Online hotel booking systems have redefined the hotel industry space. Not only have they made hotel reservations easier for guests, they have also made hotels more accessible to guests, regardless of the distance between the hotel and the prospective guests. All your reservation data is collected onto one platform, plus with a sharply-designed booking form, you also make the entire reservation process hassle-free for the bookers.
However, it is essential for hoteliers to make an informed choice while opting for an online hotel booking system. The more feature-rich your Hotel web booking Engine is, the better the yield it can get you, i.e. the higher the ROI. You’ll find out shortly why we say this. But first, let’s understand the meaning and the purpose of an online web booking engine.
What is a booking engine & what does it do?
Quite simply put, a hotel web booking engine essentially is a means to sell your hotel rooms on the internet, either via your website (directly) or via one of your social media pages like Facebook, Instagram, and such platforms (Indirectly). This software application not only allows for secure monetary transactions to take place via a payment gateway but also helps automatically process and collate guest data.
With the increasing number of hotel reservations happening online, the need for an online hotel booking engine in today’s world cannot be overstated. But you don’t just need some booking engine, you need the one that gives you the maximum benefits without costing you a bomb.
Here are 13 important features of an online hotel booking engine.
(And by important, we simply mean non-negotiable!)
1. Customizations to maintain consistency of Web booking page with your hotel brand:
Keep the design of the web booking page consistent with your brand’s look and feel. Consistency is the key to trust building in guest experience. It is also just a common sense- Your guest goes to the web booking page from your brand website or from the ‘book now’ button on your Facebook page. Their journey with you must continue without any rude shocks lest you lose them to skepticism! You want the imagery, the messaging, the color scheme, the fonts, and all the nuances consistent with your brand. Your Hotel Web Booking Engine must allow customization (at least the basic ones!) for you to build this trust in your prospective guests.
