Host-Controlled Calendar Holds for Pending Inquiries & Reservation Alterations

As a host operating professionally managed STR/MTR properties, one operational limitation I continue running into is the automatic blocking of calendar dates during pending inquiries, reservation alteration requests, or unpaid booking workflows.

Currently, dates are effectively held/suppressed while a guest is considering an alteration or while an unpaid inquiry/request remains pending. This can unintentionally reduce booking opportunities, especially during high-demand periods or when negotiating longer stays, extensions, relocation housing, workforce lodging, or direct bookings.

I would love to see Hospitable introduce host-controlled inventory hold settings, allowing operators to choose how pending requests affect calendar availability.

Potential options could include:

• Toggle ON/OFF for automatic date blocking during pending requests

• Configurable expiration timers for unpaid inquiries/alteration requests

• Allowing overlapping inquiries until payment confirmation

• Separate controls for direct bookings vs OTA bookings

• Different rules for reservation extensions vs new reservations

For many operators, especially those managing MTR/STR hybrid properties, flexibility during negotiations is extremely important. Other hospitality industries (hotels, airlines, etc.) often allow inquiries or negotiations without immediately suppressing inventory indefinitely.

This would give hosts the ability to define their own operational workflow and risk tolerance while still protecting those who prefer the current automatic-blocking behavior.

Overall, I believe this would significantly improve direct booking flexibility, reduce unnecessary calendar suppression, and better support scaling operators using Hospitable as a primary PMS platform.