System and method for determining a hotel marketability index score in a network environment

• US 8,688,490 B2
• Filed: 10/26/2010
• Issued: 04/01/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 07/03/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Travelweb LLC (Booking Holdings, Inc., fka Priceline Group Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Travelweb LLC (Booking Holdings, Inc., fka Priceline Group Inc.)
• Inventors: Rozell, James M., Phillips, Bernard A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Jarrett, Scott L
• Application Number:
  US12/911,828
• Publication Number:
  US 20110106583A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,253 Days
• Field of Search: 705/7.11
• US Class Current: 705/7.11
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/02 Reservations, e.g. for tickets, services or events
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06395 Quality analysis or management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0201 Market modelling; Market analysis; Collecting market data
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0205 Location or geographical consideration

Abstract

A method for evaluating travel accommodations is provided that includes identifying a plurality of hotel properties and assigning a hotel marketability index score to one or more of the properties such that one or more of the properties may be ranked. The hotel marketability index score may be based on a selected one or more characteristics associated with one or more of the hotel properties, the characteristics including rate competitiveness, hotel availability, hotel location within a cluster location, and hotel quality within the cluster location.

Claims

1. An apparatus for indexing travel accommodation search results using an end user profile, comprising means for processing instructions to:

create an end user profile operable to store data associated with one or more travel characteristics of the end user and a plurality of end user consumer events,

wherein the end user profile is coupled to a hotel marketability index that is operable to identify a plurality of hotel properties and to assign a hotel marketability index score to one or more of the properties such that one or more of the properties are rankable, the hotel marketability index score being based on a weighted sum of one or more travel characteristics associated with one or more of the hotel properties,

wherein weights of the travel characteristics associated with one or more of the hotel properties vary according to an occurrence of one or more end user consumer events,

wherein the travel characteristics associated with one or more of the hotel properties include hotel location within a cluster location, hotel quality within the cluster location and at least one of rate competitiveness and hotel availability, and

wherein the plurality of end user consumer events include the end user sorting hotels by proximity and at least one of rate, star ranking, and value;

determine a hotel result ordering, in response to a hotel search request by the end user, using a default hotel result ordering based on a default hotel marketability index; and

modify the determined hotel result ordering based on the one or more travel characteristics of the end user and the hotel marketability index.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein one or more unsolicited communications associated with available lodging are sent to the end user based on the profile of the end user and a likelihood of the end user being interested in the available lodging.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein one or more coupons are sent to the end user based on the profile of the end user, the coupons being associated with available lodging and being offered in order to encourage a sales conversion of the available lodging.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the end user is provided an opportunity to modify the profile such that the data associated with one or more travel characteristics of the end user are changeable.

11. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising instructions to:

identify a cluster center;

assign a cluster radius to the cluster center;

determine a hotel property distance of at least one hotel property of the plurality of hotel properties from the cluster center;

compare the hotel property distance to the cluster radius; and

associate the at least one hotel property with the cluster center when the hotel property distance is less than the cluster radius based on comparing.

12. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the cluster radius depends on a population density associated with the cluster center.

5. A processor-implemented method for indexing travel accommodation search results using an end user profile, comprising:

storing, by the processor, data associated with one or more travel characteristics of an end user and a plurality of end user consumer events in a profile, wherein the profile is coupled to a hotel marketability index that is operable to identify a plurality of hotel properties and to assign a hotel marketability index score to one or more of the properties such that one or more of the properties are rankable, the hotel marketability index score being based on a weighted sum of one or more travel characteristics associated with one or more of the hotel properties,

wherein weights of the travel characteristics associated with one or more of the hotel properties vary according to an occurrence of one or more end user consumer events,

wherein the travel characteristics associated with one or more of the hotel properties include hotel location within a cluster location, hotel quality within the cluster location and at least one of rate competitiveness and hotel availability, and

wherein the plurality of end user consumer events include the end user sorting hotels by proximity and at least one of rate, star ranking, and value;

determining a hotel result ordering, in response to a hotel search request by the end user, using a default hotel result ordering based on a default hotel marketability index; and

modifying the determined hotel result ordering based on the one or more travel characteristics of the end user and the hotel marketability index.

6. The method of claim 5, further comprising:

sending one or more unsolicited communications associated with available lodging to the end user based on the profile of the end user and a likelihood of the end user being interested in the available lodging.

7. The method of claim 5, further comprising:

sending one or more coupons to the end user based on the profile of the end user, the coupons being associated with available lodging and being offered in order to encourage a sales conversion of the available lodging.

8. The method of claim 5, further comprising:

identifying a cluster center;

assigning a cluster radius to the cluster center;

determining a hotel property distance of at least one hotel property of the plurality of hotel properties from the cluster center;

comparing the hotel property distance to the cluster radius; and

associating the at least one hotel property with the cluster center when the hotel property distance is less than the cluster radius based on comparing.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the cluster radius depends on a population density associated with the cluster center.

10. The method of claim 5, wherein the end user is provided an opportunity to modify the profile such that the data associated with one or more travel characteristics of the end user are changeable.

13. An non-transitory medium storing travel accommodation search results indexing instructions to:

create an end user profile operable to store data associated with one or more travel characteristics of the end user and a plurality of end user consumer events,

wherein the end user profile is coupled to a hotel marketability index that is operable to identify a plurality of hotel properties and to assign a hotel marketability index score to one or more of the properties such that one or more of the properties are rankable, the hotel marketability index score being based on a weighted sum of one or more travel characteristics associated with one or more of the hotel properties,

wherein weights of the travel characteristics associated with one or more of the hotel properties vary according to an occurrence of one or more end user consumer events,

wherein the travel characteristics associated with one or more of the hotel properties include hotel location within a cluster location, hotel quality within the cluster location and at least one of rate competitiveness and hotel availability, and

wherein the plurality of end user consumer events include the end user sorting hotels by proximity and at least one of rate, star ranking, and value;

determine a hotel result ordering, in response to a hotel search request by the end user, using a default hotel result ordering based on a default hotel marketability index; and

modify the determined hotel result ordering based on the one or more travel characteristics of the end user and the hotel marketability index.

14. The medium of claim 13, wherein one or more unsolicited communications associated with available lodging are sent to the end user based on the profile of the end user and a likelihood of the end user being interested in the available lodging.

15. The medium of claim 13, wherein one or more coupons are sent to the end user based on the profile of the end user, the coupons being associated with available lodging and being offered in order to encourage a sales conversion of the available lodging.

16. The medium of claim 13, wherein the end user is provided an opportunity to modify the profile such that the data associated with one or more travel characteristics of the end user are changeable.

17. The medium of claim 13, further comprising instructions to:

identify a cluster center;

assign a cluster radius to the cluster center;

determine a hotel property distance of at least one hotel property of the plurality of hotel properties from the cluster center;

compare the hotel property distance to the cluster radius; and

associate the at least one hotel property with the cluster center when the hotel property distance is less than the cluster radius based on comparing.

18. The medium of claim 13, wherein the cluster radius depends on a population density associated with the cluster center.