Software Implementation for Designing a System to Aid in the Booking and Reservation of Rooms in an Hotel

1.0 Introduction

Reservation is the most vital aspect of any hotel system, this process should be efficient. So it can serve the commercial goals of the hotel. The most important entity in the Reservation process is the Rooms, reserving Rooms in a hotel should be dynamic, and the whole process should be done in an effective way to maximize the hotel profits. There are two types of customers in the hotel; individual customers and group customers, and the person who is responsible for reservation is the front office manager. Group customers have higher priority over individual customers in high season, because group customers are more stable. So the front office manager should take decisions about the reservation, these decisions can be supported by the computerized system. This system provides many tools that the front office manager could use in taking his decision for allocating rooms and reserve for groups and taking right decisions. Note that this system can’t operate alone in the hotel, because it concentrates mainly in reservation process, the system needs an accounting system and a management information system, and so it can serve all the needs of the hotel.

Hotel room reservation system can keep close track of reservations. An effective room reservation system can tightly control room availability data and automatically generate many reservation-related reports. The biggest advantage of reservation system is the improved accuracy of room availability and rate information. As reservations agents input reservations and reservation modifications or cancellations into the system, the inventory of the available rooms is immediately updated. In addition, front desk transactions involving no-shows, early departures, or walk-ins will immediately update the computer’s room availability.

1.1 Theoretical Background

A hotel reservation system also known as automated hotel reservation system is a computerized system used to store and retrieve information and conduct transactions related to reservation or booking. Originally it was only applied by airlines but now automated reservation systems have extended to hotels and travel agencies. For hotels, an automated reservation system is an assistance to manage marketing and sales. Rates and availabilities can be seen by all sales channels that are using the system from a server and this is why it is sometimes called central reservation system. Automated hotel reservation system enable hotels to make their services available accessible to customers through internet gateways.

With due consideration to the numerous benefits offered by the computer system and the internet, it is imperative that business organizations such as hotel industries take advantage of the computer system and internet so as to reach more clients, gain more patronage and to be know globally. With dynamism in the information technology world, it is important that customers are offered convenient and accessible services to enable them stay at edge among other competitors that are also taking advantage of information technology to enhance their business operations.

A significant benefit of an automated reservation system is that customers can make reservations from any location so long as they are connected to the system via the internet or network used for the implementation of the reservation system. The hotel management is also relieved of workload as the system positions them to be able to pass needed information that pertain to the rates of rooms of the hotel, the ones that have been booked and the ones that are occupied as well as other relevant information pertaining to the services of the hotel.

1.2 Statement of the Problem

They are so many problems faced by many hotel industries.

The following are the problems:

1. Low patronage to poor record keeping methods.
2. Information in booklet limits the way information is retrieved. This constitutes a serious problem to management because information is not handy.
3. Inaccurate reservation and booking records of hotel rooms
4. Difficulty in obtaining reservation information and updating it.

1.3 Aim and Objectives of the Study

To develop an automated room reservation and booking system for Hotel. The following are the objectives of the study

1. To develop an automated reservation system for reserving rooms
2. To design a system that can be used to save reservation information to database.
3. To develop a system that can be used to obtain hotel reservation reports

1.4 Scope of the study

This study covers designing a system to aid in the booking and reservation of rooms in an hotel.

1.5 Significance of the study

The significance of the study is that it will provide an automated system for Anibeto hotel to manage hotel room reservation. It will facilitate easy presentation of reports of hotel room reservation and accurate computation of hotel room reservation. The study will also serve as a useful reference material for other researchers seeking similar information on the subject.

1.6 Organization of the Research

This research work is organized into five chapters.

Chapter one is concerned with the introduction of the research study and it presents the preliminaries, theoretical background, statement of the problem, aim and objectives of the study, significance of the study, scope of the study, organization of the research and definition of terms.

Chapter two focuses on the literature review, the contributions of other scholars on the subject matter is discussed.

Chapter three is concerned with the system analysis and design. It analyzes the present system to identify the problems and provides information on the advantages and disadvantages of the proposed system. The system design is also presented in this chapter.

Chapter four presents the system implementation and documentation. The choice of programming language, analysis of modules, choice of programming language and system requirements for implementation.

Chapter five focuses on the summary, conclusion and recommendations are provided in this chapter based on the study carried out.

1.7 Definition of terms

Automated:

To use machines and computers instead of people to do a job or task.

System:

A group of things or pieces of equipment that are connected or work together in an organized manner.

Gateway:

A device that connects two computer networks that cannot be connected in any other way.

Reservation:

An arrangement for a seat on a plane, a train or a room in a hotel to be kept for you which cannot be used by any other person for any other reason.

Hotel:

A building or commercial establishment where people pay for lodging, and where meals and other facilities such as conference rooms are often available.

Booking:

An arrangement by which something such as theatre seat or hotel room is kept for somebody’s use at a specific time.