Hotel Channel Manager & Booking Engine

The double-booking problem

A small hotel sells the same rooms in many places: its own website, Booking.com, Expedia, Airbnb and perhaps a local tourism site. If someone books the last double room on one channel and the others are not updated at once, the hotel has two guests and one room. The usual fixes are updating each extranet by hand or paying for a channel manager that pushes availability and rates to every channel automatically.

A booking engine on your own site solves a second problem: commission. Every booking that comes direct rather than through an agency saves a percentage, so the engine and the channel manager work best together.

What the system will do

Channel manager

• One calendar for rates, availability and restrictions such as minimum stay and closed-to-arrival.
• Two-way updates with connected channels, so a booking anywhere reduces availability everywhere.
• Rate plans and room types mapped once and reused for every channel.
• Bulk updates for a date range, such as a bank holiday weekend.

Booking engine

• A booking widget for your own website that works on phones.
• Room descriptions, photos and rate options with clear totals and taxes.
• Guest details and payment collection through a payment provider.
• Confirmation emails in your own wording.

Operations

• Reservation list with arrivals, departures and notes.
• Simple reports on occupancy, average daily rate and source of booking.
• Staff roles for reception and management.

About channel connections: official connections to the big travel agencies require partner approval and technical certification by each channel. We plan to use an established connectivity partner for the first release rather than promise a direct integration with every site on day one. We will confirm exactly which channels are live before you commit.

A worked example

A 14-room guest house in Cornwall sells through its own website, Booking.com and one local site. A coach party books four rooms for the August bank holiday weekend through the direct booking engine. The calendar drops availability from 14 to 10 rooms, and the update flows to the connected channels within a few minutes. The owner sets a two-night minimum for the same weekend in one bulk edit. When a Booking.com reservation arrives for the last room, the system closes that room type everywhere. At month end the owner sees what share of bookings came direct. This is an illustration of the workflow and not a measured result.

Who it is for

• Small hotels, B&Bs, guest houses and inns with roughly 3 to 80 rooms.
• Serviced apartments and holiday-let operators selling on several sites.
• Independent hoteliers who want a lower-cost alternative to enterprise channel managers.

How it compares

Pricing

Indicative early-access prices, excluding VAT, billed monthly:

Setup and channel mapping is £150 one-off. Payment-provider fees and channel commissions are separate. Early-access customers receive a price lock for 12 months. These are planning prices that may change before launch. Final prices are confirmed on your quote.

Security and responsibility

Guest names, contact details and booking information are personal data. The system is being designed for UK/EU hosting, encryption, role-based access and backups, with a data processing agreement provided. Card payments go through a regulated payment provider, so card numbers are not stored on our servers. You remain responsible for your own guest privacy notice and tax records.

Getting started: what to gather

To set up your rooms and channels we will ask for:

• Your room types, how many of each you have, and their occupancy limits.
• Your rate plans, such as room only, bed and breakfast and non-refundable, with seasonal prices.
• The booking sites you sell on today and the access details we need to connect them.
• Your cancellation policy, deposit rules, taxes and city or tourist charges.
• How many rooms you want to hold back as a buffer on busy dates.

We map rooms and rates once, then run a short test period before any live availability changes, so you can check the calendar against your own records first.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is a hotel channel manager?

Software that keeps your rates and availability the same across the websites where you sell rooms, so you do not get double bookings.

Is this product live?

It is in early access. Pilot places are limited.

Which booking sites will it connect to?

We will confirm the list before you sign. Connections come through a certified connectivity partner, so coverage depends on that partner.

Does it include a booking engine?

Yes, a widget you can add to your own website.

How much does it cost?

From £39 a month for up to 10 rooms.

Does it prevent double bookings?

It reduces the risk by updating availability across connected channels. Updates can take a few minutes, so keep a buffer on your last rooms.

Can I take payments?

Yes, through a payment provider you choose. Provider fees apply.

Can I manage several properties?

The Large package includes a multi-property view.

Do I need technical skills?

No. We map your rooms and rates during setup.

Where is data stored?

The plan is UK or EU hosting, confirmed in your data processing agreement.

Can I try it first?

Yes. Early-access pilots start with a small set of rooms and channels.

Can I cancel?

Plans are billed monthly. Terms are confirmed on your quote.

CYBEX IT Solutions Ltd · Company No. 15580066 · 95C Belgrove Road, Welling, DA16 3PG, UK · Registered in England & Wales. Explore the Hospitality & Accommodation solution hub.