This checklist provides an overview of the steps needed to go live with your first Apaleo property. You can use it to plan and validate your Apaleo setup process. Refer to the Hotel Setup Step-by-Step guide for in-depth guidance on the different points mentioned here.
The checklist covers 10 areas:
1. Contracts
2. Account level settings
3. Property level settings
4. Property setup
5. Apaleo pay
6. Apps
7. Accounting
8. Training
9. Reservation migration from old system
10. Go live
2. Account level settings
3. Property level settings
4. Property setup
5. Apaleo pay
6. Apps
7. Accounting
8. Training
9. Reservation migration from old system
10. Go live
You can download an editable excel version of the checklist at the bottom of this guide, where you can track which tasks are done and which ones are not applicable for you.
1. Contracts
| Task | Additional points to keep in mind |
| Apaleo subscription contract | |
| Apaleo payment order form | A signed payment order form is a prerequisite for Apaleo to begin your merchant application. |
| Chargebee: set up SEPA direct debit (applies to Germany only) | |
| Terminal order form | |
| TSE order form (applies to Germany and Austria only) |
The legal entity specified in the order form should be the legal entity specified in the Finance settings in Apaleo with the same VAT ID. This is the VAT ID/legal entity that will appear in the receipts, i.e. the legal entity for which your hotel is reporting revenue to tax authorities. |
2. Account level settings
| Task | Additional points to keep in mind |
| Add mandatory and additional languages | |
| Create property Note: Property code, country, time zone, currency, and default check in and check out time cannot be changed after creation! |
|
| Invite users |
3. Property level settings
| Task | Additional points to keep in mind |
| Distribution: configure city tax | |
| Distribution: define additional time slices | |
| Finance: configure invoice settings | |
| Finance: configure invoice styling | |
| Finance: enable and create sub accounts for revenue | |
| Automation: enable night audit | |
| Automation: define which other actions should be automated, in line with your customer journey and operational flow. | A no-show automation (where non-checked in reservations are automatically set to no-show after the night audit) should only be used if you have carefully thought through the operational implications, as no-show status cannot be reversed. |
4. Property setup
| Task | Additional points to keep in mind |
| Inventory: Create unit groups | |
| Inventory: Create units | |
| Inventory: Create unit attributes | |
| Rates: Define age categories | |
| Rates: Define no show and cancellation policies | |
| Rates: Create services and link to custom sub accounts | |
| Rates: Create rate plans | |
| Rates: Set prices for rate plans, including price derivation | |
| Rates: Set restrictions for rate plans |
5. Apaleo pay
| Task | Additional points to keep in mind |
| Set up merchant for ecommerce (process facilitated by Apaleo) | |
| Set up merchant for your payment terminal (process facilitated by Apaleo) | |
| Send Apaleo the full names and email of staff who need access to Adyen | |
| Request Apaleo to enable payment (payment will only be live after property is set to live) | |
| Set up payment automation in Apaleo | |
| Activate Adyen notifications for transaction updates | |
| Customize the landing page of your payment link |
In order for payment links to work, you must add your terms and conditions webpage in your payment link settings in Adyen. |
| Set up your refund reserve, i.e. the money that Adyen will use for refunds when you don't have sufficient funds in process | |
| Set up terminals Note: Terminals cannot be returned once unboxed. If the terminal will be used with third party apps, check with the app for compatibility. |
6. Apps
| Task | Additional points to keep in mind |
| Read the "Building your tech stack with Apaleo" guide to determine what functionalities come with Apaleo, and what functionalities you will need to cover through apps or customer developments | |
| Select apps from the Apaleo app store | |
| Contact app partners | |
| Set up apps | |
| Connect apps to Apaleo | |
| Test app integrations and related workflows | |
| Coordinate with the apps to ensure that everything is set, for apps which need to be operational immediately upon go live - especially your distribution apps. |
7. Accounting
| Task | Additional points to keep in mind |
| Ensure your accountant has access to Apaleo with a unique user account | |
| Have your accountant review city tax, sub accounts, and other finance settings in Apaleo | |
| Connect an accounting app | |
| Map accounting software account codes to apaleo accounts | |
| Document guidance for your team on how to handle tips (F&B and FO) |
8. Training
| Task | Additional points to keep in mind |
| Complete Apahero training | |
| Apahero Academy: Set up your training hotel and invite your staff to it | |
| Apahero Academy: Create your training plan | |
| Apahero Academy: Train your staff | |
| Share accounting training materials with your accountant |
9. Reservation migration from old system
| Task | Additional points to keep in mind |
| Delete transactional data (test reservations, etc.) Note: Once a property is set to live it is no longer possible to delete/archive reservations, or any units/rate plans/services which have been used |
|
| Import future reservations in Apaleo, excluding group bookings and any reservations which will be re-pushed to Apaleo by distribution apps after go live Note: Deactivate all guest communication in connected apps during the reservation migration. |
|
| Manually add group bookings in Apaleo | |
| Manually add payments for those prepaid in old system | |
| Manually add any reservations that could not be auto-imported | |
| Determine how you will handle stay-through reservations - guests whom you will check out of your old system, and check into Apaleo |
10. Go live
| Task | Additional points to keep in mind |
| Request Apaleo to set account to live | |
| If you are migrating from another live PMS: check, with your distribution apps, whether you need to close availability during the migration period | |
| Set your Apaleo property live | |
| Manually enter in Apaleo any reservations that came into your old system after the reservation migration |
Download the checklist in Excel