How has info-communication technologies (ICT) change hotel room reservation services?

Overview:

Conventionally, hotel bookings are more cumbersome as individuals have to either personally call or find other forms to communicate with the hotels overseas or require the help of a middleman, usually travel agencies. With the emergence of info-communication technologies in our society, hotel reservation have been made easier as consumers can now carry out the transaction at lower costs, greater ease and certainty. There are definitely some drawbacks from such technologies but the improvements are also irrefutable.

The Good:

As compared to booking hotel rooms via traditional means, ICT has managed to break free from the limitation of “spaces of places”. Because the transaction is done virtually, it can be carried out at any place and at any time of the day, at the comfort of the consumer. For example, patrons can simply book their room via the hotel or third party’s websites (www.hoildayinn.com and www.asiarooms.com respectively). Such hassle-free bookings also make things faster, without having to wait in a queue.

Another advantage ICT provide the consumer with is the increased certainty in their bookings. Online websites provide consumers with much of the information they require such as hotel background, photos of the rooms, price packages and surrounding places of attraction. For instance, when you visit the Agoda website (www.agoda.com), you can view the hotel rates and information about its amenities as well as the reviews from other users.

hotel information provided prior to booking

pictures of the amenities the hotel provides

customer reviews of the hotel on the website

On top of that, cancellation of reservation is made easier with ICT as hotels are able to obtain information on the changes at real time basis. Hence, most providers accept cancellation with small amount of fine or even zero penalty charges. An example of such a provider would be Hotels.com (www.hotels.com) where no cancellation fee is imposed on the customers as long as the change is being made two days in advance, where thereafter, they are subjected to one night’s room and tax surcharge.

cancellation policy for a simulated reservation on 9th oct

From the perspective of the hotel operators, the advancement in ICT has helped them to, not only widen their outreach to consumers, but also reduce costs from hiring workers who were meant to attend to traditional room booking methods. The possible increase in sales accompanied by the reduction in labour overheads will result in higher revenue for the management. 

The Bad:

While the use of ICT has brought much ease to the hotels and travellers alike, there is a growing concern over the issue of security and data privacy. Consumers face the risk of leaking their personal information when they submit details online as studies have shown that identity theft and subsequent misuse of the credit card have been prevalent. More importantly, the problems arising from such fraudulent behaviour goes beyond the monetary costs as social activities have been proven to be affected as well. Evidence of such actions can be found at http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m2194/is_5_76/ai_n27248681/.

case study on fraudulent behaviors and its implications

Despite the fact that transactions in a faceless environment may be less time consuming, it also has problems of its own. For travellers who are not technologically savvy, or when the online systems break down, consumers may have a hard time resolving the problem by themselves. For instance, users may be overcharged when booking a hotel room online due to the system’s error. While the problem can be solved, it takes time as it has to go through several parties’ confirmation, such as the hotel’s management and the credit card company, before a full refund can be made.

Indeed much of the facts and figures consumers need for travelling overseas can be found online however, there is the possibility that the information posted can be misleading or, even worse, inaccurate. There have been cases where the data posted by the service providers are found to be out-dated. Travellers find themselves paying for something that they are not promised and when this happen, there is an ambiguity on the laws to apply, assuming the culprit can be found.

The efficiency of online hotel room reservation may not be applicable to all consumers as there are certain requirements to meet. For instance, it is essential to own a debit or credit card for the transaction to take place online. For travellers who do not possess the requirements, they are forfeited of this luxury. Let alone those people who come from peripheral areas where internet connection may often prove to be a problem. They are not able to enjoy the comfort ICT brings.

There is also no free perks. Booking online does not allow you to build personal relationships with the operator or to take advantage of personal relationships between a travel agent and the operator. These relationships may allow you to get a booking when none are available online or to receive a free upgrade.

Conclusion:

Like all other things in life, info-communication technologies have its pros and cons. ICT has successfully brought about convenience to our daily lives, particularly in the aspect of hotel rooms reservation. While there are certain undeniable glitches in the systems, some of it can be rectified through individual and firm’s vigilance and knowing we should take every information with a pinch of salt.

To counter problems like theft of personal data and misleading information, travellers should remember to exercise due diligence when providing and accepting it as facts. One can always cross check the website’s trustworthiness and the credibility of the information it provides through reviews from other users and via sites like Complaints Board (www.complaintsboard.com). Also, companies can always invest in secondary systems that can help in times when the main site crashes and also make the website more user-friendly.

complaints about expedia.com regarding visa

complaints concerning hotel stay
also showing other criticisms related to the company

no hits on the service provider, zuji.com

mention of zuji.com as a comparison in other complaints

for reviews on hotels, travellers can visit tripadvisor.com