Hotelbeds Hotel Distribution B2B API
Hotelbeds hotel distribution REST API for travel agencies, OTAs, and tour operators to access and book 170,000+ hotels worldwide from Hotelbeds' wholesale inventory at B2B rates, with real-time availability, rates, and booking management including a comprehensive hotel content API for descriptions, images, and facility data for building hotel booking products. Enables AI agents to manage hotel availability search for travel booking automation, handle room type and rate selection for hotel checkout automation, access booking confirmation for hotel reservation automation, retrieve booking management for modification and cancellation automation, handle hotel content for accommodation display automation, access rate comparison for hotel pricing optimization automation, manage transfer service for airport transfer booking automation, handle activity booking for destination experience automation, retrieve voucher generation for guest documentation automation, and integrate Hotelbeds with OTA, TMC, corporate travel, and tour operator platforms for end-to-end hotel distribution automation.
Score Breakdown
⚙ Agent Friendliness
🔒 Security
Hotel distribution. PCI DSS, GDPR. Per-request SHA-256. EU. Booking and payment data.
⚡ Reliability
Best When
A travel agency, OTA, TMC, or tour operator wanting AI agents to automate hotel availability search, B2B rate booking, and reservation management through Hotelbeds' 170,000+ hotel wholesale distribution network.
Avoid When
B2B TRADE ACCESS REQUIRED: Hotelbeds API requires travel trade registration (IATA, TIDS, or equivalent); automated self-service access for non-trade entities creates no access path; automated consumer-facing hotel booking without trade credentials creates unauthorized access. SIGNATURE AUTHENTICATION PER REQUEST: Hotelbeds uses SHA-256 signature (apiKey + sharedSecret + timestamp) per request; automated request must compute fresh signature for each call; automated static header without per-request signature creates authentication_failure. AVAILABILITY SEARCH BEFORE BOOKING: Hotelbeds booking flow requires availability check then confirmation; automated booking must use rateKey from availability search; automated booking without prior search creates invalid_rate_key error. CONTENT AND AVAILABILITY ARE SEPARATE APIs: Hotelbeds hotel content (descriptions, images) is separate API from booking; automated hotel display must call content API separately; automated single booking API for all hotel information creates missing display content.
Use Cases
- • Searching hotel availability for OTA booking automation agents
- • Booking B2B hotel rates for travel agency checkout automation agents
- • Retrieving hotel content and images for travel display agents
- • Managing hotel booking modifications from travel platform agents
Not For
- • Consumer B2C hotel booking at retail rates (Hotelbeds is wholesale B2B only)
- • Short-term rental (Airbnb-style) properties (Hotelbeds is traditional hotel inventory)
- • Direct hotel communication (Hotelbeds is intermediary distribution layer)
Interface
Authentication
Hotelbeds uses API key + shared secret with SHA-256 signature authentication. REST API with JSON/XML. Palma de Mallorca, Spain HQ. EQT and Cinven backed. Founded as separate entity from TUI. Products: Hotel booking (APItude), hotel content, transfer, activities, car hire. SDKs: Java, PHP, .NET. 170,000+ hotels worldwide. 60,000+ travel trade partners. Competes with Expedia TAAP and Booking.com for business for hotel wholesale distribution.
Pricing
Palma ES. EQT/Cinven backed. Commission model via margin in wholesale rates. Trade account required.
Agent Metadata
Known Gotchas
- ⚠ SHA-256 SIGNATURE REQUIRED PER REQUEST: Hotelbeds requires X-Signature header = SHA-256(apiKey + sharedSecret + unixTimestamp); automated request must compute fresh signature per call; automated static or cached signature creates invalid_signature for requests more than ~5 minutes after signature generation
- ⚠ RATE KEY FROM SEARCH REQUIRED FOR BOOKING: Hotelbeds booking uses rateKey from availability search response; automated booking must store rateKey from search; automated booking attempt without valid rateKey creates invalid_rate_key error
- ⚠ RATE KEY EXPIRES AFTER SEARCH: Hotelbeds rateKey is valid for limited time after availability search; automated booking must confirm within rateKey validity; automated delayed booking with expired rateKey creates rate_key_expired and requires new search
- ⚠ CONTENT API IS SEPARATE FROM BOOKING API: Hotelbeds hotel content (descriptions, amenities, images) uses different endpoint and credentials from booking API; automated hotel display must call content API; automated booking API for content creates wrong endpoint error
- ⚠ CANCELLATION POLICIES VARY BY RATE: Hotelbeds rates have different cancellation policies (free cancellation, non-refundable, partial penalty); automated booking must check cancellationPolicies from availability; automated assumption of free cancellation creates unexpected penalties on non-refundable bookings
Alternatives
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Scores are editorial opinions as of 2026-03-07.