Channel, direct booking engine, and integration distribution through Multi-Property
Multi-Property brings distribution to the next level with bulk mapping, a method of swiftly mapping multiple properties’ room rates to your channels, direct booking engines, and integrations*. By managing distribution through Multi-Property, you can enhance the visibility of your mapping across all of your properties to efficiently identify and address unmapped rates.
* The word ‘integration’ refers to property management systems (PMS), central reservations systems (CRS), and revenue management systems (RMS).
Important steps before mapping
Prior to mapping, ensure that the following criteria are met:
The channels, direct booking engines, and integrations have active connections to each property.
Multi-property rate plans have been created and connected to your properties.
Room rates have been created per property in the following contexts:
Each channel extranet — these must be created at least 60 minutes before mapping.
Your integrations* — the room rate codes in Multi-Property and your integrations must match. (If necessary, check with your integration* provider to find out where you should retrieve the mapping codes.)
💡 Note:
Mapping is the process of connecting an offer advertised on a third-party channel to our Siteminder platform and your integration(s). In order to map an offer correctly, it needs to be configured on the third-party channel, in our Siteminder platform, and in your integration(s).
Some channels might let you create new offers directly from the channel manager, in which case no mapping to the third-party channel is required.
In Multi-Property, every property’s integration* room type codes are located in the Property details section.
Map multiple properties’ room rates in bulk to an integration
Follow these steps to map properties’ room rates in bulk to an integration*.
Step 1: Find the right rate plan and integration to be mapped
Go to Multi-Property > Distribution > Rate plans.
Locate the rate plan you want to map to an integration*. If it has room rates that have not been mapped, it will have an Unmapped rates alert. Click on the Unmapped rates flag.
Under the multi-property rate plan’s Info tab, there will be a section alerting you to a specific integration with missing mappings. Locate the message about the integration you want to map and click on ‘Map now…’
A window will open with a bulk mapping form that has two sections: Rate mapping and Default mapping configuration.
💡 Unmapped rates may result in overbookings; make sure you map them as soon as possible.
Step 2: Rate mapping settings
Locate properties with unmapped room rates. (Tick a property’s checkbox to automatically tick all of its room rates.)
Click on the property name to see the room rates, and review the selection.
💡 Note:
You can use the Select all button to quickly tick your entire portfolio of properties and their room types. The Deselect all button does the opposite.
It is not possible to tick room rates with greyed-out checkboxes, as they cannot be selected. Hover over their information icon (i) to find out why they cannot be connected. (The most common reason is a missing room code in the property details.)
Step 3: Default mapping configuration
The required details vary per integration, however, most integrations ask for a mandatory Rate code that identifies the selected rate plan in the integration*.
It is crucial that the configuration you set in Multi-Property matches the one set in your integration*. If needed, contact the integration’s support team for guidance on how to map the other fields, as they will be able to see what they have configured on their side.
Step 4: Review and save
Once you have reviewed and confirmed that all the selected room rates and settings are correct, click on Map to perform the mapping.
Map multiple properties’ room rates in bulk to channels or direct booking engines
Follow the steps below to map properties’ room rates in bulk to channels and direct booking engines.
💡 Only properties using the version of direct booking that is not integrated to the SiteMinder platform will be able to connect their direct rates by following the instructions below. If, however, you are using the new version of the direct booking engine (SiteMinder platform), please follow the instructions in the article titled: Configure your direct booking rates via Multi-Property.
Step 1: find the rate plan with the room rates you want to be mapped
In Multi-Property, go to the Distribution page > Rate plans tab.
Locate the rate plan you want to map, and click on it.
Click on its ellipsis button (...) and select Distribute to channel.
A window will open with three sections: Channel selection, Rate distribution, and Rate configuration.
Step 2: Channel selection
Select a channel or direct booking engine to map to your rate plan’s room rates.
Click on Next.
💡 Next to the direct booking engine or channel’s name, you will see how many properties are connected to that channel or booking engine.
Step 3: Rate distribution
Locate the properties’ room rates that you want to map. (You can click on a property’s name to see or hide its room rates.)
Click on each room rate’s drop-down menu to choose the channel rate or direct rate to map to your room rates.
Once you have mapped all the room rates, click on Next.
💡 Only rates that have the same configuration should be mapped together.
Step 4: Rate configuration
Set Start updating channel to Yes if you want to synchronise these rates with the channel or direct booking engine.
Fill in any other required fields.
💡 Settings vary per channel. For more information regarding the fields, contact the channel’s support team.
Step 5: Review and save
Once you have reviewed and confirmed that all the selected room rates and settings are correct, click on Distribute to complete the mapping.