What's new?
This month's updates include virtual property enhancement, global distribution systems GDS best practice reminder, Expedia reservation update enhancement, Booking.com and Expedia occupancy based rates changes.
Virtual property enhancement
For hoteliers using the virtual property functionality in the CRS, we’ve expanded filtering options across the system, making it easier to locate reservations, set restrictions, manage PMS integrations and track production by channel. These enhanced filters are now available at both the chain and property levels. This is just one of the many powerful features available to help streamline your distribution. Explore how it can support your strategy.
Global distribution systems best practice reminder
For hotels already leveraging the Global Distribution Systems (GDS), it’s important to ensure your content and offers remain up to date. Travel agents rely on accurate, compelling information to make booking decisions, and keeping your property details, rates and promotions current can help you capture more business.
Take a moment to review your CRS setup and verify that:
Your property descriptions and amenities are accurate and engaging.
Rates and rooms channeled to the GDS channels are current.
A well-maintained GDS presence strengthens your visibility and ensures agents can confidently sell your property.
Expedia and Booking.com enhancements to ensure properties are selling effectively via those sites.
Expedia reservation update enhancement
An enhancement was made in January 2025 to one of the many features available with SHR's connectivity to Expedia. The latest update relates to the Expedia reservation update feature within the CRS.
Previously, Expedia would only accept changes or cancellations to reservations which were arriving for the current date, or a recently past date. Expedia now supports updates for bookings arriving on dates in the future. With the January 2025 release, the tool within the CRS is being updated to reflect this as well so you may apply changes or cancellations for past and future bookings as needed.
Booking.com and Expedia occupancy based rates
To help you sell seamlessly on Booking.com and Expedia, in January 2025 we updated occupancy-based pricing in the CRS. Pricing is now based on the adult occupancy field instead of total occupancy, preventing mismatches with these channels.
To ensure the correct occupancies and pricing are being sent to the OTAs, we strongly encourage you to take this time to log into the extranets and the CRS, to ensure the adult occupancy settings match. If these do not match, pricing may be incorrect on those channels which may also result poor rankings or being disconnected until the settings and pricing are corrected.
How to access this update
Updates will need to reviewed by the user.