What Are Hotel Rate Plans?
One Room. Sold Four Different Ways.
A rate plan defines what a guest gets along with their room. EP is room only. CP adds breakfast. MAP adds breakfast and dinner. AP covers all three meals. You list each plan as a separate row on OTAs, and guests choose based on what they want to pay.
You Have Rooms. Now How Do You Sell Them?
You have just listed your hotel on MakeMyTrip. Your room is ready. But when you look at how other hotels appear on the search results page, you notice something: the same hotel is showing up multiple times in the results, at different prices. One row says "Room Only at ₹2,400". Another says "Room with Breakfast at ₹2,750". Another says "Breakfast and Dinner at ₹3,200". These are not different rooms. They are the same room, sold under different rate plans.
- A rate plan is a predefined package that bundles your room with a specific set of services: meals, packages, inclusions.
- Every plan you create becomes a separate listing row on OTAs like MakeMyTrip, Goibibo, and Booking.com.
- Guests pick the plan that suits their trip: a business traveller picks EP, a family on a resort holiday picks MAP.
- From the hotel's side, rate plans help you sell your restaurant services at the time of booking, not just at checkout.
Pro Tip: Selling meals as part of a rate plan at booking is more reliable than hoping guests order from your restaurant during their stay. Most guests who book EP never visit the hotel restaurant.
The Four Main Rate Plans
Here are the four standard plans used by every hotel in India and worldwide.
EP: European Plan (Room Only)
Room only, no meals included
- What it includes: just the room, no meals
- Also called: RO (Room Only) on Booking.com
- Who books it: business travellers, guests who want to explore local food, budget-conscious guests
- Price: your lowest listed rate
- When to push it: city hotels, properties near restaurant zones
CP: Continental Plan (Room + Breakfast)
Room plus one breakfast per day
- What it includes: room plus one breakfast per day
- Also called: BB (Bed and Breakfast) internationally
- Who books it: most common choice across India for leisure and business travel
- Price: EP + 60 to 80 percent of your walk-in breakfast price
- When to push it: city hotels, business properties, properties with a strong breakfast offering
Read our full CP Plan guide for pricing breakdowns and OTA setup steps.
MAP: Modified American Plan (Room + Breakfast + Dinner)
Room plus breakfast and dinner daily
- What it includes: room plus breakfast and dinner daily
- Also called: HB (Half Board) internationally
- Who books it: resort guests, hill station travellers, families on vacations
- Price: EP + cost of breakfast + cost of dinner (both at a slight discount vs walk-in)
- When to push it: resorts, properties in remote areas, properties with limited nearby dining
Read our full MAP Plan guide for resort pricing strategy and seasonal tips.
AP: American Plan (Room + All Meals)
Room plus breakfast, lunch, and dinner
- What it includes: room plus breakfast, lunch, and dinner
- Also called: FB (Full Board) internationally
- Who books it: all-inclusive resort guests, guests at remote jungle lodges or wildlife properties
- Price: your highest plan rate
- When to push it: wildlife resorts, beach properties, properties where guests rarely leave
How Your Rate Plans Appear on a Booking Platform
How to Price Each Rate Plan
The most common question new hoteliers ask is: how much more should I charge for CP versus EP? Here is a practical framework using rupee examples. Your starting point is always the BAR (Best Available Rate), which becomes your EP base.
| Plan | What to Add | Example (EP base = ₹2,400) | Pricing Logic |
|---|---|---|---|
| EP | Nothing | ₹2,400 | Base room rate only |
| CP | 60 to 80% of breakfast walk-in price | ₹2,650 to ₹2,720 | If breakfast walk-in = ₹350, add ₹210 to ₹280 |
| MAP | CP uplift + 60 to 80% of dinner walk-in | ₹3,100 to ₹3,300 | Adds dinner value on top of CP |
| AP | MAP uplift + 50 to 60% of lunch walk-in | ₹3,500 to ₹3,800 | Lunch is lowest-value meal; discount it most |
Pro Tip: Price bundled meals at a slight discount versus walk-in prices. A guest who books CP should feel they are saving ₹80 to ₹100 on breakfast compared to ordering it at the restaurant. That perception drives plan upgrades at booking. If you use rate linkage in your channel manager, you can auto-derive CP and MAP rates from your EP base without updating each plan manually.
Indian Variants: CPAI, MAPAI, APAI
In India, you will often see rate plans with an "AI" suffix. It stands for "All Indian" and means the meals included are Indian cuisine.
| Plan Code | Full Name | What It Means |
|---|---|---|
| CPAI | Continental Plan All Indian | Room with Indian breakfast buffet (idli, dosa, paratha, poha) |
| MAPAI | Modified American Plan All Indian | Room with Indian breakfast and Indian dinner buffet |
| APAI | American Plan All Indian | Room with all three Indian meals daily |
Note: Most domestic Indian travellers prefer CPAI and MAPAI over the standard CP and MAP. If your hotel serves Indian food, always list the AI variant. It converts better on MakeMyTrip and Goibibo because domestic guests recognise the food they want.
Step-by-Step: How to Add Rate Plans on MakeMyTrip and Booking.com
Here is how to actually add rate plans to your OTA listings.
On MakeMyTrip Partner Central
- Log into MMT Partner Central (partners.makemytrip.com)
- Go to Property Setup, then Rate Plans
- Click Add New Rate Plan
- Choose the plan type: EP, CP, MAP, or AP (MMT labels these as Room Only, Breakfast Included, etc.)
- Set the price differential above your base EP rate
- Add a clear description (e.g., "Complimentary Indian breakfast buffet for 2 guests")
- Save. The plan will appear as a separate row on your listing within a few hours
On Booking.com Extranet
- Log into your Booking.com Extranet
- Go to Rates and Availability, then Rate Plans
- Click Add Rate Plan
- Select the meal type from the dropdown (Booking.com calls them "Meal Plans")
- Set your price: either a fixed amount above the base rate or a percentage
- Write a short description guests will see at booking
- Save and publish
Important: On Booking.com, always make sure your EP plan is set as the default base rate. Booking.com uses the base rate for its price comparison and ranking algorithm. If you set CP as the base, your listing will appear more expensive in filtered searches.
OTA Commission on Rate Plans: What You Actually Earn
This is something many new hoteliers miss: OTAs charge their commission on the full booking amount, including the meal component.
- If your OTA commission is 18% and you sell a CP plan at ₹2,700 (room ₹2,400 + breakfast ₹300), you pay ₹486 in commission on the full ₹2,700.
- The commission is not just on the room portion. It applies to meals, packages, and any extras bundled into the plan.
- This means higher-value plans (MAP, AP) earn you more gross revenue but also cost more in commission.
- Calculate your net yield per plan before deciding which to push heavily on high-commission OTAs.
| Plan | Example Rate | 18% Commission | Net to Hotel |
|---|---|---|---|
| EP | ₹2,400 | ₹432 | ₹1,968 |
| CP | ₹2,700 | ₹486 | ₹2,214 |
| MAP | ₹3,200 | ₹576 | ₹2,624 |
| AP | ₹3,800 | ₹684 | ₹3,116 |
Pro Tip: Even after commission, MAP and AP plans net you more revenue per booking than EP. Push these plans during peak demand when rooms are already selling. During lean season, lead with EP to attract price-sensitive travellers.
Which Rate Plan Converts Best on Which OTA?
- MakeMyTrip and Goibibo: CP and MAP convert best. Domestic leisure travellers on these platforms prefer meals included, especially families and couples on weekend breaks.
- Booking.com: EP converts best for international guests; CP is strong for domestic leisure. List all plans and let the platform's algorithm serve the right plan to the right guest.
- Agoda: Similar to Booking.com. EP and CP dominate. MAP works well for resort properties.
- Direct booking channel: Always push MAP or AP here. Guests who book direct are usually higher intent and open to spending more. Bundle meals to increase booking value.
Practical Rule: Lead with EP on OTAs to win the price filter. Add CP and MAP as upsell options. Push MAP and AP hard on your direct website, where you keep 100% of the revenue. For a full comparison of which platform works best for Indian hotels, see our guide on best OTAs for Indian hotels.
Special and Package Rate Plans
Beyond the standard EP, CP, MAP, AP plans, hotels can create custom package plans that bundle other services into the room rate.
- Honeymoon Package: room plus breakfast plus flower decoration, welcome cake, and couples spa. Common in hill stations and beach resorts.
- Adventure Package: room plus breakfast plus guided trekking or wildlife safari. Popular in Coorg, Uttarakhand, and Ranthambore.
- Long Stay Plan: weekly or monthly rates with meals included, suited for corporate guests or extended stays.
- Festive Packages: room plus gala dinner on Diwali, New Year, Christmas. Priced at a significant premium.
- Family Package: two rooms plus all meals for a group of four, priced to incentivise family bookings.
Pro Tip: Package plans work best as direct booking offers. OTAs allow custom packages but the setup is more complex. Start with standard EP, CP, MAP, AP on OTAs. Build packages for your direct website and WhatsApp sales channel.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I add a CP or MAP rate plan on MakeMyTrip?
Log into MMT Partner Central, go to Rate Plans, click Add New Plan, select the meal type (CP/MAP/AP), set the price differential above your base EP rate, and save. The plan will appear as a separate row on your MMT listing within a few hours.
Should I list EP or CP as my base rate on Booking.com?
List EP as your base rate on Booking.com. It gives you the lowest displayed price, which improves your position in price-filtered searches. Then add CP and MAP as separate rate plans so guests can choose. Booking.com shows all your plans as separate rows on your property page.
How much extra should I charge for CP vs EP?
Price your CP plan at 60 to 80 percent of your walk-in breakfast price. If your breakfast buffet is ₹400 per person, add ₹250 to ₹320 on top of EP for a CP booking. This makes the bundled breakfast feel like good value versus ordering at the restaurant.
Does OTA commission apply on the meal component of CP and MAP plans?
Yes. OTAs charge their commission percentage on the full booking amount, including the meal component. If your OTA commission is 18 percent and you sell a MAP plan at ₹3,500 (room ₹2,800 plus meals ₹700), you pay commission on the full ₹3,500, not just the room portion.
What GST rate applies when I sell a MAP rate plan?
When meals are bundled into the room rate as a composite supply, GST is applied on the total declared tariff. If your MAP rate falls above ₹7,500 per night, the full amount attracts 18 percent GST. It is advisable to show the composite rate clearly on invoices rather than splitting room and meal separately.