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Hi everyone,

We’re currently in the process of migrating to Mews, and one of the key areas we’re re-evaluating is our rate structure. In our previous system, we had an overwhelming 200+ rates! These rates were primarily created to gain segment insights and were set up for nearly everything—corporate contracts, GDS bookings, OTA channels, direct bookings, and more. While this worked for us in the past, it led to a lot of complexity in managing, maintaining, and analyzing our rate setup.

As we transition to Mews, I’m keen on finding ways to streamline and simplify this approach. For instance:

  • Corporate Rates: I don’t see the need to set up an individual rate for every single corporate negotiated contract anymore. There must be a more efficient way to manage this while still maintaining clarity in reporting and segmentation.
  • Channel Rates: Similarly, creating rates for each channel (OTA, direct, etc.) feels unnecessary, especially since Mews already captures the channel in the reservation data. This seems like an opportunity to simplify the rate structure further while relying on existing tools for segmentation insights.

The biggest question for me right now is how to best handle GDS bookings in Mews. Should we still create specific rates for GDS, or is there a smarter way to manage these bookings without duplicating efforts?

For those of you who’ve gone through this migration or are experienced in using Mews, I’d love to hear how you’ve tackled these challenges. Specifically:

  • How do you manage corporate negotiated rates effectively in Mews?
  • How do you handle GDS bookings—do you use dedicated rates or another approach?
  • Are there any tips, best practices, or pitfalls to avoid when simplifying the rate structure?

I’m hoping to find a balance between keeping things streamlined and ensuring we don’t lose valuable insights into segment performance. If you have examples or insights to share, I’d really appreciate it!

Looking forward to learning from the community’s experiences. Thanks in advance for your help!

 

Ivo

@Kayleigh @Jamilla Brown 

Maybe you want to share some thoughts? 

Hi Ivo,

For our corporate rates, we have set a defined number of prices for each hotel. Our coporate clients sign contracts based on the pre-defined prices as much as possible. We then only attach the requested rate to their company voucher in order to be able to make a booking. Only when their contracted price is an exception, we would create a new rate for them. In any case, all of our signed contracts fall under the same segment (Business Individual Contracted) so it is easy to track their production from our reservation reports. 

Also our rates all start with the same few letters; for example corporate rates all start with “LCR”, OTA rates always start with “OTA", group rates with "GRP". etc. 

Kayleigh

Hi Ivo,

Thank you for sharing your challenges and insights as you transition to Mews. Rate structure management is a pivotal area, and it’s fantastic that you’re taking this opportunity to streamline while still maintaining the granularity needed for valuable insights.

I completely understand the complexity of managing 200+ rates—it's a scenario I’ve encountered before with other properties. Migrating to Mews opens up possibilities to simplify without losing critical segmentation clarity. Here are some thoughts and best practices to consider, tailored to your specific points:

Corporate Negotiated Rates

You’re right that setting up an individual rate for every corporate contract can become unmanageable. Instead, consider using one or two dynamic corporate rate plans tied to your broader pricing strategy. You can still maintain segmentation clarity by assigning profiles or tags to reservations for specific corporate clients. This way, the rate plan remains simple, while reporting can still break down performance by company if needed.

Channel Rates

Mews already provides robust channel-based segmentation, making separate rates for OTA, direct bookings, etc., largely redundant. Instead, focus on dynamic pricing rules within a few core rate plans. By doing this, you simplify rate management while letting Mews’ analytics provide channel insights.

GDS Bookings

For GDS, you might not need separate rates if your pricing strategy aligns across channels. One approach is to have a single base rate that feeds into your GDS distribution partner (via SynXis, Pegasus, etc.), then manage GDS-specific commissions or fees separately. This keeps your structure lean while ensuring you’re competitive in the GDS space.

General Tips for Streamlining

  1. Use Dynamic Rules: Leverage Mews’ flexibility to set up rate rules that adjust for length of stay, occupancy, or booking window. This reduces the need for dozens of static rates.
  2. Tagging and Reporting: Use tags for segmentation insights. For instance, you can tag reservations by source, client type, or promotional campaign, allowing you to maintain reporting clarity without creating excessive rate plans.
  3. Test and Refine: As you implement the new setup, test the reporting outputs. Ensure they provide the level of detail you need and adjust your tags or segmentation strategy accordingly.

Streamlining doesn’t mean sacrificing insights—it’s about leveraging Mews' capabilities to automate and simplify while focusing your energy on actionable data.

I hope these suggestions resonate with your objectives. Let me know if you’d like more specific examples or details—happy to share further!

Best regards,

Nikolas

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