Importing your types

When you switch to Booking Experts, the import functionality can be used to transfer types from your old system to BEX PMS.

Preparing the import

To be able to import types, you must collect the relevant data from your previous system in a .csv file.
In the table, you will find an overview of data that can be imported for types. The names of your types must be imported in both Dutch and English; all other data is optional.
If you do not use Dutch names, you can just link the English names (or another language) to this attribute when importing (see below).

It does not matter what column names you use in the .csv file you are going to import. When you import, you will link these columns to attributes.

Attribute

Explanation

Name NL

The name of the types in Dutch (mandatory)

Name EN

The name of the types in English (mandatory)

Description NL

The description of the type in Dutch

Description EN

The description of the type in English

Short description NL

Short description of the type in Dutch

Short description EN

Short description of the type in English

Segments

The segment to which the type belongs. Your Onboarding specialist will help you with segments.

Terms and conditions

The terms and conditions that apply to the type

Arrival departure scheme

This must correspond to an existing arrival and departure scheme in BEX PMS. Aankomst en vertrek schema

Account for incoming rent

To which ledger account the rental income of the type should be booked

Amenities

The amenities for this type

Reference

If you also use references, which are different from the name, you can enter them here

Maximum number of people

The maximum allowed occupancy for this type

Maximum number of pets

If pets are allowed, you can specify a maximum number of pets here

Surface area

The floor area of the type

Late check out time

If you offer a late check-out, you can enter this check-out time per type here

Number of beds

Number of cots

Only enter if these are part of the standard inventory of the type

Number of high chairs

Only enter if these are part of the standard inventory of the type

Number of toilets

Number of bathrooms

Number of bedrooms

Number of parking spaces

With this, you indicate per type how many vehicles your guests may bring. The parking space does not necessarily have to be directly at the object.

Are there attributes that are the same for all your types? You do not necessarily have to mention them in your import document. When importing, you can easily enter this value, as explained below.

Photos cannot be imported, these must be added later.

Read more: Media toevoegen aan types en objecten

Importing types

Go to 'Imports' in the administration settings. Click on '+New', and choose 'Type import'. Enter the name you want to give to this import, and choose the prepared import file.
If you have done a similar import before, you can choose to adopt the import strategy from that import. The import strategy is the linking of the columns in your file to the available attributes.

If you check that the first row contains column names, the first row of your file will be skipped when creating the types. Check that the language of the file and the encoding format match the file you are uploading. Then click 'Upload CSV file'.

Configuring the import strategy

You will see a list of the available attributes, which you can individually link to the correct column in your uploaded file. Turn on the slider for an attribute, and you will see that the status changes from 'inactive' to 'invalid'. Click on the pencil, and then you can choose via '+ Add another' whether you want to link a column or enter text.

Choose 'Column' to then select the correct column from your source file in the dropdown. On the right side of the screen, you will see examples of the data you have linked.
Choose 'Text' to type something yourself in the input field. This text becomes the input for the chosen attribute for each type. This allows you to easily define an attribute for each type, without this data having to be present in your import file.

Then click 'Save', and you will see that the status of this attribute is now 'Valid'.

Once all desired attributes have the status 'Valid', and all unnecessary attributes have the status 'Inactive', you can click 'Import' at the bottom. Your types will be created in the PMS.