Guestcentric - GDS - Global Distribution System
Global Distribution System - GDS by GuestCentric
Drive corporate travel success
Increase bookings and maximize revenue with GuestCentric's service-driven GDS platform, designed to connect your property with the right corporate travel programs.
Frequently Asked Questions About GDS
1. What is a GDS?
A Global Distribution System (GDS) is a centralized platform that allows travel agents and other travel professionals to search, book, and manage travel services, such as hotel rooms, flights, and car rentals, in real time. Originally developed in the 1960s, the GDS remains a vital tool for global hotel distribution, especially for accessing business and international travelers.
2. What is a GDS used for in travel?
GDSs power billions of travel bookings each year, primarily through travel agencies and Travel Management Companies (TMCs). These systems are widely used for corporate and leisure travel. By connecting to a GDS, hotels gain visibility among high-value travelers and can boost occupancy and average daily rate (ADR).
3. How does the GDS deliver hotel bookings?
Hotels connect to the GDS via a channel manager. Live availability and rates are shared with the GDS in real time, enabling agents to book rooms directly. When a booking is made, the reservation details are instantly sent to the PMS, and inventory is updated across all distribution channels - avoiding overbookings and ensuring data accuracy.
4. Who books through a GDS?
GDS bookings are made by travel agents - either online or in physical offices - on behalf of clients. These bookings are most common among corporate travelers, who benefit from booking flights, hotels, and transportation all in one system.
5. How do travel agencies get paid?
Travel agencies earn commissions on bookings made through the GDS. At GuestCentric, we partner with Onyx CenterSource, a leading commission payment provider. Onyx collects booking data from hotels, generates remittance notices, and ensures that commissions are accurately and promptly paid to travel agencies.
6. How does the hotel get paid in GDS?
For regular (non-negotiated) GDS bookings, hotels typically receive a virtual or actual credit card at the time of reservation. The hotel is expected to pre-authorize or charge the card before guest arrival to confirm validity and secure payment.
For negotiated or corporate rates, payment terms vary - some bookings may be invoiced directly to the company, while others use virtual payment agreements defined in advance.
7. What are the top GDS providers?
The major GDS platforms include Amadeus, Sabre, and Travelport. GuestCentric connects hotels to all leading GDS networks through one central platform, simplifying management, automating inventory, and providing integrated support.
8. How much does it cost to use a GDS?
The cost of using a Global Distribution System (GDS) typically includes four components:
- GDS transaction fee – a fixed per-booking fee (usually around $10), charged by the GDS provider.
- GuestCentric service commission – a small fee per booking to cover the platform’s support and infrastructure.
- Monthly maintenance fee – a minimal recurring fee to maintain connectivity and service.
- Travel agent commission – a configurable commission paid to the booking travel agent, usually between 8–12%.
With GuestCentric, GDS access is included as part of our complete hotel marketing and booking suite. Altogether, this makes the GDS a cost-effective and scalable distribution channel. More importantly, it connects you with top-producing travel agencies—experienced professionals who are incentivized to upsell and cross-sell, helping you drive higher-value bookings. This total cost structure is often significantly lower than OTA commissions, which typically range from 18–20%.
9. Is connecting to a GDS still relevant today?
Yes. While direct bookings and OTAs are important, the GDS remains a key distribution channel - especially for reaching corporate and international travelers. It helps diversify your hotel’s revenue streams and expand your reach to markets you might not access otherwise.
10. What types of travelers book through the GDS?
Mainly corporate travelers, travel groups, and international guests booking through travel agencies or TMCs (Travel Management Companies). These travelers often book higher-value stays and make reservations well in advance, making them a valuable segment for hotels. In recent years, there has also been a notable rise in luxury leisure travelers using travel advisors to curate exclusive, high-end experiences. These bookings frequently come through the GDS as part of luxury programs, further increasing the importance of being visible on this channel.
11. Can independent hotels benefit from the GDS?
Absolutely. With GuestCentric, even boutique and independent hotels can tap into the global power of the GDS. The platform makes setup and management simple, allowing smaller properties to compete for corporate and agency-driven bookings.
12. Can I sell different rate types or packages on the GDS?
Yes. Hotels can load a variety of rate plans into the GDS - including BAR, non-refundable, corporate rates, and value-added packages like breakfast or late checkout. This gives agents more flexibility to match traveler preferences.
13. How long does it take to connect to a GDS?
With GuestCentric, setup can be completed in just a few weeks, depending on how quickly rate plans and content are prepared. The GuestCentric team provides full support during onboarding and ensures your hotel is ready to go live.
14. What’s the difference between a GDS and an OTA?
OTAs (like Booking.com) sell directly to consumers and often charge higher commissions. GDSs are used by travel agents to book on behalf of clients, usually at lower commission rates. GDS bookings also tend to be longer lead, higher value, and often repeat.
15. Can I track GDS performance and bookings?
Yes. GuestCentric provides reporting tools that allow you to monitor your GDS production, top-performing agencies, booking trends, and more - helping you optimize your strategy and maximize ROI.
16. What is a negotiated rate in the GDS?
A negotiated rate in the GDS context refers to a special rate agreement between a hotel and a specific company or travel agency. These rates are typically pre-arranged, discounted, and only visible to authorized bookers—such as corporate travel managers or designated agency partners.
Negotiated rates often include additional perks (like breakfast, free Wi-Fi, or flexible cancellation) and are designed to encourage volume bookings from a specific client. They are usually set up with unique rate access codes (RACs) in the GDS to ensure that only eligible users can view and book them.
These rates are not public and do not appear on OTAs or standard GDS searches unless the correct access code is used.
17. What is a Consortia?
A consortia in the travel industry is a network or group of travel agencies that band together to gain greater buying power, share marketing resources, and access exclusive hotel rates and perks. Hotels often establish negotiated rates with consortia to attract bookings from their large, trusted pool of vetted travel advisors.
These rates are typically available only to travel agents within the consortium and may include value-added benefits like free breakfast, upgrades, or flexible cancellation—designed to attract high-value, repeat travelers, especially in the corporate and luxury segments.
Examples of major travel consortia:
- American Express Travel – Includes exclusive programs like the Fine Hotels & Resorts Collection, offering benefits to Amex cardholders.
- BCD Travel – A large global corporate travel management company.
- HRG (Hogg Robinson Group) – Now part of American Express Global Business Travel, it was known for its extensive corporate travel solutions.
- Radius Travel – A global network of corporate travel agencies focused on multinational clients.
18. How can I sign up for a Consortia?
To participate in a consortia program, hotels typically need to sign up directly with the consortia and pay an annual participation fee, though some programs may offer free enrollment options. This typically includes submitting a hotel profile, offering a negotiated rate with added value, and ensuring proper GDS connectivity. Once approved, your hotel will be visible to the consortia’s network of travel advisors through a unique rate access code.
19. What are the requirements for joining the GDS?
While specific requirements can vary slightly by GDS provider, there are some common baseline criteria that hotels should meet to ensure approval and maximize performance:
- Minimum ADR of $150 USD.
- At least 15 rooms.
- 3-star rating or higher.
- Primarily business or corporate travel clients.
- Leisure properties are considered when targeting luxury travelers or located in key destinations.
- Preferred locations include city centers, retail parks, business hubs, or areas near major airports.
Meeting these criteria helps ensure your property is well-positioned for success within the GDS network and attracts the right travel agency partners.
20. How does GuestCentric provide support?
GuestCentric provides dedicated support not only during onboarding but also continuously afterward—an essential service in the hotel industry, where staff turnover is common. As team members change, newcomers may not be familiar with critical tasks like rate loading, availability updates, or managing the GDS channel. Our ongoing support ensures your team always has the guidance needed to keep your distribution running smoothly and your revenue optimized.
21. How can hotels track GDS performance with GuestCentric?
With GuestCentric, tracking GDS performance is seamless. The platform treats GDS as just another distribution channel—so if you're using our channel manager, you'll see the same intuitive dashboards and metrics you already use for your website and OTAs. This unified view makes it easy to monitor bookings, revenue, conversion, and other key KPIs across all channels in one place, helping you make smarter, data-driven decisions.