Channel Connection

We have compiled the most commonly used online channels for you in Appendix 1. First, you should complete your hotel’s registration on these channels as explained in Appendix 1, and then proceed to the Eptera connection.

How to Connect Eptera to Channels? As explained in Appendix 1, once you have registered your hotel on the online channel, received your ID, and selected Eptera as your channel manager, you can easily connect Eptera to this channel.

The Eptera channel connection is the same for all channels and consists of 3 simple steps:

  1. Open the Channel Card

  2. Retrieve Data from the Channel

  3. Map Room Types and Prices

1- Open the Channel Card Go to Setup > Quick Setup menu > Channels tab, or click on this link. Press the "+" button to open a new channel connection card and fill in the basic settings as follows:

Quick Setup > Channel Settings

  • Channel: Select the channel you want to connect from the list.

  • Hotel ID: Enter your Hotel ID received from the channel, if available.

  • Agency: Select the agency in Eptera that will be used for reservations coming from the channel. If none exists, you can create an agency with the same name.

  • Currency in Channel: Select the currency you have defined for the prices in the channel. Usually, EUR for foreign channels and TRY for local channels.

  • Price Multiplier: If you want prices to go higher or lower for this channel, select a multiplier. For example, 1.1 for 10% higher, 0.9 for 10% lower. Usually left blank.

  • Calculate Discounts When Sending Prices: If you define discounts and campaigns in the channel’s extranet, the channel provides some advantages. Therefore, you may want to send prices without considering the discounts in Eptera. In that case, do not check this option.

  • Active: Check to activate the channel connection. For now, do not check it. It should be checked after completing the room type mapping.

2- Retrieve Data from the Channel Click the red Retrieve Data from Channel button at the bottom right to get the room type and rate type data defined on the channel. If data does not appear after pressing the button, it means you have not selected Eptera as the channel manager on the respective channel, or your selection has not yet been approved. To speed up this process, contact Eptera or the respective channel support to remind them that the approval is pending.

For Eptera support:

3- Map Room Types and Prices Go to Channel Settings > Room Type Mapping. After pressing the Retrieve Data button, the blue areas in the room type mapping and rate type mapping screens will be populated. Double-click the room type you want to map. Select the corresponding room type in Eptera. For this room type, select the corresponding rates and board types in Eptera for the rate types defined. Yellow fields show the selections in Eptera.

When selecting rate types, ensure that the pricing model in the channel and in Eptera is the same. Pricing models are divided into unit-based or per-guest-based.

  • When a unit-based price is sent, a single price is sent, and the channel calculates SNG, DBL, TRP prices according to its defined multipliers.

  • When a per-guest price is selected, Eptera calculates and sends SNG, DBL, TRP, QUAD prices separately. Unit-based pricing is generally preferred.

You do not need to enter the Rate Type Mapping screen separately because the rate types are already mapped in the room type mapping screen. This screen can be used to view all rate types collectively.

After this process, the channel connection has been defined in Eptera. You can now check the Active option in the channel card to automatically receive reservations from the channel. At the same time, empty room and price updates will also be sent automatically. No additional actions are required.

Connection Test and Log Check

How to Test the Channel Connection? When the connection is made for the first time, send prices for 1 day as a test. If the transmission is successful, then occupancy and prices for 1 year should be sent to the channel. Use the Update Channel action in the channel card for this process. After this, you can test occupancy and prices in the channel’s extranet.

Note: Channel update is only done once when the channel is first connected to Eptera to synchronize the channel. After the channel is connected, price and availability changes are sent automatically; channel update is no longer required.

Channel Settings > Update Channel

Checking Data Sent to the Channel 2-3 minutes after updating the channel, you can see the response from the channel in the Channel Log menu.

  • If the response in the log is "ok," the subsequent approval code indicates that the data has been received by the channel and stored with this key. The channel may request this key during communication.

  • If there is an issue in connection or mapping, the "Error" message in the log will describe the problem. Go to the mapping screen, fix the issue, and test again.

Appendix 1: Online Channel Registration Links Before connecting a channel to Eptera, you must apply to the desired channels to open your hotel registration and complete the basic definitions. Each channel’s application process is different.

We have compiled links for the most commonly used channels that work with Eptera:

Google Connection – Pre-Requirements

  • In Setup > Hotel Settings Panel > Hotel Information, define your hotel location on the map, full address, city, country, and phone number.

  • Check if the Board Type field is defined in pension types.

  • For cancellable rate plans, in Setup > Hotel Settings Panel > Rate Type Definitions, check the “cancellable” option and define the cancellation window.

  • Notes and rules for your hotel can be added in Setup > Hotel Settings Panel > Hotel Information for Google account transmission.

Integration In Eptera, go to Rates & Availability > Actions > Online Channels, and follow these steps:

  • Click Google > Channel Settings. Fill the fields and save:

    • Channel: Google

    • Hotel ID in Channel: Enter your Eptera hotel ID

    • User Code: elektra_ari

    • Eptera Agency Code: Select the agency used for your online booking page (Setup > Hotel Settings Panel > Default Hotel Settings > Online Booking Settings > Online Agency).

    • Currency in Channel: Select the currency used in Eptera Rates & Availability.

After saving, click Create Mappings. This will automatically fill your room types, rate plans, and board types into mapping rows. Then click Retrieve Data from Channel.

Once completed, your Google integration request is submitted. Google will evaluate your information and activate the integration within 7 business days. You can check by searching your hotel name on Google.

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