US 2014/0207499 A1 · CHECK-IN TO A HOTEL ROOM ONLINE

Abstract

Techniques for allowing prospective hotel guests to check-in online are provided. An online check-in service sends, to a computing device of a prospective guest, an electronic notification that indicates that the prospective user can check-in online instead of having to wait in line at the hotel. A series of pages are presented to the prospective guest, such as a page to allow the prospective guest to specify room preferences and other requests, a page to allow the prospective guest to accept an upgrade offer, a page to confirm payment, and/or a page that shows a room assignment. In this way, a guest does not have to wait in a hotel lobby to be assigned a room. Also, a hotel may be notified when a confirmed guest is approaching the hotel to allow hotel staff to make any arrangements necessary to expedite the process of getting the guest to his/her room.

Claims23

Dependent claims

A method comprising:

receiving, from a first entity associated with a first hotel, first reservation data about one or more first guests that have made reservations with the first hotel;
determining, based on one or more criteria and the first reservation data, to notify a first guest, of the one or more first guests, of a check-in opportunity to the first hotel;
causing, to be displayed on a first display screen of a first computing device of the first guest, first individual reservation data that includes first information about a first reservation that is reflected in the reservation data;
receiving, from the first computing device of the first guest, first input that indicates that the first user confirms the first reservation;
wherein the method is performed by one or more computing devices.

2 more elements

A method comprising:

receiving, from a computing device of a first guest, location data that indicates a first location of the computing device;
determining a second location of a hotel with which the first guest has made a reservation;
performing a comparison of the first location and the second location;
based on the comparison, causing, to be sent to a hotel computing device of the hotel, alert data that includes (a) distance data that indicates that the first guest is within a first distance of the hotel or (b) time data that indicates an estimate of when the first guest is to arrive at the hotel;
wherein the method is performed by one or more computing devices.

2 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Check-in to a hotel room online

Life of this patent

Check-in to a hotel room online

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims23