Advanced Channel Rates allow users to sync multiple rate plans on your Cloudbeds PMS to multiple rate plans on a OTA (Online Travel Agency) - and to do this within a centralized location so you don't have to login and manage rate plans in each channel extranet.
If you are interested in this feature please contact our support team.
Things to note before getting started
The advanced channel rates feature is used as an option to create and control your multiple rate plans from within Cloudbeds PMS.
Without advanced channel rates feature, it is only possible to map the base rate, all other rate plans must be created directly in the channel extranet and must be derived from the base rate Cloudbeds PMS sends.
Check which channels support this feature below.
- Before linking any channel rate plan to Cloudbeds PMS, the rate plan must be created on the OTA's extranet first.
- The channel rate plan must not have rate derivations to allow those rate plans to be controlled by the channel manager (Cloudbeds). Further details on Step 2 - Remove Channel's Rate Derivations
- If the package has a promotional code applied, the rate plan will not be available for channel sync.
- If a channel does not support multiple rate plans mapping (like Airbnb, VRBO and others), you can still select any rate plan created in Cloudbeds PMS to be mapped with the rate in this channel. Check more details in this section.
Currently, Advanced Channel Rates is supported by the following OTAs:
- Priceline/Agoda
- Bakuun
- Beds4Travel
- Bonanza
- Booking.com
- CityBreak
- CVC
- Decolar.com/Despegar
- Expedia
- Google Hotel Search
- Habicus
- Hero Travel
- Hostelworld
- Hotelbeds
- Hotelnet
- HotelTonight
- Hotusa
- Jalan
- Keytel
- LUEX Surf & Snow Travel
- Mr. & Mrs. Smith
- Netroomz
- ODIEGO Connect
- Open DGS
- Pegipegi
- Pricetravel
- Restel
- Revato by Hotelscombined
- Simplotel
- Speedybooker
- Stash Hotel Rewards
- Tablet Hotels
- Tiket.com
- Travelanium
- Traveloka
How to sync a new rate plan to channels (OTAs)
- Access the Rate Plans & Packages page under Rates and Availability menu
Check the following article to learn How to Create Rate Plans and Packages
- Click to + New rate plan
- Create one or more intervals
- Select the accommodation types to enable the rate plans for channel rate plan mapping.
- If supported by the channel, the fields marked with the green symbol, will be synced with channels. For more details: Which rate plan feature will be sent to the supported channels
- Save the Rate Plan
All Rate plans created on channel's extranet prior to using this feature can be synced, but you must disable any rate derivations on the channel's extranet in order to allow those rate plans to be controlled by Cloudbeds Channel Manager.
Channels work differently from each other. Contact channel's support team or your Account Manager if you have questions about rate derivation and how to remove them.
Check the following channel's instructions as examples:
To allow the rate plans to be controlled by the channel manager, click on the pencil icon to edit the rate plan:
Make sure that the rate plan is set as Amount and not as Percentage. Meaning, you are removing channel's permission to control this rate plan.
There is a limitation that allows maximum 4 rate plans per room type to be mapped.
- Access Rates and Availability
- Click on Rate Plans
- Click to Edit the rate plan that will be controlled by the channel manager
- Click Edit on the Price row
- Make sure the rate plan in configured as Set as New Rate Plan
- Click Apply Changes
If you are creating a Rate Plan from scratch, make sure to select Setup as a new rate plan as shown below. It means that the rate plan will be created as not derived.
On your Agoda extranet:
- Access Settings
- Click Rate Plan Setup
- Click on the Create button
- Select an active rate plan that is going to be controlled by the channel manager. If the rate plan is not connected to any of the channel’s rate plans (non-derived), it will be available for connecting to Cloudbeds rate plans.
Contact your Expedia Account Manager or Expedia support team so they can help you to unlink the rate plan that you want the channel manager to control.
Now that you removed the rate derivations from all desired rate plans, it's time to sync them. Check Step 3.
Let's take Hostelworld as an example:
- Access your Account Settings
- Open the Distribution page
If the channel is not yet enabled, proceed through setup flow and map rate plans as desired.
- Click on Enabled to access the channel mapping
- On the Rate Plan Mapping, click View / Edit
- Click to Configure to map the desired rate plans for each room type
The rate plans you have created on Cloudbeds are listed on the left side. Use the drop-down menu to map the channel's rate plans to the rate plans on Cloudbeds.
- Hostelworld allows users to have a maximum of four rate plans per room type on their extranet: Standard, Non-Refundable, Bed & Breakfast, Bed & Breakfast Non-Refundable.
- Each rate plan supports the following restrictions: Closed, Minimum Length of Stay, Maximum Length of stay.
If you select the same channel rate plan to multiple Cloudbeds PMS rate plans, the following error message will be displayed.
Map the desired rate plans for each room type.
Once you finish, the system will display the rate plans statuses:
- Green checkmark: Rate Plans mapping was completed for this room type
- Yellow warning icon: some rate plans remain unmapped for the room type (it doesn't block you from moving forward - not all rates available on the extranet might need to be mapped with rate plans inside Cloudbeds PMS)
- Red icon: at least one rate plan needs to be mapped to continue to the next step
- Save the changes and complete the mapping process. Once you finish, the system will automatically send a full refresh to the channel.
The only way to check if the rate plan was successfully synced is to verify the OTA's extranet - if your rates and availability match between Cloudbeds PMS and OTA's extranet, it means that the sync was completed.
Check Hostelworld as an example:
- Find the rate plan on the Rate Plans & Packages page
- Make sure that the toggle under Active for Sources/Booking Engine column is ON (green)
This toggle controls whether your rate plan is displayed on booking engine, available internally as a source during new reservation creation and whether it is available for channel sync.
- Click to Edit to check the rate plan ensuring that your intervals are up-to-date
- Make sure the intervals are not expired (past dates, for example)
Scroll down to the Availability section to check the start and end dates - If needed, click the pencil icon to edit the date range.
- On the Edit Interval section, the accommodation types selected will be available for channel rate plan mapping
Once you finish, click to Save Interval, then, Save
- Visit the desired channel on the Distribution page. Click to access the channel mapping > VIEW / EDIT Rate Plan Mapping step > Click Configure > Map rate plans as desired. See more details on Step 3
If the channel is not enabled yet, you need to proceed through the setup flow and map rate plans as desired.
Channels like Airbnb API, VRBO API, and some others, do not support mapping multiple rate plans, and, for this reason, the Advanced Channel Rates is not available for them. However, with this feature, you can still choose a different rate plan other than the base rate to be mapped to those channels.
- Important: Base Rate will be selected by default, and you can change it if you prefer.
On the Distribution Channels page,
- Search for the channel you want to map a new rate plan and click to Manage
- Click to edit the rate plan mapping
- All the rate plans created in Cloudbeds will be displayed in a drop-down menu. Select the rate plan you want to map with this channel and click next to save.
Check the following article to learn How to Edit/Deactivate Synced Rate Plans
Frequently Asked Questions
As this feature set touches several parts of the application - Rate Plans & Packages, Channel Distribution, Availability Matrix, Logs (Calendar and PIE Rate Manager to a lesser degree) - a user may be able to use some, all, or none of this feature set, depending on the roles they have been enabled for on the User Management section of the application.
There are no separate permissions toggles for this sync feature, and thus user access to the full feature set will be controlled by toggles already existing in the system.
If a user has access to one of the permissions below they will have access to all of the pages/settings as they always have had for that particular setting.
- Distribution is inactive > users will not be able to access Channel Distribution and thus unable to map rate plans.
- Create / Edit Rate Plans is inactive > users will be unable to create rate plans and enable them for channel mapping.
- Availability Matrix / Availability Block is inactive > users will be unable to send ARI Updates for rate plans through the Availability Matrix.
If a user wants full control of setting up the application at each point of the process, they need all those settings enabled.
If a user updates something that has somehow affects a channel-connected rate plan (e.g. changing a value on the availability matrix), it may also affect rate plans.
Yes, you can choose to map a rate plan for OTAs and not display it on your booking engine. Follow the steps below:
- Keep the toggle ON as shown below
- Click on Edit the rate plan
- Uncheck the box Website / Booking Engine from the sources drop-down
No, the Base Rate adjustment must be the same for all the Rate Plans connected to a specific channel.
Yes, you can specify which Cloudbeds PMS rate plan to sync to which channel rate plan in the channel mapping. You can leave the rate plan unmapped if you don't want it to sync. See Step 3. Sync the New Rate Plan to Channels
Rate Plan Feature | Will be synced with supported channels? |
Start Date | Yes |
End Date | Yes |
Days of the Week | Yes |
Accommodation Types | Yes |
Rate Plan Name | No |
MinLos | Yes |
MaxLos | Yes |
Cut-Off | Yes* |
Last Minute Booking | Yes* |
Closed for Arrival | Yes |
Closed for Departure | Yes |
Additional Guests | No |
Add-Ons | No |
- The Cut-off and Last Minute Booking restrictions are only supported by Google Hotel Search, TripAdvisor and Booking.com.
- The accommodation blocks also sync with channels and close off the rate plan for being booked. Learn How to Block Room Availability
The rate plan name will appear on the Rate Plan Mapping page as long as it is active on the Rate Plans & Packages page (the toggle under Active for Sources/Booking Engine column is ON).
To remove it, you must deactivate the rate plan. Check: Advanced Channel Rates - How to Edit/Deactivate Synced Rate Plans
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