System and method for booking of hotel accommodations for travelers

• US 20070067193A1
• Filed: 09/20/2005
• Published: 03/22/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 09/20/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Emirates
• Original Assignee: Emirates
• Inventors: Robertson, David
• Granted Patent: US 7,584,110 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/5
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/00 Administration; Management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/02 Reservations, e.g. for tickets, services or events

Abstract

A method of making a hotel reservation includes receiving a reservation request from a booking source, wherein the reservation request is based on an allocation to the booking source from a hotel and wherein the reservation request is price-blind; transmitting the reservation request to the hotel; receiving a confirmation from the hotel; and transmitting the confirmation to the booking source. The booking source can be a consolidator, a travel agent, a tour operator, a Global Distribution System or a wholesaler. The method also includes connecting to the hotel using a web service to transmit the reservation to the hotel. If the reservation request exceeds the allocation, the hotel has an option of accepting the reservation request or declining the reservation request. The method also includes receiving polling inquiries from the booking source prior to transmitting the hotel'"'"'s confirmation to the booking source. The confirmation from the hotel can be received using a web service. The confirmation can be transmitted to the booking source using a web service. The reservation request can include a “special request.” The method can also include translating parameters of the reservation request from a format of the booking source to a format of the hotel.

Claims

1. A method of making a hotel reservation comprising:

receiving a reservation request from a booking source, wherein the reservation request is based on an allocation to the booking source from a hotel and wherein the reservation request is price-blind;

transmitting the reservation request to the hotel;

receiving a confirmation from the hotel; and

transmitting the confirmation to the booking source.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the booking source is any of a consolidator, a travel agent, a tour operator, a Global Distribution System and a wholesaler.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising connecting to the hotel using a web service to transmit the reservation to the hotel.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the booking source is any of a consolidator, a travel agent, a tour operator and a wholesaler.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein, if the reservation request exceeds the allocation, the hotel has an option of accepting the reservation request or declining the reservation request.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving polling inquiries from the booking source prior to transmitting the hotel'"'"'s confirmation to the booking source.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the confirmation from the hotel is received using a web service.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the confirmation is transmitted to the booking source using a web service.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the reservation request comprises a “

special request.”

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising translating parameters of the reservation request from a format of the booking source to a format of the hotel.

11. The method of claim 1, further comprising providing a status of the reservation request in real-time from the hotel to the booking source.

12. A system for processing hotel reservations comprising:

a first web service for receiving a reservation request from a booking source;

a second web service for interfacing to a hotel and receiving an online confirmation of the reservation request from the hotel;

a database for storing the reservation request if the hotel is offline; and

a third web service for communicating the confirmation to the booking source.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the booking source is any of a consolidator, a travel agent, a tour operator, a Global Distribution System and a wholesaler.

14. The system of claim 12, wherein, if the reservation request exceeds the allocation, the hotel has an option of accepting the reservation request or declining the reservation request.

15. The system of claim 12, wherein the booking source polls the third web service for the confirmation.

16. The system of claim 12, wherein the reservation request comprises a “

special request.”

17. The system of claim 12, further comprising a translation table for converting reservation request formats between the booking source and the hotel.

18. A method of making a hotel reservation comprising:

receiving a reservation request from a booking source in a format of a booking source;

translating the reservation request to a standardized format;

transmitting the reservation request to the hotel in the standardized format;

receiving a confirmation from the hotel; and

transmitting the confirmation to the booking source in the format of the booking source.