Back1.9 billion. That’s how many global hotel guests are anticipated to check in annually by 2029.
For context, that figure is equivalent to the total populations of North America, the United Kingdom, and the European Union combined. With the number of hotel guests only continuing to increase, industry professionals are seeking advanced solutions to simplify — and scale — travel booking.
Fortunately, API (Application Programming Interface) integration in the travel industry has risen to the call. Hotel APIs have played a pivotal role in modernizing travel services, allowing for more accurate inventory management, easier travel searches, and quicker hotel bookings, enhancing both customer experiences and operational efficiency. Learn to stay competitive in the growing travel market with hotel APIs.
What is a Hotel API?
API is short for Application Programming Interface, a software intermediary that dictates how one program can access and interact with another program’s data. As the travel industry (and the rest of the world) has moved from analog and server-based systems toward cloud-based software, travel software API is the key to connectivity between hotel and hospitality applications and programs.
Hotel APIs facilitate ongoing data exchange between various hotel databases and travel platforms, syncing property management systems (PMS), point of sale (POS) software, global distributed systems (GDS), and more. Hotel APIs then enable these systems to communicate by receiving requests from one program and sending timely responses to another.
There are four primary types of hotel APIs:
- Hotel search APIs connect internal inventory management software to consumer-facing search engines, like hotel websites and online travel agencies (OTAs), for guests to research hotel availability in certain destinations or specific timeframes.
- Hotel pricing APIs retrieve real-time room rates based on data points like current occupancy, future reservations, and historical trends, all of which are synced through PMS, POS, and GDS systems for traveler and travel business access alike.
- Hotel booking APIs connect consumer-facing POS systems with internal inventory management systems so potential guests can view current rates, select a room, and pay for a reservation, and then update the hotel PMS to reflect the availability change.
- Hotel operations APIs integrate with POS systems and various digital platforms across the property, helping to automatically manage door locks for keyless entry, check or change room occupancy, and even activate food and beverage systems for guests.
As the world continues to become more digitally connected, hotel APIs are critical in enabling seamless access to hotel systems via technology such as voice assistants and mobile devices. Moreover, one of the key API benefits for travel is the ability to infuse artificial intelligence (AI) in booking to analyze vast amounts of data, predict travel trends, and personalize guest experiences.
What Are the Benefits of Using a Hotel API?
The average hotel group maintains a considerable tech stack, often utilizing numerous platforms to facilitate just one role, whether that be tracking occupancy across properties or targeting past guests with tailored promotions. The primary benefit of using a hotel API is the ability to link multiple software, improving everything from booking efficiency to customer satisfaction.
For instance, travel APIs streamline hotel inventory management, allowing property managers to track occupancy and enhance consumer-facing search capabilities, providing real-time hotel availability. Speaking of real-time availability, hotel APIs also enable dynamic pricing by monitoring current vacancies, tracking consumer demand, and managing rate adjustments by the minute.
Combined, these features essentially turbocharge a hotel booking system, working to improve accuracy, automate bookings, and alleviate manual work (and errors) on behalf of property staff. For properties that track customer preferences — particularly through a hotel loyalty program — APIs can also personalize user experiences by offering tailored recommendations and services.
Implementing Hotel APIs: Best Practices
With the sheer number of systems operating at any given moment, it’s no wonder why hotel APIs are so beneficial for operational efficiency and optimal guest experiences. However, with so many travel APIs on the market, there may be some confusion on which to implement. When selecting and integrating a hotel API, it’s vital to research and vet your options with questions like:
- Does the API integrate with other internal programs you currently use, like your preferred PMS and travel booking platforms?
- Does the API allow you to export any data you may want to access, such as historical occupancy rates and pricing trends?
- Does the API offer a developer portal and robust documentation that explains the rules for cross-platform communication in detail?
- Does the API allow you to advance your consumer-facing operations with features like hotel booking automation and real-time hotel availability?
Likewise, as the number of software in the average hotel tech stack grows, it’s essential to select a reliable API provider that can support your daily operations. You’ll want to assess elements like the provider’s listed features, supported integrations, customer service options (i.e. live chat or knowledge libraries), and pricing plans. Moreover, you’ll want to consider their security features.
Adopting the Required Security Measures
On the topic of security features, you must remain mindful that any software or program integration that handles consumer data — especially full names, addresses, and payment details — needs to be equipped with the proper security measures. While on the hunt for a reliable hotel API, be on the lookout for data security features that protect both your property and your guests, including:
- Encryption and authentication
- Reverse proxy URL
- Client certificate
- Secure logging
Add Hotel APIs to Your Travel Business Today
The global number of hotel guests isn’t the only figure on the rise — with more consumers checking into hotels around the world, the number of available travel APIs will continue to grow, and hotel APIs are leading the pack. Hotel APIs modernize standard travel booking platforms to provide consumers with real-time details that enhance the travel experience and simplify hotel operations.
As the largest stand-alone travel loyalty provider in the world, arrivia offers turnkey white label booking technology that connects to more than 1 million hotels, 200,000 resorts, 150,000 unique experiences, and tons of transportation options worldwide.
Request a demo today to begin transforming your travel business with arrivia.
