A Guidebook To Select The Best Hotel Booking Engine For Your Hotel Business

Day by day, this generation is getting dependent on an online platform and using different search engines to find their desired solutions for every problem they face in daily life. And this effect of craziness for the latest tech and internet has also conquered the travel & tourism industry too.

Let me show you a shred of evidence to compliment my statement, according to a research paper. About 57% of travelers prefer online hotel booking engines for hotel reservation purposes.

This opportunity for online booking not only tremendously contributes to increasing the percentage for sales and revenue but also raises the visibility over online. Hence, it opens up many new paths to reach a more significant customer base.

Therefore, in this blog, I'm going to share a broad analysis of hotel booking engines, the whole cycle of operating a "hotel booking engine", other related characteristics, and how it's going to boost up your hotel business. 

What Is An Online Hotel Booking Engine?

In simple words, a hotel booking engine is a “widget” that is integrated with a hotel’s website or with different social media. Travelers usually use this hotel booking engine. 

The main reason for using this hotel booking engine so much is because this brings a dynamic automated engine that facilitates the whole online booking procedure. 

This fantastic widget is also integrated with the property management system (PMS). As a result, the hotel booking engine could easily pass out essential details regarding; hotel inventory availability, inventories features, information about payment getaways and pricing range, etc., to travelers, guests, or customers. 

Besides, the hotel booking engine always tries to keep the whole online booking procedure hassle-free and straightforward. 

As this generation is becoming more and more technological freak; day by day, people are always searching for instant solutions over the internet, so choosing this online platform for hotel reservation purposes. 

Mainly hotel booking engine software plays a third-party broker between the guests and the travel agents. Their artificial intelligence makes the whole working process automated; every time a guest books a reservation to any hotel inventory.

Working Process Of Hotel Booking Engine Software

Here is a step by step working process of how this hotel booking engine operates:

1. After installing the “booking engine” widget, on the hotel website and also with various business social media profiles. 

2. Whenever a guest or traveler searches for any data, it will automatically transfer the searched data to the property management system so that hoteliers can arrange and provide the updated availability information. 

3. It makes your website a secure and smooth online booking. Anyone can access and complete the whole online hotel inventory reservation without being an officially registered member of any online travel agent. 

4. Only because of the hotel booking engine, customers no longer have to face the hassle of a lengthy manual process to make reservations to any hotel. Instead, whenever any user searches for hotels’ information, the hotel booking engine will crawl its metasearch engine and show the hotel inventories price rates, availability, and reservation confirmation email. 

In short, the hotel booking engine makes the full online reservation process convenient for travelers. In addition, this widget also helps hotel business owners to cut off their extra commission fees provided to online travel agencies.

Features That Makes Hotel Booking Engine For Travel Agents So Perfect 

The hotel booking engine is also called a direct booking widget because hoteliers don’t have to pay extra commissions to hotel channel managers and online travel agents. The hotel booking engine holds some of the essential features, and because of this, guests or travelers get a smooth and secure service; during online hotel reservations. 

1. Photo Gallery

Showcasing some visual images of your hotel inventory is very important in this online booking system. A hotelier can upload at least 25 photos of their hotel inventory. A clear and higher resolution image is required in this function because the clear the picture, the quicker it will entice and help for sale. 

2. Banner Image 

A banner image is the most important and the first part for which a visitor will see and create the impression in their mind. Hence, showcasing the brand image creates tremendous visibility and occupies the perfect position in the visitors’ brains. 

3. Social Media Integration 

This widget is another amazing booking engine feature, which is also integrated with business profiles created in various social media. Provide the “booking now” button to serve a smooth, faster, and convenient online reservation experience. 

4. Google Analytics Integration

Collecting and analyzing data helps to understand where the visitors are coming from. Which country exactly is browsing your website the most, their preferable choice, etc. And based on that measurement result, a hotelier can improvise their hotel business plan.

5. Mobile Friendly 

It’s a universal reality that people nowadays spend more time with their mobile phones compare to any other device. So there is a high possibility that most people use mobile devices more to search different hotel websites or online travel agents to search for their desired hotel. 

Therefore, hotel business owners need to ensure whether or not the hotel booking engine conveniently works with their website and serves the best user experience. 

6. Impulsive Booking summary 

Suppose a guest or potential customer searches for criteria that aren’t available or not offered by the hotel engine. As a result, the customer will be notified with a short summary explaining the related reason afterward. Hence, these essential features not only give direction but also nurture the guest with other related options.

7. Real-Time Payment Getaway

It doesn’t matter which “online platform” customers are browsing and purchasing their desiring product. And it’s kind of a universal truth that, after every online shopping, customers always want a secure yet fast payment experience. Similarly, a booking engine totally handles and serves as a real-time payment option with multiple getaways in the hotel industry. 

8. Hide The Unavailable Room 

With the help of the “booking widget”, hoteliers can do real-time synchronization of the current status of their hotel inventory. Hence, it eliminates the possibility of double booking. 

Why Is It Necessary To Use Best Hotel Booking Engine In Hotel Website

Many might ask why integrating a hotel booking engine with a hotel website is necessary? Below, I will explain some of the practical and vital necessities of a hotel booking engine for your hotel business.

1. Increase Booking

Among many reasons, one of the primary reasons behind such a drastic increase in hotel booking is that your hotel is embedded with an efficient booking engine. Because of being embedded with an effective hotel booking engine, your hotel website is able to take bookings 24/7. 

In addition, a hotel booking engine makes it possible to store general information of the visitors. Whenever guests or customers visit the hotel website, with the help of this hotel booking widget, the website will automatically track and store every click the visitor performs. Hence, it opens up a great opportunity for hotel business owners to nurture their potential customers and push them to make purchases.

2. No More Dependency On OTA’s

Yes, it’s right that online Travel agents help hotel business owners to increase their sales/ revenue.OTA platform provides hoteliers a platform to showcase their hotel inventory, which ultimately reaches the visitors. 

Besides, this OTA charges a high amount of commission from the hoteliers to register the hotel inventory on their platform. 

In addition, it also charges another commission from the hoteliers after every booking. Indeed, OTA is the best opportunity to increase booking but simultaneously raise the cost of a hotel business owner.  

3. Direct Booking Through Hotel Website

Many research has suggested that customers feel more secure, get authentic information, and pay less than booking in OTAs’. Besides, many customers check, search and compare both the OTA and hotel websites and then confirm their booking. 

Booking directly from the hotel website helps the hotel owner eliminate the extra commission that has to be paid to OTA’s and is convenient for a customer to confirm their stay is secure and affordable.

4. Fast And Secure Payment Process

Getting fast and secure payment is the most primary facility that any customer expects from any online platform. While doing the online booking process, customers can easily integrate their credit cards and complete their payment procedure within no time. Moreover, get the instant confirmation notification of the reservation.  

5. Support Multi-Language And Currency 

Another important, common yet mandatory feature for a hotel website. Thus whenever a potential customer visits your hotel business website, they can feel the ease of use and comfortable to purchase their desired goods and service.  
 

6. Flexible With Promotional Offers

Booking engines are very much flexible in helping different hoteliers with unique hotel marketing strategies and for instance, providing the opportunity to create “promotional codes.” Whenever any customers use it during purchase, he/she can easily get a discount on the main payment.  

Essential Results For Using Hotel Booking Engine In Your Hotel Business

As we have already discussed the necessary reasons for integrating this widget and the features of a hotel booking engine. Now I think it’s time to know the potential benefits you are gonna get by using this booking engine.

At the end of the day, deep down inside, we all know that it will all be wasted if this effective booking widget fails to produce any revenue by integrating with the hotel website. 

One of the core reasons; hoteliers use a “hotel booking system” is to encourage direct booking, provide the best authentic service, and sometimes provide the extra discount to the guest as an “appreciation for direct booking.” 

Here is some of the best result; hotel business owner is going to get by integrating  online hotel booking engine:

1. Brings Smooth Stability To Your Inventory Sales 

Indeed, integrating different OTAs’ or channel managers with the hotel business opens up a great way to keep hotel inventory sales stable.

On the other hand, many customers like to search different OTA platforms, analyze the previous review and prices, and then directly book their stay from the hotel website. 

Through direct booking gives the customers authentic satisfaction, low price or sometimes gets the extra accommodation free.  

2. Simplify The Administrative Process

Another most crucial benefit of using a hotel booking engine is that it works as a “one-man army” from the side of your hotel business. 

This means your admin or HR manager will spend no or absolutely less time managing, confirming the online reservations received from calls or mail. 

As this hassle-full task will be a cover-up by the fastest online booking engine instead of hotel admin. Therefore, the admin manager or HR can organize, greet guests, monitor the operational staff, etc. 

3. Opportunity To Trace The Potential Lead Behavior

Data of the “potential leads” represents; the number of customer consumers of your product or services. Also the customers; who might have a search or go through your product, but didn’t purchase or brainstorming the thought of consuming after analyzing your products.   

For any organization, data of potential customers is fundamental. Because this data not only helps a hotel business owner to generate confidence to expand the business further but also assists hoteliers in shaping hotel pricing strategy and design the hotel marketing strategy.  

4. Contribute to Improving Customer Satisfaction on behalf of the Hotel Brand

If a customer faces fewer or more difficulties in different OTA’s or channel managers while online reservation, then there is a high chance that the customer will position the hotel brand as “poor in providing real-time booking service”. 

Most of the customers fail to understand where the real problem or glitch is happening through third-party platforms. Hence, integrating a hotel booking widget helps to provide authentic service to every guest and eliminates the risk of hampering the brand image. 

With Fastest Hotel Booking Engine Reduce Time Wastage And Understand The Guests’ Urgency 

Without any doubt, the hotel booking engine absolutely makes it possible to reduce, eliminate, encourage customers and enjoy direct booking. The customer doesn’t have to face or fill up many procedural steps to book a stay; while performing direct booking through the hotel website.

And all credit goes to the fastest “online booking engine,” which assists the “hotel online website” in providing the best, less time-consuming service to every guest, with 100% satisfaction guaranteed. 

Because of the efficient hotel booking engine, hotel booking engines can independently manage every online booking confirmed through the hotel’s own website. Apparently, this “hotel booking engines software” works as the primary weapon for hoteliers to provide the best online booking experience. It is integrated with the hotel website and social media “book now” button.

Consequences Alert!! 

15% to 20% Loss On Commission + Loss Of Potential Guest  

It isn’t any mistake or truly a total “bad idea” to register your hotel brand in any OTA or channel manager. But at the same time, these kinds of third-party platforms charge a huge amount for listing your hotel brand on OTA and charging 15% to 20 % commission per booking. 

On the other hand, some research also suggested that guests find some OTAs' platforms dysfunctional. For example, it sometimes shows the wrong information of the hotel inventories and is not very user-friendly. As a result, hoteliers lose potential customers because of the OTA’s bad platform service. 

Confused!!!

 To Start A Hotel Business Or Not???   

Nowadays, starting a hotel business is the trendiest business of all. Want to know why?? One of the research shows that busy heretic people search “best location and hotel” the most. To enjoy a relaxing time from a busy schedule and gain the best energy to perform well in their jobs. 

The hotel business is now the most profitable and trendiest business of all. Xain- hotel management system can help you to step up and also at the same time manage, monitor, and control your hotel business. Xain is one complete package and offers you every solution for your problem. So why wait??? Just give it a try!!!!

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Conclusion 

In this last stage of my blog, I would like to share that the hotel booking engine is the main weapon. An effective widget tool, because of which hotel business owners’ can stability run their business.

Apart from the hotel channel manager and online travel agents (OTA’s), the hotel booking engine is another effective way to win potential leads for your hotel.

Read More:

• How To Start A Hotel Business - A Complete Business Plan
• 10 Tricks For Designing Hotel Marketing Strategies
• What Is A Hotel Channel Manager? Scheme To Make "Housefull"
• Increase Your Hotel Bookings With Top 8 Online Travel Agents
• 15 Finest Hotel Management Companies - A Trustable Shoulder to Run Your Hotel Business
• 7 Proven Hotel Pricing Strategy To Reach Your Profitability Scale At Top