Hotel API
HotelBeds and RateHawk API Integration for OTA Hotel Engines
Combine global hotel inventory, real-time rates, and room mapping in one engine
By Project OTA | 25 Aug, 2026 | 8 min read
Integrating HotelBeds and RateHawk APIs into your OTA hotel engine delivers millions of accommodation options globally with competitive net rates and flexible room mapping.
Why OTAs combine HotelBeds and RateHawk APIs
For online travel agencies (OTAs) building a competitive hotel booking engine, reliance on a single accommodation provider leads to inventory gaps and higher room rates. HotelBeds is a world leader in B2B bedbank distribution, offering deep contracting in Europe, the Americas, and resort destinations.
RateHawk (Emerging Travel Group) is a rapidly growing B2B hotel supplier known for exceptional rates across Europe, Asia, the Middle East, and niche independent properties. By integrating both HotelBeds APItude and RateHawk APIs, OTAs achieve broader room availability, better rate parity, and higher gross margins.
Hotel mapping and deduplication architecture
When querying multiple hotel aggregators for the same city (e.g. London or Dubai), both HotelBeds and RateHawk will return rates for the same physical property. Without a mapping engine, your search results will show duplicate hotel listings, confusing users.
A robust OTA hotel system includes a Hotel Content Mapping layer. This service ingests static hotel metadata (GIATA IDs, hotel name, latitude/longitude, address) and merges duplicate offers into a single master hotel profile on your site, attaching room offers from both suppliers under that profile.
The 3-step hotel booking API workflow
Hotel booking APIs follow a strict three-step transaction pattern to ensure price integrity and avoid rate changes during checkout: 1) Availability Search, 2) Rate Recheck / Valuation, and 3) Booking Confirmation.
During Availability Search, your backend queries HotelBeds (`/hotel-api/1.0/hotels`) and RateHawk (`/api/b2b/v2/search/serp/hotels/`) in parallel. When a user selects a room, your system calls Rate Recheck to lock the room rate and retrieve strict cancellation deadlines before taking payment. Finally, the Booking API call creates the confirmed reservation and returns voucher details.
Handling cancellation policies, meal plans, and markups
Hotel APIs provide detailed cancellation rules (e.g. Non-refundable vs Free cancellation until a specific date) and room attributes (Room only, Bed & Breakfast, Half Board, All Inclusive). Your backend must store these policy dates and present them clearly on customer vouchers.
Your B2B/B2C admin panel should allow dynamic markup management. You can configure percentage or fixed markups by supplier, destination, star rating, or agent tier, allowing you to optimize profitability for every hotel booking.
Building a scalable hotel booking platform
To handle high search volume without overloading API limits, implement intelligent caching for static content (hotel photos, amenities, room descriptions) and use Redis for fast session handling. Keep real-time availability and rate rechecks un-cached to guarantee pricing accuracy.
Project OTA designs production-grade hotel engines connecting HotelBeds, RateHawk, WebBeds, and Stuba into unified, high-converting B2C portals and B2B agent dashboards.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I integrate both HotelBeds and RateHawk into the same booking engine?
Yes! Combining HotelBeds and RateHawk using a multi-supplier normalization and hotel mapping layer allows you to show the lowest room rate available across suppliers for every hotel.
How do cancellation policies work in HotelBeds and RateHawk?
Both APIs return detailed cancellation windows with cutoff timestamps. Your booking engine parses these to show clear 'Free Cancellation until [Date]' indicators to travelers and enforce automated cancellation rules in your admin back-office.
Does HotelBeds or RateHawk provide instant confirmation vouchers?
Yes. Both HotelBeds APItude and RateHawk return immediate confirmation numbers and downloadable voucher metadata upon successful booking API completion.
Key Takeaways
- HotelBeds APItude and RateHawk APIs offer global coverage across 1M+ hotels and properties.
- Room and hotel deduplication (mapping) is essential for combining multiple hotel aggregators.
- Manage real-time availability checks, meal plans, cancellation policies, and net-rate markups.
Project OTA builds custom hotel booking engines integrated with HotelBeds, RateHawk, and global bedbanks — complete with hotel mapping, dynamic markup rules, and automated voucher generation.
Talk to Project OTA