q What is CRS?

CRS stands for Central Reservation System. The CRS enables hotels to reach and manage major distribution channels around the world, optimize resources, and present hotel products.

 

q What is GDS?

GDS stands for Global Distribution System. The GDS is a global platform where more than $50 million transactions occur each year. The GDS suppliers provide a gateway for travel providers to sell their products through background processing so travel agencies or individual travelers (through travel websites) may make transactions. In the 1990's, four major players are formed in the GDS supplier market. These players include Sabre, Galileo, WorldSpan and Amadeus.

 

q What is PMS?

PMS stands for Property Management System. It is primarily a computer management system used by a hotel's front desk.

 

q What is Two-way Interface?

A two-way Interface utilizes technical methods to facilitate "two-way communication" between the hotel's front desk Property Management System (PMS) and Central Reservation System (CRS). Communication occurs two ways as property inventory is updated in the CRS and reservations made through CRS are processed in the PMS. The entire process is automated and instantaneous.

An example of the two-way interface may be like the following: a guest from New York is planning a business trip to China. The guest could search on Expedia.com and look at HUBS1® member hotels while still in the U.S. He/she could browse different hotel rates and availabilities. If the guest chooses one of the HUBS1® member hotels, he/she can make an online reservation directly which is automatically recorded into the chosen hotel's PMS system. No manual input or written confirmation needs to be made. If a hotel is full, the HUBS1® system will automatically update the hotel's availability status. A guest searching on a website would immediately see that the hotel cannot be reserved.

Pros: The two-way interface is fully automatic, saves hotel reservation costs, enhances the accuracy of room rates and room status transmissions, and hence promotes as much sales as possible.
Needs PMS provider's assistance to make interface.

 

q What is Web Interface?

A participating hotel can directly regulate all its information on CRS online. Hotel inventory changes are updated in the CRS instantaneously, and the CRS automatically delivers confirmations to the hotel's designated location via E-mails or fax. Then the hotel inputs these reservations manually into its PMS.

An example of the a web interface looks like the following: a guest is able to browse hotels and make reservations as with Two-way Interface; however, the reservation cannot be recorded into the hotel's front desk system but needs to update its reservations manually. Changes in hotel availability also are not updated automatically, which means that the hotel needs to manually change its availability status in the CRS.

Pros: Instant access to CRS as long as a hotel has a computer with Internet connection. It promotes sales by connecting CRS with global distribution system (GDS).
Cons :Manual implementation is needed to regulate changes of room status and rate rates in order to maintain real-time reservations with external customers.

 

q What is One-way Interface?

An one-way Interface utilizes technical methods to achieve "one-way communication" between the hotel's front desk Property Management System (PMS) and the Central Reservation System (CRS). While reservations made through CRS are written into hotel's PMS automatically, the hotel inventory changes are not updated instantly. The whole process is semi-automatic.

As with the two-way Interface, a guest is able to browse, reserve, and obtain a real-time confirmation. The reservation is also updated to the hotel's front desk management system. The difference is that the hotel's availability cannot be automatically reflected to HUBS1®. The hotel needs to manually change its availability status on the HUBS1® system.

Pros: Semi automatic: saves hotel half the reservation costs, and enhances the real-time accuracy of room rates and status to promote more sales.
Cons: Hotel's room status changes cannot be delivered automatically back to CRS- manual regulation is needed.

 

q What is IDS?

An IDS stands for Internet Distribution System. It refers to all online booking models based on commission or booking fees other than the GDS.

 

What is SEO?

Short for search engine optimization, this process grants the hotel's website greater exposure by ranking high in different search engine's results.

 

Who is OTA?

The OpenTravel Alliance is a not-for-profit trade association, founded in 1999 by travel companies, with a primary focus on the creation of electronic message structures to facilitate communication between the disparate systems in the global travel industry.

 

Who Can Join OTA?

Membership is open to all travel suppliers, non-supplier companies, and incorporated industry associations that provide products and services to the travel industry. They include:

Any company has the will to comply with OTA standards is qualified to join.

OpenTravel Dues

OpenTravel dues are based on a company's annual revenue, and membership terms are for one year. All numbers in USD.