FAQ - Best Western / VM-Member Web (PMS)
Best Western Support & Responsibilities
Does Visual Matrix handle issues related to Member Web?
No, Visual Matrix has nothing to do with Member Web. For any questions regarding Member Web, you should contact the Best Western Helpdesk.
Who should I contact for questions about rates, rate plans, or adding/removing property information on the website?
For questions related to rates, rate plans, or updating property information on the website, please contact the EDS department. You can reach them via the contact form at the bottom of your Member Web page or by email at eds@bestwestern.com.
What role does Visual Matrix play in BWR points?
It's important to clarify that Visual Matrix does not contribute to the accrual of points for BWR members during their stay. To ensure guests receive the points they're entitled to based on their reservation, hotels must manually and individually approve them in Member Web.
The only time Visual Matrix affects BWR Member points is when the FX code is used locally. Selecting the FX code in a reservation triggers a two-way message that automatically deducts points from the guest's account. Similarly, if the FX code is removed, the points are returned to the guest's BWR account.
Availability, Rates & Inventory
Why does the total availability for each level show 999 in Member Web?
This issue is straightforward to fix. It occurs because the different levels haven't been verified (i.e., communication hasn't been activated) in the BW2Way interface in Visual Matrix PMS. Follow these two steps:
- Ensure all your levels are activated in Visual Matrix and that every rate plan has an associated level: Assign a Rate Level to a Rate/Discount Code.
- Confirm that all levels are activated in the interface for each room type, including the overall total: Best Western 2Way Interface.
Why does the total availability for each level match the total number of rooms instead of the remaining rooms available in Member Web?
This is expected behavior. The total rooms available for each level will always reflect the total number of rooms. However, it won't allow more rooms to be sold than are available.
Once sold out, all levels will automatically close. You can manage the number of rooms available for each level by following this guide: Interface Room Type Management Inventory.
What should I check if my room availability doesn’t match between VM PMS and Member Web?
1. Identify the Issue
Start by collecting key details to help narrow down the cause:
- What dates are impacted?
- How long has it been out of sync?
- How many rooms are involved? (If 5+ rooms, it’s likely a group-related issue.)
- Which room types are affected?
2. What to Check
Compare room counts in VM and MW (Member Web):
- If VM shows fewer rooms: Some reservations may still be marked as In House in VM but missing in MW → this could lead to overbookings.
- If MW shows fewer rooms: VM may be holding reservations that MW doesn’t recognize → this could mean lost revenue.
Other things to look into:
- Canceled reservations: Make sure each one has a cancellation number. If not, reach out to VM Client Experience for help.
- Modified departures (early check-outs): If the number of nights is different in VM vs. MW, it can cause issues. Contact support to review.
- Extended stays: If a reservation was extended in VM but already checked out in MW, syncing won’t work. You may need to check it out in VM and recreate it.
Missing reservations:
- In MW but not in VM? Use the CRS confirmation number and pull the reservation from Supervisor > System Maint > BW2Way.
- In VM but not in MW? Open the reservation, add a small edit (like a dot in the comment), and save. This will force a sync to MW.
3. Group Allocation Issues (Typically When 5+ Rooms Are Out of Sync)
Groups can be the root cause of larger discrepancies. Here’s what to verify:
- Compare each group’s allocation in VM and MW.
- If dates were changed or room type allocations were deleted incorrectly, syncing may break.
- Try reinstating the room type allocation at "0" and syncing again.
Only Best Western’s Property Systems (Propsys) team can drop or correct allocations directly in MW.
Re-syncing from the VM does not resolve most discrepancies, especially those involving groups or older reservations.
VM support will always ask for specific date ranges. Large or blind “BIG Syncs” can cause wider issues and should be avoided.
I'm noticing rate discrepancies online—what steps should I take?
In cases of rate discrepancies, there’s typically not much a property can adjust directly. The most helpful step is to gather key details that can assist Client Support in resolving the issue more efficiently.
It’s important to keep in mind that between Visual Matrix PMS and any OTA (Online Travel Agency), your Channel Manager—in this case, Best Western Member Web (MW) —is in between.
Here’s what you can gather to help speed up troubleshooting:
- Which OTA is showing the incorrect rate?
- Have you checked other OTAs? Is the discrepancy consistent across channels?
- What is the affected time frame—today, the next 24 hours, or future dates?
- Are specific room types impacted, or is it affecting all of them?
- What rate is displayed online, and what rate should be showing instead? (For example: base rate, tiered rate, or a special peak date rate.)
If the issue is related to a peak date not applying correctly, you can attempt a manual update:
Temporarily change the peak date to a different rate, save to trigger a sync, then set it back to the desired rate. Each change will trigger a new sync to the channel manager.
I'm receiving overbooked reservations from online channels, even though I have closed availability in VM. What should I do?
If you have a few rooms left but they are being sold online simultaneously, there can be a delay in updating VM. When VM sends availability updates back to your channel manager, the channel manager then communicates those updates to all OTAs. During this process, additional bookings may be made before the system has fully closed the availability.
There isn't a permanent solution for this, but here are the steps you can take:
- Confirm the "Close" status: First, verify that the "Close" status has been correctly applied in Best Western's Member Web. If it shows as closed there but you're still receiving bookings through OTAs, the issue likely lies between Member Web and the OTAs, and VM has no control over that.
- Check the most recent reservation: Next, identify which reservation was made last. You can then confirm the booking directly with the client or the OTA to verify if the reservation is valid.
Why are BestRev rates not updating online in Visual Matrix?
BestRev is Best Western’s revenue management tool that allows properties to receive rate recommendations from the CRS and apply them in Visual Matrix.
When functioning correctly, accepted rate changes in BestRev are sent through a series of steps between the CRS and Visual Matrix, resulting in updated rates and the creation of peak dates in the PMS.
How does the BestRev rate update process work?
When a rate is accepted in BestRev:
- The user accepts the rate recommendation in BestRev
- The CRS notifies Visual Matrix of a new rate update
- Visual Matrix acknowledges the notification
- Visual Matrix requests pricing and offset data
- The CRS sends the data
- Visual Matrix creates a peak date based on the update
- Visual Matrix pushes the updated rates online
What should I check if rates are not updating?
The first step is to verify whether peak dates were created in Visual Matrix.
If peak dates were NOT created
This usually means the update was not triggered correctly. Return to BestRev and send a new rate update. The update must be different from the previous one — even a $1 change is enough. Once sent, you can then resend the correct intended rate.
If peak dates WERE created
If peak dates exist in Visual Matrix but the rates are still not updating online, the issue may be related to synchronization with Best Western systems.
In this case, contact Visual Matrix Client Experience and request a Member Web sync.
BestRev updates rely on communication between multiple systems (BestRev, CRS, and Visual Matrix). If one step in the process is missed or not triggered properly, the rate update may not complete.
Reservations & Reservation Troubleshooting
How can I match the number of reservations between Visual Matrix and Member Web?
To match the reservation count shown in Visual Matrix with what you see in Member Web, follow this method:
In Visual Matrix, add together:
- All in-house reservations for today
- All pending arrivals for today
The total of these two should match the total reservations for today shown in Member Web.
The reservation doesn’t appear in Member Web. What does that mean?
This indicates the issue occurred between the OTA (Online Travel Agency) and Member Web, before reaching Visual Matrix.
What should I do if the guest is here to check in but the reservation isn’t in Member Web?
Create a walk-in reservation in Visual Matrix. If the booking was made through a prepaid OTA, you’ll need to obtain the virtual credit card details directly from the OTA and enter them manually into the reservation.
What if I need to track down the missing reservation instead of creating a walk-in?
Contact Member Web support. They can help locate the reservation in their system and identify where the issue originated.
What is a ghost reservation in Member Web and how can I resolve it?
A ghost reservation in Member Web is a reservation that was created in Visual Matrix for informational purposes but timed out before completion, while a version of the reservation was still sent to Best Western’s Member Web.
These reservations can incorrectly hold inventory for online sales, even though they are not valid bookings.
How can I identify a ghost reservation?
Ghost reservations in Member Web typically appear with the guest name shown as ~.~
This indicates that the reservation is not tied to a valid guest profile.
How can I remove a ghost reservation?
The resolution depends on the reservation’s arrival date.
- If the reservation is more than 24 hours in the future, you should be able to cancel it directly in Member Web.
- If the reservation is for the same business day or the next day, you will need to contact Best Western Support. Only Best Western has the ability to modify or remove these reservations in Member Web.
- Warning
Visual Matrix does not have the ability to modify or cancel reservations in Member Web. All changes to ghost reservations in Member Web must be handled directly within Member Web or by Best Western Support.
Connectivity & Interface Maintenance
What is the SSL Certificate for Best Western in Visual Matrix?
If you are a Best Western Hotel, the 2way between Visual Matrix and Best Western is secured by what is called an SSL Certificate. This certificate has to be renewed every 2 years.
When a certificate comes to expiration, Best Western informs Visual Matrix prior to expiration to process the renewal.
- If you are on our Cloud version, the renewal will be automatic, without you noticing any drop time.
- If you are on our Desktop version, we will contact you when the new Certificate is available to upload it on your Server.
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