The commercial relationship is the key difference
APIs can look similar while the underlying contract is completely different. Before comparing endpoints, identify who owns the hotel supply contract, who controls the rate and markup, and who supports the booking commercially.
Comparison
These categories overlap in the market, so verify each provider’s actual terms.
| Model | Inventory relationship | Best fit |
|---|---|---|
| Bedbank | Provider contracts and wholesales inventory | Buyers seeking that provider's contracted rates |
| Aggregator | Buyer accesses combined supply through one intermediary | Fast access without managing many supplier accounts |
| Unified connectivity API | Buyer can retain supplier relationships while APIs are normalized | Teams prioritizing control and stable integration |
When to choose direct or resold supply
Resold supply can shorten commercial onboarding. Direct supplier relationships can give a travel company more control over rates, credit, support and regional strategy but require account approval and operational ownership.
Hybrid strategies are common
An OTA can combine direct supplier relationships, bedbanks and other sources. The architecture should make the commercial origin of each option explicit and prevent one normalized schema from hiding materially different settlement or support obligations.
Frequently asked questions
Is a bedbank an API aggregator?+
A bedbank may expose an API and aggregate its contracted inventory, but its defining role is wholesale inventory contracting rather than only technical normalization.
Does one API always mean one supplier contract?+
No. Some APIs provide inventory under one intermediary contract; others connect supplier accounts already owned by the buyer.
Which model does UnifyStays use?+
UnifyStays is designed as a connectivity and normalization layer for customer-owned supplier relationships.