Published: 06 Jan 2021

Internet Booking Engine Features List

1. Booking calendar 

A calendar is a chart, table, or device which displays the date and the day of the week, and often the whole of a particular year divided up into months, weeks, and days. Booking Calendar displays the day’s field availability with the number of rooms and prices. When a user clicks on a day or on a certain period, they will see the rooms available and the pricing. 

1.1 Smart Calendar

Inside the table, there is extra information that can be activated on demand. For example:

a) If a certain day is available or not to be booked

b) The lowest price for that particular day

c) Restrictions, for example: minimum stay, bookable but closed to arrival, bookable but closed for departure. 

As a standard setting, all CultBooking Booking Engines come with a standard calendar that does not show any of the 3 features mentioned earlier. 

2. Functions

2.1 Occupancy prices – for room (Pricing for double room for single usage)

Some double rooms allow for single occupancy, for the same price or with a discount. When there is a discount, by simply selecting one person instead of two via the dropdown function, you will see the new discounted price without applying another filter.

This same applies for all room categories that allow the guest to decrease the number of people occupying the room. 

2.2 Occupancy prices – as main filter (Double room for single usage pricing as main filter when searching for room)

This allows the guest to see the discounted price for single occupancy by selecting a filter when searching for a certain date. 

2.3 Children’s prices

Some rooms allow guests to host their children for free or for an extra fee. This options allows guests to select if there are children from ages 0-3 or 4-10 staying in the room. The hotel admin has option to create settings to include children inside the room and make it visible for the guests when they book. 

2.4 Booking multiple rooms

This feature enables the user to book various rooms of the same or a different category in the same reservation. It is like the basket option for an e-commerce site that allows you to insert various articles in the basket. There’s no need to book one room and then come back and book another room one by one. Instead, the guest can book various rooms for their friends and family in one operation. 

2.5 Payment gateway

A payment gateway is a technology used by merchants, in this case hoteliers, to accept debit or credit card purchases from customers. 

This technology captures and transfers payment data from the customer to the acquirer and then transfers the payment acceptance or decline back to the customer. A payment gateway validates the customer’s card details securely, ensures the funds are available and enables merchants to get paid. It encrypts sensitive credit card details, ensuring that information is passed securely from the customer to the acquiring bank, via the merchant.

Payment is processed automatically and transferred directly to the hoteliers account. CultBooking does this via Mollie.com. There is also the possibility to include the payment gateway of your choice like Stripe or another platform from your local market. 

This is an extra feature to be activated and requires an extra fee as well. It allows the guest to choose whether or not to select travel insurance that covers them by giving them a refund. This protects against cancellation costs if the guest is unable to make the trip. 

3.2 Extra services (e.g. breakfast, airport transfer, wine)

The guest has the option to book extra services from the hotel, for example, breakfast or a bottle of wine, in addition to their room. This is an extra option that can be activated on demand. 

3.3 Price comparison widget

This is a pop-up widget that is normally displayed on the right side of the website, but can be placed elsewhere as well. It displays the prices on various booking portals (OTAs) like Booking, Expedia, and the hotel website, and orders them by price. This way, the user knows which portal will gets them the best available price for a certain room category. 

3.4 Room upgrade 

This is an extra feature that while booking, allows the guest to upgrade before making the reservation to a superior room for an extra price – a normal standard price or discounted, depending on the settings. 

This is a switcher that allows the guest to see prices in their local currency. When the user books, they make the reservation in the main currency of the hotel, but sees displayed their local currency. For example, if the hotel is in Europe and has EUR as the main currency, bookers from Colombia will see prices in COP. 

4.2 Language

Guests will see the booking engine landing page in their local language by selecting the language. 

A button option on the booking engine landing page that allows the guest to cancel or modify their booking by providing his email and password or booking ID. This appears like a personal account where guests can manage their booking by login. 

5.2 Login for guests

The login for guests section acts as a user environment to administrate bookings.

5.3 Promo code

The user will be able to insert a promo code keyword or ID and unlock special rates for rooms. For example: Student2021. This is usually created for existing clients or for a specific target group of travellers. This can be done on the top of the booking engine via an input field. Special settings are needed for this feature and is not activated as standard.

5.4 Automatic promo code (via special link)

The URL contains the promo code and automatically inputs the special price, without the need for the user to manually insert the code. This saves time and makes it easier to distribute this link to users to allow them to book special offers.

6. Support

6.1 Live chat

This is the button on the right side of the website that allows the guest to talk directly with the hotel staff or reception. CultBooking allows insertion of any live chat tool of choice for the hotelier into their code. CultBooking has not developed their own tool, but uses 3rd party providers for this feature. This is also activated on demand.

7. User interface

7.1 Responsive

Mobile and tablet responsive means that the page adapts to any device and has special formatting to fit. This is a standard feature and must-have in 2021 and beyond.

8. Structuring 

8.1 Multi property

This refers to the possibility to book, via one landing page, rooms from various properties or hotels in the same location or in different locations. With this feature, the booking engine becomes an OTA channel for distribution. 

CultBooking does not have this feature yet, but plans to develop it in the future. It is normally used for hotel chains or for agencies with multiple hotels. 

8.2 Room links (show only a specific room and not whole list of rooms)

CultBooking can deliver a special link with only one specific room or a selection of rooms of your choice to be shown. For example, out of a list that displays all your rooms separately, the user can select the rooms of their choice. This is like a filter that responds only to the query needed.

This versatility is possible with CultBooking as a standard feature and is available in the user interface.

8.3 Product link (packages)

A special URL for packages, for example, 2 nights in a room with dinner, or 1 week with spa, for a special price with a discount or not. 

8.4 Vouchers

Allows hotel to provide vouchers without a room. For example, a spa voucher or room service voucher to use during their stay, with validity of 1 or 2 years. 

9. Integrations

9.1 PMS integrations

CultBooking Booking Engine allows integrations of 3rd party PMS Property Management Systems, also called Hotel Software. There is an open API and any system in the world can connect to our system. 

9.2 Channel manager integrations

Apart from PMS connection, our system also allows integration of Channel Managers that control availability and prices for the hotel, for online distribution via Booking, Expedia, or Airbnb. You can use our system as is, or connect to us and use the Booking Engine or any special and exclusive channel as eHotel and CRC. By connecting with us, you do not need to change systems, and maintain existing settings for your website as well.

10. Offers

10.1 Free demo

CultBooking uses a demo hotel to test by making a reservation and looking at how the technology works in real time. 

10.2 Free trial

Free use of service for a certain period of time, no credit card or payment needed. 

10.3 Pricing

Shows the official pricing on the website.