In early 2022, Cendyn and Pegasus successfully completed a merger, bringing together years of technological innovation within the hospitality industry. Pegasus CRS was created by hoteliers, for hoteliers, so it was designed to be intuitive for hotel staff and leaders. The Pegasus system is built for users who manage availability, rates, and inventory for hotels, which is most likely the property’s revenue management team, or perhaps a general manager or operations manager at a smaller property.

Pegasus CRS distributes a hotel’s rates, availability, and inventory to various sales channels. In this way, the CRS acts as the “brain” of the hotel’s distribution strategy, while the channels are the “body parts” with a wide reach. Channel management software is similar to a CRS in that it passes rates and availability to third-party channels and then sends reservations back to the PMS. However, a CRS offers additional levels of control and modifications that a channel manager cannot provide. With these limitations, a channel manager can work well for smaller hotels or properties with less complex rate strategies; however, larger hotels and resorts with sophisticated revenue management needs can see significant benefits by switching to a CRS.

So, what exactly does Pegasus CRS do? Let’s look at the key features Pegasus CRS offers for rate and availability management. On the rate management side, Pegasus CRS provides several impactful ways to control and adjust pricing strategies.

• Pricing rules: Hoteliers can use pricing rules to configure settings such as booking windows, blackout dates, minimum and maximum length of stay, and descriptive fields for various rate plans. For example, hotels might run seasonal discounts during specific date ranges, and those discounts can be managed within the rate plan. 

• Dynamic rate rules: Revenue managers can build dynamic pricing rules to run promotions on top of rate plans and fine-tune targeting criteria, such as geographic conditions, device type (i.e., mobile-only promotions), booking window, and more.

• Rate plan marketing tools: Additional marketing tools like scarcity messaging and images are also available in the rate plan interface. Revenue managers can add snippets of text to encourage guests to complete their bookings or highlight value-adds that make the rate plan more compelling.

• Rate grid: In other platforms, obtaining a holistic view of the hotel's availability on a single screen can be challenging, and require users to navigate separate documents and applications. In contrast, the interactive Pegasus CRS rate grid provides a comprehensive overview of a hotel's availability. It enables revenue managers to directly manage and promptly update data within the CRS, as well as view and edit rates for a specific date range, and view rates pulled from the PMS or channel manager. The rate grid interface offers an intuitive design for revenue managers who are accustomed to working with Excel spreadsheets. It includes details such as rates, inventory, and yield controls (CTA, CTD, MLOS, etc.), providing a comprehensive view not found in other CRS solutions on the market. Revenue managers may also refer to the rate grid to close out discounts or make rate adjustments during compression dates.

• Rate plan tags: This handy feature allows revenue managers to bucket rate plans with similar pricing strategies to make quick changes and make bulk changes to all rate plans that fall into that tier. For instance, a revenue manager might tag all advanced purchase rate plans as “Tier 3,” including direct and OTA advance purchase rate plans, so they can close all these rate plans at the same time.

• Chain functionality: For revenue managers who manage several properties, Pegasus CRS offers chain-level features that create standardization and make updates across multiple properties’ rate plans, enabling portfolio-wide control.

• Real-time rate updates across distribution channels: Pegasus CRS pushes rate modifications to the booking engine, GDS, and third-party distribution channels. Pegasus CRS has a robust direct connection to Expedia, Booking.com and Agoda (major OTA distributors), as well as strong connectivity to other distribution partners and channel managers to satisfy and expand customer reach.

In addition to rate management, users can manage availability strategies within the Pegasus CRS dashboard.

• Inventory control and allocation: When building rate plans, users can derive inventory rules from BAR or set unique inventory counts for the given rate plan, preventing that plan from selling more rooms than intended.

• Seamless integration with property management systems: Pegasus CRS offers full integrations with leading PMSs such as HMS, Opera, LMS and Stayntouch.

• Direct connections to Booking.com, Agoda, and Expedia: Hotels that use Pegasus CRS don’t need to rely on a channel manager to push availability, rates, and inventory to the big OTAs. Pegasus CRS offers a robust direct connection that eliminates the need for an additional connectivity solution and keeps pricing and availability up to date.

Automated updates and notifications: Revenue managers can set automated thresholds to close rate plans or send notifications that eliminate the need for manual adjustments or checking.

Hoteliers can enjoy three main benefits when using Cendyn’s Pegasus CRS: streamlined operations, enhanced revenue management, and higher booking conversion. Pegasus CRS makes rate and availability management much more efficient, especially for hotels that work with multiple channels. By automating much of the manual work involved with setting and managing pricing strategies, Pegasus CRS can save team members valuable time while also reducing the risk of manual errors.

Pegasus CRS shows everything a revenue manager wants to see all at once, including rates, availability, and restrictions. Pegasus CRS can enhance revenue management performance by unlocking more sophisticated pricing strategies and optimizing revenue, with additional tools available to achieve higher RevPAR. Plus, Pegasus CRS offers robust real-time insights and analytics so revenue teams can make better-informed decisions.

That said, revenue managers aren’t the only ones to benefit from using Pegasus CRS - guests can also enjoy a smoother and more satisfying booking experience. Not only can guests browse more compelling rate options and marketing descriptions, but they can book with confidence knowing that availability, rates, and inventory are accurate and up to date.

The rate grid interface within Pegasus CRS is ideal for revenue managers who are accustomed to working with Excel spreadsheets. The user-friendly interface provides a familiar and intuitive experience, allowing revenue managers to easily navigate and understand the system. The rate grid interface displays crucial details such as rates, inventory, and yield controls (such as CTA, CTD, MLOS, etc.), giving revenue managers a comprehensive view of their pricing strategies for more efficient management based on the information presented.

Pegasus CRS also offers chain functionality that simplifies the standardization and updates of rate plans across multiple properties within a hotel chain or portfolio. Revenue managers can easily implement changes and updates at the chain level, ensuring consistency and enabling portfolio-wide control. This functionality streamlines the management process, saving time and effort for multi-property revenue managers, and ensuring that the rate plans across the chain are synchronized and aligned with the overall strategy.

As the top-ranked central reservation system on HotelTechReport, Pegasus CRS successfully serves thousands of hotels across the globe. Out of 251 hoteliers who have reviewed the system on HotelTechReport, 86% recommend Pegasus.

What can hoteliers expect when they implement Pegasus CRS?

• “Pegasus CRS has ensured that our direct booking channels remain competitive at all times. We create and update all our rate plans first in the CRS and then we distribute these to our hotels' PMS and onward distribution channels,” says a Corporate Vice President from Saudi Arabia.

• “The tool is very dynamic with lots of options to customize your hotel’s rate strategy. The CRS is very user friendly and has great enhanced reports for data analytics. [There] are little to no connectivity issues or disruption of service,” reported an Area Director of Revenue at a large resort property.

While Pegasus CRS already offers a robust platform with numerous bells and whistles, users cite a few areas of opportunity to make the product even better. One suggestion is to upgrade the look and feel of the Pegasus CRS to better compete with other cloud-based systems. The good news is that the Pegasus CRS team is already working on a fresh new look which will be unveiled in the medium term.

Given that many of Cendyn’s clients are large, full-service hotels, another area of opportunity is to support additional revenue streams that contribute to the hotel’s P&L. As one HotelTechReport reviewer mentions, “There is great value to be had in being able to integrate your other lines of business into the booking flow for upgrades, upsells, and cross-selling opportunities that can easily be executed and reported upon. Many hotels and resorts have a gaming component (casinos and sports books) or also have amenities such as dining, spa, pools, and entertainment. Being able to integrate other business verticals into the booking engine would allow for more revenue potential for everyone.” Cendyn told HotelTechReport that this too is being addressed in their roadmap, along with inventoried lodging activities and non-lodging activities.

A central reservation system can unlock immense value for hotels, revenue managers, and guests. Not only can hotels generate higher RevPAR and website conversion, but guests can enjoy a more seamless booking experience and team members can do their jobs more effectively and efficiently. While each CRS is different, Pegasus CRS offers some of the most unique and sophisticated features on the market. The system is a great fit for hoteliers looking to fine-tune revenue strategies and manage distribution channels with precision. If you’re seeking a robust system to manage rates, availability, and inventory, you can find a strategic partner in Pegasus CRS that can help you reach your goals. 

Cendyn's Pegasus CRS solution is a game-changer for independent hotels, hotel management groups, hotel chains, and casino resorts facing challenges with high OTA booking share or expensive distribution costs. This comprehensive solution is designed to cater to the unique needs of hotels and resorts, providing a true partner in navigating the complexities of technology and strategy in the hospitality landscape.

By implementing Cendyn's award-winning CRS solution, hoteliers can optimize demand across global distribution channels, resulting in increased conversions and a higher overall direct booking share. The rich merchandising capabilities offered by Pegasus CRS, such as dynamic pricing rules, custom landing pages, strikethrough pricing, and scarcity messaging, empower hoteliers to drive more direct bookings and reduce reliance on costly intermediaries.

The constantly evolving user interface and streamlined booking process of Pegasus CRS are specifically designed to enhance conversions and eliminate booking abandonment. Moreover, hoteliers benefit from proactive customer service provided by experts in sales, marketing, and revenue management. These dedicated professionals act as an extension of the hotel team, working closely to enhance the distribution function and ensure success.

Pegasus CRS operates on a stable and secure cloud-native platform, guaranteeing 99.99% uptime for uninterrupted business operations. This reliability ensures business continuity and peace of mind for hoteliers relying on the system.

Pegasus CRS empowers hoteliers to optimize their distribution strategy, increase direct bookings, and reduce reliance on costly intermediaries. With its robust features, proactive customer service, and cutting-edge technology, Pegasus CRS serves as a true partner for hoteliers, allowing them to thrive in a complex and competitive landscape.

This article was created collaboratively by HotelTechReport and Cendyn