservations continues to reference the exception name with a note that it has been deleted.
The server performs an atomic overlap check on save. If a conflict was introduced between one user's load and their save, the server returns a conflict error identifying the affected rate and interval. The assignment is not applied and the user must reload and resolve the conflict.
No. Policy Exceptions do not apply to imported reservations. Imported reservations are not associated with a Smart Policy.
The exception falls back to the rate's default policy. A warning modal is shown listing all affected exceptions before the policy deletion is confirmed.
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