FAQ - roommaster Marketing & Distribution Suite

FAQ - roommaster Marketing & Distribution Suite 

CM & BE Migration FAQ 

Transition: StayFull Channel Manager + WebBook Booking Engine → roommaster CM (Channel Manager) & BE (Booking Engine) 

This FAQ is for properties moving from our legacy StayFull Channel Manager and WebBook Booking Engine to the new, unified roommaster CM & BE Premium Marketing & Distribution Suite. It covers migration, features, pricing, operations, and troubleshooting. Items that require account‑specific confirmation are marked [Confirm with roommaster]. 

A. Overview & Migration 

1) What’s the biggest difference vs. our current setup? 

The new Marketing and Distribution Suite puts distribution (CM) and the booking engine (BE) into a single portal with modern self‑service tools (e.g., self‑mapping for channels, faster edits, cleaner workflows). Both CM and BE are completely redesigned; the BE is specifically optimized for mobile and conversion, with optional add‑ons like metasearch. 

2) What stays the same? 

You’ll still manage rates, availability, restrictions, and channel connections. You’ll also continue to have 24/7 support from our friendly, helpful team.  

3) Why are you making this change? 

To deliver a faster, more reliable, and more capable distribution stack, reduce back‑and‑forth for common tasks, and give guests a higher‑converting booking experience—plus introduce premium features (e.g., enhanced Groups pages, centralized metasearch, trip insurance) that put our roommaster marketing & distribution suite at the forefront of the market. 

4) Will our price change after the free upgrade? 

No price change to retain the current features. Your existing entitlements move over at no additional cost. 

5) What new/premium features might carry an added cost? 

Examples include metasearch management and ad budgets, enhanced Groups (dedicated group pages/microsites), and AI Styling and Translations. If you’re interested, we’ll quote these as optional add‑ons. [Confirm with roommaster] 

6) When will our property migrate? 

Our implementation team will reach out via email with your window and steps. 

7) Will there be downtime? 

We schedule migrations to avoid guest disruption. There may be a brief read‑only/configuration freeze and short sync delays during final cutover. 

8) What data is carried over automatically? 

Room/rate structures, taxes/fees, restrictions, policies, channel links, and photos/content where possible. Some items may need review in the new portal. [Confirm with roommaster] 

9) Do we need to re‑map rooms/rates to OTAs? 

No—our team handles all CM channel re‑mapping as part of your migration; no action is needed on your side. We may, however, need your quick assistance switching the provider connection in certain OTA extranets (e.g. updating the channel manager setting to CM in Airbnb, or Agoda). 

10) What about existing promotions, packages, and coupon codes? 

We’ll migrate what’s compatible; others may need recreation in BE. [Confirm with roommaster] 

11) Are rate plans, derived/linked rates, and parity rules preserved? 

Core structures are retained; advanced parity/derivation logic may need a quick re‑check.  

12) Will historical data/reporting be available after the move? 

Historical data will not migrate into the new CM & BE. Reporting will start fresh from go‑live. Please gather any data you need from your legacy portals before cutover. [Confirm with roommaster] 

B. Channel Manager (CM) 

13) Do we get more control over major and minor OTAs? 

Yes. The portal emphasizes self‑service, faster edits, and clearer mapping for both top OTAs and long‑tail channels. 

14) Can we add/remove channels ourselves? 

Yes. You can add channels and manage connections in the CM portal (subject to your commercial agreements with each channel). 

15) How are OTA disputes handled? 

Disputes (e.g., overcharges, content violations) are still handled in each OTA’s extranet or support channel. 

16) Do you support metasearch (Google, Tripadvisor, Trivago, etc.)? 

Yes—metasearch is available as an optional add‑on with unified budget tools and performance reporting. [Confirm enablement with roommaster] 

17) Can you run metasearch on CPC or CPA? 

The MetaChannels decide which fee options are  available.   Support is available for common industry models/platforms; we’ll advise on your best fit and any recent policy changes. [Confirm with roommaster] 

18) Who owns and funds the metasearch advertising budget? 

Budgets are property‑funded and managed in the portal (with optional automation). [Confirm with roommaster] 

19) Will all our restrictions (MinLOS/MaxLOS/CTA/CTD/closeouts) carry over? 

Yes—core restrictions are supported; verify final values post‑migration. 

20) Can we pool inventory across channels to prevent overbookings? 

Yes—the CM manages pooled inventory and real‑time updates across channels. 

21) Do you support occupancy‑based pricing and derived rates? 

Yes—configure per room/plan with derivations as needed. 

Want help optimizing those prices? Our AI-powered revenue management tool forecasts demand, recommends price moves, and can automate updates under your rules. Learn more: https://www.roommaster.com/revenue-management 

22) Is there a limit to the number of rate/room‑type messages we can send to channels? (Applies to CM & BE) 

Yes. There is a combined cap of 200 active rate–room‑type combinations across CM and BE—this limit applies to the total volume sent from your PMS into the Premium Marketing & Distribution Suite. For example, with 10 room types, you can publish up to 20 rates (10 × 20 = 200). If you need more price points, configure derived rates inside the suite so additional variations roll up within the 200‑message cap. 

23) Can we throttle availability or prioritize direct over OTA? 

You can control channel allocations and restrictions; consult your revenue strategy. 

24) What CM reporting is included? 

Channel performance, production, cancellations, pace, and source reporting—with exports for deeper analysis. 

25) How fast do rate/availability updates reach OTAs? 

Updates are near real‑time; most channels ingest within minutes. Some OTAs batch certain updates (e.g., every 5–15 minutes) and content changes can take longer. 

26) We see a mismatch between BE and an OTA. What now? 

Check mapping and derived rules first; then retrigger a full availability and rate push. If it persists, open a ticket with our support team.  Screenshots of the mismatch are helpful. 

27) A channel isn’t updating after go‑live. 

Verify connection status and credentials, re‑authorize if needed, then push a full sync. If unresolved, contact support with timestamps. 

28) Overbooking occurred—how to prevent recurrence? 

Review pooled inventory setup, add safety stock on specific channels, and audit restrictions/closures. 

29) Can we update OTA content (photos, descriptions, amenities) from CM? 

Basic content can sync for supported channels; others remain read‑only and must be edited in the OTA extranet.

30) How flexible is the tax/fee engine (per‑night, per‑person, %/fixed, city/resort fees)? 

Multiple tax/fee types are supported with clear guest‑facing breakdowns. 

31) Is there multi‑property/chain management (shared content, cross‑property rates)? 

Chain‑level tools and shared libraries are supported for multi‑property groups. [Confirm availability for your account] 

32) Do you support geo/device‑targeted rates (e.g., mobile‑only, country‑specific)? 

Targeted rate fences are supported where channel policies allow.

33) Can we set safety stock/oversell thresholds by channel/date? 

Yes—safety stock and channel allocations are configurable. [Confirm best practices] 

34) How are exchange rates handled for multi‑currency display? 

Rates are sourced from a reputable provider and refreshed regularly. 

C. Booking Engine (BE) 

Note: For the platform‑wide limit on rate/room‑type messages (affects BE as well), see Q22 in the CM section. 

35) Is the BE changing visually for guests? 

Yes. It’s a complete redesign—faster, mobile‑first, brandable, with clearer rate/room presentation and modern upsell/add‑on flows. 

36) Can we keep our current property website design/flow? 

Your website stays the same; you’ll update links/widgets to point to BE. Styling options let BE reflect your brand. 

If you’re considering a refresh, roommaster can design and build a new hotel website for you. Learn more: https://www.roommaster.com/hotel-website-builder 

37) Will existing deep links (e.g., to dates/rooms) still work? 

We’ll provide a redirect plan and updated deep‑link formats. [Confirm mapping/redirects with roommaster] 

38) Does BE support promo codes, members’ rates, and packages? 

Yes—these are supported; some setups may need recreation post‑migration. [Confirm with roommaster] 

39) Can BE show guest reviews? 

Yes—when your TrustYou ID is configured, summarized review content can display in the BE. Response management remains in TrustYou/OTA portals. 

40) Is BE multilingual and multi‑currency? 

Yes—localization and currency display are supported.

41) Is BE accessible (ADA/WCAG)? 

The BE follows modern accessibility best practices. For formal conformance documentation, please request our latest statement. [Confirm with roommaster] 

42) Will the swap affect our SEO? 

Search ranking is primarily on your website; the BE swap uses new URLs. We’ll update widgets/links and provide redirects to keep flows intact. 

43) What do we need to change on our website? 

Update Book Now buttons, deep links, and any embedded widgets to the new BE. We’ll share instructions. 

44) Can the BE theme match our branding? 

Yes—logo, colors, fonts, and photos can be aligned to your brand. 

The AI add on option will take your URL and match the BE to your website! 

45) Do you offer pre‑arrival, post‑stay, or abandoned‑cart emails? 

Yes—BE supports guest email templates; additional campaigns can be handled via your CRM/marketing tools.] 

46) What BE reporting is included? 

Dashboards and exports for direct bookings, cancellations, pace, sources, rooms/services, and (if enabled) metasearch KPIs. 

47) Accessibility feedback from a guest. 

Share details with support; we’ll evaluate and provide guidance or updates. 

48) Can we run A/B tests in the BE? 

Native experiments may be limited; GA4/Tag Manager‑based testing is supported. 

49) Do you support loyalty/member access or repeat‑guest recognition? 

Member‑rate access and promo mechanisms are supported; full loyalty programs may require a partner integration. 

50) Sell experiences/add‑ons (parking, spa, dining, tickets) within BE? 

Yes—ancillary items and upsells can be configured in BE. 

51) Do you support gift cards and vouchers at booking? 

Supported via integrated partners or custom voucher/promo codes; availability and setup vary by region and partner.

52) Abandoned cart recovery and remarketing? 

Supported via BE emails and analytics tags; depth varies by setup.

D. Users, Roles & Audit 

53) Can we set user roles/permissions? 

Yes—role‑based access is available for CM & BE admin areas.  

54) Is there an audit log of changes? 

Yes—key changes are logged with user/time stamps.  

E. Support, Training & SLAs 

55) Who will manage our account after migration? 

Your current Account Manager remains assigned. Our Customer Success team supports onboarding and ongoing success. 

56) What training/resources are provided? 

Knowledge base articles, training videos, and webinars. 

57) What are your support hours and SLAs? 

Our standard support hours are 24/7/365 and escalation SLAs apply.  

F. Compliance, Privacy & Legal 

58) Do you support GDPR/CCPA? 

Yes—data processing conforms to applicable privacy frameworks; DPA/agreements available on request. 

59) Can guests request data deletion/export? 

Yes—requests are handled per policy/process. 

60) Is the BE accessible (ADA/WCAG) from a compliance standpoint? 

Se Q41 for BE accessibility; formal statements are available on request. 

61) How long is data retained, and can we set retention windows? 

Standard retention policies apply; configurable retention options may be available depending on data type. We can provide the current policy and available settings. 

G. Advanced & Nice‑to‑Have 

62) Do you offer webhooks or real‑time notifications for reservations/changes? 

Yes—webhooks/API callbacks are available.  

63) What’s your uptime target and status communications? 

We publish uptime targets and provide a status page with incident comms.  

https://innquest.instatus.com/ 

H. Still Have Questions? 

64) Send us your question and we’ll add the answer here for everyone’s benefit. For account‑specific items, your Account Manager or Customer Success will confirm details.