Setting up and working with a Connectivity provider

Updated 8 months ago | 8 min read time
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To help make the process of working with a Connectivity provider as simple as possible, this article covers everything you need to know – from connection to configuration.


What’s in this article


Selecting a Connectivity provider for the first time

To choose a Connectivity provider for your property, follow the steps below. If the options described below aren’t available to you, please contact us via your extranet inbox.

  1. Log in to the extranet
  2. Click on Account and choose Connectivity provider from the drop-down menu
  3. Click on Search to start looking for a new Connectivity provider
  4. Choose from the selection of recommended Connectivity provider – click on More details if you’d like to learn which of our features different Connectivity providers support
  5. Sign up and make an agreement with the Connectivity provider that best suits your needs

After completing these steps, you can connect your Connectivity provider to your account.


Adjusting your settings and accepting a new Connectivity provider connection

Here’s how to update your settings and connect your Connectivity provider:

  1. Log in to the extranet
  2. Click on Account and choose Connectivity provider from the drop-down menu
  3. Select your Connectivity provider from the list of search results
  4. Select the extranet features you want to integrate, if the Connectivity provider you’ve selected lets you do this:
  • Rates and Availability: manage your property’s Rates & Availability through your Connectivity provider’s platform
  • Reservations: manage your reservations on our platform through your Connectivity provider’s platform
  • Content and photos: manage property and room or unit photos, amenities, policies, contact details and room or unit types and sizes (only available with some Connectivity provider)
  • Guest messages: manage communication between you and your guests
  1. Tick the box to confirm that you agree to the terms and conditions, and then click on Connect

Once you accept the terms and conditions, your new Connectivity provider will receive an email containing your details and connection request. Once they receive this, they’ll start to perform the necessary mapping and configuration steps. If you are changing Connectivity providers, you’ll stay connected to your old Connectivity provider until the switching process is complete.

The connection to your new Connectivity provider will be automatically completed once they’ve confirmed everything is ready. You’ll receive a notification in your extranet inbox once this happens and the connection status will confirm that you have an active connection.


Changing your Connectivity provider

You can change to a new Connectivity provider without having to take your property offline. Instead of deactivating your old connection straight away, you’ll stay connected until the switch to a new Connectivity provider is complete. That way you won’t miss out on any potential bookings because of the switch.

If the options described below aren’t available to you, please contact us via your extranet inbox.

To change your Connectivity provider, follow these steps:

  1. Log in to the extranet
  2. Click on Account and then click on Connectivity provider
  3. Click on Switch providers (make sure you don’t deactivate your old connection)
  4. Search for and choose one of our preferred or recommended Connectivity providers and set up an agreement with them

Once you accept the agreement, your new Connectivity provider will receive an email containing your details and connection request. Once they receive this, they’ll start to perform the necessary mapping and configuration steps. You’ll stay connected to your old Connectivity provider until the switching process is complete.

The connection to your new Connectivity provider will be automatically completed once they’ve confirmed everything is ready. You’ll receive a notification in your extranet inbox once this happens and the connection status will confirm that you have an active connection.

Don’t forget to check that your Rates & Availability are up to date in the extranet once you switch to your new Connectivity provider.


Disconnecting from a Connectivity provider without connecting to a new one

To disconnect from your current Connectivity provider without connecting to a new one, follow these steps:

  1. Log in to the extranet
  2. Click on Account and select Connectivity provider from the drop-down menu
  3. Click on Deactivate to cancel the connection to your current Connectivity provider

Once the connection is deactivated, all your previous settings will be reset. You’ll be able to manually manage your rates, availability and bookings again.

Before deactivating or switching connections, contact your current Connectivity provider to check whether you also need to cancel your agreement directly with them.

If you decide later that you’d like to connect to another Connectivity provider, just repeat the steps under Selecting a Connectivity provider for the first time.


Changing a Connectivity provider for multiple properties

Using the Bulk Edit tool in the group extranet, you can perform the following tasks for multiple properties at the same time:

  • Change your Connectivity provider without taking your properties offline
  • Connect to a new Connectivity provider if you don’t already have one

If you’d like to change your Connectivity provider or connect to a new one, follow these steps:

  1. Log in to the group extranet and click on Bulk Editing
  2. Under Connectivity provider, click on Take action next to Manage connectivity provider
  3. Search for a Connectivity provider and click on More details to view the features that it supports
  4. Click on Connect to request a connection with your selected Connectivity provider and choose the features that you’d like to integrate, then click on Next
  5. Choose the specific properties that you’d like to connect to the new Connectivity provider, then click on Check and confirm changes
  6. Review the changes you want to make and then click on Apply change

The Bulk Editing tool is currently only available to multi-property partners who hold a group extranet account. Learn more about registering multiple properties.


Checking if your connection is live

To check the status of the connection between our platform and your Connectivity provider, follow these steps:

  1. Log in to the extranet
  2. Click on Account
  3. Select Connectivity provider from the drop-down menu

Once you complete step 3, you’ll be able to see whether your Connectivity provider connection is active or if you need to complete further steps.


Using the Connectivity errors page

If you use a Connectivity provider, the Connectivity errors page in the extranet lets you know about availability-related errors.

These errors can occur when you try to update rates and Rate Plans that are active on your Connectivity provider’s platform but not in the extranet.

How to find the Connectivity errors page

  1. Log in to the extranet
  2. Click on Rates & Availability
  3. Select Connectivity errors from the drop-down menu

If you don’t have a Connectivity provider or your property doesn’t have any availability-related errors, you won’t be able to see this option in the drop-down menu. 

Depending on which room type or Rate Plan is showing an error, you can take the following steps:

  1. Click on Add missing room (or rate) type
  2. Activate the missing room type or Rate Plan as you would normally
  3. Click on Dismiss to close the notification

If you choose to dismiss the notification, on your Connectivity provider’s platform you should also deactivate any room type and Rate Plan combinations that include the missing room type or Rate Plan that was causing the error. As a result, further options are available:

  • Dismiss for now: the notification will be silenced until the error occurs again
  • I’ll solve this via connectivity provider: the notification will be dismissed

If possible, we recommend that you fix these issues on your Connectivity provider’s platform. You can identify room type and Rate Plan issues using your Connectivity provider by searching for their codes, which you’ll also find on the Connectivity errors page in the extranet.

Understanding different types of errors

  • Room type and rate plan combination not active – you may be trying to make changes to a room type and Rate Plan combination that’s currently marked as inactive. You’ll need to activate the room type and Rate Plan first.
  • Room type occupancy incorrect – you may be trying to make price changes that don’t match the maximum occupancy you’ve set up for this room or unit. You’ll need to update the maximum occupancy for this room or unit first.
  • Rate plan only editable via extranet – you may be trying to update the details of a Rate Plan that you can only edit in the extranet. You’ll need to log in to the extranet, click on Rates & Availability and then click on Calendar, and make the changes from there.
  • Rate plan inactive – you may be trying to update the details of a Rate Plan that’s currently marked as inactive. You’ll need to activate the Rate Plan first.
  • Rate plan not linked to room type – you may be trying to update the details of a Rate Plan that isn’t linked to a room or unit type. You’ll need to edit this Rate Plan’s settings first in order to connect it to a room or unit type.
  • Room type inactive – you may be trying to update the availability of room or unit type that’s currently marked as inactive. You’ll need to activate the room or unit type first.

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