Guides

Learn about how to get started with our products, common concepts you may hear in the travel industry, and other guides to help you along the way.

 

Content Services for Lodging (CSL)

New! CSL APIs offer industry-leading normalization at room and rate levels to compare like-for-like products across sources. Learn more through our Product Normalization Developer Guidelines and Frequently Asked Questions. 

New! A new HotelSearchRQ API supports location resolution in a number of way, along with content filtering such as specific amenities or property types and returns a list of matching properties very quickly, the results of which can then be used to conduct individual shopping searches per matched property.  SOAP | REST

New! A new version of Create Passenger Name Record API and a new Update Passenger Name Record API in support of stateless workflows.

Important! On June 24, 2019, Sabre released Content Services for Lodging, a new set of lodging APIs, on Sabre Dev Studio. Enhance your booking tool with the value that Content Services for Lodging delivers, including:

  • More Content: Integrating over a million lodging property and rate options from GDS and aggregator sources such as Booking.com, Bedsonline, and Expedia Partner Solutions through modern, more flexible APIs, allowing you to compare rates from different sources side-by-side
  • New Search and Preferencing Capabilities: Delivering enhanced capabilities such as polygon searching and agency preferencing, enabling new shopping experiences and more efficient workflows
  • Product Normalization: Supporting attribute-based rate comparison across content sources allowing your agents and travelers to easily and efficiently find the best rate that meets their needs 
  • Modern APIs: Offering a modern set of SOAP/XML and REST/JSON APIs; leveraging improved data structures and supported by robust documentation

A Developer migration guide is available here to support transitioning from the existing Sabre hotel webservices to Content Services for Lodging.

 

Accessing Aggregator Content

The API client / agency can decide from which supply sources they wish to access content.  GDS chain content is available by default through Content Services for Lodging. 
Agreements with aggregators are required prior to accessing their content through Content Services for Lodging.  In some cases, specific products and negotiated content and / or travel agency commissions will be available. 

More information can be found here.

 

Workflow Integration

To provide flexibility, two types of APIs are available through Content Services for Lodging:

  • Orchestrated APIs which support the most common workflows for shopping and booking properties through fewer requests
  • Granular APIs which power the orchestrated APIs. Using the granular APIs, a developer can integrate content into their workflow, allowing for a more customized experience

    The typical user flow for searching and booking a property is:
Typical Content Services for Lodging workflow

The orchestrated APIs directly support this user flow allowing a developer to integrate Content Services for Lodging into their workflow very quickly and easily.

Orchestrated APIs

The list of orchestrated APIs which support the typical user flow is:

Step User Action Orchestrated API Optional/Mandatory
1 Search GetHotelAvail Optional*
2 Refine GetHotelDetails Optional*
3 Review HotelPriceCheck Mandatory
4 Reserve EnhancedHotelBook or CreatePNR or
UpdateReservation		 Mandatory
5 Retrieve GetRes or TravelItineraryRead Optional
6 Cancel UpdateReservation Optional

* a request to at least GetHotelAvail or GetHotelDetails must be made prior to HotelPriceCheck

Additional information including a Postman collection, supported OTA Codes, details on error messages and other information can be found here. 

 

Search - GetHotelAvail SOAP | REST

When requesting the GetHotelAvail API, the client will receive a structured response which will include a list of property names, basic property information, lead price including any negotiated or contractual rates, product information and a hotel image.

The API comes with several powerful filters and sort capabilities including:

  • the ability to return the lead rate for a property from all supply sources including aggregators, or returning a single lead rate across supply sources
  • requesting availability for an area / neighborhood within a city / town, limiting the search to only the properties which fall within the the polygon specified in the request
  • date range, rate range, property rating, prepay / postpaid and chains brands or supply sources and others

TIP: Use the RateKey to uniquely identify each product/rate.  RateKey can be used as the input to HotelPriceCheck API.

 

Refine - GetHotelDetails SOAP | REST

When requesting the GetHotelDetails API, the client will receive a structured response which includes all the product and rate information at the requested property from each of the supply sources specified, including the rate and product description, availability, commission, payment, guarantee, cancellation, rate change over stay, board basis, value adds / inclusions, loyalty indicator.

TIP: Use the RateKey to uniquely identify each product/rate.  RateKey can be used as the input to HotelPriceCheck API.

 

Review - HotelPriceCheck SOAP | REST

Before proceeding with booking the selected rate (product) at the property through the selected supply source, the API client needs to validate that the rate is still available and have the ability to review the information regarding the rate such as guarantee and accepted payment information.  The response includes a Booking Key, which is mandatory for a booking request.

TIP: Use the RateKey returned in GetHotelAvail or GetHotelDetails as the input parameter to the HotelPriceCheck API to obtain the Booking Key.

 

Reserve – EnhancedHotelBook SOAP only

The Enhanced Hotel Book API (EnhancedHotelBookRQ) facilitates the booking of both traditional GDS hotel content as well as lodging aggregator content.  This new service provides functionality to enable booking of hotel lodging content using the BookingKey obtained in the HotelPriceCheck response and provides a choice to the point of sale when booking GDS content on creating a legacy segment or a Content Services for Lodging segment.  Aggregator content can be booked using the Content Services for Lodging segment.  In addition to the API details, a user guide is available.

TIP: This service can be used to shop Content Services for Lodging and then book GDS content as a legacy segment whilst mid and back office changes are made to your solutions.


Reserve – CreateReservation SOAP only

This step allows the API client to create a PNR (Passenger Name Record) and to submit the guest and payment information for the selected product and any other information that is required for booking.  This is part one of a two step booking process (Initiate).  After the response is received, the client must use UpdateReservation to either commit or ignore the booking.

TIP: Use the BookingKey returned from HotelPriceCheck API as the input to CreateReservation (plus other booking criteria)

 

Reserve – UpdateReservation - SOAP only

This step allows the API client to book (Commit) the selected rate (product) using details from CreateReservation.

The booking is made with the supply source and a Sabre PNR is created.  The booking response includes the PNR Locator and the confirmation number from the supply source. 

UpdateRes can also be used to create a PNR, allowing customers to use one booking service rather than two.

TIP: Use the BookingKey returned from HotelPriceCheck API as the input to UpdateReservation (plus other booking criteria)

 

Reserve – Create Passenger Name Record SOAP | REST

This booking option allows an API client to create the booking and the PNR in one step with the specified supply source.  The booking response includes the PNR Locator, and the confirmation number from the supply source.   

TIP: Use the BookingKey returned from HotelPriceCheck API as the input to CreatePassengerNameRecord (plus other booking criteria)

 

Reserve – Update Passenger Name Record SOAP | REST

This booking option allows an API client to to add bookings into existing reservations.

TIP: Use the BookingKey returned from HotelPriceCheck API as the input to UpdatePassengerNameRecord (plus other booking criteria)

 

Retrieve – GetReservation SOAP only or TravelItineraryRead SOAP only

If the API client wants to view the information about a previously made booking, the GetReservation API and TravelItineraryRead API provide all information about the booking including the Sabre PNR, Supplier confirmation number and other booking details such as stay dates, property, rate, inclusions and cancellation penalties.


Cancel – UpdateReservation SOAP only

UpdateReservation API is used to cancel the reservation at the supply source and the segment in the Sabre PNR. The response will include the Supplier Cancellation Details, the updated booking status and the original confirmation number.

 

HotelSearch SOAP | REST

Hotel Search API supports location resolution in a number of ways, along with content filtering such as specific amenities or property types and returns a list of matching properties very quickly, the results of which can then be used to conduct individual shopping searches per matched property.

 

Granular APIs

The granular APIs are more specific services that focus on a smaller set of content that can be used for integration into a more customized workflow.

 

GeoSearch SOAP | REST

Identify properties that fall within a given geographic search location using a radius or a neighborhood search.  This API returns the information about what properties are within a location only.
 

Geo Autocomplete REST only

Use the full word or substring across all locations to match against a geographic search query. API returns an on-the-fly list of up to 30 of the most relevant location predictions to aid the user in selecting a desired place with location type.


GeoSearch SOAP | REST

Identify properties that fall within a given geographic search location using a radius or a neighborhood search.  This API returns the information about what properties are within a location only.


GetHotelLeadRate SOAP | REST

Obtain the lowest priced product (room/rate) from requested supply sources based on stay criteria including stay dates, occupancy and other criteria for a series of properties.  Additional optional criteria to support specific negotiated and contractual rates, other rate types and other product filters.  Lowest available rate will be returned per property or from each supply source per property.

 

GetHotelRateInfo SOAP | REST

Access all products / rates from the requested property for both GDS suppliers and aggregators based on stay criteria including stay dates, occupancy and other optional criteria including specific negotiated and contractual rates, other rate types and product filters.

 

Property Name Autocomplete REST only

The Property Name Autocomplete API returns a list of closely-matching properties for a text-based hotel name search. Powered by the Content Services for Lodging (CSL) platform, this API returns an on-the-fly list of up to five (5) of the most relevant property predictions to aid travelers in selecting their desired property.

 

GetHotelList SOAP | REST

Provides a list of properties, together with limited descriptive details of each property, according to the search criteria entered. The search parameters include Global Property ID, Name, Brand Codes, Chain Codes, Amenity Codes, Property Type Codes and Sabre Property Rating. Up to 5,000 properties can be requested.

 

GetHotelMedia SOAP | REST

Used to obtain all the visual content (urls) for up to 50 property ID’s, including image category and suggested display order in multiple sizes

 

GetHotelImage SOAP | REST

Used to obtain a single (leading) image for up to 300 property ID's, in multiple sizes

 

GetHotelContent SOAP | REST

Used to obtain descriptive and visual content information for specific properties. Descriptive content includes hotel name, chain, property attributes and amenities, hotel policy, location and area information, facilities information, contact information in addition to image urls, category and in multiple sizes

 

GetHotelDescriptiveInfo SOAP | REST

Used to request descriptive content for specific properties. Descriptive content includes hotel name, chain, property attributes and amenities, hotel policy, room description, location and area information, facilities information, contact information and more.

HotelSearch SOAP | REST

Used to provide multiple location resolution methods (including polygon search) to search and retrieve matching property content that does not contain availability.

Additional utility APIs

 

Resources

Need more support on integrating Content Services for Lodging into your workflow? Check out the below resources for more information.

Content Services for Lodging Deep Dive Part 1: Getting Availability
https://blog.developer.sabre.com/blog/2019/06/27/content-services-lodging-deep-dive-part-1-getting-availability/

Content Services for Lodging Deep Dive Part 2: Getting Details
https://blog.developer.sabre.com/blog/2019/07/09/content-services-lodging-deep-dive-part-2-getting-details/

Content Services for Lodging Deep Dive Part 3: Checking Prices
https://blog.developer.sabre.com/blog/2019/07/11/content-services-lodging-deep-dive-part-3-checking-prices/

Looking at Lodging APIs Part 1: Why We Built Them and How You Might See Them
https://blog.developer.sabre.com/blog/2019/06/20/looking-lodging-apis-part-1-built-might-see/
 
Looking at Lodging APIs Part 2: What You Can Do with Them and Looking Forward
https://blog.developer.sabre.com/blog/2019/06/24/looking-lodging-apis-part-2-can-looking-forward/

Shopping, Pricing and Booking in an authorized branch location (PCC) in CSL 

https://developer.sabre.com/ShoppingPricingBookinginPCCinCSL


Sample Apps: