iHotelier is a global distribution system (GDS) solution within the TravelClick / Amadeus Hospitality suite of tools. With an iHotelier Advanced Two-Way Interface connected to RoomKeyPMS, hoteliers can take advantage of the following iHotelier GDS offerings:
- Booking Engine
- Channel Manager
- GDS Connectivity
STEP #1 Contact iHotelier to Setup or Modify an Account
The purpose of this first step is to generate a Correlation Table that is sent to the RoomKeyPMS Interface Specialist.
Click below for more information:
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Contact Amadeus Hospitality to create an iHotelier Account
- CLICK HERE to complete the Amadeus Hospitality Customer Central Community Account Registration
- During sign up, advise that you are interested in the iHotelier product and will be using RoomKeyPMS as your PMS provider
- Setup your Room Types and Rate Plans on your new iHotelier platform
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Request a Testing/Installation Date to be scheduled on the same day as your RoomKeyPMS Cutover/Go-Live date
- if you are already using RoomKeyPMS, the Trainer will schedule this date following your conference call in Step #2 below
- Contact your iHotelier account manager and advise that you will be changing your PMS provider to RoomKeyPMS
- Review the setup of your Room Types and Rate Plans on your iHotelier platform
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Request a Testing/Installation Date to be scheduled on the same day as your RoomKeyPMS Cutover/Go-Live date
- if you are already using RoomKeyPMS, the Trainer will schedule this date following your conference call in Step #2 below
- Contact your iHotelier account manager and advise that you want to upgrade your iHotelier Basic Two-Way interface to the Advanced Two-Way interface
- Review the setup of your Room Types and Rate Plans on your iHotelier platform
Because you are already using RoomKeyPMS as your PMS provider, the Trainer will schedule a Testing/Installation date following your conference call in Step #2.
STEP #2 Integration Review: Conference Call with RoomKeyPMS Trainer
The purpose of this call will be to review the integration steps required in RoomKeyPMS, based on the Correlation Table generated in Step #1.
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In RoomKeyPMS, go to System Configuration -> Room Inventory -> GDS Tab -> Linking
- Select the "Add" button
- Use the drop down menu below to select:
- Room Type -> RoomKeyPMS Room Type to be mapped
- GDS Type -> Integration where mapping will be applied (ie: iHotelierAdvanced)
- GDS Room Code -> this code MUST be the same code found in iHotelier for this particular Room Type.
- Select "POST" to save
Repeat until ALL the Room Types have been linked. With the iHotelier Advanced Interface ALL Room Types MUST be mapped.
- House Accounts should NOT be linked for this integration.
- Inventory, Rates & Restrictions are only sent for Room Types that are linked
- Code must be EXACTLY the same as found in iHotelier - Cap Sensitive
- Bed Configuration should NOT be included in Code
- Max Room Inventory Code is 12 characters (iHotelier's limit) - ideally letters and numbers only and no special characters.
- Inventory Messages are sent up every time a Reservation is Created, Canceled, Modified or whenever Rooms are added, modified or removed from a Group or Wholesaler Block.
- If mapping a new Room Type, once Linking is completed, we will automatically send 1 year of Inventory for that Room Type. For this reason, it is important that the new Room Type be created in iHotelier 1st and RoomKeyPMS 2nd.
- If Room Type Linking is deleted, an update will be sent to iHotelier to update Inventory to 0 for the deleted Room Type.
Every Rate Plan that exists in RoomKeyPMS needs to be created in iHotelier and every Rate Plan in iHotelier needs to be created in RoomKeyPMS - the ratio has to be 1:1 for the interface to function properly. The only exception is Group Rates - rates created specifically for use in the Group Module do NOT need to be created in iHotelier.
After going live, if a New Rate Plan needs to be added it should be created in iHotelier 1st and in RoomKeyPMS 2nd. The Rate Plan PMS Code in iHotelier must match the Rate Plan Rate Code in RoomKeyPMS (Codes are CAP SENSITIVE).
Things to keep in mind when mapping a new Rate Code:
- ALL Rate Plans need to be mapped regardless if it will be used for iHotelier Online Bookings or not. Again, the only exception are Group Rates that will be used in the Group Module. To be mapped the "GDS Channel" must be enabled and a Client Type assigned in the Integration Mapping table (System Configuration -> Rate Wizard -> Integration Mapping).
- If the Rate Plan is "Linked" in iHotelier then it must be "Tiered" in RoomKeyPMS - the tiering formula in RoomKeyPMS should be the same as the linking formula in iHotelier to maintain consistency between the two systems.
- Rate Amounts are only pushed on Master Rate Plans (ie: those that do NOT have tiering setup)
- Restrictions are pushed on ALL Rate Plans - Master & Tiered
- Integration Mapping of the Rate Plan Client Type MUST be completed in order for the Rate Plan to be recognized by the Interface. This is accessed either by selecting Modify on the Rate Plan and proceeding to the "Integration" tab or by selecting the "Integration Mapping" button at the bottom of the Rate Wizard screen
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Package rate plans integrated with iHotelier Advanced Two-Way interface can only be connected to one package in the Packages & Inclusions module.
- If a package base rate is connected to two or more packages, you must create a new package base rate in the Rate Wizard for each package in the Packages & Inclusions module; for more information about connecting a rate plan to a package, please review the Room Type & Rates tab section of the Packages & Inclusions support article
- You need to create a "Manual Rate" Rate Plan in iHotelier with the PMS Code "ManualRate" (exactly like that) to be used for reservations that are created at the hotel directly using Manual Rate
- For the iHotelier Advanced Interface ALL Rate Plans MUST have Rate Codes assigned - even if they are only being sold internally at the RoomKeyPMS level. These Rate Codes MUST match the corresponding PMS Code for the Rate Plan in iHotelier. The only exception is for Group Rates, these should NOT be created in iHotelier - see Groups section for more information.
- Rate Amounts for Tiered Rates are NOT sent to iHotelier
- Restrictions for Tiered Rates ARE sent to iHotelier
- If a Rate is set as Linked in iHotelier then it MUST be set as Tiered in RoomKeyPMS or there will be errors
- 1:1 Rate Ratio - this includes for Packages as well
- Code must be EXACTLY the same as found in iHotelier - it is Case-Sensitive
- Max Rate Code is 9 characters - ideally letters and numbers only and no special characters.
- RoomKeyPMS does not integrate Rate Plans in the old Rate Module - Rate Wizard Rates only
- For Restrictions - we do Rate Calendar level Close, Close to Arrival & Min/Max LOS (Arrival). RoomKeyPMS does not support Min/Max LOS (Stay Thru)
- Once "Integration Mapping" is completed the programmed rates will automatically send up to iHotelier - for this reason, when creating new Rates, they should be created in iHotelier 1st and RoomKeyPMS 2nd.
- Group Rates do NOT need to be linked in the Integration Mapping - Group Rates should be attached to the Group within the Group Module
Every Service that exists in iHotelier must have a matching Guest Service setup in RoomKeyPMS. The PMS Code set in iHotelier needs to match the "Code" found on the RoomKeyPMS Guest Service.
The price assigned to the Guest Service in iHotelier needs to match the price assigned to the Guest Service within RoomKeyPMS. If it does not, a message will be sent to the Message Center to advise of the discrepancy. The reservation will integrate into RoomKeyPMS with the price booked on the iHotelier side.
NOTE: RoomKeyPMS cannot assign an Adult and a Child price to the same Guest Service, however iHotelier can. In this situation, RoomKeyPMS will accept the price sent by iHotelier and update the price in RoomKeyPMS to correctly match the price & number of units for the Guest Service. For these Guest Services, the Adult price is the price that should be set on the RoomKeyPMS Guest Service.
- Max Rate Code is 20 characters - letters and numbers only and no special characters
All Groups are to be created in RoomKeyPMS (Operations -> Groups) and then RoomKeyPMS will push the Group information to create the Group in iHotelier. Groups should NOT be created directly in iHotelier.
RoomKeyPMS automatically assigns the Group Block Code as a Group is created (must be on RoomKeyPMS Version 10.0.0.17 or higher to see Group Block Code). This Code will appear in the top right hand corner of the Group once the Primary Tab has been completed. This is the same code that will be assigned to the Group in iHotelier.
Rate Plans created for Groups do NOT have to have the "GDS Channel" enabled - the "Hotel Direct" channel rate can be used on Groups. Whatever rates are programmed on this Rate Plan in RoomKeyPMS are the amounts that will be pushed to iHotelier. NOTE: If "Override Attached Rates" function is used, the new rates entered will be those sent to iHotelier.
When a reservation flows in from iHotelier, it will automatically assign the Rate Plan that is attached to the Group under the "Rates" tab.
Important things to note regarding Group Blocks:
- iHotelier will create a Group Rate Plan with the same Rate Plan Code as the Group Block Code as they need every Group to have a unique Rate Plan in iHotelier. RoomKeyPMS translates these codes and ensures the Rate attached to the Group Reservations in the PMS is the Rate Plan attached to the Group within the Group Wizard.
- The Cutoff Date reflected in iHotelier will ALWAYS equal the First Block Date, therefore, it is possible that the Cutoff Date in RoomKeyPMS may not match the Cutoff Date in iHotelier. The reason for this is that RoomKeyPMS allows a user, with the proper permissions, to add more reservations to a Group Block after the Cutoff Date has passed if necessary. iHotelier does NOT allow any reservations on a Group once a Cut-off Date is reached. Therefore, in order to ensure the reservations from RoomKeyPMS integrate properly into iHotelier, the iHotelier Cutoff Date will be made to equal the Start Date of the Group. Rooms in iHotliere will still be released at the same time as in RoomKeyPMS so even though the Cutoff Date is later, iHotelier will have no rooms to sell.
- Once a Group Cutoff Date in iHotelier has been reached, any new reservations created in RoomKeyPMS for the Group will NOT flow into iHotelier. The only way to have the reservation appear in iHotelier is to remove it from the Group and create it as a Leisure reservation.
In RoomKeyPMS, go to System Configuration | Clerks
- Select the Departments tab
- Use the drop-down list of departments to select GDS Notifications
- Use the Arrows to add/remove Clerk ID's from the GDS Notifications department and select the Post button to update the database
STEP #3 Testing and Installation: Conference Call between RoomKeyPMS and iHotelier Interface Specialists
The purpose of this call between the RoomKeyPMS Interface Specialist and the iHotelier Interface Specialist will be to activate and test the interface connection. You do not need to attend this call, but you must be aware of the date and time it will occur because once it is completed, your iHotelier Advanced Two-Way Interface will be live with RoomKeyPMS. Once the interface is live, you will see the following:
- Rates and availability appear in the iHotelier platform (including Booking Engine, Channel Manager and GDS Connectivity, if applicable)
- Reservations booked on the iHotelier platform appear in RoomKeyPMS