You can use the CRS Channel Manager (Channel Connect) to connect directly with 2000+ major global and local OTAs and leading metasearch platforms, giving you broad visibility across the channels that matter most.
Depending on your services agreement, you may manage the mapping and monitor interface messages yourself, or the support team may do this for you. Either way, this article explains how the integration works so you can understand what's possible and troubleshoot issues.
Enable the external booking channel
Before you can use the CRS Channel Manager, verify your property settings, then enable the external booking channel.
Go to Property Management.
Go to Address / Contacts.
Verify the following fields are populated and accurate: Res Email, Longitude, Latitude, General Manager Name, General Manager Phone, and General Manager Fax.
Click Save if you made changes.
Go to Chain Manager, then go to External Booking Channel.
Click the Create New tab and fill out the required fields.
Required fields on the Create New tab
Hotel dropdown: Choose the correct hotel.
Channel dropdown: Choose SHR Channel Connect.
Interface Active: Select the checkbox to enable the interface.
Hotel Code: This prepopulates with your CRS Hotel Code.
Alert Email Address: Enter the email address(es) for anyone who needs alert notifications. Alerts are sent for reservation delivery failures.
Timezone: Choose the hotel's local time zone. The timezone is used in request messages and must be set to the hotel's local timezone.
Click Save once the setup is complete.
On the Setup tab, click Create/Update to build the property shell the Channel Manager uses. You must complete this step before any messages can be sent to the channels.
Search for and select the available rate code plans you want to send to the channels you plan to use, then add them to the Enabled Rate Code list on the right.
Search for and select the available room type plans you want to send to the channels you plan to use, then add them to the Enabled Room Type list on the right.
Search for and select the available add-ons you want to send to the channels you plan to use, then add them to the Enabled Add-ons list on the right.
Map rooms and rates
Go to the Mapping tab. The room codes and rate plans are automatically filled in to match the CRS values.
Next to each room and rate field, click Create to create the room type and rate plan for the first time.
You may see an error on the page on initial load, indicating that SHR Channel Connect does not yet have rooms or rates created. You can proceed with the creation.
A modal window opens to verify the setup. For convenience, some details are pulled from the CRS configuration.
Once the room type or rate plan is created, the link next to the mapping field changes to display Update.
The room and rate activate automatically once created.
To deactivate or delete a room or rate, click the Update link, then use the Deactivate or Delete buttons.
📌 Note: Use the Tax tab, ARI Suppression tab, and Re-Sync tabs the same way you would with other channel connections. If you use the Tax tab, the offsets you apply affect every rate and channel.
Set up the Channel Connect Manager
All selling rates are enabled and mapped within the Channel Connect Manager menu. You'll only see this screen if the hotel you selected has the SHR Channel Connect channel selected in the External Booking Channel menu.
Add a new channel
Go to Chain Manager, then go to Channel Connect Manager.
In the Search Channel field in the upper right corner, type the channel name you want to add and choose it from the list. If you can't locate the channel, try typing the name as one word instead of using spaces.
Optional: Click Mapping Guide to download that channel's specific playbook for reference during setup.
Enter the channel's hotel ID and any other details needed for that specific channel, referring to the mapping guide as needed.
Scroll to the bottom of the page and click Next to save.
After you save the channel, you're taken to the channel mapping page to set up the specific rooms and rates to sell.
Choose the room to map from the dropdown.
Choose the rate to map from the dropdown.
Click Map at the right end of the row once you've selected the correct room and rate. A modal opens for further details.
If you see a Manageable Room listed under (Channel Name) Room-rate, the connection was successful and you can proceed with mapping. The CRS Room Name and Rate Name dropdowns are populated with the rooms and rates you created in the External Booking Channel menu.
Fill in the mapping modal
No of Guests: You can only add up to the maximum occupancy set on the room type.
+/-: Use this if you want the rate amount sent to the channel to be increased or decreased from the rate amount sent to SHR Channel Connect. For example, if the CRS rate is $100 but you want to send $110 to the channel, enter +10.00. If you want to send $90, enter -10.00. You can also use this to add an extra person charge based on occupancy level, but keep in mind the rate sent from the CRS to Channel Connect may already include an extra person charge.
Click Save on this screen even if you don't need to enter any surcharges or other information, to complete the mapping process for that room and rate combination.
Activate the channel
Once mapping is saved, click the word Inactive to activate the channel.
Click Yes to confirm the status change.
Once the channel is live, the icon reflects this status.
Locate channels offered through an aggregator
Some channels are offered through other aggregators. If this is the case, when you search for the channel name, another option may appear. For example, searching for Asia Overland Services shows that this channel is offered through the aggregator Tourplan. Clicking the icon for this option shows a list of all channels offered through that aggregator.
Supported restrictions
The CRS Channel Manager (Channel Connect) supports the following restrictions:
Close
CTA
CTD
Min_A_LOS
Max_A_LOS
Min_S_Los
Max_S_los
⚠️ Important: Sell limits configured in the CRS inventory menu aren't supported, because they apply at room level only, not at room/rate level.
To reduce the inventory sold, you can enter a value in the Inventory Safeguard field at the EBC – Channel Connect mapping level. Keep in mind this reduces sellable inventory by that amount every day and can't be applied by date.
Map meal plans
You can map the meal plans configured on your rate codes to the Channel Manager setup to distribute them to the channels.
CRS meal plan for rate configuration | Mapped CRS Channel Manager meal plan |
All Inclusive | All inclusive |
Breakfast | Breakfast |
Breakfast Buffet | Buffet breakfast |
Continental Breakfast | Continental breakfast |
Complimentary Continental Breakfast | Continental breakfast |
Full Board | Full board |
Full Breakfast | Full breakfast |
Full English Breakfast | English breakfast |
Lunch | Lunch |
Meal Plan | All inclusive |
Meal Plan – American | American |
Meal Plan - Bed & Breakfast | Bed & breakfast |
Meal Plan – Bermuda | Bermuda |
Meal Plan – Caribbean | Caribbean breakfast |
Meal Plan – Continental | Continental breakfast |
Meal Plan – European | European plan |
Meal Plan - FAP/Fullboard | Full board |
Meal Plan - MAP/Halfboard | Half board / modified American plan |
(none specified) | Room only (default) |