Live Data Integration with Kentico Website

The Challenge

This project was comprised of two phases. Phase one was called the “Booking Engine.” This phase required the re-engineering of the data transfer from Wind Creek’s Opera Reservation System to their website. Phase two was called “Comp Redemptions.” In this phase, Bit-Wizards would create a way for users to log in to the Wind Creek website, and redeem their gaming comps for hotel rooms and other amenities. Both of these project phases required a completely new user interface which meant that the website itself was getting a beautiful new look starting with a mobile-first approach. All of these requirements had a deadline of 90-days for complete deployment. 
 

Phase I

Wind Creek’s data for their hotel room rates, blackout dates and specials, were all initially stored and updated in the industry standard Opera Reservation System. Initially a very manual process was required to copy the live data from Opera to their website for their customers to view room availability. This manual process inevitably caused issues in the accuracy of the data being copied. It also meant the room availability was not reliable because the data was not being sent in “real time.”
 

Phase II

Before the Bit-Wizards solution the player comp-redemption system was a very manual process for Wind Creek. Players would have to call in to the customer service line to request their available comps and to complete the booking process. This kept the customer service lines very busy, and players had to wait to use their comps when making a reservation. There was no way for the customer to use the website to view available comp codes or apply them to a reservation.

The Solution

The overall solution for Wind Creek was founded on the idea of simplicity for the end user and for Wind Creek. Bit-Wizards’ philosophy was that users should be able to visit the website, book a room using real-time data from the Opera Reservation System, and also view the comp codes to their Account ID.
 

Phase I

Bit-Wizards integrated the Opera Web API and XML calls to pull the live data from the Opera Reservation System into the website. This enabled users to see real-time room availability. Wind Creek’s website is built on the Kentico CMS platform, of which Bit-Wizards has extensive development knowledge and experience. Users can very easily see which rooms are available, which rates they can reserve those rooms, and what amenities the rooms include. All the data is live, ensuring accuracy in both pricing and availability.

New Booking Availability Calendar

 

Phase II

The second phase of the solution was a completely new feature for Wind Creek. Bit-Wizards implemented the Bally Web API and XML calls to pull live player comp data directly into the Wind Creek website. After simply entering an Account ID, the website pulls all available comp codes for the user in their browser. They can then choose which code they would like to apply, and the site automatically starts the booking process with the discount applied. The comp code determines the room rate—either reduced or free—and allows them to complete their reservation. All very simple for the end user, no phone calls required!

Hotel Comp Redemtion Offers in Real-Time

 

Responsive Design Offers Convenience for Mobile Users

The Result

Wind Creek is already enjoying the positive results from this project. Although only a few months since the deployment, Wind Creek is seeing vast time and financial savings due to the removal of manual processes. A side benefit has been less discrepancies and errors in user reservation data. The new design of the booking and comp code portions of the website has simplified the user experience, and sped up the entire reservation process. Booking a room at a Wind Creek Resort is now a simple four-step process from start to finish. Enabling users to access their comp codes on the website has also led to an increase in customer satisfaction, and a decrease in the number of customer service phone calls.