Discover the New Version of the Booking Engine

Updated: 16 Apr 2024

The possibility to receive online reservations is one of the core functionalities of the Bookinglayer platform. Thanks to that, you can manage your entire reservation flow and accept direct reservations through your website.

The Booking Engine is then one of the most important modules for our clients. Recently, we've released a new version, to help you further improve the booking experience for your guests.

The new version of the Booking Engine has many additional features and customization options. It also helps you guide the website visitor through the reservation process and makes it more intuitive with the UX improvements.

We’re gradually introducing the new Booking Engine for our users. We encourage you to try it for yourself and make the switch from your Booking Engine to benefit from the new features. You can upgrade your current Booking Engine to the new version for free. You can check out the new Booking Engine in action on some of our client's websites: Surf Cascais, Rafftaff, or MTB Verbier.

In this article, we'll explore the new features and how your booking flow can benefit from switching to the new Booking Engine.

Here's a quick summary of what you'll find in the new Booking Engine:

• improved mobile view and new responsive design
• infinite categories and subcategories
• an activity calendar for scheduled classes
• customization options that include layout, text, and translations
• new guest allocation view
• simplified reservation flow with adjustable guest details

Let's take a look at the major changes.

Improved mobile view

Nowadays, more and more bookings are made via mobile phones. That's why it's important to have a professional responsive website with instant booking options.

Additionally, many tourists search for accommodation on their way to their destination. Many don't plan their itineraries in full before arrival, they prefer to keep some flexibility when it comes to their trips. That's why it's especially important to give your future guests a way to make bookings online using their phones.

Because of security reasons, many mobile phone users prefer to stick to well-known apps. However, with a professional Booking Engine with secure payment options, your guests will feel safer making online payments using your website. Thanks to that, you can skip the intermediary's commission and increase your revenue per booking.

Customizable layout

You can design your Booking Engine in the Backoffice using the visual layout. The sections can be easily moved around and adjusted to your vision for the website. You can change the width of widgets, the order, and how they are displayed.

With the new Look&Feel section, you can adjust colors and fonts of your Booking Engine to make it match your website.

Customize your logo and link your own URLs in the footer. You can also add multiple images and embed videos that will help you present the atmosphere of your camp or hotel.

Infinite categories and subcategories

With the new Booking Engine, you can embed categories inside other categories. This lets you organize your offer in a clear way. You can start with general categories such as locations or types of services, and then, you can specify different package scenarios inside.

Thanks to that, you can also make sure that your guests can find the type of package they need. Making sure that the Booking Engine is easy to navigate will increase the chances of presenting the package that matches your guest's needs.

Activity Calendar

This is a completely new module that lets you present your scheduled classes in an organized way. Your guests can choose the most suitable date and time. An activity calendar is a great way for you to showcase your offer and make sure that your availability is under control.

Your website visitors can book scheduled classes or activities and make online payments with ease. All the bookings appear automatically in your Backoffice, so you can manage both packages that include accommodation as well as additional services that you can upsell using the system.

Simplified booking flow

Depending on how many details you need about your guests, you can simplify the booking flow to minimize the number of fields to be filled in.

You can skip "Guest details" entirely or choose only the necessary ones. You can also modify the "Booker" fields to make sure that you get the information you need to confirm the reservation

Additionally, the section where your guests choose accommodation also got a new look. It's now easier to assign the guest to a specific room using the dropdown list.

Give your Booking Engine an upgrade

For all Bookinglayer users, the upgrade is free of charge. For all new clients, the Booking Engine is activated by default.

And we're just getting started with new features we have planned for the Booking Engine! The next one that we'll release is a multi-step reservation flow. This feature will allow you to group your add-on items, activities, and services to make it easier for your guests to choose the ones they're interested in. Stay tuned!