Best hotel booking engine
Find the best booking engine for your hotel
We’ve combined the questions and features you should be thinking about when trying to find the best booking engine for your property.
How to choose the best booking engine
Choosing the best booking engine solution for your hotel involves much the same process as any purchasing decision. You need to identify who the leading providers are and how they address your specific goals. It can be easy to narrow down your list of options to a handful but after this, it can be hard to differentiate between the global leaders in the industry.
This is when it becomes vital to clearly identify what you are trying to solve for your business and what kind of experience you want from your provider.
Features and functionality
User interface and guest experience
Integration capabilities
Brand reputation and reviews
Level of training and support
Pricing models
Questions to ask when choosing an accommodation booking engine
There are a few questions you can ask during your research that will help you better understand what your best options are.
Does it maintain your brand identity?
Your booking engine should be set-up to seamlessly adapt to your brand vision, allowing you to use your own images, videos, and content. Guests should not feel like they have been redirected to another site.
Does it maximise your booking potential?
To ensure you get as much direct revenue as possible, your booking engine should be optimised for Facebook, mobile devices, Google Hotel Ads, and be set-up to offer exclusive packages, last-minute deals, and promotions. On top of this, integrating seamlessly with other systems such as your property management system or channel manager is crucial, and the ability to add-on tools like upsell apps will give you extra flexibility when it comes to earning revenue.
Does it reduce guest friction?
Guests should be able to access your booking engine and complete their reservation, including payment, within a few clicks. Making the process seamless will help your conversion rate and reduce website abandonment. The inclusion of a flexible calendar that shows the next available date for booking is a feature you should be on the lookout for.
Does it facilitate better customer relationships?
Being able to personalise the guest experience with pre and post-stay communications, as well as allowing guests to choose optional extras will help build guest loyalty and also give you ownership of guest data to use for future offers.
How SiteMinder’s booking engine benefits its customers
Why SiteMinder is the top hotel booking engine
Frequently asked questions about the best hotel booking engines
The best booking engine is the one that suits the needs of your individual business. In general, look for a booking engine that integrates seamlessly with your existing systems, such as your property management system, website, channel manager, and payment systems. It should also give guests a smooth booking process and an easy, secure, way to pay. Additionally it should be customisable so you can maintain your brand image and keep a consistent experience for guests.
The best hotel booking engine is currently provided by SiteMinder. At the HotelTechAwards 2023 SiteMinder was named #1 Best Booking Engine, signifying a high level of quality and also trust from within the industry. This is coupled with the fact that SiteMinder is also the number one hotel commerce platform and channel manager, meaning the functionality and integration between the booking engine and other key features is unrivalled. Experience it for yourself by starting a free trial today.
Yes, top booking engine providers will offer you the chance to try the feature for free. SiteMinder allows you to take a free 14-day trial of its platform, including the booking engine. You’ll be able to experience the full functionality of the feature, gain access to support, and see how it can deliver positive results for your business.
After your free trial has ended, you can choose to continue as a paying customer or cancel anytime. There are no lock-in contracts with SiteMinder. The monthly fee you pay will often depend on the size of your property and the plan you have chosen. There are flexible pricing models that allow you to only pay for what you need the most. Check out our pricing page to view your options.