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What is a hotel reservation system?
A hotel reservation system is a tool that automatically manages all reservations, whether made through the hotel website, OTAs (such as Booking.com, Expedia, Decolar), or by phone.
The big advantage is the centralization of information: everything is updated in real time, reducing errors, avoiding overbooking, and ensuring that availability and rates are always correct.
When integrated with a hotel PMS, such as Erbon PMS, this system becomes even more powerful, allowing reception, housekeeping, finance, and other areas to work in complete sync.
How it Works in Practice
Imagine a guest from Canada booking a room directly on your hotel’s website in Miami, or a family from California reserving through an OTA to spend their vacation in New York.
With an integrated reservation system, all that information is automatically updated in your hotel’s calendar with no need for manual entry or double-checking availability.
The main features include:
- Real-time control of availability and rates;
- Automatic booking confirmations;
- Integration with OTAs and global distribution channels;
- Centralized management of direct and indirect bookings;
- Reports and analytics to support smarter, data-driven decisions.
Why is having a reservation system so important?
Without a robust system, the hotel risks overbookings, communication errors, and lost opportunities. With an efficient solution, such as Erbon's, it is possible to:
✅ Increase direct sales, reducing dependence on OTAs;
✅ Avoid human error with automation and centralization of information;
✅ Improve the guest experience with quick responses and agile processes;
✅ Make more strategic decisions based on real occupancy and revenue data.
Booking engine: the direct channel to guests
The booking engine is a tool aimed at the public, installed on the hotel's official website.
It allows guests to make direct reservations in real time, without relying on OTAs (such as Booking.com, Expedia, Decolar, etc.).
It offers guests:
- Availability and rate preview;
- Choice of room type;
- Application of promotions and packages;
- Online payment and immediate confirmation.
In short, the booking engine is the hotel's digital showcase that turns website visitors into confirmed guests, thereby generating more profit since there are no commissions to pay intermediaries.
How they connect
When a hotel uses a PMS with an integrated reservation system and a booking engine, the two communicate automatically:
- The booking engine captures new reservations from the website.
- The reservation system updates availability in real time.
- And all of this is synchronized with other sales channels (OTAs, GDS, etc.) via Channel Manager.
🔁 This integrated ecosystem prevents errors, saves time, and improves the guest and staff experience.
Extra tip from the blog: go for full integration
The true potential of a reservation system becomes apparent when it is integrated with the hotel's PMS.
In the case of Erbon PMS, all information from reservation to check-out is updated in real time, facilitating communication between reception, housekeeping, finance, and other departments.
This way, your hotel gains productivity, reduces costs, and offers a much smoother experience for guests.
Investing in a reservation system is no longer an option; it is a necessity for those who want to grow sustainably and professionalize hotel management.
With Erbon PMS, you have a complete solution that integrates reservations, sales channels, housekeeping, finance, and much more, all in a single, simple, and efficient system.
📅 Want to see how it works in practice?
Schedule a free demo with our experts and discover how Erbon can transform your hotel's operations.
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