Akamegaf: GOeureka Blockchain Hotel Booking Platform

GOeureka is an online booking platform that leverages blockchain technology to tackle current issues in the travel industry such as high commission structures imposed by online travel agencies (OTAs) and the fragmented loyalty programmes within the hotel industry. The platform is a partially decentralised web and app platform to provide travellers and hotels direct access to communicate with each other.

GOeureka’s technical roadmap presents plans for a fully decentralized platform, as well as a loyalty network blockchain to facilitate interoperable loyalty points across the travel industry and possibly across the retail industry. This technical whitepaper outlines the technology behind the platform and the data that will be processed off-chain and on-chain.

Developer Stack:

Ø HTML, CSS, JavaScript, Ionic Framework (Frontend)

Ø Python, Django, Golang, NodeJS, Solidity, RESTful API (Backend)

Ø PostgreSQL, AWS (DB & Hosting)

Ø Ethereum Blockchain & ERC20 Smart Contracts

Why Ethereum blockchain?

The blockchain provides GOeureka with the required token economics needed to eliminate high commission fees and the ability to facilitate interoperable loyalty points. GOeureka’s platform also benefits from the distributed ledger technology that guarantees security and transparency across its platform.

GOeureka chose the Ethereum blockchain due to its flexible and extensible nature. The use of Ethereum smart contracts allows for the creation of “autonomous agents” that may be implemented throughout GOeureka’s platform to automate many processes and remove various third-parties that usually result in a slower process and multiple transaction fees that lead to high costs.

While moving towards a fully decentralized platform, GOeureka will look into the adoption of key blockchain technologies such as zero knowledge proofs, off-chain computation solutions and recently introduced Ethereum technology like the Plasma and Raiden network.

Services Dashboard & CMS

Hotels will have access to a services dashboard and content management system (CMS) that interacts with GOeureka’s mobile application. Hotels are able to list services that they provide and directly communicate with guests during their stay. Hotels may subscribe to the following services:

Ø Housekeeping

Ø Concierge services

Ø Live chat

Ø Room service

Ø Events

In-app notifications will alert hotels when guests require a particular service. Hotels may update information and ongoing events in the vicinity, as well as their room service menu via the CMS.

Mobile Application Platform

The mobile application platform will act as an extension of the web application, with the same consumer-related functions. Additional mobile app functions are detailed below.

Check-in & Check-out

As consumer data will be shared between GOeureka and hotels, the consumers will have a seamless check-in experience during their stay. Upon registration, GOeureka collects personal identifiable information, which will be encrypted and stored off-chain. This information will be used to facilitate the check-in process since users are already authenticated on the GOeureka platform. Unique identifiers will be matched with data from the hotel’s central reservation system and consumers are able to check-in directly on the mobile app. The check-in experience will consist of 3 simple steps:

1. Select booking (reservation for the day)

2. Fill up optional information (hotels may request additional information to cater and personalize the consumers stay – e.g. Room upgrade, Types of pillow)

3. Check-in to room

Check-in requests will be automatically approved as long as certain prerequisites like the check-in time or booking deposit are fulfilled.

Guests may check-out of their stay through a similar process, but will be redirected to the payment page, where they may choose from GOeureka’s various payment methods to settle their vacation bill:

1. Check-out of stay

2. Fill up check-out form (hotels may ask if guests have minibar consumption, guests may approve additional charges from in-room dining, etc.)

3. Redirect to payment page

Hotel Services

Upon check-in, authentication tokens will be sent to GOeureka’s hotel CMS and guests will be matchmade with the hotel they have checked into once tokens are authenticated in the backend. Hotels and guests will have direct access to each other and will be able to communicate for the duration of the stay. Guests will be entitled to the aforementioned hotel services, depending on what hotels make available.