Switching your property management system (PMS) can feel daunting, especially when it comes to online travel agencies (OTAs) and channel managers. But with the right steps, you can make the transition smooth and stress-free. Here’s a friendly guide to help you get your mapping, parity, and distribution just right! 🚀
Mapping and Parity Principles
Before you go live, it’s crucial to ensure your room types, rates, and add-ons are mapped correctly between Mews, your channel manager, and each OTA. Double-check everything with small push and pull tests to confirm parity—meaning prices, availability, and restrictions match everywhere. Don’t enable the channel manager integration until you’re ready for cutover. If a partner needs to connect earlier, make a note of the time and recheck parity just before going live. This helps avoid any nasty surprises! 🧐
For Booking.com, use Pull mapping to get the right codes and confirm age and child settings. Only enable the connection after your tests pass. If you’re managing multiple properties, remember that each one needs its own integration. For more details, check out the Booking.com direct integration guide: Receive reservations using the Booking.com direct integration for Mews Operations.
Importing Future Reservations and Handling Stayovers
Before you switch, import all future reservations into Mews. Spot-check a few to make sure rates, taxes, products, and agency links are correct—this helps prevent mispricing or missing charges. You can find step-by-step help in the future reservations import article: Import future reservations. 😊
If you have guests staying over during the PMS switch, check them out in your old PMS, then recreate their reservations in Mews with the same room. Record any nights they’ve already paid for as external payments (cross-settlement) to avoid double-charging. For more on this, see the stayover reservations guide (Import stayover reservations) and how to transfer payments (How to transfer payments from an old PMS if you haven't declared VAT).
Troubleshooting OTA Credential Errors
If you run into OTA credential or permission errors (like Booking.com 400 “access” errors), double-check your credentials in the integration settings and try the download again. If you’re stuck, open a case with the Mews Digital Assistant and include screenshots of your parity tests (Mews ↔ Channel Manager ↔ OTA). This will help the support team fix things faster! 🛠️
Day-of Activation Routine
On the big day, apply a temporary stop-sell while you import reservations. Once done, recheck parity and activate your channel manager. Make sure any new bookings created during the cutover reach Mews, and clear any queue errors you spot. If you need help with channel manager activation or troubleshooting, check out the channel manager connection guide (Connect and configure your channel manager integration to receive reservations through external channels) and troubleshooting tips (Troubleshooting Channel manager errors).
Need a Hand?
If you’re unsure about an error or need a second opinion, don’t hesitate to reach out to Mews support. The Community is here to help, and sharing your experience might help someone else too! 💬