How to play Resort Hotel Manager

In a Nutshell

Players bid on requests for Accommodation which have a strict budget, a minimum rating and sometimes flexibility requirements.

Each turn, players see a new request, decide to make an offer, bid down on an open request, close a winning deal, shuffle their hand or peek secretly at a future request.

The goal of the game is to win the most money by bidding the right amount against competitors.

Setup Instructions

1. Each player gets all the cards of their color
2. Each player put the accommodation cards face up on the table (there are 5 such cards, 2 Villas, 2 suites, and 1 rooms)
3. Each player shuffles the rest of their offer cards and draws 5 at random
4. The request cards are suffled and 5 times the number player are set on the table face down (ex: for 2 players 10 cards, for 3 players 15 cards)

Detailed Rules

• Each turn a player flips a request card
• The player takes one action out of the following options:
  • make a valid offer for the new request
  • make a better offer on an open request another player has made
  • shuffle their hand
  • peek at another request not flipped yet and leave it face down
    
  • close a deal if they have the best offer on a request
    • if a deal is closed, all the cards making up the deal are kept on top of the request and the player keeps them face up on their side of the table
    • if all accommodations cards from a player are already engaged and they have at least one winning offer, they have to close one of the the deals
• If a player flips the "cancellation" card, all deals currently open that request flexibility are canceled and all cards returned to the players. All flexible deals already closed are also cancelled and cards are returned to each player's hand. All future flexible requests are canceled as well. If a player flips a "Flexible" request it is considered invalid and removed from the game. The player can take actions on the other requests but does not flip another card.

F.A.Q.

• What is a valid offer?
  A valid offer is an offer made up of an accommodation, a price and an optional flexibility. The budget on the request is firm and cannot be exceeded, a lower price is acceptable. The accommodation type is meant as a minimum, a better accommodation is acceptable. The flexibility is prefered but non-refundable rates can be accepted if no other offer is available within the budget and accommodation type constraint.
• What is a better offer?
  If the request doesn't specify "flexible", a better offer is one that satisfies the accommodation type but with a lower price. A request with a better room can only serve as a tie breaker in case the same price is offered. A better accommodation will beat a flexible rate for the same price. If the request specifies "flexible", an offer with refundability within the strict budget will beat any offer without, even if it costs more. Priority is then given to a better accommodation for the same price. 
• What happens to the card of previous requests when a player bids down on an offer?
  A player bidding on an offer where they had a previous offer can collect their cards from the previous offer. The stack should contain at least an accommodation card and a price card for any player bidding. Other players cannot take their cards until the deal is closed, even when they know they are losing the deal.
• Can I withdraw an offer?
  No, the offers are locked until the deal is closed by the winning player.
  
• Can a player hold more than 5 cards?
  No, if a player gets more than 5 cards in hand (after cards are returned to their hand), they need to discards the cards they don't need and keep only 5.

Additional Rules

• Requests in batches: Instead of drawing all the requests face down on the table, players draw them one by one by group of 5. On their turn, each player draws and flips a card and then decides on an action to take. When 5 cards are drawn, players take actions without drawing additional cards until either all deals are closed, or all players pass and don't make any offer. Before drawing the next 5 requests, player shuffle their hands and draw 5 cards.

Hotel Insights

• Guaranteed vs. Non-Guaranteed Blocks:
  Some room blocks are guaranteed, meaning the tour operator pays whether the rooms are used or not. Others are release-back blocks, which the hotel can re-sell if not confirmed by a specific deadline.
  
• Rate Negotiation:
  Tour operators often request special rates for blocks, expecting volume discounts. Hotels must carefully balance competitive pricing with profit margins.
• Extras and Value-Adds:
  To secure a deal, hotels may include perks like free upgrades, welcome drinks, or flexible check-ins—but only if the block size justifies it.
• Market Research:
  In order to get a better sense of the demand to come, Market Research and forecasting method are widely used in hotel management. Peeking what's to come is an illustration of gaining market knowledge before other players.

• Revene Meeting:
  In order to make the right offer, Sale representatives are given a limited number of options that maximizes the hotel RevPAR (Revenue Per Available Room). If the back office believes customers will buy rooms individually, they will price the blocks high. In the game, shuffling cards is a way to represent that meeting where offers are determined.