What is a Hotel GDS? The Ultimate Guide for Hoteliers

Reaching new markets – especially high-value business travelers – is crucial to year-round success for today’s hotels. That’s where the Global Distribution System (GDS) comes in. But what exactly is a hotel GDS, and how can hoteliers and property managers use it to their advantage? 

A Global Distribution System (GDS) is a computerized booking network used by travel agents and corporate travel management companies (TMCs) to book flights, hotel rooms, rental cars, and more.  

When it comes to hospitality, GDS is a vital B2B (business-to-business) platform that connects hotels to professional travel agents across the globe. Over 600,000 travel agencies and corporations worldwide use GDS to make bookings. 

Unlike consumer-facing OTAs (e.g., Booking.com, Expedia), a GDS is an intermediary platform that is not accessible to the public. Simply put, guests cannot buy room nights from a GDS directly. Only professional, typically accredited, travel bookers – such as TMCs, travel agents and large corporations – can access and book via GDS.  

This user base makes GDS a powerful tool for securing:  

Think of the GDS as a bridge connecting suppliers, such as hoteliers and other travel service providers, and an established network of professional travel bookers (e.g., travel agents, TMCs).  

The GDS doesn’t hold inventory. Instead, it passes on live booking, rate and availability data to agents from a hotel’s reservation system – typically a property management system (PMS) like eviivo Suite. This is usually done automatically via a channel manager or central reservation system (CRS). 

When a travel booker uses the GDS to make a reservation, the channel manager automatically updates inventory across all the hotel’s connected distribution channels, as well as the booking details in the PMS or CRS. Learn more about Choosing a Hotel Channel Manager. 

Hotels can use solutions like the technology outlined above to connect to any number of GDS networks. This includes the industry’s major three players: Sabre, Amadeus, and Travelport. 

Three legacy GDS platforms dominate the global market: 

Founded in 1987, Amadeus is the largest GDS in terms of global reach and is widely used in Europe. It powers bookings for thousands of travel agencies and is a preferred tool for many international companies.  

A major player in North America, South America, the UK, and Australia, Sabre has strong reach among business-focused agencies. 

Known for broad global coverage, Travelport’s systems serve a wide network of TMCs and agency groups. 

In addition to the ‘major three’, hotel wholesalers like Hotelbeds play an important role in distributing inventory to retail travel sellers – especially for package deals and group bookings. 

While you can work with any number of GDS systems independently, each has its own individual connection fees and sign-up requirements to navigate. Therefore, it is typically simpler and more cost-effective to connect to multiple GDS’s through a serviced GDS solution, like the one provided by eviivo. 

Not every hotel is the right fit for GDS. Because GDS networks are predominantly used to facilitate corporate travel bookings that tend to come with specific traits – like short booking windows, short stays, and flexible cancellation requirements – they are suited to hotels that meet certain criteria.  

If you meet these criteria, a GDS connection can be transformative for your business: 

If this sounds like your property, a GDS could unlock new, untapped revenue streams – especially during slower seasons. 

A GDS connection can open the door to reliable, high-value bookings – often from corporate clients, government travelers, and travel agencies booking on behalf of others.  

Here’s what you gain by being listed on a hotel GDS: 

GDS networks connect hotels with a professional travel community that is often difficult to reach through your website or OTAs. This is especially valuable if you’re an independent hotel operator, as you gain increased visibility to travel agents through GDS that puts you on equal footing with hotel chains. 

Steady revenue stream

GDS networks generate more revenue for hotels by making them much easier for travel agents to find and book. Corporations often end up signing preferred supplier contracts with hotels via the GDS, which result in consistent bookings and steady revenue.  

Other avenues for revenue growth through GDS systems include attractive packaged deals (e.g., hotel + airline tickets, car rentals and tours), increased repeat business, and longer stays. 

Hotels pay a per-booking fee to use the GDS, and each GDS has its own connection fees if you sign up to them independently. To reduce costs – and complexity – some serviced GDS connections allow all platform fees and GDS charges to be rolled into one simple, commission-based model. 

Business travelers often book during weekdays and off-peak seasons, helping you fill rooms when leisure demand is low. Additionally, many corporations often book ‘in bulk’, reserving multiple rooms for employees or events at once. 

GDS helps you build a loyal, B2B client base. Corporate and agency clients tend to book repeatedly and recommend reliable accommodation partners.  

GDS guests, including business travelers, typically expect 4-star service, fast check-in, reliable Wi-Fi, and specific business amenities. This results in higher ADR (Average Daily Rate) and ancillary revenue from services like meeting rooms, catering, and transport. 

Hoteliers often ask: “Which GDS should I use?” The truth is, there’s no single “best” GDS, and all options share the same basic functionality. However, you may have a preference depending on the geographic markets you want to reach, the travel websites the GDS connects to, and the adoption of specific features that vary by network.  

But here’s the really good news: you don’t have to choose just one GDS. In fact, the smartest move is to connect through a solution that links you to all three major GDS platforms, offering: 

eviivo does exactly that through our channel manager integration with Hotelnet. 

eviivo connects your property to Sabre, Amadeus, and Travelport through a powerful two-way integration with Hotelnet, a leading GDS service provider. 

With the Hotelnet connection, eviivo offers a serviced GDS solution. This means you don’t have to manage your own listings manually across multiple GDS platforms. Instead, you get: 

Learn more about eviivo’s GDS connection. 

B2B bookings are a vital revenue stream for hotels. By connecting to all major GDS networks via eviivo and Hotelnet, you: 

eviivo helps you achieve your ideal distribution mix by connecting your properties to the right channels, so they reach all types of guests, globally and year-round. 

Looking to expand your reach and grow your B2B bookings? Learn more about connecting to GDS with eviivo, then speak to one of our expert consultants to get started.