Can the hotel booking API show me the same hotel from more than one supplier so I can offer the better price?

Yes, in most cases it can, but how well it works depends on the hotel content sitting behind your API. Every supplier uses its own hotel codes, so the same property can arrive under slightly different names and addresses. Matching those together into one property is called mapping, and it is done by comparing the name, the address, the map coordinates and other details. Where the match is confident, your portal can show the hotel once and put the better of the rates it found in front of your customer.

Where the match is less certain, the safer behaviour is to leave the properties separate rather than merge two hotels that only look alike. You may then see what looks like a duplicate in your results. Well known city hotels and chain properties usually map cleanly, while small guest houses, apartments and recently added properties are the ones most likely to be missed.

It is also worth remembering that the cheaper rate is not always the one to sell. Rates for the same room can differ in whether breakfast is included, whether they can be cancelled, and whether the guest pays you now or pays at the hotel. Compare the room name and the conditions next to the price before deciding which supplier to book through, and check whether your plan lets you decide which supplier should win when two rates are the same.

If you are about to add another supplier, ask for your hotel mapping to be reviewed first, then run a few searches in the cities you sell most often and see how the results look before you go live.