System and Method for Electronic Group Tour Reservation

• US 20080215381A1
• Filed: 03/01/2007
• Published: 09/04/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 03/01/2007
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Marc R. Reiter
• Original Assignee: Marc R. Reiter
• Inventors: Reiter, Marc R.
• Application Number:
  US11/680,738
• Publication Number:
  US 20080215381A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/5
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/02 Reservations, e.g. for tickets, services or events
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/14 Travel agencies

Abstract

A method and system for an electronic group tour reservation allows reservation of several components of a tour for an entire group. The method includes receiving hotel reservation request from a user. The method includes receiving activities information from the user. The method includes placing queries to the network of hotels for rates and availabilities. The method includes placing queries to a plurality of activities providers for rates and availabilities. The method includes receiving hotel rates and availabilities from the hotels. The method includes receiving activities availabilities and rates from the activities provider. The method includes presenting hotel rates and availabilities and activities rates and availabilities to the user.

Claims

1. A method for booking a tour for a group with an electronic group tour reservation system, the electronic group tour reservation system including a web server, a hotel search application, an activities search application, a reservation application, the electronic group tour reservation system connected to a network of hotels and activities providers through the Internet, the electronic group tour system allowing reservation of lodging and activities for the members of the group, the method comprising the steps of:

receiving hotel reservation request from a user, the user being connected to the electronic group tour reservation system through the Internet, the hotel reservation request including destination, arrival and departure dates, number of members in the group, and group-type information;

receiving activities information from the user, the activities information including desired activities-type;

placing queries to the network of hotels for rates and availabilities, the queries for hotel rates and availabilities based on the hotel reservation request provided by the user;

placing queries to a plurality of activities providers for rates and availabilities, the queries for activities based on the activities information provided by the user;

receiving hotel rates and availabilities from the hotels;

receiving activities availabilities and rates from the activities provider; and

presenting hotel rates and availabilities and activities rates and availabilities to the user.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving a hotel booking request from the user, the hotel booking request indicating the user selected hotel based on a review of the hotel rates and availabilities presented to the user; and

receiving activities booking request from the user, the activities booking indicating the user selected activities based on a review of the activities availabilities and rates presented to the user.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

booking the hotel and the activities based on the hotel booking request and the activities booking request; and

providing confirmation of the hotel and the activities to the user.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the group-type is a spring-break tour group.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the group-type is an educational tour group.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the group-type is a religious tour group.

7. A method for booking a tour for a group with an electronic group tour reservation system, the electronic group tour reservation system including a web server, a hotel search application, an activities search application, a reservation application, the electronic group tour reservation system connected to a network of hotels and activities providers through the Internet, the electronic group tour system allowing reservation of lodging and activities for the members of the group, the method comprising the steps of:

submitting a hotel reservation request to the electronic group tour reservation system, the hotel reservation request including destination, arrival and departure dates, number of members in the group, and group-type;

submitting activities information to the electronic group tour reservation system, the activities information including desired activities-type;

receiving hotel rates and availabilities from the electronic group tour reservation system in response to the hotel reservation request;

receiving activities availabilities and rates from the electronic group tour reservation system in response to the activities information;

submitting a hotel booking request to the electronic group tour reservation system, the hotel booking request indicating the user selected hotel based on a review of the hotel rates and availabilities presented to the user;

submitting activities booking request to the electronic group tour reservation system, the activities booking request indicating the user selected activities based on a review of the activities availabilities and rates presented to the user; and

receiving a confirmation of the hotel and the activities from the electronic group tour reservation system.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the group-type is a spring-break tour group.

9. The method of claim 7, wherein the group-type is an educational tour group.

10. The method of claim 7, wherein the group-type is a religious tour group.

11. An electronic group tour reservation system for booking a tour for a group, comprising:

a Web server configured to assemble and serve Web pages over the Internet to a user and configured to receive information provided by the user through the Web pages;

a hotel search application configured to access a hotel network based on a hotel reservation request submitted by the user through the Web pages, the hotel search application configured to identify potential hotels within the network based on the hotel reservation request, the hotel reservation request including destination, arrival and departure dates, number of members in the group, and group-type;

an activities search application configured to access a network of activities provider based on activities request submitted by the user through the Web pages, the activities search application configured to identify potential activities based on the activities request, the activities request including desired activities-type; and

a reservation application coupled to the hotel search application and the activities search application, the reservation application adapted to facilitate reservation by placing queries to and receiving from the hotels in the hotel network and the activities providers current availability and rate information, the reservation application providing the current availability and rate information to the hotel search application and the activities search application, the reservation application configured to make reservation in response to the user selected hotels and activities.

12. The electronic group tour reservation system of claim 11, further comprising a database configured to store hotel rates and availabilities information.

13. The electronic group tour reservation system of claim 12, wherein the database is configured to store activities rates and availabilities information.

14. The electronic group tour reservation system of claim 11, wherein the user accesses the system through a computer.

15. The electronic group tour reservation system of claim 11, wherein the group-type is a spring-break tour group.

16. The electronic group tour reservation system of claim 11, wherein the group-type is an educational tour group.

17. The electronic group tour reservation system of claim 11, wherein the group-type is a religious tour group.