Yield management
RoomRaccoon offers the hotelier the possibility to fluctuate prices based on availability. For example, you can set up a last-minute deal for bookings that are made 3 days before arrival to have a discount or increase in prices. You can set Yield rules by clicking on the room key icon at the top left of the screen and by opening the Yield tab. Here you can then set a rule.
Set the 'range':
The first step is to set your range. In the example below a price change will be madePopularAdding an iCal Connection
Go to your account settings and choose the tab 'Connectivity'.
Click 'Set up new iCal connection'
Follow the steps below. Select a channel first, select the matching room and then paste the iCal export URL from your channel. This URL can be found in tSome readersLinking to TripAdvisor
TripAdvisor can be linked at the XML level. This requires a number of steps that are slightly different than the regular links. When the link is requested from us, we add this link and we choose the rates to be forwarded, in consultation with you.
It's important that these rates that will be mapped have the 'cancellation policy'. In order to view or change this; click under the room key icon on the rates behind the room types you want to link and scroll down a bit until you see the followinSome readersChannel Question (Form)
A channel manager is here to make daily jobs a lot easier. You want to fully rely on it and you should be able to do so!
Sometimes, rates or availability are not communicated well and this can have several reasons but all easy to track. Are you having troubles and you don't know why the rates or availability are not updating, please fill in the following forms and we will investigate the problem for you.
[Channel Question](https://docs.google.com/forms/d/13WXnQfyFTdQLxjBKr68JQxmhLygyASome readersConnecting Expedia Or Hotels.com
Expedia and Hotels.com
Step 1: Access your Partner Partner Central account and select Rates and Availability. Click on Quick Connection Settings.
Or in the new Expedia extranet select Room and Rates, and in the Setup list check the Expedia Connectivity Settings option:
Choose RoomRaccoon and check all the boxes to have the complete connection (prices and availabiSome readersThe difference between closing a room and closing the check-in/check-out
You have the option of closing rooms in the occupancy plan and closing the check-in or check-out for rates in the Channel Manager. What is the difference?
Close room: This prevents the room from being booked for this period. This works as a full blockade.
Restrictions "Check-in or out closed": Herewith you define this one rate (not necessarily the others, because ONLY the price is derived). You therefore determine on which days you cannot arrive or depart with this rate. This is not a fulSome readersWhy would I use Yield Management?
With Yield management you can ask the right price for your rooms according to your availability. And it's all automatic!
Our tips on which Yield rules you can set up
Tip: Busy week - Do your bookings suddenly increase a few weeks before today? Add a surcharge to increase your room rate
Tip: Early Bird - Reward the booker with an early bird discount to someone who has been booking in advance for six months.
Tip: Last minute - Do you have a few rooms left? Sell them withSome readersOTA and GDS, what is this?
An OTA stands for Online Travel Agency. Usually, any booking channels is being referred to as an OTA. Think about Booking.com, AirBnB, Expedia etc.
You might also have heard about the term GDS. A GDS (Global Distribution System) is a little bit different in comparison to an OTA. It is a travel agency that works on behalve of large companies. These services are hired to book entire trips for their customers which also includes for example flights.
The difference is thus that a GDS is BSome readersWhat is an iCal connection?
iCal is the industrial standard to connect different calendar applications with each other.
This is what you need to know about iCal
An iCal integration only communicates availability. This means that when your RoomRaccoon account is connected to any booking channel that uses iCal, you will have to manage your rates on the booking channel. Rates & restrictions that you modify in your RoomRaccoon Channel Manager will not influence these booking channels.
New reservations wilSome readersAdding a new channel
If you notice that you need to expand your market share, you can choose to link with multiple channels. As you may know, there are two types of links. XML and iCal. You can easily enter an iCal link yourself with the iCal self-service. How to do that? Find out here!.
Note: An iCal only communicates availability and not prices. You will need to retrieve it in the extranet of the channel in question.Some readersRestrictions
The word restriction, in a literal sense, refers to limitation. Now, in RoomRaccoon, we do not view a restriction as a restriction, but rather as a relief!
A restriction can be in the form of a minimum or maximum stay. We also provide the option for the check-in or check-out to be influenced on certain days. For example, if you lose your OTA prizes from your own website prices, you can choose to force people who book via Booking, for example, to stay for at least 2 nights. You can also chooSome readersHow to cancel an iCal booking
If a booking is being cancelled on a booking channel that is connected to your RoomRaccoon Channel Manager with an iCal connection, the booking is not being canceled in your RoomRaccoon agenda automatically. Why? RoomRaccoon simply does not get notified about it by the booking channel.
But no worries, you will receive an e-mail of the booking channel informing you about the cancellation. Please make sure that you cancel the booking in your RoomRaccoon agenda.
How to cancel an iCaSome readersChannel Manager: Parity Check
With RoomRaccoon's Parity Check ,"Comparison with Portals", you can see immediately if there is a difference between your availability on RoomRaccoon and on your connected booking channels such as Booking.com or Expedia. Everything in the green? Then it's good!
Log on as administrator
To view and run the Parity Check, you do not need to be logged on as an administrator.Some readersHRS-DS Connection
NOTE:
We offer a connection with HRS-DS, not with HRS.de. However, it is possible to import bookings from HRS.de via HRS-DS to RoomRaccoon if a hotelier has a contract with both parties. It is also important to note that HRS-DS is a German company and does not have an English-language website or support in English.
Our link to HRS-Destination Solutions (DS) is an XML link which means that prices, availability and restrictions can be communicated.
TSome readersPreparing your Booking.com Extranet for the connection with RoomRaccoon
When going live, we always start with the connection to Booking.com as this is the most complex channel which needs a bit of your attention in order to be able to connect well. For security reasons, we may not help you as XML partner (Channel Manager) with the set-up of your account. In order to set up the connection correctly, there are a few steps that need to be taken:
Step 1: Calendar view
Booking.com has two different views of your calendar which may dSome readersHow can I change my rates in the rates and availability?
Is your accommodation based in an area that has seasonal changes in rates and availability? Or would you like to set up a different rate for the weekend then your midweek? You will find out how to set this up in this article. It is first important to start setting up rates.
Once the rate types have been created you can start setting up the different seasons, and restrictions. To be able to do this, you shouldSome readersGetting a higher ranking in Booking.com
Many people have a real hate - love relationship with external booking channels. You often don't want it, but you can't do without them! There are easy ways to get high in the ranking at Booking for example, without using discounts. How you do that, we explain!
Booking is often used as the 'Google of the Hotel world'. When people search for a room in a certain location, Booking is of course super convenient to use to search. then people often go to their own website to complete their reservSome readersMidweek, weekend and week rates. How does this work?
Do you have a weekly rate, or just a midweek rate? Then you will first have to make a separate price type for this. After that, a number of restrictions will have to be set for each price type. We have written out these steps for your convenience:
We start with the bulk promotion, which you carry out by clicking on the pencil next to the name of the room type in the rates and availability. A managed rates pop-up will open and you will need to continue working from here. For some rates you wSome readersCreating an own iCal link
RoomRaccoon offers different ways to link. Via an XML or iCal connection. The latter is a calendar synchronisation in which the availability is communicated. It is possible to set up your own iCal. How this should be done, is explained below.
When a hotelier wants to set up a synchronisation with his own system, he can use iCal. The RoomRaccoon iCal feed can simply be read into a calendar program from Windows, Apple or Google. Conversely, RoomRaccoon can also read in an external feed, for eSome readersHow do I use the Mass Update function?
This is a very good and somewhat technical question! To give an as clear answer as possible, it is important to have a look and what a Mass Update and Parity Check are before we can explain what these two functionalities have to do with each other.
What is a Mass Update?
A Mass Update’s function is to push all rates and availability for a selected period all at once to all your external booking partners (such as Booking.com).
Because such pushes entail a lot of data (everySome readersHow to resolve channel manager errors
RoomRaccoon continuously monitors functionality so that potential problems can be identified and resolved immediately. However, there are also some error messages that require action by the hotel owner. If you have received such a message please look up the message you have received and find the solution connected to this message.
Booking.com Error
Room not active (RoomID: 12345601)
RoomRaccoon sends an update for all active rates. If a rate is no longer active (regardless ofSome readers
