About the Best Western Interface

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The Best Western Interface is a two way interface between protel and Best Western’s Central Reservation System (CRS).  Reservations created in protel are sent to the CRS in real time, while reservations made by Best Western are transferred to protel. Each reservation contains a confirmation number created by the CRS which is respectively displayed in protel. Cancellations are also immediately sent to the CRS, where a cancellation number is created and directly sent to protel. Additionally, all of the reservation data and guest data will be matched during end of day.

Displaying interface status

Connection problems between the CRS and protel or other alerts will be signalized by the red blinking interface light; see figure 1:

Figure 1: Interface Alerts

Click the  symbol to open the interface status.

A breakdown of the most common error messages can be found here.

ATTENTION: The following information is binding for BWI certified protel Partners who will take over support for the interface.

As of the end of 2015, Best Western International will only admit Property Management Systems on a worldwide basis that have a certified two-way interface to the Best Western-CRS. This applies not only to hotels new to Best Western International, but also to long-time members. As a result, protel has entered a cooperation with Best Western International. The basis of this global cooperation with Best Western International is a globally valid contract which specifies the regulations concerning the development, certification and servicing of the BWI Interface. Agreements regarding the service level for software servicing and a globally valid rate list are also included therein. This contract is also legally binding for protel Partners!

• For reference: Excerpts from the Best Western Vendor Agreement with information about the agreed SLA. Please note that this is internal information and is not to be forwarded to clients or third parties!

The most important points are as follows:

• protel Germany assumes responsibility towards BWI for the products and services that our global partners provide to BW hotels in connection with protel or perform on its behalf: This affects software, services within the framework of installation, training courses and maintenance.

• BWI can terminate the Agreement under certain circumstances if there appears to be great dissatisfaction with protel on part of the hotels and/or protel partners.

• protel and protel partners within the framework of the Agreement, give an undertaking for ourselves and for our distributors to offer maintenance agreements including “Service Levels“ (SL) to BW hotels. If there should be “excessive” complaints resulting from non-adherence to the SL, BWI is entitled either to prohibit the sale of protel to BW hotels for a temporary period or to terminate the Agreement.

• The SL contain guidelines regarding:

• • Reaction time (not taking a support call): For messages left, the client will have to be contacted within 2 hours.

  • Response time (calls on hold): Each call is to be answered within 20 min.

  • Processing time for "critical problems" (problems hindering usual business in the hotel): Effort and diagnostics time to be invested in finding a solution: at least 4 hours.
    Critical problems should be resolved within 12 hours, maximum processing time: 48-72 hours!
    Should a problem have not been resolved within 24 hours, protel is required to inform BWI about the status on a daily basis.

  • Processing time for "non-critical problems": 30 days (or a time-limit individually agreed upon with BWI)

• Introduction of a globally valid price list (prices apply as maximum limit and are individually negotiable with the hotel).

With this two-way interface, protel will be able to offer all Best Western clients the total integration of their PMS with the BWI CRS and the Member Web and all of the resulting advantages:

Central data management

• Direct linkage of Front Office to the BWI CRS.

• Reservations and guest data are constantly matched and updated between protel and Best Western International. New reservations, modifications, and cancellations are transferred directly from Best Western International to the PMS. Rooms sold in Front Office directly reduce the availability in Best Western International's reservation system, as well as all of the linked Best Western distribution channels.

• Rooms, rates, and strategies are managed in protel and are also available for the CRS.

Process optimization

• The hotel employees continue working with protel as usual, while the interface ensures that all of the data is matched with the CRS “live”. (“Always sell the right room for the right price...”)

• Easier care and management of the data for Best Western Rewards company clients and guests.

More bookings and higher yields

• The Best Western interface links protel directly with Best Western International’s world-wide distribution network. The availabilities managed by the PMS are available via all of Best Western’s distribution channels*) and are updated on a daily basis, resulting in increased bookings leading to improved capacity.

  *) Best Western GDS, Best Western Reservations Call Center, Best Western Website, portals of linked third-party vendors such as “roomkey.com”, “google.com/hotelfinder/”, “kayak.com”, etc...

• Rate changes made in protel are automatically transmitted to all of the linked channels. This ensures for the best possible room rate.

Bottom line: The implementation of the Best Western interface strengthens and increases your hotel’s competitiveness and overall profitability.

After starting the interface, you will notice changes in many parts of protel. Some procedures have changed, others have been completely removed, while new ones have been added. — Here are a few examples:

Reservations

The “Central Bill” reservations specific to Best Western which are transferred from the BWI-CRS to protel now have limited editing possibilities. Therefore, the “double-click” menu - well liked by protel professionals - is no longer available for such reservations. Changes made to core data such as arrival and departure dates or rate codes will be made exclusively by Best Western International.

Caution when cancelling such a reservation: Once cancelled, it can never again be used in your hotel.

Moves

Best Western’s CRS requires its own confirmation number for each room-reservation. This means that you will no longer be able to enter moves during the length of a stay. Instead, reservations will now have to be checked-out on the day of the move and then a new reservation will have to be made.

Guest profiles

Guest profiles for guests participating in the Best Western Rewards® program are directly managed by Best Western International. What's the advantage for you? For telephone reservations or check-ins / walk-ins, the guest data as well as the Best Western Rewards status will simply be downloaded from the CRS to your PMS. The employee has immediate access to all the necessary information and can, for example, make the necessary preparations for welcoming a Diamond Elite guest.

The "Reservations" help section thoroughly describes the changes made to the daily work routine when working in "BWI mode".

Pre-Implementation Package

Already in the preparation phase, Best Western International and the hotel check to see if the data is up-to-date and correct (Room Types, Rate Codes, Rate Levels). Each hotel receives a Pre-Implementation Package for this from Best Western containing all of the important data for the adaptation of the system data and the activation of the two-way interface. Because the Pre-Implementation Package usually illustrates an "Export" from the CRS for the most important points (Room Types, Rate Codes), a lot of information can already be viewed and processed by the hotel beforehand by means of the Member Web. However, the final Pre-Implementation-Package signed by the hotel and which is to be made available to the installer, is Binding for the setup of the system data.

System Data

The system data will need to be adjusted to meet Best Western International's standards. Here are some examples:

• protel and the Best Western CRS must have the identical type and number of room types. Therefore, all of the room types in protel need to be adjusted to meet Best Western standards.

• All active rates in the Best Western CRS must have a clear allocation to an active rate in the BWI CRS.

• In addition to the BWI rates, each hotel can also include a so-called "house-rate" which is a local rate that is not sold through the CRS.

• The methods of payment drawn up by Best Western International are to installed.

• And much more …

Learn more in the section about setting up the system data!

Reservations

Because of the adjustments made to room types and rates, reservations which have already been entered will need to be manually adjusted before starting up the interface.

• Before starting the interface, all existing Best Western reservations already in protel will need a CRS number so that they will not have to be re-entered when executing the first data-synchronization. Additional information about this can be found in the section "Front Office > BWI Confirmation Number".

• Except for the CRS number, new room types and rates will also be entered here.

• Reservations from the Best Western CRS/Member Web are only allowed to contain one single rate code and must be manually adjusted beforehand.

• The same also holds true for future Best Western reservations with moves.

Learn more in the section about Front Office preparation!

System Requirements

Inform the hotel about the system requirements as early as possible. All of the requirements will need to be executed by the date of installation.