What is a booking engine for hotels?
It is your own sales channel. It does the same as Booking.com does on your behalf — show availability, work out the price, take the money and confirm — but on your domain and with nobody in the middle.
How it works
- Availability: it reads the real allotment in the PMS for the dates asked for.
- Rate: it works out the price night by night, with its restrictions and promotions.
- Payment: it charges through a gateway, or holds the card as a guarantee.
- Confirmation: it creates the booking in the PMS, which takes the allotment off and republishes it to the other channels.
Why the margin matters
An average commission of 17% on €40,000 of turnover is €6,800 a year. Every point of direct sales you win is margin that stays with you, and you also keep the guest’s email address, which is what lets them come back without going through the OTA.
What makes a booking engine convert
- The price visible from the calendar: if the guest cannot see the price until step three, they go back to the OTA.
- Few steps, and no compulsory sign-up.
- It looks right on a phone, which is where most bookings are decided.
- The price is consistent with the channels, or the guest learns not to trust your website.