Connect an MCP client

Connect an MCP-compatible client to the Booking.com MCP server's dedicated endpoint using your affiliate ID and Demand API key.

Use an MCP-compatible client that supports Streamable HTTP and custom request headers, either directly or through a bridge such as mcp-remote.

• Claude Desktop is a good option for trying conversational searches.
  • See the Claude Desktop with mcp-remote example for details.
• Other compatible clients use the same endpoint and headers.

First, complete partner onboarding and obtain your affiliate ID and Demand API key.

If your client supports remote MCP connections directly, use the following settings:

• Keep the trailing slash in the URL. Do not append your affiliate ID. Setting names and menus vary between clients; follow your client's documentation to add the remote server and both headers.

• If your client only connects to local servers over standard input/output (stdio), use an HTTP bridge such as mcp-remote.

• Connect to the server and use your client's tool-discovery feature to call tools/list. A successful response confirms that the client can authenticate and communicate with the server.

The returned list depends on your account configuration. An empty list can indicate that no tools are enabled for your affiliate account and does not necessarily indicate an authentication failure. For troubleshooting, see the common integration issues.

This example connects Claude Desktop through its local-server configuration using the mcp-remote bridge.

In addition to your partner credentials, install:

• Claude Desktop.
• Node.js with npm and npx. Use a version supported by mcp-remote.

1. Open Claude Desktop settings
   • Open the desktop app's Settings > Developer and choose Edit Config.
   • Menu labels can vary by version.

2. Add the Booking.com MCP server configuration

   Add this configuration using the mcp-remote package:

   {
     "mcpServers": {
       "booking-accommodations": {
         "command": "npx",
         "args": [
           "-y",
           "mcp-remote",
           "https://demandapi-mcp.booking.com/v1/sp/mcp/",
           "--header",
           "x-booking-affiliate-id:YOUR_AFFILIATE_ID",
           "--header",
           "x-booking-authorization:YOUR_DEMAND_API_KEY"
         ]
       }
     }
   }

3. Replace credentials

   • Replace YOUR_AFFILIATE_ID with your digit-only affiliate ID.
   • Replace YOUR_DEMAND_API_KEY with your issued Demand API key. Do not add a Bearer prefix.
   • Keep the URL unchanged, including the trailing slash. Do not append your affiliate ID to the URL.

4. Save and restart Claude Desktop

   • Save the configuration file.
   • Completely restart Claude Desktop to load the new MCP server.

5. Verify the connection

   • Check that Claude Desktop loads the configured server without a connection or authentication error.
   • Check the tools it discovers for your account. If none are available, confirm your account configuration with your Account Manager.

If accommodation search is enabled for your account, ask Claude to search using future dates. For example:

Search for accommodations in Paris, France.
Check in one month from today and check out two days later.
2 adults, 1 room. Use the United Kingdom as the traveller's country. Show me options under USD 200 per night with free Wi-Fi.

Check that Claude calls an available accommodation search tool and presents the returned results or handles a no-results response. The presentation depends on the client and the tools enabled for your account.

This screenshot is illustrative.

Configuration notes:

• Each --header flag passes one required header. Send both x-booking-affiliate-id and x-booking-authorization.
• An Authorization: Bearer ... header is not a substitute for these headers.
• For 401 responses, check both headers and your API key.
• For 404 responses, check the exact URL and its trailing slash.
• See common integration issues for more troubleshooting steps.