Hetras launches online booking facility for meeting spaces. It allows people to book and pay for meeting rooms online in an easy way.

Together with its partner LetShare, Hetras has developed a service that allows people to book and pay for meeting rooms online in an easy way, in virtually no time and without having to switch devices. Hetras' system allows users to view conference room availability online and to book and pay for the facility online and in realtime.

In these times of ever increasing flexibility, businessmen and women have also significantly changed the way they meet. I.e. the business nomads of today no longer depend on conference or meeting rooms or offices for their meetings, but meet wherever it's convenient. In order to stay in business, any hotel that offers meeting rooms has to adapt to this trend and needs to be aware of the fact that long-winded booking procedures are out.

citizenM sets the trend

citizenM is the first hotel chain to launch a highly efficient meeting space booking system with its system SocietyM. SocietyM offers its customers comfortable meeting spaces all of which feature audiovisual equipment, whiteboards and a Nespresso machine.

According to citizenM, "SocietyM is an initiative from citizenM hotels. It was created for a new type of worker: those who aren't bound by offices or office conventions, wanderers doing business wherever the connectivity's good and the coffee fresh".

Book, meet, pay - simple and in virtually no time at all

"As a provider of software for managing new generation hotels, we strive to help hotel owners to offer their customers an ever more satisfying hotel experience and to maximize the bookings for their meeting rooms," explained Hetras' managing director Uli Pillau (pictured right). "Together with our partner LetShare, we have now developed a service that allows people to book and pay for meeting rooms online in an easy way, in virtually no time and without having to switch devices."

Which is precisely what distinguishes this system from old online-booking procedures. Up to now, online booking systems were limited to sending an enquiry or making a reservation at a hotel or conference center. The enquiry or reservation would then have to be followed up with several long-winded telephone or email conversations with the hotel's staff to finalize the booking.

Not so with Hetras: Hetras' system allows users to view conference room availability online and to book and pay for the facility online there and then. Once the booking has been completed, the user will be sent a booking confirmation and the system will create an account for the user.

All subsequent fees, such as for drinks or food consumed on the premises or in the hotel restaurant, will subsequently be charged to the user's personal account. When the meeting is finished, users can pay directly by credit card and then be on their way, but will also be sent an invoice by email. All-in-all, a superbly simple, paperless and efficient system that doesn't involve any long telephone conversations.

citizenM has been working with Hetras since 2010. Hetras' cloud-based hotel management software allows guests to book and check into their hotel rooms online, and to check themselves out at the self-service terminals in the hotel lobbies.