MotelMax® 
 Newsletter: 30-Oct-2006
MKM Software  
Update Notice
MotelMax® Pro - Series 200

New SQL client/server version of MotelMax for information click here or click to view this online demo.

The following updates are free for all registered users of MotelMax Series 400. For users of prior windows versions of MotelMax 1.xx, 2.xx or 3.xx the upgrade to this version is $175.00.

Caution. If you install this version over a series 300, 200 or 100 installation of MotelMax, the program reverts to an "Evaluation version".  You can fix this by re-installing your original version of MotelMax series 3.xx, 2.xx or 1.xx.

MotelMax Series 400 v4.23f

Import Guest Records.  You can import guest records from an Excel worksheet.  Go to: "Utilities | Site Setup | Utilities | Import Guest Records".  Click the help button for complete details.
MotelMax Series 400 v4.21

In this update:

1. If your PC is equipped with a "keyboard wedge scanner", you can now scan or swipe a driver's license and the guest name and address information are automatically added to the "Add New Reservation" form or to the "Add New Guest" form. Click the new scan button next to the guest's last name to scan the license.

This feature has been tested with a Texas driver's license and should work for many US states. If it does not work for another state or Canadian province, please contact us and we can easily modify the program to remedy this.

The DL scan is very powerful for walk-in guests. It saves this guest information from the driver's license:

  • first name
  • last name
  • address 1
  • address 2
  • city
  • state or province as 2 letters (uppercase)
  • postal code
  • DL #
  • Sex

The text is saved in proper case by default. If you prefer to save the guest name and address information in uppercase, go to: "Utilities | Site Setup | Reservations | Defaults | Extras" and check the box for: "Scan Data to Upper Case".

2. Credit card scanning on the reservation input form has been fixed and saves credit card data in encrypted format.

3. Copy Backup File. When you backup data or close a shift, the program zips up your data files to one ZIP file in the SAVE sub-folder. You can now choose to copy this ZIP file from the SAVE sub-folder to another location such as a CD, Zip Drive, another folder, another PC on your network or a USB flash drive.

Go to: "Utilities | Site Setup | Reservations | Defaults | Extras" and enter a backup folder name. Now when you close a shift or backup your data files, a copy of the ZIP file is sent to this second location.

It is always a good idea to copy your backup ZIP files to a different location in case you experience a hard drive crash. The program can now do that for you automatically.

MotelMax Series 400 v4.20

This update includes:

1. Remove guest duplicates. From the main screen, select: "Utilities | Site Setup | Utilities | Remove Duplicate Guest Records".

If you have the same guest, for example, "David Smith" entered multiple times in the guest file, you can merge these multiple entries for "David Smith" into one guest record for "David Smith" and all folios and transactions for these duplicate guest records are now associated with only one "David Smith" guest record.

Go to "Complete Guest File" and use "F2 - Past Folios" to verify the results. Now, there is only one "David Smith" guest record with multiple past folios.

Click the "Help" button on the Guest Duplicate form for detailed information on how this option works. This option is limited to "System Users" only.

Caution. Always backup your data files before you merge/delete guest duplicates. If you make a mistake, you can always restore your data.

2. HTML style help file with search index.

3. "What' This?" help. On the reservation form, place the mouse cursor over any control such as the "Availability" button. Click the right mouse button for context sensitive help or press the F1 key. Works on the "Rate Select" screen and the "Select a Room" screen too. Should be useful for training new users.

MotelMax Series 400 v4.19

"Manager Reports" have been converted to the new report format that allows printing to any printer on your network or sending report results to a file in the format: MS-Excel, PDF, HTML or plain text.

Series 100 Manager Reports are still available but as you will see, most of these reports have been converted to the new report style and are available on the main Reports Menu.

More reports will be converted to the new report style in future updates.

Hope everyone likes the new room rack with status icons and the new "Current Status" Report.

MotelMax Series 400 v4.18 - Update (New Reports)

This update is free for registered users of MotelMax Series 400.   If you are updating from a prior version of the program you will need a new registration code and there is an update fee.

This version has a new reports category "Status" on the reports menu.

1. The new "Current Status" report gives a list of vital statistics about your property at the current time, things like persons on site, Occupancy %, ADR, Revpar, guest due in, guest due out, etc.  At any moment you can get accurate information on how things stand.

2. Two other reports in the status category: "Current Charges" and "Current Payments" duplicate existing reports but show a new report style where in addition to print and preview, the report results can be sent to a file of type: MS-Excel, PDF, HTML or plain text. If you have to send a report to someone, it is easy to attach a PDF version of the report to an email.

You can also select the printer where you want to send the report output. Click on the "File | Printer Setup" option on the individual report setup screen to access the report setup options.

In future updates, existing reports will be converted to use this new report style.

3. On the reservation input form, on the "Details" tab there is a new button called "Autopost". This button will post all charges that are ready for posting for the current folio only.

MotelMax Series 400 - v4.17

This update uses icons on the room rack to show the current status of a room. This is a popular feature from MotelMax Pro that we decided to add to series 400.

If you click the status icon while on the room rack, you can change the room status by selecting a new status code from the drop down list of status code icons.

There are seven status codes:

1. room is vacant and clean (key)
2. room needs to be cleaned (yellow dot)
3. room is occupied (blue dot)
4. message for guest
5. room is out of order
6. Do not rent
7. Owner is onsite

You can set the status codes manually. However, when you check a guest in, the code is automatically changed to: "Room is occupied". When you check a guest out, the code is automatically changed to: "Room needs to be cleaned".

If you go to the room rack setup screen: "Help | Grid Setup", you can:

1. choose to show the new status icons or status text (the old way).
2. choose to show the room type in column 3 or a 30 character description of the room.  You can define this description on your room setups.
3. change the width of a column.
4. set the column width to 0 and the column disappears.

This gives you a lot more control over the appearance of the room rack.

MotelMax is a registered trademark of MKM Software.