Room Bundles

    Room Bundles let you define multiple room types for a single property, or combine an itinerary of a room with rate features—additional services that come with a rate and conditions of sale—to your users beyond a standard price.

    Key concepts and workflow

    With Room Bundles, you can offer additional combinations of physical room types with different service packages.

    Examples

    The following images shows examples of Room bundles in desktop and mobile devices:

    Room Bundles with images

    This example is mobile version of Room bundles which consists of all the different room types for the required number of occupants and their respective room images.

    Note:Room bundles without images are replaced with a bed placeholder image.

    Rate features

    The following images show examples of rate features:

    Displaying Room Bundles and rate features in search results is governed by the same selection process as standard room rates.

    Room Bundles

    You define Room Bundles and rate features in Transaction messages. The root element of a Transaction message is <Transaction> .

    The structure of the Transaction message depends on what you are doing: defining the metadata about the Room Bundle or rate feature, or updating the Room Bundle's pricing or availability.

    Metadata
    Define Room Bundle and rate feature metadata with <PackageData> in a <PropertyDataSet> element. For more information, see Define room and package metadata . Room Bundles use existing <RoomData> elements for their physical room descriptions.
    Pricing and availability
    Define Room Bundle pricing and availability with the <RoomBundle> element in a <Result> for each package/itinerary combination. For more information, see Define pricing and availability .

    The base room's rate, taxes, and other fees are mandatory under <Result> when they're not used with Room Bundles, and can be removed when used with Room Bundles. If you're implementing Room Bundles using a live account, follow these steps:

    1. Include the base room's rate, taxes, and other fees under <Result> and add one Room Bundle that matches the base Room Bundle.

    2. If needed, define additional Room Bundles within the same <Result> block for other room types at that property or different packages of services.

    3. After the Room Bundle is launched, remove the base room's rate, taxes, and other fees.

    Room Bundle metadata

    When defining Room Bundles and rate features, you typically define the description, additional services that are part of the rate, and other information about the Room Bundle ahead of time. This information is known as the Room Bundle metadata. You then reference this metadata in your pricing updates, but don't include it in the pricing update messages.

    When you define Room Bundles, use existing <RoomData> elements for the physical room descriptions and <PackageData> elements for the rate features and terms that aren't part of the physical room description.

    Using the <RoomData> and <PackageData> elements can significantly reduce the size of your Hotel List and Hotel Price Feed because it reduces the amount of repetitive data sent in Transaction messages.

    For example, data such as a room name and description is typically repeated for every itinerary. You can use the <RoomData> and <PackageData> elements to define this type of data once. Itinerary-specific Room Bundle data is then merged with the stored room and package definitions for display to the end user.

    Google matches your metadata with your itinerary-specific data to render the contents of your ads. There is special processing to combine the names and descriptions from the <RoomData> and <PackageData> elements, allowing the physical room to be described in <RoomData> and rate features and package details to be in <PackageData> .

    If you define both the room data and package data for a single room or Room Bundle, Google includes both in the ad output, separated by a hyphen.

    Photo guidelines

    When sending room photos, here are some guidelines you should follow to make sure your photos are shown to users:

    • Send photos for each room type, including photos of accessible rooms—for example, designated accessible rooms with various bathroom fixtures, such as roll-in shower.

    • Include at least four photos of the room and at least one photo of the bathroom.

    • Photos should be of the room itself rather than of the property. The most important photos are of the bed, the whole room, the bathroom, living space, and the view from the room (with the rest of the room in the same photo), and, if applicable, the balcony, patio, or terrace.

      It is also helpful to capture photos of the desk, kitchen, coffee/tea makers, and distinct room features.

    • Avoid photos of people and property—for example, exterior or property amenities—sightseeing/tourism, and food.

    • Avoid close-up shots of objects, such as closeups of stemware.

    • Avoid branding and brands, though labeled or branded toiletries are fine to include within a photo that captures the entire bathroom area. Photos shouldn't feature large blocks of text, logos, or watermarks.

    • Provide standard, landscape (horizontal) photos with a wide field of view; avoid fisheye and distorted photos. Capture photos at the highest resolution for improved ranking. You don't need to submit the same photo in various resolutions.

    Data precedence

    Room Bundle data is gathered from all sources and combined, using precedence rules, to produce the final data for a given hotel, itinerary, and Room Bundle. The ordering is as follows, from lowest to highest precedence:

    1. (Lowest) Partner data
    2. Property data
    3. <RoomData> , where the <RoomID> matches the <RoomID> in the <RoomBundle> block
    4. <PackageData> , where the <PackageID> matches the <PackageID> in the <RoomBundle> block
    5. (Highest) <RoomBundle>

    Define pricing and availability

    To define Room Bundle pricing and availability, use a <RoomBundle> element in a Transaction message for each package or itinerary combination. The <RoomBundle> element should be inside the <Result> element. Sample code for two <RoomBundle> elements is shown below. Note that, in this example, the two <RoomBundle> elements reference room and package metadata using <RoomID> and <PackageID> .

    For each <Result> , the contained set of Room Bundles overwrites the existing set for that property or itinerary combination. If you don't define any Room Bundles or rate features in the <Result> element, then all Room Bundles are removed and only the basic room for that hotel or itinerary shows up in search results.

    Be sure to use elements such as <Name> to make your Room Bundles more attractive to potential customers and be sure they match the hotel's landing page. In this example, you would define names and other descriptive information in the metadata.

    <RatePlanID> is optional and represents the unique identifier for a room and package combination. We strongly recommend using RatePlanID as a variable to build your dynamic landing page (formerly Point of Sale) URL. For details, see Using Variables and Conditions .

    The following elements are optional in Room Bundles:

    <Baserate> <Tax> <OtherFees> <RoomID> <PackageID> <Occupancy> <OccupancyDetails>

    When you implement Room Bundle in a live account, remove <Baserate> after the Room Bundle is enabled.

     <Result>  
<!--  
Note:  
When  
using  
Room  
Bundles,  
the  
top  
level  
result  
price  
is  
no  
longer  
necessary.  
-->  
<Property>180054</Property>  
<Checkin>2017-10-07</Checkin>  
<Nights>2</Nights>  
<!--  
Base  
Room  
Bundle  
-->  
<RoomBundle>  
<RoomID>060773</RoomID>  
<PackageID>P54321</PackageID>  
<Baserate  
currency="USD">199.99</Baserate>  
<Tax  
currency="USD">25.12</Tax>  
<OtherFees  
currency="USD">2.00</OtherFees>  
<!--  
RatePlanID  
is  
optional  
and  
represents  
the  
unique  
identifier  
for  
a  
room  
and  
package  
data  
combination.  
We  
strongly  
recommend  
using  
RatePlanID  
as  
a  
variable  
to  
build  
your  
dynamic  
landing  
page  
(formerly  
Point  
of  
Sale)  
URL.  
For  
details,  
see  
Using  
Variables  
and  
Conditions.  
-->  
<RatePlanID>060773-P54321</RatePlanID>  
</RoomBundle>  
<!--  
Premium  
Room  
Bundle  
-->  
<RoomBundle>  
<RoomID>436233</RoomID>  
<PackageID>P12345</PackageID>  
<!--  
Price  
for  
4  
("occupancy")  
-->  
<Baserate  
currency="USD">298.88</Baserate>  
<Tax  
currency="USD">42.12</Tax>  
<OtherFees  
currency="USD">10.00</OtherFees>  
<RatePlanID>436233-P12345</RatePlanID>  
</RoomBundle>
</Result>

    Define room and package metadata

    To define Room Bundle metadata, use <PackageData> and <RoomData> elements inside the <PropertyDataSet> element of a Transaction message.

    You define room and package metadata in a Transaction message that is separate from the pricing and availability data . By defining this data ahead of time, your pricing updates don't need to include repetitive information such as descriptions, photo URLs, amenities, and other data about each and every room or package for each and every itinerary.

    Google stores the metadata for you and inserts it into your ads when they are displayed. You can update room and package metadata at any time with a new Transaction message.

    In the Transaction message, you set a package ID and a room ID on each block that you then reference in your <Result> blocks of pricing updates.

    If the room and package data changes—for example, if you add a new room type in a property, send a new Transaction message that contains the updated room and package data—Google replaces the existing metadata about a room or package with the new data.

    Google recommends that you define metadata during your initial setup. After predefining the metadata, you only need to reference the <RoomID> and <PackageID> values in your pricing updates rather than include all that information again. Google uses those IDs to match rooms and Room Bundles with the stored metadata. This can greatly reduce the overall size of your Transaction messages.

    Because prices for room or itinerary combinations change much more frequently than the room or package descriptions, defining metadata once and then referring to it is a much more efficient use of Transaction messages. In addition, errors such as mismatching room descriptions can be eliminated by using metadata rather than defining data inline.

    The recommended and most efficient method of defining metadata and pricing separately is shown below:

     <!--  
Efficient  
method  
of  
defining  
Room  
Bundles  
-->
<!-----  
Occupancy  
of  
2  
and  
4  
example  
------>

<Transaction  
timestamp="2019-04-18T16:20:00-04:00"  
id="12345678">  
<!--  
Part1:  
Define  
RoomData  
and  
PackageData  
in  
PropertyDataSet  
-->  
<!--  
Note:  
Once  
defined  
it  
does  
not  
have  
to  
be  
repeated  
for  
future  
Transaction  
Messages.  
-->  
<!--  
PropertyDataSets  
can  
also  
be  
defined  
and  
sent  
in  
their  
own  
Transaction  
Message  
-->  
<!--  
separately  
from  
pricing.  
Google  
can  
be  
configured  
to  
pull  
just  
PropertyDataSets  
-->  
<!--  
once  
per  
day  
(or  
on  
a  
predefined  
frequency).  
-->  
<PropertyDataSet>  
<Property>180054</Property>  
<!--  
Can  
be  
reused  
by  
multiple  
Room  
Bundles  
-->  
<RoomData>  
<RoomID>060773</RoomID>  
<Name>  
<Text  
text="Single  
Queen  
Room  
-  
Non-Smoking"  
language="en"/>  
<Text  
text="Chambre  
de  
la  
Roi  
Premium  
-  
Pas  
de  
Fumeurs"  
language="fr"/>  
</Name>  
<!--  
Room  
can  
accommodate  
4,  
but  
bundle  
is  
for  
2  
-->  
<Capacity>4</Capacity>  
<PhotoURL>  
<URL>http://www.foo.com/static/bar/imageQueen.jpg</URL>  
<Caption>  
<Text  
text="A  
bright  
and  
breezy  
way  
to  
enjoy  
your  
mornin'  
cuppa  
tea."  
language="en"/>  
<Text  
text="Une  
façon  
lumineuse  
et  
aérée  
pour  
profiter  
de  
votre  
journée  
tasse  
de  
thé."  
language="fr"/>  
</Caption>  
</PhotoURL>  
</RoomData>  
<RoomData>  
<RoomID>436233</RoomID>  
<Name>  
<Text  
text="Premium  
King  
Room  
-  
Non-Smoking"  
language="en"/>  
<Text  
text="Chambre  
de  
le  
Roi  
Premium  
-  
Pas  
de  
Fumeurs"  
language="fr"/>  
</Name>  
<!--  
Room  
can  
accommodate  
4  
and  
bundle  
is  
for  
4  
-->  
<Capacity>4</Capacity>  
<PhotoURL>  
<URL>http://www.foo.com/static/bar/imageKing.jpg</URL>  
<Caption>  
<Text  
text="A  
bright  
and  
breezy  
way  
to  
enjoy  
your  
mornin'  
cuppa  
tea."  
language="en"/>  
<Text  
text="Une  
façon  
lumineuse  
et  
aérée  
pour  
profiter  
de  
votre  
journée  
tasse  
de  
thé."  
language="fr"/>  
</Caption>  
</PhotoURL>  
</RoomData>  
<!--  
Can  
be  
reused  
by  
multiple  
Room  
Bundles  
-->  
<PackageData>  
<PackageID>P54321</PackageID>  
<Occupancy>2</Occupancy>  
<ChargeCurrency>web</ChargeCurrency>  
<Refundable  
available="1"  
refundable_until_days="7"  
refundable_until_time="18:00:00"/>  
<ParkingIncluded>1</ParkingIncluded>  
<InternetIncluded>1</InternetIncluded>  
</PackageData>  
<PackageData>  
<PackageID>P12345</PackageID>  
<Occupancy>4</Occupancy>  
<ChargeCurrency>web</ChargeCurrency>  
<Refundable  
available="1"  
refundable_until_days="1"  
refundable_until_time="18:00:00"/>  
<BreakfastIncluded/>  
<ParkingIncluded>1</ParkingIncluded>  
<InternetIncluded>1</InternetIncluded>  
</PackageData>  
</PropertyDataSet>  
<!--  
Efficient  
method  
of  
defining  
Room  
Bundles  
-->  
<!--  
Part  
2:  
Reference  
RoomData  
and  
PackageData  
through  
ID  
-->  
<Result>  
<Property>180054</Property>  
<Checkin>2017-10-07</Checkin>  
<Nights>2</Nights>  
<!--  
Base  
Room  
Bundle  
-->  
<RoomBundle>  
<RoomID>060773</RoomID>  
<PackageID>P54321</PackageID>  
<Baserate  
currency="USD">199.99</Baserate>  
<Tax  
currency="USD">25.12</Tax>  
<OtherFees  
currency="USD">2.00</OtherFees>  
<!--  
RatePlanID  
is  
optional  
and  
represents  
the  
unique  
identifier  
for  
a  
room  
and  
package  
data  
combination.  
We  
strongly  
recommend  
using  
RatePlanID  
as  
a  
variable  
to  
build  
your  
dynamic  
landing  
page  
(formerly  
Point  
of  
Sale)  
URL.  
For  
details,  
see  
Using  
Variables  
and  
Conditions.  
-->  
<RatePlanID>060773-P54321</RatePlanID>  
</RoomBundle>  
<!--  
Premium  
Room  
Bundle  
-->  
<RoomBundle>  
<RoomID>436233</RoomID>  
<PackageID>P12345</PackageID>  
<!--  
Price  
for  
4  
("occupancy")  
-->  
<Baserate  
currency="USD">298.88</Baserate>  
<Tax  
currency="USD">42.12</Tax>  
<OtherFees  
currency="USD">10.00</OtherFees>  
<RatePlanID>060773-P12345</RatePlanID>  
</RoomBundle>  
<!--  
Continue  
providing  
all  
available  
RoomBundle  
rates  
under  
matched  
property  
for  
any  
other  
occupancies  
-->  
</Result>
</Transaction>

    Occupancy and capacity

    When defining Room Bundles, you must understand the difference between occupancy and capacity :

    Occupancy
    The number of guests that a Room Bundle is intended to apply to. For example, the "Honeymoon Package" has an occupancy of two. You set the value of a package's occupancy by using the <PackageData> or <RoomBundle> elements' <Occupancy> child element.
    Capacity
    The maximum number of people that a room can physically accommodate. The capacity of a room is always equal to or higher than the occupancy. For example, the "Honeymoon Suite" in your hotel has a maximum capacity of six people, but you price a bundle for two guests. You set the value of a package's capacity by using the <RoomData> element's <Capacity> child element.

    When pricing a Room Bundle, you must give the price for the number of guests that the bundle is intended to be for (the value specified in the bundle's <Occupancy> element). If <Occupancy> is set to two, then the price in that package must be for two people. You cannot set <Occupancy> to four guests, and set the bundle's price for two guests.

    Shared rooms

    You also use Occupancy and Capacity in Room Bundles to set prices for shared room accomodations—for example, hostel. As an example, to set a per person price for a dorm room that has 8 beds, you would set Occupancy to 1 and Capacity to 8 , and identify it as such in the <RoomData> name. See example .

    Update Room Bundles

    This section describes how to remove a Room Bundle that is no longer available and how to update the price of an existing Room Bundle.

    Room Bundle removal

    Room Bundles are different from hotel prices in the way that you remove them.

    To remove a room or itinerary combination from inventory, you set the <Result> element's <Baserate> to -1 . To remove a Room Bundle for a given room or itinerary, remove the <RoomBundle> element from the <Result> block in the Transaction message.

    Room Bundles in your data feeds are considered a set, which number anywhere from 0 to tens of them. When you send Room Bundles to Google, you send the current, complete set. You don't change values of an individual Room Bundle to mark a previously available one as unavailable. Whatever set of bundles is in the most recent Transaction message replaces the current set.

    For example, there are bundles A, B, C, and D. You first send a message that defines the set of room bundles A, B, C and D. Later, if bundle B sells out, you resend the entire set with bundles A, C, and D only. If all Room Bundles have sold out, send an empty set of Room Bundles.

    Price adjustments

    To change the price of a Room Bundle, set the new <Baserate> in the <Result> element.

    Every time you update a room/itinerary's <Result> block in your Transaction messages, you must include a complete set of available Room Bundles for each <Result> . Google replaces the existing set of Room Bundles with the new set. If you don't include any Room Bundles in <Result> , then Google removes all Room Bundles for that room or itinerary.

    Metadata updates

    You update Room Bundle metadata with a response to a <Query> from Google.

    You respond to a Query message with a Transaction message that defines the room and package metadata for the specified hotels. For more information, see Query Messages .
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