This document describes the Web Booking Engine configuration in mycloud.

It also describes the Web Booking Engine screens functionality.

This document is divided into the following sections :

1. Getting Started

    1.1 Web Booking Engine Configuration

    1.2 Setup Hotel Images

    1.3 Setup Hotel Details

    1.4 Publish Rates on WBE

    1.5 Setup Room Type

2. User Guide

    2.1 Authorized Transactions

    2.2 Currency Conversion

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Web Booking Engine configuration

Getting Started

Step 1: Configure Web booking engine

Open Web booking engine configuration screen from mycloud System Admin => Interfaces Configuration => Web booking engine configuration. 

(Image 1.01)

1. Activate Interface: check this flag to activate Web booking engine.

2. Online payment: There are three configurations to control online payment for web booking engine reservations.

    a. Yes: If this is “ON” then system will take the guest to payment gateway. After successful payment only, the booking will be confirmed – Guaranteed otherwise it will stands as Confirmed Non-Guaranteed.

    b. No: If this is “ON” then user will not be redirected to payment gateway and booking will be made as confirmed Non-Guaranteed.

    c. Optional: If this is “ON” then guest will have both the options (make booking with payment or make booking without payment) available on booking confirmation screen. In this case guest has a choice for payment.

3. Hide Calendar: If this is “ON” then on web booking engine “Calendar” tab on “Hotel details” screen will not be visible.

4. Hide Reviews: If this is “ON” then on web booking engine “Reviews” tab on “Hotel details” screen and “Review” section in “Available hotels list” of “Hotel search result” screen will not be visible.

5. Display rates without taxes and service charges / Display rate with taxes and service charges : This option will be used to control the display of taxes & services charges on Web booking engine’s booking summary screen. If first option is selected then applicable taxes & services on room charge and selected extra services will not be displayed to the guest. In this case guest will be prompted one message “** Additional taxes and service charges may be applicable” will be displayed as shown in next screen.

* Full amount with taxes and service charges will be applicable on booking confirmation in any case.

* This flag is to control only the display of taxes and services charges.

6. Restrict guest not to take booking with more than numbers of rooms : This option will be used to control the maximum number of rooms per booking on Web booking engine.

If this checkbox is not checked , by default 0 is saved as maximum number of rooms.

If this checkbox is checked, a textbox is displayed to enter maximum rooms.

If this option is “ON” / “Checked” then Web booking engine will behave as follows:

Search Screen, Hotel List:

If max number of rooms defined in configuration >= number of rooms given on Web booking engine then hotel will be shown in hotels list. Else hotel will not be listed.

 Hotel Details (Calendar) :

If max number of rooms defined in configuration >= number of rooms given on Web booking engine then calendar will be shown. Else ‘No records found’.

 Hotel Details (Availability) :

If max number of rooms defined in configuration >= number of rooms given on Web booking engine then room wise availability will be shown. Else ‘No records found’.

If no such configuration is set, by default max numb of rooms for property is set to 0.

Note: Refreshing calendar availability does not affect room availability search while vice –versa is true.

7. Release Non-Guaranteed reservations prior days: This is the control to calculate “Release” date for non-guaranteed booking. Following is the calculation for release date:

Release Date = Arrival Date – (Value of “Release Non-Guaranteed reservations prior days”)

8. Default Market segment for bookings: Market segment to be stamped with bookings for statistics purpose. 9. Default business source for bookings: Business source to be stamped with bookings for statistics purpose. 10. Web booking engine URL: This URL will be used by the hotels. If hotel wants to open mycloud web booking engine in their web site, they just need to call the given URL in frame of their web sites. Hotel can pass the value of “Arrival” and “Departure” query strings in the given URL. 11. Web booking engine background image: from here hotel can upload their own background image that will be the background of web booking engine when this hotel is selected on web booking engine.

* Background image uploaded/changed from this screen will only be applicable from “Hotel Details” screen.

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Step 2: Setup Hotel Images

Open Upload hotel images screen from mycloud System Admin => Property setup => General setup 1 => click on “Upload hotel images” as highlighted in Image 1.02

(Screen 1.02)

Hotel image upload screen will be opened as in next image 1.03

(Screen 1.03)

Here user can upload up to eight images.

The recommended minimum size of the images is 800 * 500 pixels.

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Step 3: Setup Hotel star rating, hotel facilities, nearby attractions and landmarks, hotel description, deposit and cancellation terms, general terms and conditions

Open General setup 2 screen from mycloud System Admin => Property setup => General setup 2 Image 1.04

Hotel facilities, nearby attractions, description, terms have been given in tabs. User can change each of them by clicking on highlighted tabs and finally click on “Save general setup 2”.

Hotel facilities are predefined services and use cannot add to the given list, user can select among the given services.

Nearby attractions are free text and n number of attractions/landmarks can be added by user.

Hotel description, and terms are formatted texts user can format these texts as per requirement.

(Screen 1.04)

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Step 4: Publish rates on Web booking engine

Open Web Rate management screen from mycloud PMS => Manager Functions => Rate Management. Image 1.05

Open a rate that needs to be published on web booking engine, check “Publish on Web booking engine” flag (as highlighted in screen 1.05) to be appeared this rate on Web booking engine, give a correct long description for this rate as this will be appeared on Web booking engine and click on “Save”.

Multiple rates can be published on web booking engine.

(Screen 1.05)

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Step 5: Setup room type images and room type inventory/facilities.

Open Room type inventory screen from mycloud PMS => Parameter setup => Room setup => Room types => Room inventory (the last column of the room type list). Click on this image. Please refer image 1.06 

(Screen 1.06)

Room type inventory screen will be opened on click of highlighted image on room type setup screen. Please refer image 1.07

User can define the inventory/facilities list on this screen by giving the “Quantity” for inventory.

If inventory item has “Quantity” defined then only it will be shown on Web booking engine.

Here user can upload up to four images per room type.

Recommended minimum size of the images is 800 * 500 pixels.

Inventory list can be modified to add/remove items from “Inventory master list” screen. This screen can be opened from mycloud PMS => Parameter setup => Room setup => click on “update inventory master list” option.

User can define images and facilities only for those room types which have been defined in the rates that have been marked as published for web booking engine.

(Screen 1.07)

User Guide

Screen 1: Hotel search screen

(Screen 1.01-Hotel Search Screen)

This screen has following information:

     1. Background image

     2. Destination

     3. Check-in

     4. Check-out

     5. Rooms

     6. Adults

     7. Kids

Background image: this is a configurable image from mycloud System Admin => Interfaces Configuration => Web booking engine configuration => Web booking engine background image (As shown in image 1.02)

* Background image uploaded/changed from mycloud System Admin will only be applicable from “Hotel Details” screen. 

(Screen 1.02-Web Booking Engine Setup Screen)

Destination: This is a mandatory input and it has “Type-in” search from cities and hotel names.

Check-in: This is mandatory input and default value is today’s date.

Check-out: This is mandatory input and default value is Check-in date + 1.

Rooms: This is mandatory input and default value is 1. This is the number of rooms to be booked with in check-in and check-out date. This input is used to check the availability between check-in and check-out date.

Adults/Kids: This is mandatory fields and default value for Adult is 1 and for Kids is 0. Based on these parameters the room rate is calculated.

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Screen 2: Hotel Search Results 

(Screen 1.03-Available Hotels List Screen)

This screen has following information:

     1. Modify search

     2. Price filter

     3. Star rating filter

     4. Review rating filter

     5. Hotel facilities filter

     6. Sort by filters

     7. Currency conversion

     8. Available hotels’ list with details

     9. Information in Red marked with **

Modify search: Modify search is the copy of information taken from “Hotel Search” screen. User can refine his/her search from this section. This will refresh the “Available Hotel’s list” based on given search inputs.

Price filter: This filter is used to filter the “Available Hotels list” based on given price values by the selected price bar. This will show the hotels that have minimum rates per night between selected price bars.

Star rating filter: This filter is used to filter the “Available Hotels list” based on selected star ratings. Multiple star ratings can be selected at a time. This will show the hotels that have star ratings defined in the selected star ratings form the filter.

Valid values: 5-star, 4-Star, 3-Star, 2-Star, 1-Star

* Star rating of a hotel can be defined from mycloud System Admin => Property setup => General setup 2 => Star rating.

Review rating filter: This filter is used to filter the “Available Hotels list” based on selected review (feedbacks from guests) ratings. Multiple review ratings can be selected at a time. This will show the hotels that have review ratings in the selected review ratings from the filter.

Valid values: Superb 9+,Fantastic 8+, Good 7+, Pleasant 6+, Above average 5+

* Currently review rating is being calculated based on “TripAdvisor” reviews.

Hotel Facilities: This filter is used to filter the “Available Hotels list” based on selected hotel facilities. Multiple hotel facilities can be selected at time. This will show the hotels that have hotel facilities defined as in the selected facilities form the filter.

* Hotel facilities can be defined from mycloud System Admin => Property setup => General setup 2 => Hotel facilities tab.

Sort by filters: User can sort the available hotels by “Price”, “Star rating” and “Review rating” in ascending or descending orders.

Currency Conversion: User has a choice to view the rates in any one of the given currencies in the currency drop down. Following are the listed available currencies:

    AED - UAE Dirham

    AUD - Australia Dollar

    CAD - Canada Dollar

    EUR - Euro

    GBP - United Kingdom Pound

    HKD - Hong Kong Dollar

    INR - India Rupee

    NZD - New Zealand Dollar

    OMR - Oman Riyal

    PKR - Pakistan Rupee

    QAR - Qatar Riyal

    SGD - Singapore Dollar

    USD - United States Dollar

Available hotels’ list with details: This section contains the information of available hotels. Following information is displayed in this section.

a. Hotel Image (Hotel image can be uploaded form mycloud System Admin => Property setup => General setup 1 => Upload hotel images. Here user can upload up to eight images but the first image will be displayed here)

b. Hotel Name

c. Star rating (Star rating of a hotel can be defined from mycloud System Admin => Property setup => General setup 2 => Star rating)

d. Hotel city and country

e. Hotel description (Hotel description can be defined from mycloud System Admin => Property setup => General setup 2 => Hotel description tab)

f. Review rating (Currently review rating is being calculated based on “TripAdvisor” reviews. If hotel has feedback downloaded from TripAdvisor then only this information will be visible otherwise it will not be shown.)

g. Minimum rate of the hotel (This minimum rate will be shown against the RACK rate defined for the hotel. If RACK rate is also marked as “Publish on Web booking engine” then RACK will not be shown.)

Click on “Hotel image”, “Hotel name” or “Book” button will redirect user to “Hotel details” screen.

Information in Red marked with ** : This Double Star(**) is appended with rate corresponding to each property. Information is displayed below each property/hotel depending on whether that hotel wants to display rates with taxes and service charge or without taxes and service charges.

* If rates are displayed with taxes and service charges then :

Information Text : ** Rates includes additional taxes and service charges.

* If rates are displayed without taxes and services charges then :

Information Text : ** Additional taxes and service charges may be applicable

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Screen 3: Hotel details screen

(Screen 1.04-Hotel Details => Photos)

* Currently eight photos are being shown as part of photo slider. These photos can be uploaded from mycloud System Admin => Property setup => General setup 1 => Upload hotel images. Here user can upload up to eight images. On the right side the first image is being displayed with hotel name, city and country. 

(Screen 1.05-Hotel Details => Room Availability)

* Available room types are being shown with following information:

a. Room type image (Room type image can be uploaded form mycloud PMS => Parameter setup => Room setup => Room types => Room inventory (the last column of the room type list). Click on this image. A new screen will be opened which has room inventory to update and room type images to upload) Here user can upload up to four images but the first image will be displayed here)

b. Room type description

c. Rate long description (this is the rate long description and can be edited form mycloud PMS => Manager Functions => Rate Management. If this long description is not given in PMS then only Room type description will be shown in this section.)

d. Room rate in selected currency (This rate will be shown against the RACK rate defined for the room type. If RACK rate is also marked as “Publish on Web booking engine” then RACK will not be shown.)

e. Information icon (Clicking on this icon shows room rate breakup for dates between check-in and check-out.)

** Here those room types will be shown for which hotel has availability with in given dates (Check-in and Check-out) and have valid rates defined for given dates (Check-in and Check-out) in Rate management with rates having flag “Publish on web booking engine” ON.

Click on “Room details” link user will be redirected to “Room details” popup, which will have room images, room description, room facilities, Deposit and cancellation terms, and General terms and conditions.

(Screen 1.06-Hotel Details => Room Type Details)

* Room types details:

    a. Room type images (Room type image can be uploaded form mycloud PMS => Parameter setup => Room setup => Room types => Room inventory (the last column of the room type list). Click on this image. A new screen will be opened which has room inventory to update and room type images to upload) Here user can upload up to four images)

    b. Room type long description

    c. Room facilities (Room type facilities can be uploaded form mycloud PMS => Parameter setup => Room setup => Room types => Room inventory (the last column of the room type list). Click on this image. A new screen will be opened which has room inventory to update and room type images to upload)

    d. Deposit and cancellation terms (this is the cancellation policy attached to rate.)

    e. General terms and policy (this is the general terms policy attached to rate.)

Availability Calendar : 

(Hotel Details => Availability Calendar)

The availability calendar shows the available days for the selected hotel. On this screen 30 days availability calendar is being shown. Following are the features of availability calendar:

* Availability calendar starts from the check-in date specified in search section.

* Available dates are shown in green cells, not available in red cells and past dates in blue cells as instructed in legends.

* User can select at most two cells: Check-in and Check-out cells.

* The moment user selects a cell that cell truns to be selected and becomes the check-in date and rest of the further cells qualified to be the check-out date. As shown in next image.

* Now user can select a date for check-out. The moment user clicks on second cell a message appears for the user to refresh the room availability in “Availability” tab as shown in next image.

* If user clicks on “Yes” system refreshes the availability tab with selected check-in, check-out date and opens “Availability” tab .

(Image 1.07 - Hotel details => Hotel description)

a. Nearby attractions (Nearby attractions can be configured form mycloud SYS => System Configuration => Property Setup => General setup 2 => Nearby attractions and landmarks

b. Hotel Description (Hotel Description can be configured from mycloud SYS =>System Configuration => Property Setup =>General setup 2 Setup => Hotel description 

(Image 1.08 - Hotel details => Hotel Facilities)

a. Hotel Facilities : these will be shown in capital letters until we show the images for hotel facilities (Hotel Facilities can be configured form mycloud SYS => System Configuration => Property Setup => General setup 2 => Hotel facilities

(Image 1.09 - Hotel details => Reviews)

a. Guest Reviews : Guest reviews are being downloaded from TripAdvisor’s feedback server.

* If hotel has feedback downloaded from TripAdvisor then only this tab will be visible otherwise it will not be shown.

(Image 1.10 - Hotel details => Hotel Policy)

a. Deposit and Cancellation Terms (Deposit and Cancellation terms can be configured form mycloud SYS=> System Configuration => Property Setup => General setup 2 =>Deposit and cancellation terms)

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Screen 4: Hotel booking screen

(Image 1.11 - Hotel Booking)

Information icon (Clicking on this icon shows room rate breakup for dates between check-in and check-out)

a. Room attributes (Room attributes can be configured form mycloud PMS => System Configuration => Parameter Setup => Rooms Setup => Define room attributes => room attributes)

b. Special Services (Special services can be configured form mycloud PMS=> System Configuration => Parameter Setup => Special Services Setup )

c. Extra Services (Enhance your stay) (Extra services can be configured form mycloud SYS=> System Configuration => Parameter Setup => Revenue Charge Setup => define extra services => extra services )

** Booking amount is shown in both currency selected as well as the currency in which hotel will charge.

** Taxes & service charges, displayed with Room charge and Extra services, will be shown based on a configuration set on Web booking engine configuration screen. Full amount with taxes and service charges will be applicable on booking confirmation in any case. This flag is to control only the display of taxes and services charges. Please refer web booking configuration section for more details.

Manage Your Booking

Manage your booking search existing booking based on Email id and Confirmation Number of created booking.

* On clicking on “Manage your Booking” (top right of the screen shown), a pop up opens that requires Email id and Confirmation Number of created booking.

* On clicking Search button, booking will be listed with details like Name, Guest Id, Confirmation Number, Status, Arrival, Departure, Currency, and Total Rate.

• Toggle radio buttons to view “PAST”, “FUTURE” or “BOTH” bookings.

• “Open” link on booking is visible only if opened booking has reserve status as

        * Confirmed

        * In-house

        * Checked –out

• Captain Guest booking is searched in case of multiple reservation.

* Now click on “Open” to view Booking Summary of this booking.

* This screen shows booking summary and booking itineraries of opened booking.

* “Edit Booking” and “Cancel Booking” is visible only for booking that has reserve status as “CONFIRMED”.

* In case of booking itineraries, only bookings with reserve status as “Confirmed”, ”In-house”, ”Checked-out” will be shown.

* Cancel button will be shown in front of booking itineraries with reserve status as “Confirmed”.

* Clicking on “Edit booking”, redirects to Hotel Booking page with details of booking autocompleted. 

* Any guest details or special services modified for opened main booking will be reflected on all booking itineraries of this booking.

To have a hotel on web booking engine following are the minimum requirements and prerequisites:

1. Web booking engine interface must be “Activated” for that hotel. This can be done from mycloud System Admin => Interfaces Configuration => Web booking engine configuration.

2. At least one rate must be marked as “Publish on web booking engine”.

3. Proper rate description and log description must be set

4. Proper hotel images must be uploaded through property setup.

5. Proper room type description, long description, images and inventory must be uploaded through room setup.

6. Proper hotel star rating, descriptions, hotel facilities, deposit and cancellation, general terms policy must be set from property setup.

7. Proper hotel address must be set to get the proper hotel MAP. In case of wrong address the map will not be shown

Important points:

* All booking made without payment will be made as “Non-Guaranteed” with a calculated release date. This date configuration is with “Web booking engine” configuration screen.

* “Non-guaranteed” bookings will be made with “Advance Deposit Amount Required” = Deposit required amount shown on booking confirmation page.

* Confirmation letter for “Guaranteed” and “Non-Guaranteed” booking are with different layout for “Payment” section.

* “Non-Guaranteed” confirmation letter will have option to give payment details by “Credit Card” or “Cheque” as shown in below image.

* All future reservations made from Web booking engine can be seen from mycloud PMS => Reports => Pre Check-in reports => Reservation list by users => Web booking engine reservation activity.

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Screen 5: Web booking engine configuration screen

1. Activate Interface: check this flag to activate Web booking engine.

2. Online payment: There are three configurations to control online payment for web booking engine reservations.

     a. Yes: If this is “ON” then system will take the guest to payment gateway. After successful payment only, the booking will be confirmed – Guaranteed otherwise it will stands as Confirmed Non-Guaranteed.

     b. No: If this is “ON” then user will not be redirected to payment gateway and booking will be made as confirmed Non-Guaranteed.

     c. Optional: If this is “ON” then guest will have both the options (make booking with payment or make booking without payment) available on booking confirmation screen. In this case guest has a choice for payment.      

3. Hide Calendar: If this is “ON” then on web booking engine “Calendar” tab on “Hotel details” screen will not be visible.

4. Hide Reviews: If this is “ON” then on web booking engine “Reviews” tab on “Hotel details” screen and “Review” section in “Available hotels list” of “Hotel search result” screen will not be visible.

5. Display rates without taxes and service charges / Display rate with taxes and service charges : This option will be used to control the display of taxes & services charges on Web booking engine’s booking summary screen. If first option is selected then applicable taxes & services on room charge and selected extra services will not be displayed to the guest. In this case guest will be prompted one message “** Additional taxes and service charges may be applicable” will be displayed as shown in next screen.

6. Restrict guest not to take booking with more than numbers of rooms : This option will be used to control the maximum number of rooms per booking on Web booking engine.

If this checkbox is not checked , by default 0 is saved as maximum number of rooms.

If this checkbox is checked, a textbox is displayed to enter maximum rooms.

If this option is “ON” / “Checked” then Web booking engine will behave as follows:

* Search Screen, Hotel List:

Else hotel will not be listed.

* Hotel Details (Calendar) :

If max number of rooms defined in configuration >= number of rooms given on Web booking engine then calendar will be shown.

Else ‘No records found’.

* Hotel Details (Availability) :

If max number of rooms defined in configuration >= number of rooms given on Web booking engine then room wise availability will be shown.

Else ‘No records found’.

If no such configuration is set, by default max numb of rooms for property is set to 0.

Note: Refreshing calendar availability does not affect room availability search while vice –versa is true.

7. Release Non-Guaranteed reservations prior days: This is the control to calculate “Release” date for non-guaranteed booking. Following is the calculation for release date:

8. Default Market segment for bookings: Market segment to be stamped with bookings for statistics purpose.

9. Default business source for bookings: Business source to be stamped with bookings for statistics purpose.

10. Web booking engine URL: This URL will be used by the hotels. If hotel wants to open mycloud web booking engine in their web site, they just need to call the given URL in frame of their web sites. Hotel can pass the value of “Arrival” and “Departure” query strings in the given URL.

11. Web booking engine background image: from here hotel can upload their own background image that will be the background of web booking engine when this hotel is selected on web booking engine.

* Background image uploaded/changed from this screen will only be applicable from “Hotel Details” screen.