Have you already got a website that boasts of modern and responsive design? Alternatively, are you contemplating developing a new website using platforms like WordPress, Wix, or similar builders? These are fantastic targets, marking the first step towards attracting guests to your hotel property.
What additional measures must be taken to ensure that your website quickly and dependably facilitates direct bookings? The creation of a professional booking engine is an essential priority alongside website development. However, merely having a functional booking engine is insufficient; the most optimal option must be implemented to avoid losing bookings. Otherwise, guests will exit your site and book through alternative platforms, causing you to incur high commission fees while they reserve through online travel agencies.
Hotels and properties require a booking engine that goes beyond being basic and straightforward. They desire a reservations software that integrates with a channel manager and hotel software (PMS) to synchronize top-performing OTA’s with their websites. This means that whenever someone makes a booking through platforms like Booking.com or Expedia, availability on the hotel’s website reduces automatically and vice versa.
What is a Hotel Website Booking Engine?
A hotel booking engine is a software and reservation application put in or integrated on websites, for on-line direct bookings via a hotel’s web site on behalf of guests. A short definition of the booking engine, additionally referred to as booking button: ‘A booking engine is basically the go-cart equivalent for a hotel website’.
Receptionists can use a Software as a Service (SaaS) application called a booking engine to enable online room booking for guests.
Booking engines consist of two components: the back-end and the front-end, which is also known as the customer-facing side. The hotel owners and their staff utilize the admin dashboard on the back-end to oversee and assess reservations, while the front-end enables guests to make room reservations themselves.
This booking technology can be utilized by properties of any size and type, whether they have one room or several. All hospitality businesses should enable guests to make reservations through their own websites, in order to avoid paying high commissions and ensure that their availability is always up to date and accessible around the clock.
How does a Website Reservation System Work?
By means of a hotel reservation system, guests are enabled to make secure direct online bookings through the hotelier’s website. The reservations are processed and then saved in an extranet back-end that is known as an Admin dashboard. The hotel proprietor and his/her personnel can effortlessly log in and view the reservations, as they possess a comprehensive overview and all requisite information available in a single principal platform.
Why do you need a Booking Button?
In the present year of 2020 and beyond, tourists have become accustomed to completing all travel-related transactions online and promptly receiving confirmation. Therefore, they are unwilling to take the time to phone or email as it is perceived as complex and slow. Instead, travelers seek technological advancements that enable them to reserve a room quickly.
If you own a small apartment, guest house, boutique hotel, or mid-sized property hotel, you might wish to maximize your revenue by accepting a large number of direct bookings.
Enumerated are the benefits and justifications for the imperative necessity of a booking button.
- Using a booking engine, also called a booking button , your hotel website will become an OTA channel and e-commerce itself. Guests will be able to book rooms, in the same way as they would do on a popular OTA and they are already familiar with the reservation process from the online travel agents. What is the advantage of having more direct bookings via your website? Quite easy: less commission you need to pay, that translates in higher revenue benefits for you. Also, you will be able to make a promotional price for your guests or add extra services at the same price to fidelize your clients.
- Competitive advantage over neighbouring properties
- Many of your neighbouring hotels and properties do not even have a website. Maybe, they only have a Facebook page, this means they have barely an online presence, that is very reduced and bad. With a modern website and online reservations system, booking button, you already have a competitive advantage over your nearby competitors. Owning your own website is not expensive: CultBooking has an exclusive and affordable package for you.
- Improved business efficiency
- Having a website booking engine, you will be able to directly communicate with your guests via integrated chat tool or even via the contact details inserted on the specially branded landing page of the booking button.
- Build and market various promotional offers for your guests, packages or arrangements for the weekend, summer or winter. Sell vouchers and extra products and services, as a package with a room or standalone, without a room.
- Your inventory for the number of available rooms and your pricing will be updated automatically from one main extranet calendar with just one click. This will save you time and make work more enjoyable. At the same time, you eliminate overbookings and can rest assured the system is working 24/7 on your behalf, it’s like having additional insurance for free. Already included when using one of the best booking engines in the market.
Best Hotel Booking Engines
SiteMinder
By utilizing SiteMinder’s reservation system named ‘The Booking Button’, boost direct bookings without any commission.
Completing the booking process in only two simple steps will bring joy to your guests. This feature is customizable and mobile-friendly, supporting 20 languages and 20 currencies.
Through SiteMinder’s booking engine, you have the ability to conveniently provide last-minute bargains, early-bird promotions, promotional prices, and additional deals.
Guests are able to reserve multiple rooms and compare rates with OTAs on the TripTease widget all in one booking.
SiteMinder’s platform has become widely popular among hotels as most Online Travel Agencies and PMS / RMS systems integrate with it, therefore making The BookingButton one of the top hotel booking systems. SiteMinder provides a plethora of paid integration options with various third-party applications.
Suitable for midscale and upscale properties, including medium and large hotels across Europe, North America, Asia-Pacific, Middle East and Africa, as well as Central and South America.
Cloudbeds
The Cloudbeds Booking Engine is designed to facilitate direct bookings by seamlessly integrating with any website, transforming it into an effective booking platform without any additional fees.
The Cloudbeds Booking Engine puts the full power of direct reservations in the hands of independent property owners.
Suitable for economy and midscale properties, including small and medium hotels, hostels, and short-term rental properties in Europe, North America, Asia-Pacific, Middle East, Africa, Central, and South America.
RateTiger
With RateTiger Booking Engine, hotels can provide their guests with a quick and effortless booking process. This tool enables hotels to ensure that their rates and stock are consistent on all platforms, such as their own hotel brand website.
The RateTiger Booking Engine provides a straightforward and adaptable solution for booking that can be incorporated into a hotel’s website. It enables the creation and handling of promotions, rates, availability, and restrictions on the hotel’s website. Additionally, it supports various languages and currencies, as well as hot dates and promo codes. With a flexible pricing model, the booking engine can efficiently manage costs for new and old bookings. Also, ancillary revenue can be managed by incorporating additional services such as car parking, spa treatments, and package deals.
Suitable for short-term rental properties and medium to large hotels in Europe, North America, Asia-Pacific, Middle East and Africa, Central and South America. Appropriate for properties in the economy, midscale, and upscale categories.
Cubilis
The Cubilis Booking Engine is a reservation tool that can be integrated into your website without any commission fees. Despite having high visibility on online travel agencies (OTAs), your website remains an essential channel for bookings. This is because commission-free bookings made through your site will ultimately lead to greater profits for your hotel, bed and breakfast, or vacation rental.
Suitable for economy, midscale, and upscale lodging establishments, including small, medium, and large hotels, hostels, and short-term rental properties across Europe, North America, Asia-Pacific, the Middle East and Africa, as well as Central and South America.
STAAH
Staah’s ConvertDirect is a PCI-certified booking engine that can be fully customised without commission fees.
Guests can easily move to the payment page through a straightforward and user-friendly booking system consisting of three simple steps.
The package includes valuable additions like enhancements, supplementary services, and WatchMyRate – a widget for comparing prices.
ConvertDirect Booking Engine offers various features, such as support for several languages and currencies, hot deals, and promo codes, that can assist in boosting your direct bookings.
It is advisable to use for hotels of medium to large size in Europe, North America, Asia-Pacific, Middle East and Africa, as well as Central and South America. It is recommended for properties that are classified as midscale.
5stelle
On a daily basis, 5stelle* helps you save time and simplifies your hotel management and online sales through its native cloud-based PMS.
Thanks to the use of cloud technology, the management of accommodations is possible at any time and from any location, ensuring that the reception is always efficiently handled. The latest Pocket feature even allows for business management via one’s smartphone.
The 5stelle* solution encompasses various features including PMS, Channel Manager, Booking Engine, Business Intelligence, Restaurant POS and Payment Gateway.
You can run 5stelle* on any device, including your Mac, without any hardware requirements. There are no servers, cables or installation costs involved – all you need is an internet connection.
In 15 countries, 2500 properties utilize the 5stelle suite, which provides assistance via both online and telephone 7 days per week, as well as hosting, data backup, updates, unlimited workstations, and users. Additionally, set-up is both swift and straightforward.
This product is suggested for moderate hotels situated in Europe, Asia-Pacific, and the Middle East and Africa, as well as for economy establishments.
bookingplanner
Bookingplanner serves as a property management solution that operates on the cloud and provides aid to B&B and hotel managers in the areas of maintenance, housekeeping, and task planning. Its notable functionalities comprise guest management, communication, access control, compliance management, invoice issuance, and payment processing.
Guest reservation details from the channel management system are automatically brought into the Bookingplanner platform which makes the allocation of rooms automated. There are options for administrators to create reports for the cleaning staff with special instructions like linen change, extra beds, special decoration, and so forth. Front office personnel can easily check-in/check-out guests using the dashboard, planboard, or reservation sheet, making operations more efficient. Additionally, data from reservation sheets are gathered by the system to produce invoices.
With Bookingplanner, users can create and manage a guest directory and grant staff members role-based access. It also automates sending template-based messages to guests at specific intervals, improving their experience. Additionally, managers can process payments in numerous currencies, produce occupancy and financial reports, and securely store credit card and guest details on a server that complies with PCI standards.
This recommendation is suitable for small European hotels and for properties that fall within the economy and midscale categories.
SabeeApp
SabeeApp’s booking engine has been streamlined for conversion, featuring a sleek design and no commission fees.
This platform is fully customisable and is equipped with the latest SSL technology to secure data. Additionally, it allows easy setup, integration with Facebook’s booking engine, and provision of promotional codes and discounts.
Through SabeeApp’s booking system, guests have the option of reserving various room types within a single booking. Additionally, this platform is accessible via mobile devices and supports 14 different languages.
Suitable for economy and midscale properties, including small and medium-sized hotels, hostels, and short-term vacation rentals located in Europe, Asia-Pacific, and Central and South America.
