Not too long ago, travel planning was a vastly different process. Before the widespread availability of the internet, travel agents played an essential role booking flights, hotels, car rentals, and other travel-related services for their clients. Along came the internet and people noticed the flexibility of planning and booking trips from the comfort of their home. A revolutionary concept emerged – online travel booking and reservations.

Websites like Expedia, Booking.com, Travelocity, and Orbitz emerged in the mid-90s as online travel agency pioneers. They offered a revolutionary platform where travelers could browse flights, hotels, and rental cars with a few clicks of a button. At first, these websites were rudimentary, with limited functionality and clunky interfaces. However, they represented a significant shift in how people approached travel planning. 

But What About Gift Cards or Travel Vouchers?

There are several ways hotels have tried to navigate this process. Most hotels still operate on the old system similar to how travel agents navigated booking hotel rooms for customers. It’s a manual process for the hotel to coordinate directly with the guest by entering the dates on the back end through emails, online forms and phone calls.

The best way is to integrate gift cards directly into the hotels PMS booking system for a streamlined approach. With Reserva, hotels integrate gift cards directly into their existing PMS and Channel Manager without needing to switch systems. This allows the guest to redeem, connect, view upgrades and book directly through the hotel website without coordinating with the hotel. There’s no need for backend accounting or manual entry from hotel staff – the customer takes care of it for you. 

Reserva is also integrated with an upsell feature that displays live availability through the hotel PMS through a customized Reserva booking engine. A one-stop-shop to allow guests the opportunity to upgrade to a higher price category with a gift card, without needing to coordinate with the hotel. Reserva works as an integrated OTA for your customers to book directly through your PMS and Channel Manager. Reserva takes the leg work out for hotels to coordinate gift cards, allowing the guest a contactless way to book and upgrade their accommodation. 

Say hello to integrated gift cards with Reserva, serving as your personal OTA engine for customers to book your hotel with ease.