The ultimate guide to types of hotel reservations

Are you keen to learn about the types of direct reservations and enter the booking system world? This guide explains how most hotels accept bookings and what helps them respond to guest preferences.

Hotel reservations types

Hotel reservations can be categorised into three main types:

Traditional letter-based reservations – Written reservation modes include letter, fax, telex, and e-mail reservation requests. Although less common in today's digital age, letters provide a formal record of booking specifics and are used by travel agents to book various room types. E-mail booking is a fast and convenient method of communication, allowing hotels to process reservation requests quickly.

Phone and in-person reservations – Verbal reservations include in-person, phone, and walk-in reservations. In-person reservations provide immediate response and feedback, allowing for personalised guest interactions. Phone reservations are fast and convenient, but the lack of a permanent record can be a disadvantage. Walk-in reservations happen when hotels accept bookings without a prior reservation. While this can fill last-minute vacancies, it also requires the hotel to manage inventory dynamically.

Internet-based reservations – Online bookings include booking engines, OTAs, mobile apps, and hotel websites. A booking engine integrated into the hotel’s website offers advantages such as instant confirmation, real-time availability, and prepayment options. Online travel agents provide a platform for guests to book travel services, including hotel rooms, through different channels. Mobile apps give guests various booking options and make it easy to book travel services on the go. They often include features like room preferences and special requests, whereas hotel website booking allows you to book rooms directly, avoiding commission fees.

Overview of the reservation process – from booking to check-in

Central reservation systems (CRS) typically empower guests to reserve dates based on real-time display of rates and inventory and finalise their reservations through an online payment portal. The CRS updates the hotel’s property management system (PMS) and channel manager, ensuring accurate inventory and up-to-the-minute updates across all booking channels.

The booking process in the hotel industry comprises these steps:

1. Guest searches for availability – Guests enter their travel dates and room type into the booking engine.
2. Real-time availability – The system displays real-time availability and rates.
3. Reservation request – Guests request reservations by selecting their preferred room type and providing personal and payment information.
4. Confirmation – The system processes the payment and confirms the guest's booking. The reservation specifics are updated in the PMS and other connected systems.
5. Check-in – The guest checks in at the hotel, and the desk staff verifies the reservation details.

Hotel booking forms

Hotel booking forms are essential tools for booking a room in a hotel, motel, hostel, or any other type of accommodation. They allow guests to make reservations easily and provide hotels with all the necessary information to manage bookings effectively. They can be categorised into guest registration, booking enquiries, and online booking forms.

Examples of hotel booking forms

Here are examples of hotel forms and their uses:

Hotel guest registration form – Used to receive guest reservations online conveniently. It captures essential information, including personal details, room preferences, and special requests.

Booking enquiry form – A simple form template that allows customers to submit their booking enquiry or any other comment. It helps staff respond to potential clients with availability and room rates.

Online booking enquiry form – Accumulates visitors’ contact information and feedback. It is used to gather preliminary reservation specifics, such as personal preference, check-out dates, and rental car numbers.

What is a hotel reservation system?

A centralised system allows hotel personnel to manage reservations and automate processes. It serves as a centralised platform to provide guests with means to reserve rooms, amenities, and services such as rental cars, while enabling many hotels to manage guests' arrival and departure dates, pricing, accept payments, and more efficiently.

Reservation systems enable hoteliers to accept direct bookings through the hotel’s website and various distribution channels. Such a booking engine system is essential for any business within the hospitality industry to remain competitive and ensure smooth hotel operations.

Benefits of using a central reservation system to manage reservations

Using a CRS offers several benefits, including:

• Efficiency in managing reservations – The system simplifies administrative tasks, reduces the risk of double or overbooking, and improves guest experience. It ensures that reservation specifics are accurate and up-to-date.
• Reduction in errors – Decreases the chances of losing or mixing up reservations, thus avoiding customer dissatisfaction.
• Data collection and analysis – The programme gathers valuable guest data, which can be used to personalise services and improve guest satisfaction.
• Time-saving – It reduces the need for manual processing, allowing hotel staff to focus on other critical tasks.

Key features of a hotel reservation management system

Here are the most important hotel software features:

Guest management – Tools for managing information, preferences, and special requests of the guests. This helps in personalising the guest experience and enhancing satisfaction.

Channel management – Ensures that hotel set-up is consistently updated across all distribution channel selections, preventing overbooking and maximising revenue.

Secure payment gateways – Facilitates safe and secure payment processing.

Non-functional features – Security of guest information and payment details, scalability to accommodate the hotel’s growth and changing needs, and ability to integrate with existing management systems, such as the PMS and channel manager.

Choosing the right hotel reservation system – ease of use, mobile compatibility, and good reviews

When choosing a hotel reservation system, consider several factors:

Ease of use – The system should have an intuitive and user-friendly interface.

Mobile compatibility – The increasing use of mobile devices means the system must be compatible with mobile platforms.

Good reviews – Reviews and testimonials from other hotels provide insights into the system’s performance and reliability.

Before committing to a hotel reservation software platform, take advantage of a trial period and loyalty programmes. This allows the hotel to test the system and ensure it meets their needs and allows them to book more guests.

A hotel reservation system and knowledge of CRMs are crucial for modern hotel management, as they allow hoteliers to handle the potential guest base efficiently. Therefore, explore the topic for your business to grow and thrive.