Introduction

Hotels play a major role in the global travel, hospitality and tourism industries as well as in local, regional and national economies all over the world.

These establishments provide much more than just a place for travelers to sleep and eat when they are away from home, as they represent one of the most essential pillars of any exciting vacation, professional conference, business or work related trip or other life scenarios.

Customers have high expectations from the players in the hotel industry that relate to aspects like service quality, comfort, location, atmosphere, cleanness, security, pricing and getting a great experience in general.

As a result, hotels are investing massive efforts to satisfy those wants and needs in order to attract more guests, improve reputation, build long-term customer loyalty and generate more word-of-mouth referrals.

Types

Hotels come in many shapes and forms and each one appeals to certain target demographics, audience groups and customer segments.
Properties vary in size, function, features, level of luxury, service standards, their range of facilities, architecture, cost and so many other factors.

These establishments cater for guests with differing demands and while some are ideal for mainstream tourists, families or couples, others are more suited for low-budget travelers, backpackers, seniors, business guests or other types of customers.

The main hotel types include full service, luxury, boutique, economy, specialty, resort and extended stay hotels.
Some are owned and managed by famous worldwide chains, while others are operated independently.

Choosing a Hotel

When comparing all available options before eventually booking a hotel room online, the amount of choice can be overwhelming and confusing.
Since every traveler has his own unique needs, preferences and priorities, choosing the right hotel requires considering a variety of key factors that are important to the individual customer, such as:

• Trip purpose (business, work, vacation, conference etc.)
• Star rating classification.
• Location and proximity to tourist attractions.
• Access to public transportation services.
• Distance from the airport.
• Room or suite characteristics.
• Onsite facilities and amenities.
• Price, cost-effectiveness and value.
• Free perks: breakfasts, in-room Wi-Fi, parking, minibar, etc.
• Room availability and the ability to make a last-minute reservation.
• Flexible cancellation and change policies.
• Ability to pay for the stay with PayPal.

What Do Hotel Booking Websites Offer?

Online travel agencies (OTA) and other hotel search sites offer a classic one-stop-shop experience and a convenient and easy way to research, compare prices and find the best rates.

With a proven ability to deliver current and accurate information about properties all over the world coupled with a hassle-free booking process, these websites attract millions of paying customers every single month.

The major travel booking engines in the market offer some of the most technologically-advanced filtering tools and sorting options that help the shopper explore as many good lodging options as possible and choose the best one wisely.

The targeted user-defined search on these platforms is comprised of a host of variables that help customers implement their booking strategies, save time and money and get only the most relevant results.

Each search begins with entering the most basic information that includes:

• Destination city or hotel name.
• Check in and check out dates (number of nights).
• Number of rooms.
• Number of guests: adults and children.

After getting the initial results, users can use filters in order to narrow their search and specify what they are looking for.
Common sorting choices include guest and official star rating, geographic area, distance from popular landmarks and attractions, price, desired property facilities, desired room amenities, early or late check-in / check-out options and many other features.

The customer can then explore the filtered results and get an extended overview of each hotel property that includes detailed information, photos and videos.

The popular sites that dominate this industry offer many competitive benefits.
Such advantages include exclusive deals, weekend packages, flash sales, free night promotions, last-minute special offers and seasonal discounts as well as real-time price drop alerts, loyalty reward programs and many other features that help consumers book with confidence, get cheaper accommodation rates and even find real bargains.

Paying for Hotel Rooms with PayPal

Even though PayPal is one of the most popular payment methods on the internet, the vast majority of major travel websites and hotel reservation services are not offering it as one of their billing options.
A relatively small number players in this market do accept PayPal and hopefully, their number will increase with time.