A hotel reservation is an arrangement between a buyer and a seller to hold a product or service in advance of purchase based on a promised intention of future purchase. In the hotel industry, a reservation refers to the holding aside or blocking of a specific room for a guest for a defined period of time in accordance with the request made by the visitor while making the booking.

The front office department of a hotel is responsible for handling reservations. A potential guest contacts the hotel for availability of the desired type of accommodation and any allied services that the hotel offers. The front office department needs to react to the enquiry of the guests. For a guest, reservation increases the chances of a better deal for assured accommodation on arrival. For a hotel, reservation can enable better management of guest experience during usual as well as peak seasons.

A hotel reservation system is a software application that allows guests to book directly with the hotel online, with no intermediaries necessary. The software essentially processes online reservations made via the hotel’s website and then passes this information to the hotel’s own backend so that the information can be easily accessed. Bookings are then managed by hotel staff. The reservation management software essentially automates the booking process, syncing up with your hotel’s website and social media so that guests can reserve easily and conveniently without having to visit another site. The reservation system can also link up to the channel manager, allowing hotels to distribute their availability to both online agents in real time.

In summary, a hotel reservation is the process of holding aside or blocking a specific room for a guest for a defined period of time in accordance with the request made by the visitor while making the booking. The front office department of a hotel is responsible for handling reservations, and a hotel reservation system is a software application that allows guests to book directly with the hotel online.