You can alter a Direct booking to update details such as dates, pricing, or guest information after it has been accepted.
This article explains when you can make changes and how to update a booking.
Before You Start
You can only alter accepted bookings.
Pending bookings cannot be edited
To make changes to a pending booking, you’ll need to cancel it and create a new one
Once a booking is sent and marked as pending, it cannot be edited. Changes can only be made after the booking is accepted. Cancellation policies and payment terms are applied when the booking is created and will continue to apply even after an alteration.
How to Alter a Direct Booking
Go to the reservation in your Inbox or Calendar
Click Alter booking
Update the booking details:
Check-in and check-out dates
Number of guests
Pricing, fees, or discounts
Click Next to review the updated booking
Set how long the alteration request should remain active:
24 hours
48 hours
72 hours
Click Send alteration request
Troubleshooting Blocked Dates: If blocked dates (due to preparation time or turnover nights) prevent alterations, temporarily disable these settings or manually open the blocked dates in the calendar before retrying.
The guest will receive a request to review and accept the changes.
What Happens After You Send an Alteration
After sending the alteration request:
The guest is notified of the changes
The alteration request remains active for the selected duration
The booking stays in its current state until the guest responds- Guests must accept the alteration request via their Guest Portal for the changes to take effect.
The guest can:
Accept the changes → The booking is updated
Decline the changes → The booking remains unchanged
If the request expires before the guest accepts it:
The alteration is cancelled
The booking remains unchanged
If the alteration includes date changes, the updated dates are temporarily held while the request is active. If the request expires, the dates are released.
How Alterations Affect Payments
When a booking is altered:
If the total increases, the guest will be charged the difference
If the total decreases, the guest will receive a refund
Payment adjustments are handled automatically based on your payment terms and the updated booking total.
Refunds and additional charges depend on your payment terms and cancellation policies. If the guest's original card fails during payment after an alteration, they will receive an email with a link to pay using a different card.
Also see: Direct Booking Refunds
When to Use an Alteration
Use an alteration when you need to update an existing accepted booking, such as:
Changing check-in or check-out dates
Updating the number of guests
Adjusting pricing, fees, or discounts
When Not to Use an Alteration
Do not use an alteration if:
The booking is still pending
You need to cancel the booking entirely. The booking has already been completed (post-checkout). In this case, create a new reservation using a custom quote.
In these cases, cancel the booking instead.