Hint Response Messages

When Google sends a Hint Request message, your servers should respond with a Hint Response message that specifies the hotels whose prices have changed since the last time Google received a successful Hint Response from those same servers. If there are any price changes, Google then sends a <Query> that fetches the updated pricing data for the indicated hotels and itineraries.

For an overview of the repricing process, see the Pricing Overview.

Hint Response messages uses the following methods to reprice the selected hotels and their itineraries:

The root element of a Hint Response message is <Hint>. You request a hotel or itinerary to be updated by using one or more <Item> elements. A single Hint Response message can define any number of <Item> elements.

Each Hint Response message must specify at least one <Property> element for each <Item>. The <Property> identifies a hotel by using the same IDs as the Hotel List. By default, you specify a single hotel ID for each <Item> block. However, you can instruct Google to allow multiple hotels in an item block if you are using check-in date ranges or ranged stays for repricing.

Exact itinerary request and response flow

Hint messages can be based on individual itineraries such as the combination of check-in date and length of stay. In this case, you specify a check-in date and length of stay for your hotels, and Google fetches the new pricing data for just that itinerary.

Partner's response

The following Hint Response message defines a single property and a single itinerary:

<Hint>
  <Item>
    <Property>12345</Property>
    <Stay>
      <CheckInDate>2023-05-20</CheckInDate>
      <LengthOfStay>3</LengthOfStay>
    </Stay>
  </Item>
</Hint>

Google's response

Google responds to your Hint Response message with a <Query> similar to the following:

<Query>
  <Checkin>2023-05-20</Checkin>
  <Nights>3</Nights>
  <PropertyList>
    <Property>12345</Property>
  </PropertyList>
</Query>

Create <Transaction>

You are then expected to create a <Transaction> with price updates for the hotel for the following stay:

5/20/23 - 5/23/23

Check-in date ranges request and response flow

A Hint Response message can specify a range of check-in dates, beginning with the first check-in date and ending with the last check-in date. When Google fetches new pricing data, Google pulls itineraries for every check-in date for the hotel starting with those dates and extending up to the length of stay that you indicate.

Partner's ranged dates

The following example for Hint Response message defines a single property with a range of dates for the check-in:

<Hint>
  <Item>
    <Property>12345</Property>
    <FirstDate>2023-05-20</FirstDate>
    <LastDate>2023-05-23</LastDate>
  </Item>
</Hint>

Google's response

Google responds to this Hint Response message with <Query> similar to the following:

<Query>
  <FirstDate>2023-05-20</FirstDate>
  <LastDate>2023-05-23</LastDate>
  <Nights>5</Nights>
  <PropertyList>
    <Property>12345</Property>
  </PropertyList>
</Query>

Create <Transaction>

You are then expected to create a <Transaction> with price updates for the following stays for that hotel:

5/20/23 - 5/21/23
5/20/23 - 5/22/23
5/20/23 - 5/23/23
5/20/23 - 5/24/23
5/20/23 - 5/25/23

5/21/23 - 5/22/23
5/21/23 - 5/23/23
5/21/23 - 5/24/23
5/21/23 - 5/25/23
5/21/23 - 5/26/23

5/22/23 - 5/23/23
5/22/23 - 5/24/23
5/22/23 - 5/25/23
5/22/23 - 5/26/23
5/22/23 - 5/27/23

This example uses length of stay of 5 nights. The default length of stay is 30 days.

Ranged stays request and response flow

A Hint Response message can include a range of dates that have changed. This informs Google that it should fetch any itinerary affected by any of those dates. The actual set of itineraries fetched is a function of both the set of dates with changes and the maximum length of stay.

Partner's ranged stays

The following example Hint Response message uses ranged stays:

<Hint>
  <Item>
    <Property>12345</Property>
    <StaysIncludingRange>
      <FirstDate>2023-05-20</FirstDate>
      <LastDate>2023-05-23</LastDate>
    </StaysIncludingRange>
  </Item>
</Hint>

Google's response

Google responds to your Hint Response message with a <Query> similar to the following:

<Query>
  <FirstDate>2023-05-20</FirstDate>
  <LastDate>2023-05-23</LastDate>
  <AffectedNights>3</AffectedNights>
  <PropertyList>
    <Property>12345</Property>
    <Property>67891</Property>
  </PropertyList>
</Query>

Create <Transaction>

You are then expected to create a <Transaction> with price updates for the hotel for the following stays:

5/17/23 - 5/20/23

5/18/23 - 5/20/23
5/18/23 - 5/21/23

5/19/23 - 5/20/23
5/19/23 - 5/21/23
5/19/23 - 5/22/23

5/20/23 - 5/21/23
5/20/23 - 5/22/23
5/20/23 - 5/23/23

5/21/23 - 5/22/23
5/21/23 - 5/23/23
5/21/23 - 5/24/23

5/22/23 - 5/23/23
5/22/23 - 5/24/23
5/22/23 - 5/25/23

5/23/23 - 5/24/23
5/23/23 - 5/25/23
5/23/23 - 5/26/23