To connect, disconnect, or manage a channel, go to Distribution > Channels.
Connect to a range of channels to help increase your property’s online visibility and expand your reach to more travellers. Connecting to channels can also help with increasing direct bookings, as guests may find your property on a channel, but then research further on your property website and choose to book with you directly — this is known as the billboard effect.
Connect a new channel
Before connecting a channel in your SiteMinder platform, make sure:
You have signed a contract with the channel, you have an active account, and the channel has enabled the connection with SiteMinder.
You know your unique Property code that the channel has assigned to your property (also called hotel ID, hotel code, or host ID) and any other account details for the channel’s extranet.
To connect a new channel to your SiteMinder platform:
Go to Distribution > Channels.
Click on the All channels tab — here you will see a list of all the available channels you can connect to.
Find and click on the channel you want to connect to.
Review the details about what inventory data can and can’t be sent to the channel (Data supported by this channel and Data not supported by this channel).
Click on Connect.
Most channels are activated immediately and ready to be mapped. However, some channels may appear with a status Awaiting setup, which means our support team will need to complete the configuration and activate the connection for you.
If the channel does not support certain inventory data, you will need to set up and manage these inventory updates directly in the channel’s extranet.
For example, if the channel does not support receiving Minimum stay, you will need to set up your Minimum stay restrictions on the channel’s extranet directly.
Once you have connected a new channel
Once you have connected a new channel:
Update channel settings. Review and update channel settings such as a Rate multiplier, Currency conversion, and Reservation E-mail Address.
Map your room rates to the channel. Remember to create corresponding room rates on the channel's extranet first (if applicable, depending on the channel).
Review inventory on the channel. Ensure values are synced correctly/match your SiteMinder platform.
Enable the channel. Enable the channel to start sending inventory updates.
Update your channel settings
To update the settings for a channel:
Go to Distribution > Channels tab.
In the My channels tab, find the channel.
Click on the ellipsis button (...) next to the channel’s name and select Update channel settings.
In the Channel settings tab, click on the edit button to modify the settings.
Make the changes and click Save.
Enable a channel
Enable a channel once you have mapped all required room rates to the channel and checked that availability, rates, and restrictions are correct. Enable a channel to start sending inventory updates to the channel.
To enable a channel, go to Distribution > find the channel > update Channel settings > click the “Enable the connection to [channel name]” button.