Akamegaf: GOeureka Introduces Blockchain Hotel Booking Platform

GOeureka is a travel tech company utilising blockchain technology to build a hotel booking platform. Our mission is to decentralise the hotel booking sector and deliver greater transparency by allowing hotels to directly connect with their customers. As a technology partner to hotels, GO aims to provide a dynamic digital experience to users and eradicate the high commission structures imposed by online travel agents. By reducing the financial commitments of hotels to third-party booking platforms, GO’s vision is to enable hotels to focus more resources on providing better intrinsic value and services to travellers around the globe.

Platform Overview

GOeureka aims to develop an easy to use, reliable Facility and Services booking system with persistent indisputable records. As with all new systems, much of what is proposed will evolve over time as requirements change. The web platform will be developed with a backend built on the Python Django framework while individual components will be built using a mix of programming languages (HTML, CSS, Javascript, Golang, etc.) and the mobile application built on the Ionic framework. The database will be a PostgreSQL database that runs on a cloud server (Amazon Web Service) with certain data validated and stored on the Ethereum blockchain. Smart contracts will be ERC20 compliant (though newer standards may be applied after the time of writing) and customized using Solidity.

ERC20 smart contracts will be utilized for the security and immutability of data throughout the platform. To increase performance and keep transaction fees to a minimum, individual transactions and bookings will be kept outside of the blockchain. The settlement of all transactions will occur off-chain and fulfilled transactions will be aggregated each day and sent through the smart contract to be validated and stored on the blockchain.

Room Key

To provide full self-service capabilities, GOeureka will also provide a room key feature on the mobile app. The availability of the mobile room key depends on the hotel’s physical infrastructure, but hotels with smart locks or keypad locks will have the room key feature integrated on GOeureka’s app.

GOeureka will integrate available developer APIs by major smart lock providers. This technology makes use of encrypted Bluetooth technology, where authenticated data is sent from the GOeureka app through the guest’s mobile device to the smart lock network which then unlocks a guest’s room. Bluetooth technology is found to be a safer alternative due to encryption and authentication methods available for Bluetooth transmission as opposed to Wi-Fi protocols that are easily spied on by other users on the same Wi-Fi network.

Payment Process

1. The processing fee is charged by the crypto payment service provider

2. Transaction costs increase due to blockchain congestion

3. Transaction speed for on-chain settlement

4. Interface customization and payment protocol

Loyalty Programmes

Hotel loyalty programmes will be integrated into the GOeureka platform, where travellers may earn loyalty points from the hotels they have booked. Necessary APIs will be provided for hotels to link their loyalty database with GOeureka. This will help facilitate the interoperable loyalty points detailed in GOeureka’s official whitepaper. GOeureka will send and retrieve data from the hotel’s database to provide real-time updates for users to track their points and for hotels to track points that users have redeemed with GOeureka. Research shows that 70% of customers do not sign up for a loyalty programme due to inconvenience and time costs associated with registering for a programme . With GOeureka, 1 registration for a loyalty programme is processed and verified in the backend. Customers will only be required to fill up an online registration form or, if they are already registered loyalty members, they only need to provide their pre-registered details (e.g. member ID) and the platform will link and display their loyalty details.