Halls that split into parts, and spaces booked by the seat
A hall that divides into Hall A and Hall B is booked whole or by part, and the system keeps them apart. A gym, a pool or a study hall can take many bookings at once, up to its capacity.
PLANSEvery plan
The problem it solves
- The main hall is let for a wedding while Hall A, part of it, is booked for a seminar.
- The badminton complex is booked whole for a tournament, and someone else still books court 2.
- A gym with 20 places shows as taken after one person books it.
- Staff keep a separate register for the study hall because the booking sheet allows only one name per slot.
How it works
- Add the whole space and each part as facilities. On each part, set Part of to the whole space.
- A booking of the whole space now blocks every part for that time, and a booking of a part blocks the whole.
- Parts do not block each other: Hall A and Hall B can be booked at the same time by different people.
- For a shared space, choose Seats (shared use) on the facility's Booking tab and set its Capacity, for example 20.
- People book as usual. The system counts the seats taken at every moment and refuses a booking when none are left.
Everything it does
Parts of a bigger space
- Part of on each part names the whole space; the whole lists its Parts
- Several levels work: a complex, its halls and their sections
- Booking the whole blocks all its parts; booking a part blocks the whole and the levels above it
- Two parts of the same whole do not block each other
- Setup and cleanup time and blocked time count on the related spaces too
- A facility cannot be a part of itself; the system refuses a loop
- The clash message names the part that is booked, for example Hall A is booked
Seats (shared use)
- One booking at a time (the default) or Seats (shared use)
- With seats, bookings run side by side until the Capacity is reached
- The check counts the most seats taken at any moment of the new booking, not the whole day
- When full, the booking is refused with no seats left; the waitlist works as usual
- Each booking takes one seat today: a booking for a group does not take more seats
Capacity
- Capacity is set per facility (1 to start with)
- Find for a Time and the size filters show only facilities that hold the number of people asked for
- The free alternatives offered to a moved-out booker hold at least as many people
Who uses it
Facility managerSets up the parts and the seat mode and capacity.
BookerBooks a part, the whole space or a seat, and is told at once when it clashes.
Front deskSees each part and seat booking in the day's list.
Where you use it
- Web: the facility's Booking tab (Part of, One booking at a time or Seats) under Facilities > Configuration > Places > Facilities / Rooms
- The booking portal and the office screens: the same checks
- The SmartMy Facility app: the same checks (built and in testing, not in the app stores yet)
- Not seats per booking yet: every booking takes one seat whatever the number of people
What you control
Settings
- Part of: empty to start with
- One booking at a time or Seats (shared use): One booking at a time to start with
- Capacity: 1 to start with
Questions
If Hall A is booked, can someone book Hall B?
Yes. Parts of the same hall do not block each other. Only the whole hall is blocked while a part is booked.We need the whole hall for convocation, but Hall A is booked. What now?
A facility manager can use Book Anyway. The Hall A booking is moved out, with your reason, and its booker is told with free alternatives.How does the gym know it is full?
Set the gym to Seats with a Capacity of 20. The 21st booking that overlaps at the same moment is refused with no seats left.Can a coach book eight seats in one booking?
Not yet. Each booking takes one seat. Ask each member to book, or have the front desk make eight bookings.Does the system stop 40 people booking a room for 10?
The search filters by size, so a room for 10 is not offered for 40. A booking typed by hand is not refused for its number of people.Related features
BOOKINGSNo double bookingTwo people can never hold the same facility at the same time. Every booking is checked against other bookings, setup time, hall parts, seats and blocked time, even when two people press Book together.PLACES AND FACILITIESFacility types, photos, capacity and amenitiesGroup your rooms, halls, labs and courts into types that share one set of booking rules. Each facility carries its photo, description, capacity, amenities and the people in charge of it.APPROVALManager override with a reason and free alternativesA facility manager can book outside the rules or move other bookings out of a slot. Each time takes a reason, kept on the booking. The people moved out are told why and shown facilities free at the same time.BOOKING RULESSetup and cleanup time, and blocked time for maintenanceKeep time free before and after each booking for setting up and clearing. Block facilities for maintenance, cleaning, events or holidays, once or every week.BOOKINGSWaitlist with a freed slot offered to the first in lineWhen the time you want is taken, join the waitlist. If it frees up, the first person in line is offered it and the time is held for them, two hours to start with. If they do not take it, the next person is asked.FINDINGFind a free facility, or book one that is free nowSearch for a room that is free at a time, for a number of people and with the amenities you need. Or see what is free right now and grab it for 30 minutes or an hour.
See it with your own rooms.
Tell us what you run: rooms, halls, courts, desks. We will show you a booking from request to check-out with your rules.