Nowadays, with internet and credit card facility, travel has become amazing comfortable and convenient. Travel involves good stay at hotels. To secure a reservation in good quality hotel that will be friendly on the purse will be the first priority of any traveller. In the past, to make trips anywhere, one must contact a travel agency to book a hotel. But it is not so of recent changing times. This is because of online booking of hotels.
Main advantage of booking online is:
o It can be done at any time of day or night at the convenience of home or office.
o It is of extreme convenience to make bookings online and customers can make a wide range of selection option of hotels through the internet facility.
o Before the travel agent would show his selection of hotel lists and the selection process was limited in nature.
o People can now make a visit to the site of hotels fitted within their budget, know of its occupancy details; confirm reservation in their chosen place of destination.
o Payment too can be made online and no commission is to be pain to third party intermediaries. This helps online booking cost effective and economical.
Online hotel booking sites
These sites inform you about the upcoming great deals and offers on hotel reservations. One can get interesting discounts if travelling at that time. These offers are promotional offers of the hotels. Some online booking service sites allow you to compare the prices of multiple hotels and it becomes easy to find well equipped rooms at a cheap price. Cheap price hotels also find mention in these sites. These sites help you locate luxury hotel rooms and cheap price hotel rooms with a heavy discount because of their good relations with these hotels.
There are two ways of online booking: direct booking with hotels and booking through online travel agencies.
New age hotel websites
Nowadays, many hotels have their own websites with better design and navigation. Some have virtual tours of their property offered to their guests. This helps the hoteliers to market their property directly to their guests. It gives a better idea of the hotel to the traveller wishing to book online.
They also offer the facility of online booking and reservation and any person who wishes to book hotels can log on to their website and have a complete picture of the hotel. Previously, they have to depend on the travel agents for validation of the hotels and the stay.
Vast majority of travellers make online reservations because many hotels have improved their quality of websites. They have online reservation software incorporated into them. Survey says that 61% of hotel bookings are made directly through hotel websites.
When it comes to pricing, a traveller can check the prices and benefits offered by a hotel at that period of time. While making online reservations, customers can know of the best deals offered by various hotels and draw their conclusions in the stay of hotels. It can be incentives or various options like discounted prices at their gyms, restaurants, spas and other facilities in their property. Therefore, it provides easy access to special offers and promotions of the hotels.
Booking rooms was never so easy than before. Hotel website with online reservation facility could provide instant room confirmation. It would also make the guests know of the rooms available at different tariffs and hotels are hundred percent certain to lose the deal with the prospective guests without any third party intermediary.
Bookings through online travel agencies
They provide details to their clients about a wide range of lodging options in terms of price, accommodation, offers, best deals and customer reviews. They help in the selection of hotels for their customers based on their needs, requirements and budget. Popular OTA's are Travelcity, Makemy trip.com, Startbooking.com, Expedia etc.
Martin Wynn
