Connecting a hotel supplier API, such as a bedbank or wholesaler, to your booking engine opens up thousands of hotels. But hotel content is complicated: room names vary, taxes are shown differently, and cancellation policies can change between search and booking. This checklist covers the points that most often cause problems after launch.
Content and mapping
- Hotel names, addresses, star ratings and coordinates load correctly.
- Images and descriptions are stored or cached in line with supplier rules.
- Hotels from different suppliers are mapped so the same hotel appears once in results.
- City and destination codes are mapped to your own destination list.
Rates and availability
- Room types, board basis (room only, breakfast, half board) and occupancy display correctly.
- Prices for different numbers of adults and children are accurate.
- Taxes and fees are clearly marked as included or payable at the hotel.
- Your markup rules apply correctly by supplier, destination and channel.
Cancellation policies
- Free cancellation deadlines and penalty amounts are shown before booking.
- Non-refundable rates are clearly labelled.
- Policies are rechecked at booking time, because they can change after search.
- Time zones for deadlines are handled correctly.
Booking and vouchers
- A final price and availability check happens before payment.
- Booking references from the supplier are stored.
- Vouchers include hotel details, room, board, guest names, check-in instructions and the supplier reference.
- Special requests are passed to the supplier and marked as not guaranteed.
Payments and finance
- Payment is collected before confirming non-refundable bookings.
- Pay-later bookings, if offered, have automatic reminders and cancellation if unpaid.
- Supplier costs and your margins are recorded for each booking.
- Reconciliation with supplier statements is possible from your reports.
Cancellations and changes
- Cancellations through the API work and return the penalty, if any.
- Customer refunds follow the policy shown at booking.
- Amendments that are not supported by the API are routed to the operations team.
Testing and monitoring
- Test cities with many hotels and remote destinations with few.
- Test multiple rooms with different occupancies.
- Monitor search response times, booking failures and price-change rates.
In practice: catching a costly gap
During testing, one agency noticed that a supplier returned some city taxes as "payable at hotel", but its booking page showed only the prepaid total. Guests would have been surprised at check-out. The team added a clear "payable at hotel" line to results, the booking page and the voucher before launch. Small details like this protect reviews and reduce disputes.
Questions to ask each hotel supplier
- Which destinations and hotel types does the supplier cover best?
- Are rates net or commissionable, and are taxes included?
- Which hotel and room codes do they use, and do they support standard mapping identifiers?
- How do cancellations work through the API, and how are refunds settled?
- What are the search limits and look-to-book expectations?
- What support is available for urgent booking issues, and during which hours?
Answers to these questions shape your mapping, pricing and operations, so collect them before development starts.
Also agree who on your side owns supplier relationships after launch. Someone should review supplier performance monthly, watching availability errors, price accuracy and booking failures, and raise issues before they affect customers. A supplier that looked strong at signing can slip later, and regular reviews catch this early.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need hotel mapping for one supplier?
Less urgently, but mapping becomes essential the moment you add a second supplier, so plan for it early.
Should I store hotel images on my server?
Follow each supplier's terms. Many allow caching for performance, while some require images to load from their servers.
Key takeaways
- Map content early so each hotel appears once.
- Show taxes and cancellation policies clearly, and recheck them at booking.
- Test multiple occupancies, policies and failures before launch.
Connect hotel suppliers the right way with our hotel API integration service.
