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Pegasus Solutions
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The Future of the Hotel Internet Booking Engine
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By Glenn Wirick, Executive Vice President of Sales & Marketing
Pegasus Solutions
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Scottsdale, AZ – January 2018 / Newsmaker Alert / Expedia launched October 22, 1996 as a division of Microsoft. It was in that decade the Internet Booking Engine (IBE) was born. It took hold of the travel industry, dominating the space ever since. A plethora of booking engines was developed during that time. Some did well, and some did not. The one constant was the unending pursuit of perfection in creating a booking experience that met not only the needs of the industry—but also the needs of the guest.

The IBE was initially developed for use on a desktop computer since the 90’s pre-dated mobile devices. A great deal has changed since then, including guest buying habits. Now today’s booking engines need to be effective on any device a traveler owns. And travelers, like most consumers, exhibit a non-linear purchase path. This requires the IBE user experience be as responsive, flexible, and frictionless as possible.

So, what is the future of the IBE?
Glenn Wirick, Executive Vice President of Sales & MarketingAccording to the Phocuswright study The State of Digital Travel 2017, OTAs currently dominate gross mobile bookings in the United States market. In fact, just two OTA companies – Expedia and the Priceline Group – account for the vast majority of bookings. Compare this to the scores of provider brands across the airline, hotel and car rental segments. And in the app space, OTAs are dominating adoption due to brand recognition, ease of use and innovation. There is a need for hoteliers to embrace the direct booking approach but unfortunately, their ad spend budget, along with in-house development, often pales in comparison to the OTA and Metasearch behemoths. But this is about to change.

Today, guests are expecting a much deeper level of personalization. The future of the IBE is all about delivering exactly what the guest requires and wants during the booking process no matter what device they use or how they use it. There are some very rudimentary aspects of a booking engine that they all require. The capability to deliver results based on direct input from the guest like location, dates of stay, room type, and such - but there is so much more to be done.

Machine learning within a guest’s buying path will inevitably change the way the IBE works. It will power the relevant results for the guest during the decision-making journey and make the booking much easier, ultimately leading to increased conversion rates. Some may question the viability of machine learning or artificial intelligence (AI), but in reality, it is the obvious evolution of the IBE. There is so much data available that utilizing this information will deliver the most intuitive experience. The mining of data along with the development of specific deep learning algorithms will enable hoteliers to not only enhance the booking process but also make it feel uniquely personalized. This is the ultimate in guest service.

So much can now be accomplished using data, not only in delivering precisely what the guest wants and requires - but also in enhancing their stay. Within the booking flow, complementary products and services can be offered based on other preferences like the type of room the guest likes, whether they prefer a high floor or low floor, whether they consistently request late check-out, and so on.
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The Future of the Hotel Internet Booking Engine
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However, imagine if the booking process could also anticipate and recommend things that the guest doesn’t yet realize they want? This could include restaurant recommendations within walking distance of the hotel based on the guest’s social profile, or in-room music tailored to the guest’s public likes. The opportunities are endless, and the technology is available.

The introduction of machine learning and its complimentary cousin, artificial intelligence, will not only help the booking experience but also amplify the guest’s relationship with the hotel. When it comes to loyalty, making the booking experience easy and then utilizing the data effectively can build greater loyalty to an individual hotel or a brand than any formalized loyalty program. The future is incredibly bright for the IBE, and it will remain the most integral part of your online distribution strategy.

Want to learn more about the Pegasus IBE? Visit here to find out.

About the Author
Glenn Wirick has a passion for solving customers’ biggest challenges with next-generation technology and services. Wirick joined Pegasus Solutions (www.Pegasus.io) after more than 20 years working in software product management and business development, during which time he sold and delivered software solutions to small, medium and large organizations throughout the world. Now at Pegasus, Wirick serves as Executive Vice President of Sales and Marketing and is focused on building a world-class selling, marketing, and communications organization.

Wirick’s passion and hands-on approach to solving customer challenges have allowed him to forge a rich career and lasting relationships around the globe. During his career, Glenn has lived the US, Asia and Europe, where he has built and managed multi-national sales and service delivery organizations. At Pegasus, his focus is on helping hoteliers continually improve and compete in a rapidly changing marketplace by applying the right innovation, expertise and resources.

Wirick holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Marketing with an emphasis in Sales and Product Management from Arizona State University. When he’s not working, Wirick enjoys outdoor activities and traveling with his wife to tropical and mountain destinations.

About Pegasus Solutions
Pegasus (www.Pegasus.io) is a leading global technology provider that empowers independent hotels, hotel groups and chains to grow their businesses in a digital world. The company provides a comprehensive offering of cloud-based Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) systems and services that are designed to help hoteliers connect with their guests, increase profitability and maximize productivity. The Pegasus offering combines its highly scalable and reliable SaaS platform with representation and demand services, uniquely enabling hoteliers to sell to guests worldwide across all touch points, including their websites, call centers and front desks, and through all channels, including direct to consumer, travel agents (GDS), online travel agents, tour operators and metasearch partners.

Contact:
Pegasus Solutions
Megan Munson
Phone: 480-624-6672
Mobile: 619-417-5884

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Publishing Dates: 01/16/18 – 03/16/18
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