Large Group Reservations and Private Party Settings and Instructions

Contents:

1. Activating the Feature
2. General Page Settings
3. Customizing the Inquiry Form
   Available Occasions
   Capacity Settings
   Event Spaces
   Timing Settings
   Texting Permission
4. Notification Settings
5. Auto and AI Responses
   
6. WATCH: How to Manage Large Group/Private Party Reservations
7. WATCH: How To Configure Inquiry Notifications
   
8. WATCH: How To Manage Your Inquiries 

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WATCH: How to Manage Large Group/Private Party Reservations

 

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Activating the Feature

1. To begin, navigate to the "Party/Group Inquiries" tab under "Sales & Inquiries" on the left sidebar of your SpotHopper admin.

2. If the feature hasn't been activated yet, click the "Activate Now" button.

3. Go to the "Settings" tab at the top of the screen. The activation toggle should be turned on.

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General Page Settings

The General Page Settings let you customize the look of your Private Parties inquiry page, ensuring it reflects your brand and creates an inviting experience for guests.

 Layout

• Page Title: This is the headline that appears at the top of the inquiry page. Use something clear and descriptive, like “Private Parties & Group Reservations.”

• Description: Add a short, welcoming message that encourages guests to inquire about hosting their event.

• Images: Upload photos of your venue or event setup that will be displayed next to your inquiry form.

Style

• Color Mode: Choose between Light Mode (light background, dark text) or Dark Mode (dark background, light text).

• Background Image: Upload an optional background image to personalize your page.

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Customizing the Inquiry Form

The Inquiry Form Settings customize your inquiry form by letting you choose which event types, capacity limits, spaces, and timing options are available to guests.

Available Occasions

Select which event types your venue offers for private bookings. These will appear as options for guests to choose from on the inquiry form.

Your guests can also select “Other” to specify a custom occasion not listed.

Capacity Settings

This defines the group sizes and budgets your venue can accommodate. Setting realistic limits helps prevent unmanageable or mismatched inquiries.

• Minimum number of guests per party: The smallest group size you accept (e.g., 10).

• Maximum number of guests per party: The largest group size your venue can host (e.g., 150).

• Allow customers to specify a budget per person: Toggle this on to let guests enter their estimated spend.

• Recommended budget per person: Enter a suggested starting point (e.g., $20).

  💡 Tip: The recommended budget functions like a “suggested tip.” Setting a higher suggestion often increases the final spending commitment from guests.

Event Spaces

If your venue offers multiple spaces for private events—such as a patio, private room, or beach bar—you can list them here so guests can choose their preferred area. This helps streamline inquiries and saves you time managing requests.

Click "Yes" and set up the details.

• Event Space Name: Enter a descriptive name for each space (e.g., Beach Bar, Main Patio).

• Event Space Description: Optionally, include a short description that highlights the space’s size, features, or capacity.

• Available From: Specify availability dates if the space is seasonal (e.g., June 10 – September 15). Leave blank if available all year. 

• Images: This is optional, but you can upload up to six images per space to display as a gallery.

Pausing a Space

If a space is temporarily unavailable—for example, during renovations or off-season—you can pause it without deleting it.

In the upper-right corner of each Event Space box, you’ll see a Pause icon. Click it to temporarily disable that space. 

When paused, the space will appear as "currently unavailable" on your inquiry form, and customers will not be able to select it.

Timing Settings

Set scheduling rules for how soon guests can book and what time slots are available.

• Minimum Turnaround Time: The number of hours required before a requested event date (e.g., 24 hours).

• Start time increment: Sets how frequently available time slots appear (e.g., every 15 minutes → 7:00, 7:15, 7:30…).

Texting Permission

Enabling this section allows guests to opt in to receive marketing text messages from your venue. 

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Notification Settings

The Contact Information and Notification Settings section ensures all private party inquiries reach the right team members. Add your venue’s main contact details and set up alerts so you never miss a request.

• Phone number customers can call if they have questions: Enter the best number for guests to reach your venue directly.

• Emails where inquiries will be sent: Add up to three email addresses that will receive inquiry notifications.

• Configure Text Notifications: Click Configure Text Notifications to set up text alerts for your team. This ensures important inquiries are seen quickly, even if email notifications are missed.

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Auto Responses and AI Responses

If you've already upgraded to our new inquiry details page, then your Settings page will also include the Auto Response and AI Response features.

Auto Responses

Auto responses let you automatically send a personalized reply to guests after they submit a private party inquiry. This helps you respond quickly, even outside business hours, and keeps guests engaged while they wait for a follow-up.

• Send an automatic response to inquiries: Toggle this setting On to enable automatic replies.

• Send Auto Response after: Choose how long after an inquiry is received the response should be sent (e.g., 15 minutes).

  Note: If you manually respond before the selected time, the automatic response for that inquiry will not be sent.

• Auto Response Message: Customize the message guests receive after submitting their inquiry. You can include your name, a thank-you note, and any helpful details about your event options.

• Attachments: You can attach relevant files, such as menus or floor plans, to be sent automatically with your message.

AI/Template Responses

The AI Responses come only with the new inquiry layout. This feature helps you manage inquiries faster by using AI-generated replies that automatically adapt to each customer’s request. This ensures consistent, professional communication while saving you time.

Answer Types: Choose from several response types to fit the situation:

• All Set: Confirms a booking or inquiry.

• Ask for Confirmation: Requests confirmation from the guest.

• Send Info: Provides additional details, such as menus or event options.

• Ask for Info: Requests more details from the customer about their event.

• Decline: Politely informs the guest that you can’t accommodate their request.

• Offer Alternative: Suggests a different date, time, or option if their first choice isn’t available.

You can also set an inquiry status for each response type. For example, set "Confirmed" when selecting All Set, "Cancelled" when declining an inquiry, or "Waiting on Customer" when you need more information or a follow-up from the guest. This helps you stay organized and manage inquiries more efficiently.

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How To Configure Inquiry Notifications | Never Miss a Big Ticket Inquiry

How To Manage Your Inquiries | Never Miss a Big Ticket Inquiry