Hotel reservations systems, commonly known as a central reservation system (CRS) is a computerized system that stores and distributes

information of a hotel, resort, or other lodging facilities. A Central Reservation System is a tool to reach the Global Distribution Systems as well as Internet Distribution Systems from one single system, namely a central reservation system. A CRS is mainly an assistance for hoteliers to manage all of their online marketing and sales, where they can upload their rates & availabilities to be seen by all sales channels that are using a CRS. Sales Channels may include conventional travel agencies as well as online travel agencies. A hotelier using a central reservation system easing his/her tasks for online distribution, because a CRS does everything to distribute hotel information to the sales channels instead of the hotelier.

Below is the list of main modules that are present in a CRS:

Reservations Profiles Groups and Blocks Rate and Inventory Control Administration Reporting Global Distribution Interface PMS Interface
Contents [hide]

1 Information commonly stored in a CRS 2 Reservations 3 Profiles 4 Groups and Blocks 5 Rate and Inventory Control 6 Administration 7 Reporting 8 Global Distribution Interface 9 Web-based PMS Interface 10 See also 11 External links

[edit]Information

commonly stored in a CRS

Room Types Rate plans architecture

Room Rates & conditions (guarantee, deposit, customized cancellation rules, Minimum Length Of Room inventories Generic hotel information (address, phone number, fax number) Distribution content (descriptions, amenities, pictures, videos, local attractions...) are stored in the Reservation information Geocode information Nearby IATA cities and airports

Stay, Maximum Length Of Stay, Closed to Arrival, Arrival not allowed, departure not allowed...)

CRS or in a Content Management System (Lanyon, VFM leornardo, Pegs ODD)

[edit]Reservations

Individual, group, shared, and multi-rate reservations Add, change, and cancel bookings including multiple legs Standard, package, negotiated, and group rates (via on screen button) Multi-Currency rate displays Sell messages dynamically linked to CRO office, property, rate or allotment code Geographical and regional single or multi-property search Property details including pictures, raster maps, rate and room type lists, nearby attractions, and Links to external context databases to provide in-depth property, rate, and room details List of room types and rate codes List of rate availability strategies and restrictions User definable products by rate code Waitlist capabilities Quote rates system set up initial and secondary rates per property, per day Query system for reservation action items Intuitive, logical sales process flow links

point of interest information

[edit]Profiles

Individual guest, groups, corporate, source, travel agency, and wholesales profiles. Multiple address and phone number capability for each profile Membership or club numbers and tracking Comparison and merging of profiles Notation for special commissions for client, agent, or source Relationship linking Unlimited credit card numbers Outstanding history statistics for past and future stays Profile protection Profile privacy Nightly process to identify duplicate profiles and merge them automatically

[edit]Groups

and Blocks

Groups room control Room inventory allotments with cutoff date or days Elastic room limits to be sold out of general inventory beyond block Tour series (recurring group stays) Super Group Blocks -single group staying at multiple properties Multiple rate assignments for shoulder dates Blocks fully integrated with selling screen Rooming list

[edit]Rate

and Inventory Control

Single and Multi-Property availability display Unlimited room classes and room types Multi-level inventory control by room class and room type Strategic overbooking levels Unlimited number of rate plans Detailed rate availability display Rates in multiple currencies Rates confirmed in multiple currencies Flexible package price calculations Negotiated Rates Versatile tax calculations Chain cross sell capability with schedule Supports generic room types Room and rate management and restrictions Ability to open/close room types by rate code, property, room class, etc. Central interface to yield systems and ability to update the properties with yield information via the Best available rates Rates based on rates Rate seasons Unlimited number of guarantee, deposit, and cancellation policies, by property,

Two-Way Interface (where supported)

[edit]Administration

Transaction activity by agent and CRO User definable Global Messaging display On-line, written, or faxed confirmations Multiple Chain (brand) definition Brochure requests and on-line customer surveys Extensive revenue and forecasting reporting Security controls Multiple time zone support User definable Closing Script

Configurable Profile, Booking, and Display Information Screen layout Multi-tiered source of business tracking Multiple configurations to support regrets and denials

[edit]Reporting The CRS reporting system provides a number of standard reports. Additional reports can be created using the integrated report generator by your IT Specialist. System reports may be generated automatically and may be run daily, weekly, monthly, yearly or manually upon request. Reports include:

Expected Arrivals Reservation Property Forecast Total Booking Activity Stay Activity Monthly Booking Activity Summary Daily Booking Activity Summary Property Detail Property Detail - Room and Rate Information Agent Activity Automatic Allotment Release Delivery Queue Purge

[edit]Global

Distribution Interface

The CRS offers a GDS (Global Distribution System) interface that allows travel agencies and consortia to confirm bookings and send the information to their CRO. For example the Pegasus Switch gives access to travel industry users of these major applications:

Sabre Galileo Amadeus WorldSpan TRS Hotel Connection Including XML API following subset of OTA specifications Connectivity to most ADSs through Pegasus Direct interface to Expedia Ability to connect directly to any ADS using XML API

[edit]Web-based

PMS Interface

CRS offer Two-Way Interface that allows the CRS to communicate with and exchange information between the CRS central database and the Front Office PMS (Property Management System) at each property. The Two-Way Interface includes features that is allow the CRS and PMS to work with the same information despite differing data structures and values.

What interface to a web-based PMS offers: - Control all reservations coming from different sources in a single control panel/extranet - Property Management System helps you distribute your rooms optimally to different online channels you work with since with PMS you can easily check the resource of your reservations. You can easily analyze how much each sales channel contributes to your revenues and identify the most efficient channels. - With Property Management System, hoteliers receive instant alerts containing information of your reservations: length of stay with check-in and check-out dates, number of guests, room type, price and rates, personal information of customers, billing and etc. - Main advantage of a web-based PMS is its communication ability to CRS as well as to hotel website booking engine and other online sales channels.

PROVAB TECHNOSOFT A leading Hotel Reservation System / Hotel Management System Company in Bangalore, India. We are a leading travel technology company, provide integrated hotel reservation system to hotels & resorts worldwide. Our online hotel reservation systems empower your enterprise to manage online bookings quickly and effectively. Over the last few years, travel & hospitality domain has witnessed strong growth and our online hotel reservation software let you connect with global clients by providing them the unique search and book functionality. Following are the features of our online hotel booking software: The hotel booking system comes with B2C (Business to Customers) and B2B (Business to Business) modules to along with comprehensive admin module. The hotel booking systems are compatible for 18 hotel xmls including TravelCube, Kuoni, Hotelbeds, Tourico, Travco, Special Tours, HotelsPro, transHotels, Miki Travels, Sun Hotels, Darina Holidays, DOTW, Asian trials and Versys. This hotel booking system (B2B, B2C, B2B2C) is a feature rich, robust and scalable web based OTA solution for leading travel companies, where in the return data from GTA, Kuoni, Hotelbeds, Tourico, Travco, Special Tours, HotelsPro, Path Finder and Versys, merged into one XML feed using our proprietary algorithm to get various sorting options from a total of over 100,000 hotels worldwide.

USECASE:

Main success scenario 1 2 3 The guest requests a reservation. The guest selects the desired hotel, dates and type of room. The hotel receptionist provides the availability and price for the request (an offer is made).

4 5

The guest agrees to proceed with the offer. The guest provides identification and contact details for the hotel's records.

6 7

The guest provides payment details. The hotel receptionist creates a reservation and gives it an identifier.

8 9

The hotel receptionist reveals the identifier to the guest. The hotel receptionist creates a confirmation of the reservation and sends it to the guest.

Identifier and UC_1 Make reservation. name Initiator Goal Pre-condition Receptionist or Guest. Reserve a room at a hotel for a guest. None (that is, there are no conditions to be satisfied prior to carrying out this use case). Postcondition A room of the desired type will have been reserved for the guest for the requested period and the room will be occupied for that period. Assumptions A guest can make a reservation via the Internet. The guest is not already known to the hotel's software system (see main success scenario, step 5).