~ Updated on July 2023 ~
Every year, the number of hotel walk-ins decreases. Hotel bookings are now made online in the age of global digitalisation. Of that number, 40% are made through Booking.com, 32% through other aggregators, and 21% through hotel websites. That shows how important it is for hotels to connect to online booking channels to grow and attract more customers.
A hotel reservation system is a mechanism through which guests can create secure online reservations.
An online travel agency (OTA) is a web-based marketplace that allows customers to explore and book travel products and services directly from travel suppliers, such as hotels, flights, vehicles, tours, cruises, activities, and more.
While the process is similar to booking with an online travel agent (OTA), the difference is that the hotel’s booking engine essentially links up to their website so that there are no additional fees incurred for the property.
Through the hotel reservation system software, guests can choose how long they will stay, the type of room they want, get add-ons, and pay securely online through a payment platform.
An online booking engine is your key to commission-free direct bookings, as well as a tool to maximise earnings from your property's sales strategy.
Since most travellers book their vacations online, hotels rely on internet travel agencies to deliver reservations. The benefits of listing on them include reaching huge, new audiences and increasing bookings, but each reservation demands a commission fee to the third party.
Sure, today's travellers utilise online travel agencies (OTAs) 50% more than hotel websites to research leisure trip possibilities. But when this price rises above 20%, it becomes exceptionally frustrating for hotels, tiny owners, who watch their profits dwindle.
Consider the following scenario: your hotel's room rate is RM100, and you use two well-known Online Travel Agencies as part of the booking engine for your guests. The average commission fee charged by online travel agencies is 15% of the total booking price. You lose an average of RM15 for every room that is booked. You can use our Revenue Calculator to see how much money you could save if you had your hotel booking engine for your establishment.
You must understand the fundamental functions of a hotel booking engine before moving on with this section. And, yes, the function is beneficial to both you, the hotelier, and your guests, and they are as follows:
To be competitive in the business, hoteliers must begin including this feature into their websites and pages since many guests will expect this level of service from their hosts, regardless of their hotel's size. The importance of convenience cannot be overstated.
An online booking system is a must-have for hotels these days. It is an essential feature for hotels to ensure a competitive advantage. Do not make it difficult for your prospective customers to make a booking. Make it fast and straightforward.
The booking process must be seamless to ensure the customers can proceed to payment without any roadblocks. Choose a booking engine that is also easy for the front hotel desk to operate efficiently. By now, you should know how a hotel booking engine can help you, but here are five more benefits of using hotel booking engines.
The hospitality industry drives on personalisation with the customers. Never let the data received from customers go to waste! With CRM, you would generate more and more revenue from your customers.
Now you’re sure of getting a hotel booking engine for your property. Great decision!
Most hotel booking engine providers offer a trial account for hoteliers to try out their system before using it. This is your opportunity to compare features offered by different providers and choose the best plan for your hotel. If no free trial is available, you may also request a demonstration of the hotel booking engine from the provider.
However, before deciding on a hotel booking engine software provider, look at the nine essential features of a hotel booking engine software.
Once you've made your decision, double-check that the hotel booking engine you've chosen meets the needs of your hotel business and provides a comprehensive solution.
The list below includes three popular hotel booking engine providers ready to be used by all hoteliers. It is intended to serve as a rough guide to assist you in selecting the one you prefer. You are welcome to explore and learn more about them. Below are our top 3 suggestions for hotel booking engine providers:
Softinn provides a seamless direct booking experience for your guests, thereby increasing direct booking revenue, lowering commission payments to OTAs, and assisting your hotel in establishing its guest relationship.
The following are the features offered by Softinn Booking Engine:
Clients who utilise the Softinn Booking Engine include the following:
Softinn offers a free 14-day trial account, with no credit card required. Click here to apply and acquire additional information.
Read also: 6 Reasons To Choose Softinn Booking Engine
SiteMinder is a leading cloud platform that provides two-way connections to more than 400 distribution channels to connect guests locally and globally. It is also allowed to integrate with over 230 leading property management systems (PMSs), Channel Manager, RMSs, CRSs, and many hotel technology solutions in real-time.
SiteMinder Hotel Booking Engine includes the following features:
SiteMinder Booking Engine users include the following customers:
SiteMinder offers a free 14-day trial account. Click here to try them out.
Increasing direct sales remains one of today's significant hotel challenges.
It reduces the OTA sale costs, lowering the commission we must pay them for facilitating the sale. It's the most cost-effective option in an era of increasing competition and a growing number of available sales channels.
It also allows you to build a lasting relationship with the guest. This can lead to future stays and hotel recommendations. Also, consider the monthly OTA compensation costs - You can spend a significant portion of this on compelling image and pro-sales marketing activities.
While the main benefit of a booking engine is increased direct bookings, there are other advantages. With a booking engine that syncs with your PMS and channel manager, you save time by controlling inventory distribution and reducing overbooking. However, with everything, do extensive research before jumping into anything. Give our Guide To Direct Booking a read to get a more comprehensive view on getting direct bookings.