A GDS, or global distribution system, is essentially a huge computer network that passes your inventory details to travel sites and agents around the world. It means you can manage your up-to-date information easily and don’t have to worry whether information is getting transferred to the right sites and locations.
There are wide number of benefits that a reliable hotel global distribution system offers:
1. Gaining Worldwide Exposure
Nowhere is GDS more important than in the hotel industry. Making sure that your inventory is as accessible as possible and, just as importantly, reflects current prices and availability, is vital if you want to accept bookings from travel sites, agents and other outlets.
Around the world, these business use increasingly sophisticated methods to find the best deals for their users and clients. Having a robust, responsive GDS hotel software system, therefore, gives you instant access to the global market place and a tried and trusted way of building revPar.
2. Better B2B and B2C Distribution
Not only does a GDS system allow you to provide customers with the information they need, it helps you maintain those B2B distributions and services. The more visible you are, the more bookings you should realistically expect to get.
3. Providing an Entry Door for Corporate Bookers
Corporate customers are often looking for similar deals and choices which they are able to get as private customers. GDS have been changing the landscape over the last few years, integrating what has traditionally been called B2B leisure. That means the boundaries between what one demographic is offered compared to another is continuously blurred. Without access to a hotel global distribution system, many hotels will not be able to attract corporate bookers.
4. Giving Travel Agents 24/7 Access to Your Inventory
We are constantly looking for good deals. That includes travel agents who are competing with other agents to provide the best for their customers. They can’t do this if they don’t have immediate access to your inventory whenever they need it – GDS delivers 24/7 coverage so you don’t have to worry if relevant parties are getting your latest rates and occupancy information.
5. Actionable Information in Real Time
While you may be able to keep up with the changes in technology at a local level, if you’re hoping to attract guests from around the world, it’s increasingly difficult to do this without providing real time information that potential guests can take action on. Being able to update prices or room availability in real time allows you to constantly stay ahead of the game. This is critical for increasing occupancy rates and revenues.
6. The More Rooms You Have The More Important GDS Becomes
Two criteria mark a GDS hotel software system down as an important tool for businesses. One is the number of rooms your hotel has and the other is where you are located. This means that hotels with 25 rooms or more which are located in a popular travel destination are going to need to compete more with those around them. In these cases, hotels should realistically expect to get enough bookings via GDS without compromising their revenue and achieving a decent ROI.
GDS is the tool that allows you to compete successfully on the global market place and gives your hotel the exposure it needs to fill those rooms all year round. While it can lead to lowered prices for rooms in order to compete with local competition, it also means you are part of the market place rather than excluded from it. Get in touch with Digital Hotelier today to find out what sets our distribution system apart.
Related Articles

Increase Direct Bookings This Quarter? #1
It seems that the days of booking trips and holidays through travel agents
Continue Reading
How do you Create a Great PPC campaign?
Welcome to the 21st Century… if you haven’t done so already, it’s time to get your business on board the digital marketing train, before all your competitors disappear down the tracks. But where to start? One of the most popular forms of paid search marketing – advertising that exploits the power of search engines (i.e. […]
Continue Reading
Converting Lookers into Bookers: Building a Hotel Distribution Strategy That Works
It’s an understatement to say that, in recent years, marketing a hotel has become more complicated. The digital revolution has expanded booking opportunities – leading to a dizzying array of online travel agents (OTAs), website opportunities and social media platforms to take advantage of, and direct booking engines to build and deploy. So, where does […]
Continue Reading
Personalisation Leads to Higher Engagement in The Hotel Business
In the hospitality and travel market, email marketing can be personalised effectively. This is accomplished through a variety of simple techniques. By building customer profiles for your niche market, it becomes simpler to personalise emails that will address every client individually. Tips to use personalisation as part of hotel marketing solutions: Use names: The easiest […]
Continue Reading
Management of Hotel Reputation Is Critical
For any business to succeed it has to have a strong reputation in the market. While the reputation of any business was subject to word of mouth publicity, things have changed in this digital age. Now it is the virtual world or the internet, which makes or breaks a business’s reputation. Reputation does matter As […]
Continue Reading