Seamless Availabilty to CRS
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Seamless Availability

Why TIMS Reports uses seamless availability

In creating the TIMS Reports for over ten years, Travel Information Management Services, Inc. (TIMS) has perfected a unique reporting process using strict quality control procedures and only using rate information from Seamless Connectivity to ensure an accurate report. Sometimes called 'Direct Connect Availability' or 'Inside Availability', Seamless refers to the latest type of GDS link whereby the hotels' own central reservation systems (CRS) are linked directly to the Global Distribution Systems (GDS). Most GDS', including SABRE, Apollo/(Galieo) and Worldspan, have seamless products, although each refer to it by a different name, i.e. Direct Connect Availability for SABRE or Inside Availability for Apollo. This technology ensures the most current and accurate rate information available to travel agents today. Because of this and many other benefits, nearly 100 major hotel companies today are using seamless connectivity today and many others have plans to use it in the future.

One of the benefits of this technology is savings in time and money for hotel companies that can now forgo their past efforts of constantly loading and updating the GDS databases. However, GDSs still maintain a "restricted" database of information, rates, and availability for seamless hotels so that travel agents can search for hotels under certain criteria. But the GDS database is frequently 'out-of-date' or incomplete for hotel companies that are taking full advantage of this technology. In many cases, the GDS databases contain rate information that is no longer valid or is so limited that not all rates and rooms are loaded. Therefore, most travel agents now rely on the rate information coming directly from the CRS instead. In fact, we found travel agent Help Desk operators at some of the major chains who use seamless, are telling travel agents that rates displayed by the GDS databases are "only a guide for comparison" and "to get the most current information about rates and availability you must use our seamless product." The GDS databases, now considered the default databases, are most useful only when the seamless links are out of order or down due to maintenance.

Another benefit of seamless availability is that hotel companies are now able to ensure that their distribution channels are synchronized from one source, the CRS database. This means that whether you are calling the central hotel reservations number, searching on the hotel company's web site or searching in a GDS, you can be sure that the information is the same. This also means that the TIMS report is going to save your staff time from shopping multiple distribution channels. So the TIMS Report is like getting 3 reports in one!

Some reports on the market attempt to use both the Seamless data and GDS data. However, we maintain that because the GDS databases are frequently out of sync or inaccurate, this data should not be used for making yield management decisions. For example, regardless of how travel agents search for hotel rooms, they ultimately book the reservation using a seamless link that goes directly to the CRS. Further, when hotel managers are making crucial revenue management decisions they want only the most accurate information possible otherwise they may put their hotels' yield in jeopardy by offering rates too high or too low. Lastly, even when a hotel finds that their information in the GDS database is incorrect, they have little or no control over the information in those databases. That is because the hotel companies see GDS databases as a default option to what is on seamless availability. In contrast, our method is keeping costs down for our clients who are not paying for insignificant information and not confusing our clients with inaccurate information enabling them to possibly make an inaccurate yield decisions. Therefore, we analyze only the most pertinent and accurate information available helping our subscribers to make the best possible decisions for their hotel.

If you have any questions about your hotel's status as a seamless hotel or any other questions regarding this technology please feel free to contact us at (301) 617-8730 or send us an e-mail at Info@TIMSReports.com. A list of hotel companies using seamless data follows.

Hotel Companies Currently Using Seamless Availability

CHAIN     CODE     CHAIN OR COMPANY
1)   AJ   AMERISUITES
2)   AM   ADAMS MARK HOTELS
3)   AS   ALL SUITES
4)   AZ   AIRCO SERVICES
5)   BE   HOMESTEAD VILLAGE
6)   BH   HAWTHORN SUITES
7)   BR   RENAISSANCE HOTELS
8)   BW   BEST WESTERN
9)   CC   CLARION HOTELS
10)   CD   CONCORDE HOTEL
11)   CI   COMFORT INN
12)   CP   CROWN PLAZA
13)   CS   COLONY RESORT
14)   CV   CAVANAUGHS HOTELS
15)   CX   COUNTRY INN BY CARLSON
16)   CY   COURTYARD
17)   CZ   COMFORT SUITES
18)   DE   DELTA HOTELS
19)   DI   DAYS INN
20)   DN   DESTINATION HOTELS
21)   DO   DORINT HOTELS
22)   DR   DRURY HOTELS
23)   DT   DOUBLETREE
24)   EO   ECONO LODGE
25)   ER   E.R.S. HOTEL
26)   ES   EMBASSY SUITES
27)   FA   FAIRMONT HOTELS
28)   FE   FORTE HOTES
29)   FN   FAIRFIELD INN
30)   FT   GRANDE DEVERE HTL
31)   GH   GRAND HERITAGE
32)   GN   GRAND BAY HOTELS
33)   GT   GOLDEN TULIP
34)   GX   GLOBAL CONEXTIONS
35)   HG   HOMEWOOD SUITES
36)   HH   HILTON HOTELS
37)   HI   HOLIDAY INN WORLDWIDE
38)   HJ   HOWARD JOHNSON
39)   HL   HILTON INTERNATIONAL
40)   HX   HAMPTON INN
41)   HY   HYATT HOTELS
42)   IC   INTERCONTINENTAL HOTELS
43)   KI   KEMPINSKI HOTELS
44)   KL   CLUBHOUSE INNS
45)   LQ   LAQUINTA HOTELS
46)   LW   LEADING HOTELS
47)   LX   SMALL LUXURY HOTELS
48)   LZ   LOWES HOTELS
49)   MB   VILLAS BY MARRIOTT
50)   MC   MARRIOTT HOTELS
      
CHAIN     CODE     CHAIN OR COMPANY
51)   ME   MELIA SA
52)   MM   MARITIM HOTELS
53)   MU   MILLENNIUM/COPTHORNE
54)   MZ   MAINSTAY HOTEL
55)   NK   NIKKO HOTELS
56)   NR   RAMADA INTERNATIONAL
57)   OM   OMNI HOTEL
58)   PF   PAN PACIFIC
59)   PH   PREFERRED HOTELS
60)   PK   PARK PLAZA
61)   PW   PRIMA HOTELS
62)   QC   CAMBERLEY HOTELS
63)   QI   QUALITY INNS AND SUITES
64)   RA   RAMADA HOTELS
65)   RC   RESIDENCE INN
66)   RD   RADISSON HOTELS
67)   RH   RIHGA ROYAL HOTELS
68)   RI   RODEWAY INNS
69)   RL   RED LION HOTELS
70)   RQ   REGAL HOTELS
71)   RZ   RITZ CARLTON HOTELS
72)   SC   SCEPTRE HOSPITALITY
73)   SG   SHANGRILA HOTELS
74)   SH   SCANDIC HOTELS
75)   SI   SHERATON
76)   SJ   SIGNATURE INN
77)   SK   STAKIS HOTEL GROUP
78)   SL   SWISSOTELS
79)   SM   SUMNER SUITES
80)   SR   SRS HOTELS
81)   SS   SUMMERFIELD SUITES
82)   SV   SAROVA HOTELS
83)   SX   SUPRATIONAL HOTELS
84)   SZ   SLEEP INNS
85)   TL   TRAVELODGE
86)   TO   TOWNEPLACE SUITES
87)   UI   UTELL /REZSOLUTIONS
88)   US   SIERRA SUITES
89)   VP   VIP RESERVATIONS
90)   WG   WINGATE INNS
91)   WH   W HOTELS
92)   WI   WESTIN
93)   WK   WARWICK HOTELS
94)   WO   WORLDRES INC HOTELS
95)   WR   STERLING HOTELS
96)   WX   WEST COAST HOTELS
97)   WY   WYNDHAM HOTEL & RESORTS
98)   XL   SUMMIT INTERNATIONAL
99)   XV   SPRING HILL SUITES
100)   YO   CANDLEWOOD SUITES