The Web Enabled Hotels Reservation System software has been designed & developed by the NIC HP State Unit, Shimla for meeting the requirements of any Group/Chain having Hotels at different physical locations for advance reservation through travel agencies/hotels and by general public over the Internet.

Benefits • The prospective customer need not contact the individual hotels or marketing office/agents to know the accommodation availability, and even to get the reservation done, if so desired. • Complete software and database located centrally only at one place enabling easy maintenance and making it independent of the User location, technically • Bare minimum hardware/software needed at the User end to start operationalising the system. • Accessibility of the software through any local ISP. • Reduced costs and time on training, telephone bills and end user support

Key Features

The software has three interfaces, all web-enabled, for general public, reservation offices/hotels and the management. The features available to the respective user groups are explained below.

General Public (open to all Internet users):

• Online Accommodation Availability Status of any HPTDC hotel at http://hptdc.nic.in/viewuser8.asp • Advance reservation by Internet Users at http://hptdc.nic.in website for any period thus eliminating the need to visit HPTDC Reservation Offices • Option to send payment by bank draft/Cheque either by post or deposit in any UTI Bank branch into HPTDC account through anywhere banking of UTI Bank.

Hotels /Travel Agents/ Reservation Offices (Restricted access):

• Online status of accommodation in any HPTDC Hotel • No long distance STD Calls to CRO/Hotels • Instant Reservation from any location (hotels or marketing offices) • Facility to block accommodation in case of doubt • Generation of following reports • Daily Reservations (hotel wise, booking office wise) • Expected arrival chart for any date for all hotels • Customer queries • Daily blocking/cancellations reports

Management (Limited access):

• Booking office wise business being generated for any particular date/period • Comparison of bookings being done for the current period with previous year • Incorporation of Discount/Special offer packages for any or all hotels • Future projections of bookings • Hotel-wise occupancy status (number of vacant/occupied rooms) for future planning

Steps to be followed…

• Plan your stay well in advance-at least 15 days before start of stay • Checking the Reservation Status: Visit HPTDC website at http://hptdc.nic.in and click on R-Hotel Reservation icon. Select the hotel in which accommodation is desired and choose the proposed date of stay. A screen showing the type of accommodation available, tariff and the number of units available for reservation will be shown against next 15 dates. • Sending a Reservation Request: In case accommodation is available for the desired period, press the "Email Reservation Request button". Fill in the required fields and submit. • Checking whether accommodation is blocked: After 24 hours of sending the reservation request, select the hotel with desired date and press the "Know Your Customer ID" button You will be shown a list of customers in whose name accommodation has been blocked for that particular hotel and date. Note down your customer ID. • Making payment: After noting down the Customer ID, send payment either by post as Demand Draft or into HPTDC account in any UTI bank branch in India. • Confirmation check: Depending upon the mode of payment chosen, after sometime, you may check again the "Know Your Customer ID" option and verify that status of accommodation has been changed to "Confirmed" from "Blocked".

Printing Customer Slip: Choose "Customer Slip" option and enter your Customer ID. Take a print-out of the customer slip for future reference and to present in the Hotel at the time of check-in.

Implementation Status

The software is in use since September 2000 by the Himachal Pradesh Tourism Development Corporation Ltd. (HPTDC) and an advance amount of Rs. 4 crores (approx) has been collected through this interface. The HPTDC has 57 Hotels situated at prime locations in Himachal Pradesh and has 7 Reservation offices. The reservations are also done directly by the Hotels at Shimla, Manali, Dharamshala and Dalhousie. The system has received appreciation from different quarters and the UTI Bank website provides a link to this system under its shopping section at http://www.utibank.com/shopping/frm_shopping.html