By Hendarsyah Tarmizi
\nThe Jakarta Post
\nJakarta<\/p>\n
Booking rooms online, why not?<\/p>\n
Are you planning to go somewhere but don't have enough time to
\nfind a good hotel. Why not try online booking, it is easier and
\nmore convenient.<\/p>\n
With only a click of your computer mouse, you can find a wide
\nrange of hotel choices that can suit your taste, and more
\nimportantly your budget.<\/p>\n
In Indonesia, the number of hotels which have their own online
\nreservation facilities are still few and far between. But most
\nstar-rated hotels, even non-star ones, have been available from
\nlocal and foreign online reservation providers.<\/p>\n
Indo.com, one of the first travel Internet portals in the
\ncountry, for example, offers online reservation services not only
\nfor local hotels but also for accommodation facilities in other
\nAsian countries such as Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam.<\/p>\n
Many other local travel portals also provide booking services
\nfor hotels in particular areas. Balitouristguide.com, for
\nexample, focus on hotels in the resort island of Bali, while
\ntravelindo.com offers services for hotels in Yogyakarta.<\/p>\n
Besides being available from the local travel portals, major
\nIndonesian hotels are also listed in foreign-based online booking
\nservice providers.<\/p>\n
Accommodation Line, which is based in Sydney, also offers
\nonline reservation services for most star-rated hotels in
\nIndonesia, with discounted rates.<\/p>\n
If you browse through the Google search engine, you will find
\ntens of other websites offering reservation services for
\nIndonesian hotels.<\/p>\n
Besides prices, the websites also feature all the information
\nyou will need about the hotels, such as location maps, types of
\nrooms, and availability of package tours.<\/p>\n
The prices of the hotel rooms quoted in the websites are
\ngenerally different from those quoted by conventional travel
\nagencies. The room rates quoted in the websites are mostly lower.
\nThis is possible because hotels can reduce commission fees when
\nreceiving orders through the online reservation companies.<\/p>\n
Some of the quoted room rates already include taxes and
\nservice charges but some others do not. So be sure that you know
\nwhat kinds of rates are available before you go ahead with your
\nbooking.<\/p>\n
How to make your reservation? Easy, you just click the
\nreservation icon and fill in the necessary information about your
\nstay in the hotel such as the length of stay, check-in and check-
\nout time.<\/p>\n
Generally there are two kinds of payment system adopted by
\nonline reservation providers. One of them is called online
\npayment in which buyers are required to pay the bill by credit or
\ncharge card online. The other form is called semi-online payment
\nin which customers are required to fax their credit card
\nauthorizations and a copy of the front and back of their credits
\ncards before the reservation is confirmed.<\/p>\n
Local online reservation providers mostly still use the semi-
\nonline system, and sometimes a bank transfer for the hotel
\nreservation payment.<\/p>\n
The semi-online payment, albeit less advanced and often taking
\ntime, is relatively more secure for hotel guests and the
\nreservation providers as both can make crosschecks before
\nsettling the transactions.<\/p>\n
If you are required to pay the room reservation online, be
\nsure you check how the company is securing your financial and
\npersonal information.<\/p>\n
Many online travel companies explain the security procedures
\nin their websites. But if you don't find any security
\ndescription, it would be better for you to call or e-mail the
\ncompany.<\/p>\n
Although the use of the online hotel reservation system in the
\ncountry is still at the early stage of its development, many
\nlocal hotels have enjoy the advantages of the online hotel
\nreservation system.<\/p>\n
Grand Hyatt Jakarta, which offers online booking through the
\nhotel chain's Hyatt.com, sees a growing number of guests booking
\nthrough its online reservation facilities.<\/p>\n
\"Although the number of hotel reservations made through the
\nwebsite is still around 0.5 percent of the total reservations,
\nthe trend is on the upward direction,\" the hotel's public
\nrelations manager, Elvira Lianita, told The Jakarta Post.<\/p>\n
For the hotel guests, particularly those from overseas, the
\nonline reservation service is quite helpful not only in saving
\ntime but also in arranging their trips, she said.<\/p>\n
\"For the hotel, the online booking service makes the
\nreservation process much more efficient,\" Elvira said.<\/p>\n
The online reservation service will undoubtedly become one of
\nimportant alternatives for the hotel guests to book a hotel room,
\nalthough at present most of the bookings are still made through a
\nletter, fax or e-mail.<\/p>\n
The existence of the online hotel reservation service could in
\nthe long run affect conventional travel agencies if the later are
\nnot able to take advantage of the online technology.<\/p>\n
The chairperson of the Association of Indonesian Travel
\nAgencies (ASITA), Meity Robot, however, downplays the potential
\nthreat from the online hotel reservation providers.<\/p>\n
\"In some cases, they are our competitors. But they will not
\nthreaten our existence. Hotel reservation is only one of many
\nservices provided by the travel agencies,\" she told the Post.<\/p>\n
Meity said that many travel agencies are considering
\ndeveloping their own websites to enable them to benefit from the
\nchange in hotel guests' behavior.<\/p>\n
Although online booking promises greater convenience, you have
\nto be careful in selecting the provider of the online reservation
\nservice.<\/p>\n
Make sure a company is legitimate before doing business with
\nit. Identify the company's name, its physical address, including
\nthe country where it is based, and an e-mail address or telephone
\nnumber so you can contact the company with questions or problems.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/by-hendarsyah-tarmizi-1447893297",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
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