> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.dialogshift.com/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# MEWS Integration

> How to use MEWS with DialogShift for booking agents and Journey Messaging.

The MEWS integration connects DialogShift to your MEWS property. It can power booking agents in chat and on the phone with availability, rates and bookings, and it also provides booking and guest data for Journey Messaging.

## Prerequisites

* Your MEWS property is connected to DialogShift through the [DialogShift Chatbots integration in the MEWS Marketplace](https://www.mews.com/en/products/marketplace/dialogshift-chatbots).
* The connection has been set up; this usually takes 12 to 48 hours.
* Terminology: in Mews, a "room type" is a **Space category** and an individual room is a **Space**.

## Activate the integration

The MEWS connection is started through the MEWS Marketplace. Because there is also a MEWS integration page in the DialogShift app, the hotel can maintain the booking-agent configuration there itself.

1. Start the DialogShift Chatbots integration in the MEWS Marketplace.
2. Wait until the MEWS connection has been set up.
3. Maintain the booking-agent configuration in the DialogShift app under **Integrations → MEWS**.
4. Check the enabled categories, rates and content in the DialogShift Availability Analyzer.

## Booking agents

| Topic                                   | Behavior                                                                                                                           |
| :-------------------------------------- | :--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| Company code / coupons / discount codes | Not supported. Do not enable corporate, group or staff rates for the agent.                                                        |
| Minimum stay in the dialog              | Yes. If MEWS only reports minimum-stay options, the agent communicates the minimum nights.                                         |
| Checkout workflow                       | Direct booking in MEWS. Depending on the rate configuration, DialogShift creates a MEWS payment request afterwards.                |
| Payment link in chat                    | Depending on the setting, DialogShift shows the MEWS payment link in chat or MEWS sends the payment email itself.                  |
| Payment link by phone                   | Depending on the setting, DialogShift sends the MEWS payment link by SMS/WhatsApp or MEWS sends the payment email itself.          |
| Cancellation of unpaid bookings         | Yes. Unpaid payment-link bookings can be cancelled automatically after the configured payment deadline.                            |
| Payment variants                        | Pay at check-in, prepayment (`Payment`) and credit-card guarantee (`Preauthorization`).                                            |
| Offer/quote function                    | No.                                                                                                                                |
| Required guest data                     | First name, last name and a reachable contact detail. MEWS also accepts bookings with a mobile number instead of an email address. |

## Payment links and guest contact

For rates with prepayment or credit-card guarantee, DialogShift creates a MEWS payment request after the booking. On the MEWS integration page, you control:

* **Payment deadline (hours):** how long the guest has to complete payment or card verification.
* **Payment link delivery:** whether DialogShift forwards the MEWS payment link to the guest or MEWS sends the payment email itself.
* **Suppress MEWS booking confirmation:** whether MEWS should not send its own booking confirmation email.
* **Phone AI guest contact:** whether Phone AI asks for the email address or mobile phone number.
* **Ensure every booking has an email address:** if Phone AI does not ask for an email address, DialogShift can additionally create a relay email address for the booking.

Directly confirmed bookings without a payment link receive their booking confirmation from MEWS by email, unless that email is suppressed.

If Phone AI only asks for a mobile number and no relay email address is created, DialogShift must deliver the payment link. In that case, MEWS cannot send a payment email to the guest.

## Booking agent configuration

### Step 1 — Whitelist the room categories the agent may sell

**Why.** The agent only quotes rooms you enable. If the list is empty, every Space category in MEWS becomes sellable, including staff rooms, long-stay categories or event spaces.

**Where.** DialogShift: **Integrations → MEWS → Room types**. Tick every category the agent may sell.

**Verify.** The list loads live from MEWS. If a category is missing, create it in MEWS and reload.

### Step 2 — Whitelist the rates the agent may sell

**Why.** Same as Step 1, for rates. If the list is empty, every active rate is sellable. Enable only your public rates (not corporate, group or staff rates).

**Where.** DialogShift: **Integrations → MEWS → Rates**. Tick the rates to enable.

**Verify.** Rates load live from MEWS; private and inactive rates are shown with a label.

### Step 3 — Open availability and stay restrictions in MEWS

**Why.** The agent can only sell what MEWS reports as available. Blocked dates, min-stay rules or closed-to-arrival make the agent correctly answer "no rooms available".

**Where (Mews Operations).**

* Restrictions (min/max stay, closed-to-arrival): **Settings → Services → \[your bookable service] → Restrictions**.
* Per-day availability: **Reports → Availability & occupancy report → Adjust**.

**Verify.** Check a few representative dates over the next 6–12 months and confirm the whitelisted categories and rates are open and bookable. The full check follows in Step 7.

### Step 4 — Add a description for every Space category in every guest language

**Why.** The agent reads the **Description** field of the Space category from MEWS. English-only descriptions are translated on the fly; maintaining each language yourself gives you control over the wording. Mews does not auto-translate these fields.

**Where (Mews Operations).** **Settings → Services → \[bookable service] → Space categories → \[category]**. Use **Add translation**, fill in **Name**, **Short name** and **Description**, save.

**What to include (4–8 sentences):** a short pitch, then the hard facts — maximum occupancy, bed configuration, room size, view, floor/location, bathroom, outdoor space, key amenities, accessibility.

**Verify.** Step 7.

### Step 5 — Add a description for every rate in every guest language

**Why.** The agent uses the rate **Description** to explain what's included, the cancellation policy and any deposit. Maintaining each language gives you control over key terms.

**Where (Mews Operations).** **Settings → Services → \[bookable service] → Rates → \[rate] → Edit**. Use **Add translation** and fill in the **Description**.

**What to include (state each explicitly, even when the answer is no):** board/meals, cancellation policy (deadline and fees), prepayment/deposit at booking.

**Verify.** Step 7.

### Step 6 — Upload images for every Space category

**Why.** The chat agent shows a room carousel. A Space category without images appears without a picture, which hurts conversion.

**Where (Mews Operations).** Same screen as Step 4 (**Space categories → \[category]**), image upload section.

**Specs:** 4–6 images per category, landscape, minimum **1920 × 1080 px**, main subject centered. The image uploaded **first** becomes the hero image in the chat carousel.

**Verify.** Step 7.

### Step 7 — Verify everything in the DialogShift Availability Analyzer

**Why.** This is your dry run. The Availability Analyzer queries MEWS exactly like the booking agents and shows the data they will use, per language.

**Where.** DialogShift: **Integrations → Availability Analyzer**.

**How.** Pick an arrival and departure date, set the number of adults and children, switch through every guest language with the language picker, then click **Query Availability**.

**Check per language.**

* Per room: name reads naturally, description uses your wording, the first image is in place (DialogShift uses only this one), and available units, size and bed configuration are correct.
* Per rate: name reads naturally; description covers board, cancellation and any prepayment.

If something is wrong: text or image issue → fix in MEWS (Steps 4–6); wrong room or rate → adjust the whitelist (Steps 1–2); no rooms on dates you expect to sell → check restrictions (Step 3). Re-run until every language is correct.

### Step 8 — Tell DialogShift you're ready

Once Step 7 is clean in every guest language, tell your DialogShift contact: "Hotel \[name] is ready for the booking agents in chat and phone." The agents are then switched on.

## Journey Messaging

| Topic      | Behavior                                                                                             |
| :--------- | :--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| Supported  | Yes. The same MEWS connection powers Journey Messaging.                                              |
| Data flow  | MEWS sends booking and guest data to DialogShift via webhooks.                                       |
| Updates    | Webhook-based; changes are usually processed shortly after the PMS update.                           |
| Activation | The MEWS connection is shared. No additional MEWS activation step is required for Journey Messaging. |

## Configuration

Booking-agent categories, rates and images are maintained in the DialogShift app under **Integrations → MEWS**. Journey Messaging flows and templates are maintained separately under **Journey Messaging**.