Setting Up the Direct Connection to Booking.com
The Booking.com application provides a direct connection to the Booking.com channel, including real-time availability and rate updates, as well as full reservation handling.
Important Notes:
- The connector only supports services included in the rate plan. Services marked as additional cannot be sold through the connector, and the pricing will be incorrect. We advise using this only for included services.
- If your business concept does not allow short-notice arrivals after midnight, please configure this in Booking.com or use restrictions (Late booking until) in Apaleo.
- For new connection requests – property partners must tick the "Extranet access" checkbox during the connection request to allow Apaleo support access. Without this, Apaleo support cannot assist.
Connect
The first step is to connect Apaleo with Booking.com:
- Go to the Apaleo Store and connect the Booking.com Channel Connect App.
- Log in to the Booking.com extranet.
- Click on the 'Account' icon in the top-right corner.
- Select 'Channel manager' from the drop-down.
- Search for 'Apaleo' as your provider.
- Select 'Full connection' (Reservations, Rates & Availability).
- Accept the XML Service Agreement.
- After Apaleo confirms, you'll receive a notification in your Booking.com 'Inbox'.
- Click 'Activate connection with Apaleo' to finalize.
You can also follow the Booking.com sign-up guide.
Configure
Access
The following roles have access to configuration:
- Account Admin
- Property Admin
- Revenue Manager
Rate Plans
Go to Apps Booking.com to start mapping rate plans.
Select the correct Booking.com rate plan from the drop-down. To remove mapping, select 'No mapping'.
If the mapping is broken (e.g. due to channel removal), you'll see a warning. Fix by removing or updating the mapping. Note: Incorrect mapping will result in outdated prices and availability on Booking.com.
Activate
After mapping is complete, activate the connection.
By activating Synchronization, Apaleo will start sending real-time availability and rate updates, and process bookings, changes, and cancellations.
Validate
In Booking.com, validate the following settings:
- Under 'VAT/Tax/Charges', set VAT to included and charges to excluded.
- Disable "Auto-replenishment of closed rooms" to prevent overbookings.
- Ensure location verification is complete in Booking.com so that credit card data is transferred to Apaleo. For more info, see credit card access article.
Import
CAUTION: Your hotel status must be set to LIVE before importing reservations.
Navigate to Settings Hotel.
Once done, you can import future reservations directly from Booking.com.
Select reservations and click 'Import reservations'. You can track their status post-import.
Note: If "auto-replenishment" is enabled, Booking.com may reopen availability after cancellations, which can lead to incorrect availability when managed via Apaleo.
FAQs
My Prices And Availability Are Incorrect On Booking.com
To trigger a one-time synchronization, go to the SETTINGS tab of the Booking.com Connector App and select Trigger full sync. This may resolve temporary sync issues.
Also check in your Booking.com account whether the rate plan is linked to Apaleo. If not (e.g. if it was created separately in Booking.com), it may show as "Not XML". You can either manage availability directly in Booking.com or link it to Apaleo.
Why Is My Price For Double Occupancy Lower Than Single Occupancy On Booking.com?
Apaleo rates are based on single occupancy. This logic is mirrored in the Booking.com connector app, where the base occupancy is set to one.
Booking.com displays prices only if Apaleo submits rates for 2, 3, or more occupants with the rounding down command. Other settings may prevent the display of any rates.
If city tax is set in % in Apaleo, Booking.com may show prices with decimals for single occupancy and round down for additional guests. Booking.com rounds up final prices when displaying them.
Why Does Apaleo Add Additional Numbers To The Booking.com Code?
The extra numbers in the "External code" field are used for back-end operations, such as reservation amendments and synchronization with Booking.com.
What Does Trigger Full Sync Mean?
This function sends a full synchronization of rates and restrictions to Booking.com. It does not import reservations. Use the IMPORT tab for reservation import.
There Are Unprocessed Reservations, What Should I Do?
The status Unprocessed means these reservations were not imported via the manual Import button in the IMPORT tab.
This does not mean the reservations were not imported at all — they may have been processed through synchronization.
Unprocessed is normal after the initial setup of the connector app.
Do I Need To Update Reservation Changes In Both Apaleo And Booking.com?
Yes. Reservation status updates in Apaleo are not pushed to Booking.com. If a reservation is cancelled in Apaleo, you must also cancel it in the Booking.com extranet.
This is critical to ensure Booking.com does not expect the guest to arrive and to prevent incorrect commission charges. For example, update Booking.com with no-show reservations each morning.
Why Can I See A Cancelled Reservation In Booking.com But Not In Apaleo?
This can happen if a reservation was created and then cancelled quickly in Booking.com, before Apaleo was notified. In such cases, it is only processed by Booking.com.
Will Company Rates Or Promo Codes Work With Booking.com?
No. The connector does not support company rates or promo code-based rate plans. These should be managed directly in Booking.com and removed in Apaleo.
I Added A Company Or Promo Code To A Rate Plan. Now The Price Is Wrong.
This is expected behavior. If a restriction like a promo code is added after connection, Booking.com may use outdated price and availability data. To correct this, remove the code from the rate plan in Apaleo.
The Booking.com Extranet Calendar Is Showing Incorrect Prices
This is expected. The Booking.com extranet shows prices without tax. To validate pricing, visit the public Booking.com page and search as a guest.
Can I Extend The Period Of Data Sent To Booking.com?
No. The Apaleo-Booking.com connection supports sending data for up to 1 year in advance. This cannot be extended.