💡 Important to know:
To connect to a channel, go to My apps > Channel Manager > Channels.
Before connecting a channel, you must have an active account with the channel and your rooms and rates in your extranet have the same structure or naming convention as those in your Front Desk.
You will also need to request a connection to SiteMinder through your channel extranet before proceeding with the channel connection process.
Overview
Connecting a channel is the integration between your Channel Manager and your distribution channel, and enabling the connection from both sides.
Your Front Desk will send automatic inventory updates such as availability, rates, and restrictions to your channels through the Channel Manager connection.
The channels will then send reservations directly to your Front Desk, allowing you to centralise all updates and manage reservations directly from your Front Desk.
Connect a channel
💡 Notes:
The hotel code is your unique property code or in your channel, also known as your hotel ID or host ID.
If you are asked to enter a reservation email address, you will be sent an email notification when a reservation is made.
If currency conversion is enabled in your property settings, you can also enable it for the channel. This will display prices in a different currency from your base currency. The currency selected under currency conversion must be the same as the currency selected on your channel extranet.
Before connecting a new channel, you will need your account and login credentials to begin.
To connect a channel:
Go to My apps > Channel Manager > Channels.
Click on Connect new channel.
Select the channel from the drop-down list.
Complete the Channel Connection Wizard by entering the required details in each step:
The fields in each step will vary depending on the channel you are connecting to.
Review the summary > Finish.
Edit your channel settings
To modify your connected channel:
Go to My apps > Channel Manager > Channels.
Click on the channel name > Configure.
Click on the Channel Settings tab.
Modify the required settings > click Save.
Enable or disable a channel connection
Information about enabling or disabling a channel connection can be found below:
Enable the connection — starts sending inventory updates to the channel; this should only be done after mapping your rooms and rates, and reviewing your inventory.
Disable the connection — stops sending inventory updates to the channel; this should only be done if you have stopped working with the channel and want to disconnect it.
⚠️ Disabling the connection will result in the following:
Stop sells will not be sent to the channel (except for Airbnb, who makes its rates unavailable when disabling them).
Overbookings may occur as your Channel Manager will not update the channel’s inventory.
Depending on the channel, you may stop receiving reservations.
Rate multiplier
A rate multiplier is a calculation that multiplies your inventory rates to adjust for any commissions and/or taxes, if your channel charges them. Before applying a rate multiplier, know that your prices will be shown in your Front Desk and Channel Manager Inventory without the rate multiplier added. However, prices will be sent to the channel with the rate multiplier added.
Disconnect a channel
When you disconnect a channel in Channel Manager, you will still need to delete the rates in the channel extranet.
When you disconnect a channel, all updates for the channel will no longer be sent and any mapping, reservations, and data will be permanently lost. You won’t be able to view any past reservations from the channel.
To disconnect a channel, follow these steps:
First, contact the channel and ask them to remove the connection.
Once the connection has been deactivated, an admin user must send a request to our Support team to delete the channel.
Our support team will then confirm the channel’s deletion.
What do I do after connecting a channel?
Activate the channel
Some channels have auto-activation, whereas others will require our Support team to finalise the configuration and activate the channel, in which case your channel will appear under the ‘Channels Awaiting Setup’ section.
Map your channel rates
Once your channel is listed under ‘Active Channels’, you can now start mapping your rooms and rates. Check the availability, rates, and restrictions for your newly mapped channel rates in your Front Desk Inventory tab.
Enable the channel
Updates will now be sent to the channel.