How Exactly Does a Hotel Online Booking Engine Work?

Introduction 

Get your hotel staff some relief from handling hotel bookings via phone calls or messages. By installing a hotel booking engine you can sit back and relax and easily handle your booking tasks without any hassle. 

An online hotel booking engine is a modern technology that caters to all your booking processes, which facilitates transactions, real-time updates, and so on. 

This blog will give you insights into a hotel booking engine, how it works, and factors to consider while opting for one. 

Let's start by answering our first question. 

What is a Hotel Booking Engine? 

A "hotel booking engine" acts as a powerful gateway that drives direct bookings to the hotels, whether it's from your hotel websites or hotel social media pages.  

It saves you from the heavy commissions of other distribution channels like OTA's, Travel agents, GDS, or online marketplaces, saving you a lot of money and maximizing profitability. 

An online hotel booking engine provides real-time availability and a secure payment gateway with multiple languages and currency support.  

It can be customized according to the scalability of the hotel or resort for both brand and independent hotels. 

How Does an Online Booking Engine Work? 

A hotel booking engine works by analyzing room availability, processing bookings in real-time availability, handling secure payments, and maintaining customer data so that the next time they book, the booking engine automates the whole hotel booking process by analyzing past reservation behavioural patterns. 

Here's how it works. 

1. User Interface  

The first eye-catching interaction of a booking engine is its user-friendly interface, which helps to find their search criteria, including check-in and check-out dates, number of guests, preferred room type, and personalized location.  

2. Availability Search:  

After the user submits their search, the booking engine inquiries about the hotel's database to check room availability for the specified dates and criteria according to user preferences. It collects real-time information on available rooms and rates, and checks if any promotions or discounts are applicable.  

3. Display of Results:  

Then the next screen displays the search results to the user, typically in a list or grid format, which shows the availability of rooms along with details such as room types, rates, amenities, and images.  

Users can compare different options and choose the best that suits them. 

4. Room Selection:  

After selecting the room, the user may have the option to view more details about the room, its location, which side (for example - seaside view), and their description prices. They also can add-ons some additional features like spa treatments, breakfast places, etc. 

5. Booking Details:  

Now the system calculates the total payment, including taxes and additional charges, and users must enter their details like contact details and payment information to confirm the reservation.  

The booking engine securely processes the payment, usually via a payment gateway, ensuring that the transaction is safe and encrypted. 

6. Booking Confirmation:  

Once the booking is done successfully, the users will receive an instant email or SMS confirmation having reservation details, including booking reference number, dates, room type, rate, and any additional services booked. 

7. Real-Time Updates: 

Now, the booking engine provides real-time insights into booking trends, revenue, occupancy rates, and other key performance indicators.  

This data helps in updating inventory management, preventing overbooking, and streamlining management procedures.  

8. Streamlined Operations:  

The booking engine system optimizes regular updates and maintenance to ensure smooth operation, security, and guest satisfaction throughout their stay.