CENTRALIZED UPDATING METHOD FOR HOTEL ROOM PRICES AND AVAILABILITY

Abstract

METHOD FOR CENTRALIZED UPDATING OF HOTEL ROOM PRICES AND AVAILABILITY One aspect of the invention relates to a method 100 for centrally updating hotel room prices and availability comprising the steps of: Merging 106 several object changes from a first queue by change category; For each change category, determining 107 the impact of the merged object changes on a set of data pairs in a general database, each data pair being formed by a hotel room price and availability; Placing 108 each impacted data pair in a second queue; Determining 109, for each impacted data pair, an update of the price and / or availability over a second predetermined period via a query to said general database. Figure to be published with the abstract: Figure 1

Description

Title of the invention: METHOD FOR CENTRALIZED UPDATING OF ROOM PRICES AND AVAILABILITY HOTEL TECHNICAL FIELD OF THE INVENTION

[0001] The present invention relates to a method for centrally updating hotel room prices and availability.

[0002] The invention finds a particularly interesting application in the hotel industry. It is especially applicable to the collection and analysis of hotel room prices and availability, commonly referred to as "shopping." TECHNOLOGICAL BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

[0003] The central reservation systems of the largest hotel chains process up to several tens of thousands of transactions per second, typically 5,000 transactions per second. This figure is constantly increasing due to the development of online distribution channels, particularly online travel agencies and price comparison websites.

[0004] Hotel chain reservation centers typically use a centralized reservation system, also known as a CRS (Central Reservations System), to update and maintain current hotel information regarding inventory and rates, so that establishments can manage their reservations in real time. These reservations are managed through numerous distribution channels, such as booking websites or offer aggregators, also known as GDSs (Global Distribution Systems).

[0005] Consequently, the ability of the centralized reservation system to quickly send relevant offers to the prospective customer on each of these distribution channels has become a strategic competitive element for a hotel group.

[0006] In view of the constant increase in the number of transactions, current centralized booking systems do not allow for satisfactory data synchronization.

[0007] The invention offers a solution to the problem mentioned above, by proposing a centralized update method for hotel room prices and availability allowing satisfactory data synchronization with partners.

[0008] In this context, the invention thus relates, in its broadest sense, to a method for centrally updating hotel room prices and availability, the method comprising the steps, executed by a centralized reservation system, of: - Receive changes to the property that may impact the availability and / or price of a hotel room; - Place the aforementioned object modifications in a first queue; - Merge multiple object modifications from said first queue by modification category; - For each category of modification, determine an impact of the merged object modifications on a set of data pairs from a general database external to the centralized reservation system, each data pair being formed by a price and availability of a hotel room; - Place each impacted data pair in a second queue; - Determine, for each impacted data pair, an update of the price and / or availability over a second predetermined period via a query to said general database; - Compare a hash value of said update of a data pair with a hash value of a corresponding data pair previously recorded in a database of said centralized reservation system; - When a difference is detected between the hash value of the update of a data pair and the hash value of the corresponding data pair: • Transmit said data pair update to a hotel room booking platform; and / or • Record said hash value of said update of a data pair in said database of said centralized reservation system.

[0009] The method according to the invention thus makes it possible to detect all changes in availability or prices and then propagate them to external partners, for example Expedia® or Booking®. The steps of merging several object changes from the first queue by change category and determining the impact of the merged object changes on a set of data pairs in a general database external to the centralized booking system together reduce the number of queries to be processed by the centralized booking system. Thus, these steps allow for satisfactory data synchronization and, more specifically, enable better scalability.

[0010] In addition to the characteristics mentioned in the preceding paragraph, the method according to this aspect of the invention may have one or more complementary characteristics from among the following, considered individually or according to all technically possible combinations.

[0011] According to a non-limiting aspect of the invention, when a difference between the hash value of the update of a data pair and the hash value of a corresponding data pair is detected, the method includes a step of recording an update indicator in the database of the centralized reservation system.

[0012] According to a non-limiting aspect of the invention, the method comprises the steps, executed by the centralized reservation system, of: To receive, from a hotel room booking platform, periodically according to a third predetermined period, an update request; If an update indicator is recorded in the centralized reservation system database, transmit said update indicator to said hotel room reservation platform.

[0013] According to a non-limiting aspect of the invention, the step of merging several object modifications from the first queue by modification categories is executed periodically according to a first predetermined period.

[0014] According to a non-limiting aspect of the invention, the first predetermined period is between 8 and 12 seconds, typically 10 seconds.

[0015] According to a non-limiting aspect of the invention, the second predetermined period is between 15 days and 45 days.

[0016] According to a non-limiting aspect of the invention, the method comprises the preliminary steps of: To make changes to objects via a human-machine interface that may impact the availability and / or price of a hotel room; To compact these changes to objects that may impact the availability and / or price of a hotel room via aggregation means; and To save these compacted changes in the general database.

[0017] Another aspect of the invention relates to a computer program product downloadable from a communication network and / or recorded on a computer-readable medium and / or executable by a processor, said computer program product being characterized in that it includes program code instructions for implementing the method according to any one of the aforementioned aspects of the invention, when the program is executed on a computer.

[0018] A different aspect of the invention relates to a centralized update system for hotel room prices and availability, the centralized update system being characterized in that it includes a memory storing the aforementioned computer program product.

[0019] The invention and its various applications will be better understood upon reading the following description and examining the accompanying figures. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES

[0020] The figures are presented for illustrative purposes only and are in no way limiting of the invention.

[0021] [Fig.1] illustrates the steps of a centralized update process for hotel room prices and availability according to a non-limiting aspect of the invention.

[0022] [Fig.2] shows a schematic representation of a centralised reservation system arranged to carry out the steps of the process illustrated in [Fig.1]. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0023] Unless otherwise specified, the same element appearing on different figures has a unique reference.

[0024] Figure 1 shows a non-limiting example of a method 100 for centrally updating hotel room prices and availability, and Figure 2 illustrates a centralized reservation system 1 arranged to perform the steps of the method 100 illustrated in Figure 1. This centralized reservation system 1 is also known by the acronym CDE (for Change Discovery Engine).

[0025] The method 100 includes a first preliminary step of carrying out 101, via a human-machine interface 2, external to the centralized reservation system 1, object modifications likely to impact the availability and / or price of a hotel room.

[0026] By way of non-limitation, using this human-machine interface 2, a hotelier can define the types of rooms in his hotel, for example single or double room, an inventory of all his rooms, indicate availability and assign a price.

[0027] When modifications are made by a hotelier, these object modifications likely to impact the availability and / or price of a hotel room are compacted 102 via aggregation means 3, then recorded 103 in compact form in a general database 4 external to the centralized reservation system 1. This compact form then allows the data contained in the general database 4 to be processed more quickly and efficiently.

[0028] The process 100 comprises the steps, executed by a receiving module 5 of the centralized reservation system 1, of: • Receive 104 object changes that may impact the availability and / or price of a hotel room, then • Place 105 object modifications in a first queue Ql.

[0029] Then, periodically, according to a first period, the process 100 includes a step, executed by an impact calculation module 6 of the centralized reservation system 1, of merging 106 several object modifications from the first queue Q1 waiting period per modification category.

[0030] According to a non-limiting embodiment, the first period is between 8 and 12 seconds, typically 10 seconds.

[0031] For example, a change relating to the closure of a hotel falls under the hotel category, whereas a change relating to a price falls under a tariff grid category.

[0032] This merging by category advantageously reduces the number of queries to be processed.

[0033] For each category of modification, the process 100 includes a step, executed by the impact calculation module 6, of determining 107 an impact of the merged object modifications on a set of data pairs from the general database 4 external to the centralized reservation system 1, each data pair being formed by a price and an availability of a hotel room.

[0034] In principle, when a change occurs to a pricing structure on a non-partner hotel room booking platform, this change should not be processed. However, a change to a pricing structure on a non-partner hotel room booking platform can have an indirect impact on a pricing structure on a partner hotel room booking platform. This step 107 therefore allows for verification of the impacts of each change.

[0035] The process 100 then includes a step, executed by the impact calculation module 6, of placing 108 in a second queue Q2, each impacted data pair.

[0036] Then, as an impacted pair of data arrives in the second queue Q2, the process 100 includes a step, executed via an availability module 7 of the centralized reservation system 1, to determine 109, an update of the price and / or availability over a second predetermined period via a query to the general database 4.

[0037] According to a non-limiting example of embodiment, the second predetermined period is between 15 days and 45 days, typically one month.

[0038] Indeed, a change in price and / or availability of a hotel room can lead to changes in price and / or availability of several hotel rooms over a period of one month.

[0039] The process 100 then includes a step, executed via a comparison module 8 of the centralized reservation system 1, of comparing 110 a hash value of the update of a data pair with a hash value of a corresponding data pair previously recorded in a database 9 of the centralized reservation system 1.

[0040] According to a non-limiting example of an embodiment, when a difference between the value of hashing of the update of a data pair and the hash value of a corresponding data pair is detected, process 100 includes a step, executed via a transmission module 10 of the centralized reservation system 1, of transmitting 111 the update of the data pair to a partner hotel room booking platform 11.

[0041] According to another non-limiting embodiment, when a difference between the hash value of the update of a data pair and the hash value of a corresponding data pair is detected, the method 100 includes a step, executed via the database 9 of the centralized reservation system 1, of recording 112 the hash value of the update of a data pair in the database 9 of the centralized reservation system 1.

[0042] According to another non-limiting embodiment, when a difference between the hash value of the update of a data pair and the hash value of a corresponding data pair is detected, the method 100 includes a step, executed via the database 9 of the centralized reservation system 1, of recording 113 an update indicator in the database 9 of the centralized reservation system 1.

[0043] In this non-limiting embodiment, the method 100 comprises the steps, executed by the database 9 of the centralized reservation system 1, of: • Receiving 114, from a partner hotel room reservation platform 12, periodically according to a third predetermined period, an update request; • If an update indicator is recorded in the database 9 of the centralized reservation system 1, transmit 115 the update indicator to the partner hotel room booking platform 12. Then, the external partner is able to search for the update details directly from the general database 4.

[0044] The various aspects of the aforementioned invention offer numerous advantages. Among these, we can mention: • Synchronize hotel room update data; • Increase the scalability of the centralized reservation system 1; and • Reduce the consumption of hardware resources of the centralized reservation system 1.

Claims

1. Claims Method (100) for centrally updating prices and availability of hotel rooms, said method (100) comprising the steps, executed by a centralized reservation system (1), of: - Receive (104) object modifications likely to impact the availability and / or price of a hotel room; - Place (105) said object modifications in a first queue (Ql); - Merge (106) several object modifications of said first queue (Ql) by modification category; - For each modification category, determine (107) an impact of the merged object modifications on a set of data pairs of a general database (4) external to said centralized reservation system (1), each data pair being formed by a price and an availability of a hotel room; - Place (108) in a second queue (Q2), each pair of impacted data; - Determine (109), for each pair of impacted data, an update of the price and / or availability over a second predetermined period via a query to said general database (4); - Comparing (110) a hash value of said update of a data pair with a hash value of a corresponding data pair previously recorded in a database (9) of said centralized reservation system (1); - When a difference between said hash value of said update of a data pair and said hash value of a corresponding data pair is detected: • Transmitting (111) said update of the data pair to a hotel room reservation platform (11); and / or • Recording (112) said hash value of said update of a data pair in said database (9) of said centralized reservation system (1).

2. Method (100) according to the preceding claim, characterized in that when a difference between the hash value of the update of a data pair and the hash value of a corresponding data pair is detected, the method (100) comprises a step of recording (113) an update indicator in the database (9) of the centralized reservation system (1).

3. Method (100) according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that it comprises the steps, executed by the centralized reservation system (1), of: - Receiving (114), from a hotel room reservation platform (12), periodically according to a third predetermined period, an update request; - When an update indicator is recorded in the database (9) of the centralized reservation system (1), transmitting (115) said update indicator to said hotel room reservation platform (12).

4. Method (100) according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the step of merging (106) several object modifications of the first queue by modification categories is executed periodically according to a first predetermined period.

5. Method (100) according to the preceding claim, characterized in that the first predetermined period is between 8 and 12 seconds.

6. Method (100) according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the second predetermined period is between 15 days and 45 days.

7. Method (100) according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that it comprises the preliminary steps of: - Carrying out (101), via a human-machine interface (2), object modifications likely to impact availability and / or price of a hotel room; - Compacting (102), via aggregation means (3), said object modifications likely to impact availability and / or price of a hotel room; and - Save (103) said compacted modifications in the general database (4).

8. Computer program product downloadable from a communication network and / or recorded on a computer-readable medium and / or executable by a processor, characterized in that it comprises program code instructions for implementing the method according to any one of claims 1 to 7, when the program is executed on a computer.

9. Centralized updating system (1) for prices and availability of hotel rooms, said centralized updating system (1) being characterized in that it comprises a memory storing the computer program product according to the preceding claim.

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