Meet the GDS
The Global Distribution System (GDS) is a worldwide conduit between travel bookers and suppliers. It shares product, price and availability data to travel agents and online booking engines in real-time and allows for automated transactions.
Many companies organising trips for staff will either contact travel agencies or have a contract with a Travel Management Company (TMC). These agencies and TMCs use the GDS exclusively which also provides access to specially negotiated prices unavailable to other distribution channels. Hotels, flights, and car rentals are presented in a straightforward interface. This allows agents to quickly evaluate and book the best and most affordable options for their corporate clients.
💡 The Global Distribution System (GDS) is the preferred booking method for travel agents.
Importance of GDS by SiteMinder
Adding GDS by SiteMinder to your property platform allows you to:
Reach market segments globally
Connect to the system used by booking engines, reservation call centres, and over 600,000 travel agencies around the world. GDS displays your brand messaging and improves positioning during the search and booking process. This makes it easier for travel agents to choose your hotel for their clients.Increase your bookings
The number of reservations generated through a GDS generally outpaces that of direct bookings.Grow the lucrative corporate segment
You may discover other types of travellers interested in staying at your property that couldn’t be reached before. New market segments mean more bookings!
GDS by SiteMinder property requirements
There are some specifications that significantly aid successful connectivity with GDS by SiteMinder. These requirements are beneficial but not essential. Ideally, properties should:
Be located close to city centres or airports
Have 20 rooms or more
Be set up for corporate markets
Not be affected by seasons
💡 You can adapt your property for corporate bookings by having desks in each room, wifi, and conference rooms.
Updates that GDS by SiteMinder supports
GDS supports the following inventory updates:
Rates and occupancy
Rates shown on the Inventory page
Extra adult rate
Extra child rate
Single guest discount
Availability
Restrictions
Minimum stay
💡 This can be sent as Minimum stay on arrival or Minimum stay through. Make sure to ask your GDS Consultant about this during the onboarding process.
Maximum stay
Stop sells
CTA (closed to arrival)
CTD (closed to departure)
➕ Did you know that channels that accept stop sells can also accept your property platform’s release period?
Maximum update period: GDS has a maximum inventory update period of 372 days, or, a year and a week.
Connect to GDS by SiteMinder
To create a GDS by SiteMinder account and connect it to your property platform as a channel, please contact us.
GDS by SiteMinder mapping features
Once GDS by SiteMinder is connected, you must map its rates.
You will find the below features while mapping your rates with GDS by SiteMinder on Distribution > Channels.
Occupancy details
Included occupancy (mandatory): the number of people that a room typically accommodates. E.g. for a Double Room, this would be ‘2’.
Extra adult rate : each additional adult will cost this much. E.g. ‘40’.
Extra child rate : each additional child will cost this much. E.g. ‘25’.
Single guest discount : if there is a discount for single occupancy, enter the discount amount here. E.g. ‘15’
💡 If the Included occupancy is less than your Maximum occupancy set for the room type on your GDS by SiteMinder extranet and you charge extra per each additional guest, you must set both Extra adult and Extra child rates.
Reservation mapping fallback
⚠️ If you do not wish to use this feature, set it to No. Otherwise, no more than one room rate per room type should be set to Yes for the field Reservation mapping fallback.
By default, all reservations are processed using the rate code of the first mapped room rate of the same room type. The Reservation mapping fallback field allows you to specify which mapped room rate (and Rate code ) will be used to process reservations.
To specify a mapped room rate as the Reservation mapping fallback
Click on Rooms and rates.
Locate the room rate you wish to update, then click the channel drop-down menu beside it.
Select GDS and click on Configure.
Click on Channel settings.
Set Reservation mapping fallback to Yes.
Click on Save.
Reservations for unmapped room rates belonging to the same room type as the 'fallback' room rate will now be processed using its room rate code.
Rates inclusive of tax
You can use this setting to let GDS by SiteMinder know if your Inventory prices include or exclude taxes:
Set to Yes if rates for this room are inclusive of all taxes and fees.
Set to No if rates for this room are exclusive of all taxes and fees.
⚠️ Please liaise with your GDS by SiteMinder consultant for guidance on configuring taxes in your GDS by SiteMinder extranet. This is especially important in cases where some taxes are included but others are not.
GDS by SiteMinder channel settings
You will find these settings while connecting GDS by SiteMinder on Distribution > Channels. Once connected, settings can be found in the GDS by SiteMinder Channel settings tab.
⚠️ Do not change your GDS by SiteMinder channel settings without talking to the GDS by SiteMinder team. Correct channel settings are crucial for maintaining the connection with GDS by SiteMinder. If you believe there is an incorrect setting, please contact the team instead of changing it yourself.
Process reservations by Room Code
This setting is useful for properties with many room rates created on GDS by SiteMinder that don’t need to be differentiated on your property platform.
If enabled
Only the Room code will be used to process bookings from GDS by SiteMinder on your property platform. Reservations for all room rates (mapped or unmapped) will be processed by the channel manager as long as one room rate of the same room type is mapped.If not enabled
Room code and Rate code will both be used to process bookings from GDS by SiteMinder on your property platform. Reservation from unmapped room rates will be processed by your property platform as long as there is at least one rate mapped with that room type. If no rate from the room type is connected, the reservation won 't reach your property platform and you will need to make manual changes:If you have a connectivity integration
You will need to manually create the reservation in your connectivity.If you don’t have a connectivity integration
You will need to manually modify the availability in your Inventory page.
Enterprise hotel
Will be set to Yes if your hotel is classified as an Enterprise hotel in GDS by SiteMinder.
Use min stay through
There are two types of minimum stay: Minimum stay through and Minimum stay on arrival.
If Yes is selected, your minimum stay will be sent to GDS by SiteMinder as Minimum stay through. If there are different minimum stay values applied to any of the stay dates, this setting ensures the greater value is applied to bookings.
➕ For example:
* An agent wants to book two nights on GDS by SiteMinder from August 15th to 17th. * A minimum stay through value of 2 nights applies on the 15th and 3 on the 16th. * As the minimum stay through period of 3 nights applies to the reservation, an agent must add a third night to be able to complete the booking.
If No is selected, your minimum stay will be sent to GDS by SiteMinder as Minimum stay on arrival. This rule defines the minimum stay period for bookings according to the check-in date’s minimum.
➕ Let’s say that:
* An agent wants to book two nights on GDS by SiteMinder from August 15th to 17th. * There is a minimum stay on arrival of 2 on the 15th and 3 on the 16th. * As the minimum stay is defined by the check-in day, an agent will be able to book a two-night stay.
Disconnect GDS by SiteMinder
If you wish to stop using GDS and disconnect it from your property platform, you must contact your GDS Account Manager.