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Hotel Distribution Fundamentals
Follow hotel inventory and offers across direct, travel-trade, and comparison channels.
This collection contains 7 connected articles. Foundational concepts appear first so readers can build context before moving into operational and advanced topics.
What Is an Online Travel Agency (OTA)?
An online travel agency (OTA) is a digital travel marketplace through which consumers can search, compare, and book travel products such as hotel rooms. For hotels, OTAs are third-party distribution and marketing channels that can provide visibility and reservations under agreed commercial terms.
Technology & Data · Reservations and Distribution SystemsWhat Is a Hotel Channel Manager?
A hotel channel manager is a distribution system that sends rates, availability, and restrictions to multiple online booking channels and returns reservations or inventory changes to connected hotel systems. Its purpose is to reduce manual channel updates and keep sellable inventory synchronized.
Technology & Data · Reservations and Distribution SystemsWhat Is a Central Reservation System (CRS)?
A central reservation system (CRS) is a hotel reservation and distribution platform used to centrally manage room availability, rates, restrictions, reservations, and related information across one or more properties and booking channels.
Marketing & Distribution · Direct BookingWhat Is a Hotel Booking Engine?
A hotel booking engine is the guest-facing reservation technology that displays a hotel’s live offers and allows a traveler to complete a direct booking.
Marketing & Distribution · GDS and Travel TradeWhat Is the Global Distribution System (GDS)?
A global distribution system (GDS) is a travel-distribution network used by travel agencies, travel-management companies, and other sellers to search and book hotel, air, car, and related inventory.
Marketing & Distribution · Online DistributionWhat Is Hotel Metasearch?
Hotel metasearch is a comparison experience that displays hotel information and bookable prices from multiple reservation sources, then sends the traveler to a selected booking provider to complete the reservation.
Marketing & Distribution · Online DistributionWhat Is Hotel Rate Parity?
Hotel rate parity refers to consistency in the public price or offer displayed for a comparable hotel room across distribution channels, subject to the exact room, dates, occupancy, inclusions, restrictions, taxes, currency, and eligibility being compared.