There are multiple hotel connectivity options available right now, and they all have different characteristics. It can be hard to go through that list of features because each feature is also implemented differently. After all, you have to make the appropriate choice, or your hotel product could end up failing. In this article, we will discuss how to choose the right travel IT vendor for your agency or bedbank.
There are 3 main categories to take into consideration prior to choosing your travel IT vendor: Connectivity, Hotel Room Mapping and Features.
Connectivity
When selecting the right travel IT provider for your business, you want to make sure that their supplier connectivity is robust. Some important questions to ask are:
How many hotel providers are currently connected?
How many of your existing suppliers are already connected to this IT provider (will save integration costs)?
Will the IT provider integrate new providers based on your requests?
What do they charge to integrate a new provider?
What type of providers are they connected to (bedbanks, DMCs, Tour Operators, Hotel Chains, Channel Managers)?
Are they compatible with all rate types?
Are they connected to suppliers of all the types of products you offer (cars, flights, tours, transfers, cruises)?
Features
There can be a lot of differences between the features and functionality offered by each IT provider. This is probably where the biggest variations will be. Here are some of the things you should pay attention to:
Are you obligated to use their back office?
Which payment gateways do they use?
Do they offer a booking engine?
Which features/add-ons are included and which will require an extra fee?
What is the look-to-book ratio and what is the fee for going over it?
How is their customer support? Chat? By phone?
Do they already have Pruvo's repricing mechanism integrated into their system?
How many support hours are included in each tier and what is the cost for extra support hours?
Hotel Room Mapping
If you work with multiple providers, room mapping needs to be a top priority for you. Here are some of the mapping features you should inquire about:
How frequently do they map?
Does their mapping include every one of your current suppliers?
Is their mapping included in their connectivity proposal?
Do they offer mapping services, or will you need outside mapping?
What hotel information gets mapped?
Conclusion
There is plenty of competition today in the travel IT vendor space. This benefits you, the customer since it allows you to choose the right travel IT vendor for your company without having to settle for less.