Here's a list of the most commonly asked questions. If you don't find the answer you are looking for, explore our KB or reach out to your Hotel Trader contact.
Communications and Support
Where can I report technical issues?
Technical issues can be reported to demand.support@hoteltrader.com.
How are outages or maintenance communicated?
We send notifications via email to the designated technical contacts.
Searches
Do you support Search by location and region?
We support Search by Property IDs only (single and multiple IDs). Location and region-based search are not supported.
Related articles - Search
Do you support multi-room searches?
Yes, we do support searches for multiple IDs. Please refer to the Search page for request and response samples.
How are non-refundable (NREF) options flagged?
The field attribute refundable: false in the Search response indicates the option is non-refundable.
Do you cache availability?
No. Hotel Trader does not cache availability. We receive ARI updates in real-time directly from the hotels' PMS & CRS systems.
Are cancellation policies provided at availability step?
Yes. Full cancellation details (refundable/non-refundable, deadlines, penalties) are provided at the availability step and also confirmed at booking.
Bookings
Are meal plans applicable to all occupants?
The applicability is specified in the mealPlanDescription attribute of the mealplanOptions node. If limited (e.g., breakfast for 2 only), it is explicitly mentioned.
"mealplanOptions": {
"mealplanDescription": "Free Breakfast",
"mealplanCode": "BBF",
"mealplanName": "Free Breakfast"
},Related Articles - Mealplans
Do you return the Hotel Confirmation Number (HCN)?
Yes. The HCN is included in the booking confirmation response.
Related articles - Book
In a multi-room booking, can REFUNDABLE and NON-Refundable rooms be combined?
No. We support multi-room reservations with either all Refundable rates or all Non-Refundable rates.
We do not support combining both types (REF+NREF). If attempted, you will receive an error: "Invalid Request: multi-room request can have only Ref or Non-Ref rooms"
Related articles - Book | Error Codes
Can duplicate bookings be made?
No. Each booking must have a unique HTIdentifier. The system rejects duplicate requests with the same ID.
However, you can book multiple rooms of the same type in a single request if inventory is available.
Related articles - Book
What does the book step error "Invalid htIdentifier, already used for a different request" mean?
Every Book request requires a new htIdentifier. This error occurs when a client attempts to use an htIdentifier that has already been used to confirm another reservation.
To resolve this issue, you must send a new Search request to generate a fresh htIdentifier.
Related articles - Book | Search | Error Codes
What does incorrect nightly rates error mean?
We return this error when:
- the number of daily rates sent doesn't match with the length of stay or
- the sum of the daily rates does not match the total net price of the room.
When comparing the sum of the daily rates to the total net price of the room, we allow 1$ difference but if the difference is greater than that, we return that error.
Related article - Error Codes
What values are expected for clientConfirmationCode, otaConifrmationCode, and otaClientName?
A quick definition of the fields are:
- clientConfirmationCode – The client’s own unique booking ID for a reservation and this is a mandatory field.
- otaConfirmationcode – This is an optional field. Even if this value is not provided, the book request will go through successfully. This is a unique booking code submitted by the OTA/Platform.
- otaClientName - This is the name of the client making the booking request.
What is the maximum booking size?
| Max hotels per request | 50 |
| Max rooms per booking | 9 |
| Max pax per room | As per hotel’s limit for that room type |
| Max pax per booking | As per hotel’s configuration |
Pricing and Age Ranges
What is the age range for adults, children, and infants in bookings?
While the ranges mentioned below above are commonly used, some hotels or suppliers may have different policies (e.g., child up to 14 years, or infants up to 3 years).
Always check the specific hotel’s policy when booking.
| Adults | Typically defined as guests aged 12 years and above. |
| Children | Usually defined as guests between 2 and 11 years. |
| Infants | Generally defined as guests below 2 years. |
Do you apply nationality-specific pricing or market restrictions?
No. Rates are the same across all markets. Nationality is not a required request field.
Which currencies are supported by Hotel Trader?
Supported currencies include USD, GBP, EUR, CAD, JPY, AUD, NZD, CHF, SGD, HKD.
By default, our rates are returned in USD.
If you require multi-currency support, we will enable it after the certification process. Once enabled, you will see rates displayed and invoiced in the local property currency (e.g., GBP for a UK hotel).
Related articles - Global Currency
What rate type is provided?
Rates are provided as Net, along with Tax and Gross values (Net+Tax).
Total amount payable to Hotel Trader is clearly indicated in the response.
Is Tax Breakdown provided?
Yes.
At availability step: Full tax breakdown is included.
At valuation/quote step: Daily tax breakup and full tax info are provided.
Resort fees / pat-at-property fees are flagged separately.
Related articles - Aggregate Tax
Property Mapping
How often should static content be refreshed?
Content refresh is real-time via the property mapping file. No manual refresh is required.
How do you handle property mapping?
You will receive a custom property mapping file URL, updated in real time whenever properties are added to Hotel Trader network.
Kindly note that only authorised hotels are included in your portfolio.
Cancellations
How are cancellations processed?
Cancellations must reference the HT Confirmation Code.
Cancellation charges are returned in the API response, even if the charge is 0. Non-refundable bookings can also be cancelled via API, with penalties applied.
Related articles - Cancel | Cancellation Policies