> For the complete documentation index, see [llms.txt](https://wiki.inels.com/llms.txt). Markdown versions of documentation pages are available by appending `.md` to page URLs; this page is available as [Markdown](https://wiki.inels.com/inels-harmony/reception/controlling-a-room.md).

# Controlling a room

Warm a room before an arrival, check why a guest is cold, turn off lights in an empty room.

The room grid shows every room as a **live card** and lets you control it. Reception uses it to warm a room before an early arrival, or to check what is actually happening before sending someone upstairs.

Open **Rooms** from the reception sidebar. (Administration has the same grid on its Overview page.)

## Reading a room card

| Part of the card              | Shows                                                                  |
| ----------------------------- | ---------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| **Name and type**             | The room and what kind it is                                           |
| **Status**                    | Where its booking stands — free, booked, checked in                    |
| **Service chips**             | DND, Butler and MUR, lit when the guest has pressed that button        |
| **Door · Window · Occupancy** | Read-only sensor state                                                 |
| **Climate**                   | Actual temperature and the setpoint, with **+** and **−** to change it |
| **Scenes**                    | Lighting scenes the room supports — click one to apply it              |

Cards update themselves. A light switched in the room changes on screen within about a second; there is no need to reload.

## What you can and cannot change

* **Temperature** — the arrows move the setpoint. The actual reading follows over the next few minutes; heating is not instant.
* **Lighting scenes** — one click applies the scene.
* **Door, window and occupancy** — read-only. They report what the building says; there is nothing to click.

{% hint style="warning" %}
**A guest can override you, and so can an automation.** If a setpoint keeps returning to the same value, an automation is doing it — that is where to look, not this screen.
{% endhint %}

## When a card shows dashes

Dashes instead of a temperature mean Harmony has not received a value for that room. Usually one of:

* the gateway is offline — an administrator can check **Gateways**
* no device is attached to the room
* the page has only just opened and values are still arriving — give it a few seconds

## What reception actually uses it for

<details>

<summary>Four everyday situations</summary>

**An early arrival.** Raise the setpoint an hour before the guest gets there.

**"My room is cold."** Look at the card before sending anyone up — if the window chip is lit, that is your answer, and it saves a trip.

**Overnight.** Glance across the grid for lights left on in empty rooms.

**A VIP arrival.** Set the scene and the temperature, and confirm the room reads as ready before they walk in.

</details>