# Hotel step 5: take bookings and use the room calendar

> Create a booking with guest ID, dates, one or several rooms, extras and coupon, then find bookings on the calendar, floors view and bookings list.

Source: https://docs.smartposhub.com/business-types/hotel/step-5-take-bookings/  
Last updated: 2026-10-30  
Product: SmartPOS Hub (https://smartposhub.com)

Front-desk staff take bookings on **Hotel (HMS) › New booking**. The form checks free rooms live and builds the price as you go, so the guest hears the total before you save.

## Before you start

- Rooms and rates exist ([steps 2](https://docs.smartposhub.com/business-types/hotel/step-2-floors-room-types-and-rooms/) and [3](https://docs.smartposhub.com/business-types/hotel/step-3-rates-long-stay-and-extras/)).
- Your role has **Hotel: create bookings**.

## Create a booking

1. Click **New booking** (on the dashboard, the bookings list or in the sidebar).
2. **Guest:** search by name, mobile or e-mail, or click **+** to quick-add a new guest. Choose the **ID type** (Passport, National ID card, Driving licence, Other), enter the **ID number** and drop an **ID scan / photo** if you have one.
3. **Stay & rooms:** set **Arrival** and **Departure** with times (or type the **Nights**). Pick the **Room type**, adults, children and extra beds; free rooms appear under **Choose a room** — click one. Use **Add another room** for families or groups.
4. **Extras:** click **Add extra** for breakfast, transfers or late check-out.
5. **Booking details:** choose the **Source** and the **Status** (**Pending** or **Confirmed**), tick early check-in or late check-out, and add **Special requests** and an **Internal note**.
6. **Price:** enter a **Coupon code**, a **Discount** (fixed or percentage), choose **Long-stay discount** (Automatic, None or a manual amount) and the **Tax**. The breakdown updates as you go.
7. Click **Save booking**. You land on the booking page, where you can take a deposit with **Add payment**.

![New booking form with Guest, Stay and rooms, Extras, Booking details and a Price panel with coupon, discount, long-stay discount and tax](https://docs.smartposhub.com/_astro/hotel-new-booking-form.DG3CckBo.png) (web app page: `/hms/bookings/create`)
*The New booking form. The Price panel fills in once dates and rooms are chosen.*

## Use the room calendar

**Hotel (HMS) › Calendar** shows rooms down the side and dates across (7, 14 or 30 days). Bars are coloured by status: pending, confirmed, checked in, checked out, cancelled and no-show. The header shows occupancy per day.

- Click a bar to open the booking.
- Click an empty cell to start a booking for that room and date.
- Filter by room type and location; tick **Show cancelled** to see cancelled stays.

![Room calendar with rooms down the side, fourteen days across, daily occupancy percentages and coloured booking bars](https://docs.smartposhub.com/_astro/hotel-calendar._SIVWDbb.png) (web app page: `/hms/calendar`)

## Find and manage bookings

**Hotel (HMS) › Bookings** has three views: **List**, **Calendar** and **Floors** (click free rooms on a floor plan to book several at once). The list filters by **Stay dates**, **Status**, **Room type**, **Source** and **Payment Status**, and its footer totals what is booked, paid and still due. Each row's **Actions** menu opens, edits, confirms, cancels or prints the booking.

![Bookings list with booking number, guest, arrival, departure, nights, rooms, status, source, total and paid columns](https://docs.smartposhub.com/_astro/hotel-bookings-list.CtjCp0aA.png) (web app page: `/hms/bookings`)

## Change or cancel a booking

- **Edit** re-prices the booking with today's rates and rules.
- **Cancel** and **No-show** ask for a reason and an optional fee. The amount owed drops to the fee, and any overpayment is flagged so you can refund it.
- **Delete** is only possible while the guest isn't in house and no payments exist.

## Tips and mistakes to avoid

- Always pick the **Source**. It is the only way to see later which channel brings your guests.
- Keep **Pending** for unpaid requests and confirm only when the deposit is in.
- Don't create a second booking to move a guest; edit the booking or move the room at check-in.

## Next step

  - [Step 6: Check-in, check-out and payments](https://docs.smartposhub.com/business-types/hotel/step-6-check-in-check-out-and-payments/)
  - [Hotel module reference](https://docs.smartposhub.com/modules/hotel/)

## Frequently asked questions

### Can one booking hold several rooms?

Yes. Click Add another room in the Stay & rooms section. All rooms must belong to the same location.

### What is the difference between Pending and Confirmed?

Pending means the room is held but not guaranteed. Confirmed means it is guaranteed. If a deposit is required, confirm after it is paid.

### How do I record where the booking came from?

Choose the Source - Walk-in, Phone, Website, Booking.com, Airbnb or Other. The dashboard and reports show bookings by source.

### Can I book straight from the calendar?

Yes. Click an empty cell on Hotel (HMS) › Calendar to start a booking for that room and date. The Floors view also lets you click free rooms to book them.

### How do I find a guest's booking quickly?

Use Hotel (HMS) › Bookings with the filters for stay dates, status, room type, source and payment status, or type the name or phone in the search box.

### Can I store a copy of the guest's ID?

Yes. Choose the ID type, enter the number and drop a scan or photo on ID scan / photo. It is stored privately and only staff who can see the booking can open it.