Every registration, roommate change or cancellation rebuilds the rooming list in the hotel's own Excel template. The updated file replaces the shared copy the hotel's group desk works from, and the desk gets a one-line email describing what changed.
Typical results
Under 5 min
From a sign-up change to the hotel's updated file
≈80%
Fewer room mix-ups at check-in
1 line
Change summary for the hotel's group desk
Figures reflect typical results for this kind of automation.
The challenge
For a retreat of around 150 participants, sign-ups, roommate swaps and cancellations keep arriving until a week before travel. Each hotel wants its own rooming list layout, so the planner retypes changes into the hotel's spreadsheet and emails a new version, which takes about 4.5 hours a week. Old copies circulate, and mix-ups surface at check-in.
Before and after
Planner hours per week on rooming list updates
−89%Room mix-ups found at check-in per trip
−83%The automation
Whenever a participant registers, changes a roommate preference or cancels, Make rebuilds the rooming list in the hotel's own Excel template, with room type, sharing pairs, arrival and departure dates and special requests in the hotel's columns. The new file replaces the shared copy the hotel's group desk works from, so there is only one current version. The desk also gets a one-line email describing the change, such as a new sharing pair or a cancelled room.
How it works
- 01
Sign-up changes
A participant registers, changes their roommate preference or cancels on the trip's registration form.
- 02
Rooming list rebuilt
The list is rebuilt in the hotel's own Excel template with room type, sharing pairs, arrival and departure dates and special requests.
- 03
Shared copy replaced
The updated file replaces the shared copy the hotel's group desk works from, so there is only one current version.
- 04
One-line change email
The group desk gets a short email describing the change, such as a new sharing pair or a cancelled room.
- 05
Change history kept
Each change is logged with its time, so the planner and the hotel can trace the history of any room.
Starts from
- Registration changes
Delivers
- Hotel-format Excel list
- Shared copy for group desk
- One-line change email
The impact
The planner saves about 4 hours a week while registration is open, and the hotel always works from the current list. Room mix-ups found at check-in drop from around six per trip to about one, and the group desk sees each change within minutes instead of the next day.
Questions about this automation
Can it handle a different template for each hotel?
Yes. Each trip is linked to its hotel's own Excel template, with the column order, date format and room type codes the group desk expects. A multi-hotel trip gets one list per property, filled only with the participants assigned there, and each desk gets only its own change emails.
What happens when two participants name different roommates?
Sharing pairs are only written to the list when both people name each other. If the requests don't match, both are listed as unpaired and the planner gets a note to sort it out, so the hotel never receives a pairing that one guest didn't ask for.
What does the planner need to provide?
The registration form or sheet where sign-ups land, the hotel's rooming list template and the group desk's email address, plus a shared folder the hotel can open. Simple automations like this are usually live within days, often in time for the next trip's registration to open.