Hotel Pricing Overview

Rate and Rule Search

Typically, pricing for Hotels is performed with a Hotel Rate and Rule Search, also known as Complete Hotel Availability, that returns room rates and rate rules for bookings for a specified hotel property. This search usually based on a specific property selected from the results of a Hotel Search request. However, if the chain and Property ID are already known, a Hotel Rate and Rule Search can be requested without any prerequisite transactions.

A Hotel Rate and Rule Search is a prerequisite for selling a hotel segment in a Hotel Booking, unless a direct hotel sell is made. Direct sells require the Property ID, room rates, and other necessary data to be entered directly into the sell segment transaction.

HotelDetailsReq in the HotelDetailsService is used to request Hotel Rate and Rule Searches.

Hotel Description

HotelDetailsReq can also be used to request hotel details; additional information about a hotel property or chain, based on keyword requests, that can be used to determine a hotel selection. The amount and type of details provided by the supplier can vary. A Hotel Details request is not required, but is typically performed as a follow-up request for a specific property in a list retrieved through a Hotel Search or Hotel Rate and Rule Search.

Hotel Rules

The Hotel Rules request supplies booking requirements for rates at a specific hotel property. Hotel availability transactions (Hotel Search and Hotel Rate and Rule Search) may list general rules associated with a hotel property. However, hotel rules lists rule requirements and penalties associated with a specific rate (booking code) at that property. Because rules at a single property can vary based on the booking code, hotel rules should be viewed, particularly for discounts, promotional offers, or other non-standard rates that may have more stringent requirements.

Hotel rules are not technically required, although they are recommended as a best practice to provide travelers with the full requirements for the rate. Although this function can be implemented as a stand-alone request, it typically follows a Hotel Rate and Rule Search or Hotel Booking request.

Hotel Media

A Hotel Media request allows the user to enter an identification number for a hotel property and choose which images of that property to display. The response contains the URLs of the requested images or media files. Hotel media and descriptions are stand-alone transactions, which do not need to be made as part of any specific travel business process. However, images and descriptions are typically requested as part of shopping functions, such as a hotel property search or a complete hotel availability request.