Bookit

If you have a live account with bookit you can now automate availability, rates and bookings by interfacing/connecting your iBex account to bookit. Click here for more information on listing with bookit

Bookit supplies a number of affiliate websites including:

• Travelbug
  
  
• New Zealand Tourism Guide
  
  
• Kiwi Karma (giving you the opportunity to contribute to a charity of your choice - click here for more information)

Please read the important notes (bottom of page) about interface limitations.

Set up the connection yourself FREE OF CHARGE using our self help instructions below.

Note: If you would like Seekom support to make the connection for you, a charge of $110 per hour (+tax) will apply with a minimum charge of $50 (+tax).

Instructions

Version 4

Step	Action
1	You will need to obtain your bookit codes for connection to iBex channel manager. Click here to login to your bookit account.
2	Click Inventory manager menu item. Note: If you have a multi property account with bookit, select the required property.
3	If prompted, click Manage Inventory (next to published agreement).
4	Click Configure channel manager connection hyperlink.
5	Set iBex in channel manager selector field.
6	Select room types to be updated by iBex Channel manager and click Save button.
7	Click Inventory manager menu item.
8	Click Download Codes link
9	Note Code and room type codes (displayed after room name) as you will require for steps 23 and 31 below.
10	Click Continue
11	Log out of bookit.
12	Login to your iBex account – click here
13	From left menu select Sales Channels Add a sales Channel
14	At the pop up window titled ‘New Sales Channel’ click the button Register Available Sales Channel
15	Enter ‘bookit’ into search field at top right of window and press enter on your keyboard. Matching results will be displayed – see example screen image below.
16	If this the first and only connection to BookIt click the green plus icon adjacent to BookIt (see above example). If this is an additional connection select BookIt (Connection 2 or 3) as appropriate. Refer Important Notes section below.
17	Optionally update General section fields as required. Notes are private. Refer example screen image below.
18	At Rules section: select required Selling Group (likely to be Agents) select Rate Modifier (Rate 1 will typically be same as you sell at, other options will be a % increase or discount) set Multi-booking Invoice as required (PMS accounts only. No means you will send an invoice for each booking, yes means you batch multiple bookings into an invoice) set Commission charged by BookIt (PMS accounts only. ) set Commission Extras Code (PMS accounts only. Likely to be Misc Cmsn) Refer example below.
19	Click Register Sales Channel button. You will progress to the Channel Mapping tab.
20	Enter your email address at iBex Notification Emails To field.
21	It is recommended that iBex Email on New Booking are set as follows: Block Operator – not checked Block Property – checked Block Customer – checked
22	It is recommended that iBex Booking Email Rule is set to ‘Do not send emails’.
23	At Channel Property ID enter your BookIt business code (as obtained in step 9).
24	At Channel Operator ID enter your BookIt user ID.
25	At Channel Password enter your BookIt password (This is not your login password). To obtain the correct password, go to Users in the Bookit Menu, Click on Edit to the right of your username: You will be taken to a screen with your user details and Channel Manager Password will be shown here. You can copy and paste this into iBex.
26	It is recommended that Send Rates is set as ticked.
27	Set Min Stay Handling field as required (we recommend First Available). This is really only relevant if you will be mapping a single room type from iBex to multiple room types at BookIt (eg. for length of stay price variations, etc).
28	Set Allocation Handling field as required (we recommend Total per Room). This is really only relevant if you will be mapping a single room type from iBex to multiple room types at BookIt (eg. for length of stay price variations, etc).
29	Click Save button.
30	Room and rate mapping will now be set – refer sample screen image below.
31	Complete each room mapping row as follows: Channel Room ID – enter Room ID as obtained at step 9.  iBex Rate Name – select as required. Click applicable  ‘+’ to map an iBex room and/or rate to further room/rates at BookIt (eg. for differing minimum stays/rates – see notes at bottom of this page). See image below for an example where Standard Room has been connected to another room/rate at BookIt.
32	Click Save button.
33	Click Save & Update Channel button.
34	Wait a few minutes and click View Log button. TIP If the Remote Service Log Viewer indicates queued updates are pending, wait a further few minutes and click the ‘Refresh’ button.
35	If you have performed the connection successfully you will see OK messages for inventory & rates uploaded. See example below.
36	You must now advise BookIt that you have successfully uploaded Rates & Availability from the iBex channel manager so that they can check your account and then make your BookIt account live for automated bookings.   Click here to email BookIt. BookIt will then check your account and publish your listing as live.

IMPORTANT NOTES

1. BookIt only send new bookings to your Channel Manager. Any modifications or cancellations will be made by the customer directly with you so any changes will need to manually updated as necessary.
2. You can transmit a deal description to BookIt by entering a description in the rate description/inclusion field within your iBex account. Any description/inclusion set will be shown as a hover tip in your BookIt account. To add the description/inclusions …

• In iBex, select Search/Maintain Rates in the Rates section in your menu
• Click on the ID that you want the description to apply to
• Enter the details in the Description/Inclusions field
• Click Save button
• Repeat as required for other rates
  
  

iBex supports up to 3 connections to BookIt from a single property. Instructions vary at step 16 above if setting up a 2nd or 3rd connection.  

After any extensive modification of your rates/prices within iBex it is recommended you perform a full re-synch to bookit. Click here for instructions.

Map multiple rates for a room

Since the BookIt system cannot accept more than one rate for any one room type within their system, you will need a separate room type in your BookIt account for every rate that you want them to sell for you.

Please complete the following 3 steps to sell a second rate (such as a minimum stay or a special offer) on their website.

1. Add a new room type in your BookIt account so that this new room type can receive the rates and availability for the new rate that you want BookIt to sell the room at,
2. Set up the rate in your iBex account,
3. Map the new room type and the rate in your iBex Channel Manager.

Step 1 Instructions

Firstly, log into your BookIt account.

You need to set up a new room type (which will be sold with the new rate). To do this ...

1. Click on the Setup tab
2. Click on Products option
3. Select Copy on the room type line which the new rate will be valid for click Continue to proceed.

The new room type will now be added to your account and it will be called the same as the room type that you just copied but with (copy) at the end of it.

You need to rename it and change any descriptions, etc if necessary.

1. Click on the Details option for the copied room type
2. Take note of the Product Code as you will need to enter this in your Channel Manager as advised in Step 3 below.
3. Update the Product name to be something more appropriate (eg Standard room (2 night stay)) any update and fields as necessary (eg Minimum booking - 2 nights) and click Continue when complete.

Step 2 Instructions

This step is about the rate that you want to sell at BookIt. It needs to be set up in your iBex account so that iBex can send the details to your BookIt account so that it can be booked on their website.

If you already have the rate set up in your iBex system that you want BookIt to use, please proceed to Step 3.
If not, please set up a new rate.

Some useful Tips:

• If you are setting up a new rate, it may be worthwhile thinking if the new rate can be set up as a linked rate.
• BookIt are sent the rate Description and Inclusions that are saved in your iBex account and are shown as a hover tip when a customer hovers over the price on BookIt's website.
  You can add the rate description and inclusions in the rates details.

Step 3 Instructions

This next step is to set the Channel Manager to send the new rate to the BookIt system so you need to log into your iBex account.

1. Select Search sales channels (in the Sales Channels section in the menu)
2. Under the ID column select BookIt''s ID (nztol)
3. Go to the 'Channel Mapping' tab.
   When the screen refreshes it will show you what rooms and rates that you are currently sending to BookIt in the table in the bottom half of the screen.
   To add the new room that you created in your BookIt account to the mapping table, click the '+' next to the iBex Room Name that the allocation is coming from (as shown below).
4. This will produce a new line so that you can add the new BookIt Product Code that you noted earlier in Step 1 in the Channel Room ID column and select the rate that you want iBex to send BookIt for the new room type in the iBex Rate Name column.
5. Click Save & Update Channel (as this forces through an update with any changes you have made to the mapping).
   
   

If you wait a couple of minutes and then log back into your BookIt account (or refresh the page if still logged in), you will see that the new room that you set up in BookIt will have the rate and availability loaded (and the Conditions & Inclusions if you hover over the price).

iBex will now be automatically updating BookIt with rates & availability for this new room type and any bookings made on the BookIt website will automatically show up in your iBex account.

TIP 

If you want to BookIt to no longer sell the new rate, just select the Stop Sell option in the mapping (as shown in the screenshot above) and click Save & Update Channel. iBex will send BookIt an update advising that there are no rooms available for any room type selected. If you want to re-list the price, just remove the Stop Sell option and click Save & Update Channel.