"Travelport has taken steps to increase the availability of negotiated hotel rates in its system." This article discusses the inconsistencies often found in GDS online bookings (specifically those who use Galileo and Worldspan) and the steps Travelport is taking to remedy these inconsistencies. Some contributing factors include "...hotels' failure to load the data into the Property Management System (PMS) or Central Reservation System (CRS), the rate not being set up correctly or missing code information, or inaccurate code information being entered." Travelport has reached out to hotels for support in this endeavor, including "...conducting rate audits with hotels, designing and implementing new processes and removing the availability of outdated and duplicated codes." I think that this is a smart move for Travelport and its subsidiaries that will motivate other GDS's to audit their systems for greater consistency in bookings. Having worked with reservations and front office in a hotel utilizing third party bookings, I could not begin to tell you the level of frustration that sometimes occur in explaining to guests why certain rates differ so greatly for the same time period. On the reservations side, it often takes hours to manually adjust and update these rates, so I am sure that this will be a great help to all parties involved.

Multi-touch software for hotels/resorts

SensyTouch has introduced the latest version of hospitality specific software geared towards a more efficient and effective experience at hotels/resorts. "Located in a resort lobby or strategically placed throughout a hotel, this application allows guests to quickly access the resort services as well as local entertainment." The application also features, "...modules for guest services, local attractions, resort amenities and restaurants which include maps, reservations, menus, catalogs, coupons and much more." This software application is perfectly suited for front desk or guest services areas, where it can proudly display hotel/resort information on amenities as well as information about the local area. I am surprised that this software is not in use in more hotels. This software and others like it provide easy access to the information guests want to know. Though it may be more impersonal than a face to face interaction, guests can avoid waiting in lines at the front desk if they are in a rush or take their time to explore the information available.