339
7 minutes readContents
- ETG’s 15th anniversary
- “What supercharges travel professionals” RateHawk global research
- New hotel page design
- Selections into Quotes update
- Smart rates alternatives
- Insurance upgrade for car rental on the booking form
- Gross payment option for car rentals
- ZentrumHub case study
- TravClan case study
- Upsells documentation
- IFTM in Paris
Brand news
ETG’s 15th anniversary
This year, Emerging Travel Group (ETG) marks 15 years of innovation and growth. To celebrate, we launched the interactive “Travel Through Time” project — a digital journey through the history of hospitality that also highlights ETG’s own milestones along the way.
From ancient inns to today’s cutting-edge accommodations, the timeline reveals how travel has evolved while spotlighting the progress of ETG’s brands, including RateHawk. Explore the hidden facts tucked into hotel rooms across the landing page and discover how far we’ve come since our very first service — hotel bookings.
“What supercharges travel professionals” RateHawk global research
In honor of World Tourism Day on September 27, we pause to recognize the travel industry’s transformative impact. This year’s theme, “Tourism and Sustainable Transformation,” highlights how travel can drive growth while addressing challenges such as climate change and social well-being.
To explore these insights and discover what lies ahead for travel professionals, read the full article.
Product launches and updates
New hotel page design
We’ve redesigned the hotel page to help you assess a property more quickly and make informed decisions with less scrolling. Key details now surface at the top so you can see if it’s a good fit for your clients — at a glance.
What’s new
- Key info at the top: Guest reviews, popular amenities, and nearby places are now immediately visible for quick context.
- Amenities made smarter: A refreshed layout, a “Popular” block, photo previews for specific amenities, and green highlights for amenities that match your selected filters.
- Faster decisions: With essentials grouped upfront, you can evaluate options quickly and move forward with confidence.
Why it matters
Less digging, more doing — the new layout brings the right signals (amenities, location cues, real reviews) to the top so you can match properties to client needs faster.
Availability
The updated design is live on the web (desktop and mobile) and is not yet available in the mobile app.
Selections into Quotes update
Selections are now called Quotes — the same powerful functionality, now with a clearer, more intuitive title. Our research showed that “Quotes” makes it easier for partners to understand and navigate the tool.
With its new look, improved settings, and real-time price updates, Quotes helps you share tailored hotel offers more confidently and secure bookings faster — all while boosting your productivity.
Smart rates alternatives
Booking is now more reliable with the launch of smart rates alternatives. If a selected rate becomes unavailable during the process, the system automatically suggests the closest available rate with the same travel search options — hotel, room category, and dates.
What’s new
- Automatic alternatives: Similar rates appear instantly if your first choice becomes unavailable.
- Seamless flow: Dates and guest details remain the same, so you can continue straight to paymen.
- Standard commission and payment: Your usual commission applies, and the payment method remains unchanged (card details can be updated if needed).
- No setup needed: This feature is already live — no activation or request required.
Why it matters
Smart rates alternatives prevents booking resets and helps you keep the flow smooth — saving time and ensuring clients don’t miss out.
Insurance upgrade for car rental on the booking form
Car rental insurance just got more flexible. When you select a basic excess plan, you’ll now see upgrade options right on the booking form — making it easy to compare coverage levels side by side and choose the best fit.
The upgrade gives you and your clients more choice, better protection, and added confidence — all without leaving the booking flow.
Gross payment option for car rentals
Now you can book car rentals by charging the client’s card the full amount, including your commission, which will then be refunded to you under your agreement.
API updates
Content API update
The new RateHawk Content API is a lightweight RESTful service designed to streamline the retrieval and maintenance of static hotel data — no bulky dumps or manual setup required.
The Content API reduces processing time, streamlines workflows for dev teams, and ensures your system always has accurate, up-to-date hotel content.
ZentrumHub case study
RateHawk partnered with travel tech innovator ZentrumHub to accelerate integrations and fuel international growth. The partnership delivered substantial returns to ZentrumHub, validating the strategic alignment and powerful technology.
TravClan case study
TravClan, a global B2B travel platform, partnered with RateHawk to enhance accommodation offerings and streamline integrations. The collaboration strengthened TravClan’s market position and continues to evolve with shared plans for broader coverage, dynamic pricing, and enriched content.
API documentation updates
Upsells documentation
Upsells such as early check-in and late check-out have long been supported in the RateHawk Booking API. Now, our API documentation has been enhanced with detailed guidance on how to integrate these extra services more easily and effectively.
What’s new
- Clear instructions: Request and specify early check-in, late check-out, or both, with customizable time options.
- Smarter filtering: Show only rates that include upsell services in your search results.
- Precise delivery: Pass unique upsell and rule IDs during booking for accurate service handling.
- Practical examples: Follow step-by-step use cases to tailor upsell offers to client needs.
Why it matters
With richer documentation, implementing upsells is simpler — helping you enhance the customer experience while creating new revenue opportunities.
Explore the upsells documentation
Events and exhibitions
Our hawks were on the move this quarter, connecting with partners, sharing insights, and soaking up the energy of the travel community at events around the world.
IFTM in Paris
The highlight was IFTM in Paris, held at Paris Expo Porte de Versailles. Over three dynamic days, we met with partners, showcased our latest updates, and shared strategies to help supercharge their travel businesses.
Alongside this major exhibition, we were thrilled to connect with partners at other fantastic events, including:
- A magical evening under the Acropolis in Athens, Greece
- A rooftop terrace “Afterwork by RateHawk” in Málaga, Spain
- Our first top agents event in Cape Town, South Africa
- The NANTA Lagos Chapter Meeting in Nigeria
- The “USA Experts meets Starlight Express” event in Bochum, Germany
- The annual Sommerstammtisch by Deutscher Reisering in Berlin, Germany
- The LMX Beach Party in Berlin, Germany
- A team-building adventure in Paris for our German sales hawks
- A gathering of our CENAM team in Bogotá
- The TVG Reiseland Convention in El Gouna
We’re grateful for the opportunity to meet so many of you in person this quarter and look forward to creating more connections, conversations, and collaborations in the months ahead!
Looking ahead
RateHawk has had an incredible third quarter, filled with exciting product launches, API enhancements, and inspiring events worldwide. Thank you for being part of this journey with us — your partnership drives everything we do.
As we move into Q4, we’re ready to keep the momentum going with more updates, opportunities, and connections to help you supercharge your business.
