Advanced Channel Rates - How to Sync Rate Plans to Distribution Channels (OTAs)?

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.
Supported Channels

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)

Step 1 - Create a New Rate Plan
  1. Access the Rate Plans & Packages page under Rates and Availability menu

Check the following article to learn How to Create Rate Plans and Packages

  1. Click to + New rate plan
  1. Create one or more intervals
  1. Save the Rate Plan
Step 2 - Remove Channel's Rate Derivations

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:

Hostelworld

To allow the rate plans to be controlled by the channel manager, click on the pencil icon to edit the rate plan:

Hostels Inbox - Rates & Availability - Google Chrome

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.

Hostels Inbox - Rates & Availability - Google Chrome

There is a limitation that allows maximum 4 rate plans per room type to be mapped.

Booking.com
  1. Access Rates and Availability
  2. Click on Rate Plans
LAMAT · - Google Chrome
  1. Click to Edit the rate plan that will be controlled by the channel manager
LAMAT · Rate Plans - Google Chrome
  1. Click Edit on the Price row
  2. Make sure the rate plan in configured as Set as New Rate Plan
  3. 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.

LAMAT · Rate Plans - Google Chrome
Agoda

On your Agoda extranet:

  1. Access Settings
  2. Click Rate Plan Setup
  3. Click on the Create button
  4. 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.
Expedia

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.

Step 3 - Sync the New Rate Plan to Channels

Let's take Hostelworld as an example:

  1. Access your Account Settings
  2. Open the Distribution page

If the channel is not yet enabled, proceed through setup flow and map rate plans as desired.

  1. Click on Enabled to access the channel mapping
  1. On the Rate Plan Mapping, click View / Edit
  1. 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.

MD_test - Manage - Channel Distribution - Channel Setup - Google Chrome
MD_test - Manage - Channel Distribution - Channel Setup - Google Chrome

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
DEMO - Karina's Hostel - Manage - Channel Distribution - Channel Setup - Google Chrome
  1. 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:

Sprint Review: Distributed Systems - Zoom - Google Chrome
DEMO - Karina's Hostel - Availability Matrix - Google Chrome
How to sync existing rate plans to channels
  1. Find the rate plan on the Rate Plans & Packages page
  2. 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.

  1. Click to Edit to check the rate plan ensuring that your intervals are up-to-date
  1. 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.
  1. 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

  1. 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.

Map any Cloudbeds rate plan to channels that do not support multiple rate plan mapping from Cloudbeds

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,

  1. Search for the channel you want to map a new rate plan and click to Manage
  2. Click to edit the rate plan mapping
  1. 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

How to restrict users to manage Advanced Channel Rates?

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.

Niffler Release Notes - Google Docs - Google Chrome
  • 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.

Is it possible to create a rate plan to sync with channels but not to booking engine?

Yes, you can choose to map a rate plan for OTAs and not display it on your booking engine. Follow the steps below:

  1. Keep the toggle ON as shown below
  2. Click on Edit the rate plan
DEMO - Karina's Hostel - Rate Plans & Packages - Google Chrome
  1. Uncheck the box Website / Booking Engine from the sources drop-down
DEMO - Karina's Hostel - Rate Plans & Packages - Google Chrome
Is it possible to set a different Base Rate adjustment per Special Rate or Package synced with a channel?

No, the Base Rate adjustment must be the same for all the Rate Plans connected to a specific channel.

Can I sync a single rate plan to one channel but not another, or should I sync that rate plan for all channels for the room type selected?

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

Which rate plan feature will be sent to the supported 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 rate plan is expired (the interval date has passed) but it's still showing on the Rate Plan Mapping page, how can I remove it?

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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