Assign resource categories to a package
Assigning resources to a package tells Rex which physical things to reserve when a guest books it — the lanes, bays, courts, rooms, or simulators behind the package. You set it on the package itself, in the Assign Resource Category card, by linking one or more resource categories and choosing how many get reserved.
A few examples of what a package might reserve:
- A bowling package reserves a variable number of lanes based on the group's guest count.
- A birthday party reserves multiple resources at once, like a lane and a party room together.
- A group event reserves a fixed number of resources for every booking.
Resources are different from availability. A package's schedule sets its inventory method (how Rex counts availability — by guests, by lanes, by resources, etc.). If a package's schedule uses the "Based on Resource Manager" method, you must assign at least one resource category here, or the package won't be bookable — Rex shows a reminder on the package until you do.
Assign a resource category
Most packages just need one kind of resource — a bowling package needs a lane, a sim package needs a bay. That's the Primary Resource, the first row in the card and the one every booking always gets.
Setting up the Primary resource takes two places, and this is the part people miss: the Assign Resource Category card only picks which category it comes from. The rule for how that resource is assigned — a fixed count, scaled to the group, or chosen by the guest — lives in the Resource Allocation dropdown under Package Settings.
Open the Assign Resource Category card
Open the venue, go to Packages, and click the package. Scroll to the Assign Resource Category card and click Edit to open the dialog.
Pick the Primary resource category
On the Primary Resource row, pick the Resource category from the dropdown (e.g. "Lanes") and click Save changes. That's all the card sets for the Primary resource — which category it pulls from. It has no assigning method or count of its own.
Set the assigning rule in Package Settings
Open Package Settings on the same package and use the Resource Allocation dropdown — this is what decides how the Primary resource is assigned to every booking. Choose the rule that fits, fill in the field it reveals, and Save.
Resource Allocation has three options: Fixed Number — every booking reserves the same count, which you set under Number of Resources; Flexible Based on Guest Count — Rex scales the count to the group, up to the Max Guests on Resource you set (e.g. 6 guests per lane); and Guest Chooses — the guest picks how many at checkout.
Book multiple resources at once
Some packages tie up more than one kind of resource per booking — a birthday party might need a bowling lane and a party room at the same time. Beyond the Primary resource, add an Additional Resource row for each extra category the package needs, and every reservation books them together for the whole window.
Add an additional resource category
Click Add Item to add an Additional Resource row. Pick its Resource category, then choose an Assigning Method (below) and, for most methods, a count. You can't assign the same category to two rows — Rex blocks the save and asks you to remove the duplicate. Click Save changes when done.
Each Additional row has an Assigning Method that controls how many resources that booking pulls from the category. (The Primary row doesn't — it always reserves the package's main resource.)
Custom
Most commonYou set an exact number in the Count field, and every booking reserves that many — no matter the group size.
Best for: A fixed requirement, the same for every booking
Flexible Based on Guests
Rex reserves as many resources as the group needs, based on the Max guests on one resource you set here.
Best for: Letting resources be allocated based on group size
Match Guest Count
Reserves one resource per guest — a 1:1 match, so there's no count to set.
Best for: One resource per guest
Restrict a package to specific resources
By default a package can use any resource in its assigned category. To limit it to a hand-picked set — say, only your two premium lanes — restrict the row to specific resources. This works on any row, including the Primary.
Turn on Assign to Specific Resources
On the resource row, switch on Assign to Specific Resources ("Turn on to manually assign resources"), then click Edit to open the Select Custom Resources picker.
Pick the resources and save
Check only the resources this package should use, and Save. The package now books against just those resources and ignores the rest of the category.
Stagger resources with Sequential Scheduling
By default, every resource on the package is held for the entire booking. Sequential Scheduling lets you say when each one is active inside that window instead — so a resource is only tied up for the part of the booking it's actually needed.
Turn on Sequential Scheduling
In the Assign Resource Category dialog, switch on Sequential Scheduling at the top. A Resource Allocation timeline appears showing the package's full duration.
Set when each resource is active
For each resource, drag the slider to set when it Starts and Ends within the booking. Use Split to give a resource more than one window. If part of the package isn't covered, Rex shows how much time is still unallocated.
Example: a 2-hour birthday party uses the bowling lane for the first hour and the party room for the second. Sequential Scheduling frees each one up for other bookings during the half it isn't in use. Note: it's only available on fixed-duration packages, and in this mode the Flexible Based on Guests method isn't offered — use Custom or Match Guest Count.
After saving, run a test booking on your reservation page to confirm the right resources are reserved — and, if you set up Sequential Scheduling, that each one is held only for its window.
Updated Jun 17, 2026
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