The sector of hospitality evolves quickly in the current hectic digital environment, and technology is driving this change. Having the appropriate tools can fill the gap between a fully reserved hotel and lost opportunities, regardless of your level of experience as a hotelier or aspiring entrepreneur. According to a report by Statista, online sales are projected to make up an impressive 75% of the global travel and tourism market’s revenue by 2029. In this blog, we’ll explore how do hotel reservation systems work and how they differ from the booking engines in this post. It will guide you in selecting the one that will maximize direct bookings, optimize operations, and increase your bottom line.
What is a hotel reservation system?
A software that helps business owners automate the process of getting and handling bookings is known as hotel reservation system. A well-functioning reservation system acts as the center from which visitors can reserve accommodations, extras, and services. In addition, a web-based reservation system gives hotel operators a productive way to track reservations, modify prices, and arrange guest information. Let us explore the procedure of how hotel reservation systems work.
How do hotel reservation systems work?
Step 1: Guest Lookup
Guests can easily use the hotel reservation system to find available rooms that fit their vacation dates, preferred location, or other personalized options. This intuitive search feature not only helps them refine their room selection but also simplifies their entire booking process.
Step 2: Selecting Process
Guests browse through available rooms, reviewing descriptions, prices, and extra options to choose the room that best meets their needs. This step is important when arranging up your booking engine. Highlight your room types with stunning photos and detailed descriptions to present them in the best light.
Step 3: Booking Details
During the reservation process, visitors input their contact information, personal details, and any particular demands. For example: dietary restrictions and allergies.
Step 4: Cost Calculation
The system calculates the overall cost, factoring taxes and extra fees. With TBO Holidays, travel agents can configure all supplementary charges, such as taxes and city tax, when setting up the integrated PMS.
Step 5: Safe Transactions
Guests can securely pay for their stay using various payment methods supported by the reservation system, with TBO Hotels offering options in over 50 currencies.
Step 6: Booking Confirmation
Upon successful booking, guests will instantly receive a confirmation via email or SMS, complete with their reservation details and a unique ID. Our B2B hotel booking portal ensures 100% booking reconfirmation before check-in.
Step 7: Real-Time Availability Updates
The reservation system upgrades room availability in real-time, ensuring specific inventory management and avoiding double bookings. This automated process with an HRS saves extensive manual hours, allowing more focus on creating exceptional guest experiences. TBO holidays also empowers travel agents to book accommodations with real-time availability.
Step 8: Check-In and Check-Out
When visitors arrive, they give their name, and the front desk receptionist retrieves their reservation information from the database. After fulfilling a digital registration on a tablet or iPhone at the reception desk, guests can expedite the check-in process. Similarly, the system informs room availability and gets ready for the next set of visitors during check-out.
Step 9: Efficient Operations
The hotel reservation system streamlines hotel operations by automating tasks, facilitating effective communication, and boosting guest satisfaction throughout their stay.
Hotel Reservation System Vs. Booking Engine
1. Booking Experience
Hotel Reservation System: By streamlining the booking procedure, an online reservation system accelerates and improves efficiency. It’s simple for visitors to look for available rooms, choose the locations they want, and finish the reservation quickly, making the booking process effortless
This efficiency is critical in today’s fast-paced world. According to a study by Yieldify, 90% of respondents ranked booking convenience as a key factor when planning travel, with 37% stating it was more important than even the cost. Hotels can attract more reservations by streamlining the booking procedure, minimizing the time and effort required to complete it.
Booking Engine: Offline booking is becoming a primary feature in hotel booking interfaces. In the travel industry, travelers may not always have a reliable internet connection, particularly in remote areas. Offering offline booking access ensures that users can still connect with your platform, simplifying the booking process and enhancing the overall experience, regardless of internet connectivity.
2. Virtual Tours
Hotel Reservation System: Not all hotel reservation systems currently offer virtual tours, but those that do allow potential guests to explore the property online before booking.
Booking Engine: Booking Engines offers a fantastic way for customers to preview their accommodations before arrival. Virtual tours can highlight conveniences that users may have missed while making their reservations. These include free Wi-Fi, LEDs, and balconies. This can boost customer loyalty and improve satisfaction.
3. Integration
Hotel Reservation System: A hotel reservation system serves as a central repository for all booking information, integrating reservations made through diverse channels, such as phone calls, online travel agencies (OTAs), the hotel’s sales team, Global Distribution Systems (GDS), and direct online reservations. By integrating these platforms, the system significantly minimizes the time spent on administrative tasks, permitting staff to focus on other crucial aspects of hotel operations, such as delivering top-notch user experience.
Booking Engine: A hotel booking engine, also known as a web booking engine, is specialized software that allows guests to reserve their stay directly through the hotel’s official website.
4. Cloud Based Security
Hotel Reservation System: A cloud based hotel reservation system firmly hosts data on remote servers, enabling authorised users to handle real time bookings from any internet-connected device, including laptops, desktops, and tablets. Data is encrypted and safeguarded by layers of security such as authentication gateways, physical protections, and advanced firewalls. These measures are routinely audited and updated to safeguard sensitive information while ensuring seamless access for users across different locations.
Booking Engine: Conversely, booking engines typically lack cloud-based security measures, leaving user’s personal data more vulnerable to risks such as theft, power outages, physical disasters, and viruses. Without robust security protocols, this sensitive information may be more exposed to potential threats.
Conclusion
Hotel reservation systems and booking engines are both important resources for lodging establishments. A booking engine is the best resource to improve visitor satisfaction and produce online reservations directly. It is affordable and easy to use. However, for big hotels that require immense data management and integration, an HRS is a better option since it provides comprehensive administration for hotel operations. The best choice will depend on the size, administrating demands, and financial plan of your hotel.
How Do Hotel Reservation Systems Work FAQs
A booking engine permits visitors to reserve rooms directly online, while a hotel reservation system helps the hotel handle things like guest information, room availability, and check-ins. The booking engine concentrates on guest bookings, while the reservation system manages the hotel’s day-to-day operations.
Hotels can use both for a smoother experience. The booking engine maintains online reservations, and the reservation system handles everything behind the scenes. Working together, they keep things running seamlessly for both visitors and employees.
A booking engine makes it simple for customers to book rooms online, while a reservation system ensures the hotel runs smoothly. Utilizing both helps avoid problems like overbooking and speeds up check-ins, which enhances the overall user experience.
For smaller hotels focused on online reservations, a booking engine might be enough. Larger hotels benefit from a reservation system that can handle more complex operations as they grow, like managing multiple rooms, services, and staff efficiently.
Pratyush Kumar Srivastava is a seasoned expert in B2B travel writing with years of experience in the industry. With a deep understanding of the intricacies of travel technology, supplier relationships, and market trends, Pratyush offers valuable insights to help businesses optimize their travel booking strategies. Passionate about innovation and efficiency, he is dedicated to guiding travel agencies through the complexities of modern distribution channels to achieve growth and success.
