Commercial Online Hotel Reservation Services: Functional Distinctions And Opportunities For Direct Booking Optimization

Online hotel reservation systems are vital to the tourism industry, allowing travelers to seamlessly search for and book accommodations. This study examines the adoption of these systems by accommodation facilities in the Moravian-Silesian, Olomouc, and Zlín Regions of the Czech Republic. Using a representative dataset of 634 records from Q4 2023, collected through an analysis of accommodation websites, the research identifies the prevalence and types of online reservation systems in use. It also assesses the technical readiness of facilities for online bookings. The study aims to identify the most widely used reservation systems and assess how well facilities are technically prepared for online bookings. Findings reveal that Booking.com is the dominant platform, utilized by 61% of surveyed facilities, with higher adoption among hotels (80%) than guesthouses (56%). Among local systems, Previo, Bookolo, and Trevlix stand out as the most prominent. This study offers new insights into the digitalization of tourism services and supports the ongoing development of online reservation systems in the Czech Republic.