Systems and methods for minimizing travel costs for multi-night stays

Abstract

A lowest rate on a multi-night lodging stay is achieved by obtaining lodging rate information for a first lodging location from a plurality of lodging rate sources. The information is correlated with a desired multi-night lodging stay to locate a lowest lodging rate for each of the nights of the desired multi-night lodging stay. Then, a plurality of lodging reservations corresponding to the multi-night lodging stay are generated, wherein at least two of the lodging reservations correspond to different nights of the multi-night lodging stay and are placed through different lodging reservation systems.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method for obtaining a lowest rate on a multi-night lodging stay comprising:
 receiving information defining a desired multi-night lodging stay at the first lodging location;   using a computer system to automatically obtain lodging rate information for a first lodging location from a plurality of lodging rate sources;   using the computer system to compare the information defining the desired multi-night lodging stay to the lodging rate information from the plurality of lodging rate sources to locate a lowest lodging rate for each of the nights of the desired multi-night lodging stay;   using the computer system to generate a plurality of lodging reservations corresponding to the multi-night lodging stay, wherein at least two of the lodging reservations correspond to different nights of the multi-night lodging stay and are placed through different lodging reservation systems.   
     
     
         2 . A method as recited in  claim 1 , wherein using the computer system to automatically obtain lodging rate information comprises automatically conducting rate searches at the plurality of lodging rate sources when the information defining a desired multi-night lodging stay is received from the consumer. 
     
     
         3 . A method as recited in  claim 1 , wherein using the computer system to automatically obtain lodging rate information comprises conducting rate searches at the plurality of lodging rate sources prior to receipt of information defining a desired multi-night lodging stay and storing the lodging rate information in a database of rate information. 
     
     
         4 . A method as recited in  claim 1 , wherein using the computer system to automatically obtain lodging rate information comprises obtaining lodging rate information from each lodging rate source corresponding to a plurality of all permutations of stays of varying lengths within the desired multi-night lodging stay to locate any special rates available for multi-night less stays no longer than the desired multi-night lodging stay. 
     
     
         5 . A method as recited in  claim 1 , wherein using the computer system to compare the information defining the desired multi-night lodging stay to the lodging rate information comprises:
 selecting a first night of the multi-night lodging stay;   determining a lowest available lodging rate for the first night through each of the information sources;   selecting an information source having the lowest lodging rate for the first night; and   repeating the steps of selecting a night, determining the lowest available rate, and selecting an information source having the lowest lodging rate for each night of the desired multi-night lodging stay.   
     
     
         6 . A method as recited in  claim 1 , further comprising:
 using the computer system to update the lodging rate information from the plurality of lodging rate sources throughout a period of time during which any of the plurality of lodging reservations is subject to cancellation;   automatically comparing current rate information to rates of the plurality of lodging reservations; and   when a current rate for a given night is less than a rate at which the given night was reserved:
 automatically canceling an original reservation for the given night; and 
 automatically making a new reservation for the given night at the current rate. 
   
     
     
         7 . A method as recited in  claim 6 , wherein the new reservation is made through a different lodging reservation system than the original reservation. 
     
     
         8 . A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing computer program instructions to cause a computer to execute a method for obtaining a lowest rate on a multi-night lodging stay, the method comprising:
 receiving, from a consumer, information defining a desired multi-night lodging stay at the first lodging location;   obtaining lodging rate information for a first lodging location from a plurality of lodging rate sources;   comparing the information defining the desired multi-night lodging stay to the lodging rate information from the plurality of lodging rate sources to locate a lowest lodging rate for each of the nights of the desired multi-night lodging stay;   generating a plurality of lodging reservations corresponding to the multi-night lodging stay, wherein at least two of the lodging reservations correspond to different nights of the multi-night lodging stay and are placed through different lodging reservation systems.   
     
     
         9 . A non-transitory computer-readable medium as recited in  claim 8 , wherein obtaining lodging rate information comprises automatically conducting rate searches at the plurality of lodging rate sources when the information defining a desired multi-night lodging stay is received from the consumer. 
     
     
         10 . A non-transitory computer-readable medium as recited in  claim 8 , wherein obtaining lodging rate information comprises conducting rate searches at the plurality of lodging rate sources prior to receipt of information defining a desired multi-night lodging stay and storing the lodging rate information in a database of rate information. 
     
     
         11 . A non-transitory computer-readable medium as recited in  claim 8 , wherein obtaining lodging rate information comprises obtaining lodging rate information from each lodging rate source corresponding to a plurality of all permutations of stays of varying lengths within the desired multi-night lodging stay to locate any special rates available for multi-night less stays no longer than the desired multi-night lodging stay. 
     
     
         12 . A non-transitory computer-readable medium as recited in  claim 8 , wherein comparing the information defining the desired multi-night lodging stay to the lodging rate information comprises:
 selecting a first night of the multi-night lodging stay;   determining a lowest available lodging rate for the first night through each of the information sources;   selecting an information source having the lowest lodging rate for the first night; and   repeating the steps of selecting a night, determining the lowest available rate, and selecting an information source having the lowest lodging rate for each night of the desired multi-night lodging stay.   
     
     
         13 . A non-transitory computer-readable medium as recited in  claim 8 , the method further comprising:
 updating the lodging rate information from the plurality of lodging rate sources throughout a period of time during which any of the plurality of lodging reservations is subject to cancellation;   automatically comparing current rate information to rates of the plurality of lodging reservations; and   when a current rate for a given night is less than a rate at which the given night was reserved:
 automatically canceling an original reservation for the given night; and 
 automatically making a new reservation for the given night at the current rate. 
   
     
     
         14 . A non-transitory computer-readable medium as recited in  claim 13 , wherein the new reservation is made through a different lodging reservation system than the original reservation. 
     
     
         15 . A non-transitory computer-readable medium as recited in  claim 8 , wherein the method further comprises:
 obtaining lodging rate information for a second lodging location in geographic proximity to the first lodging location from at least one lodging rate source; and   comparing the lodging rate information for the second lodging location with the lodging rate information for the first lodging location;   wherein the plurality of lodging reservations comprises lodging reservations of at least one night at the first lodging location and of at least one night at the second lodging location.   
     
     
         16 . A non-transitory computer-readable medium as recited in  claim 8 , wherein the method further comprises:
 providing a notice to the consumer that a lowest possible rate may require switching rooms during the multi-night lodging stay; and   receiving an action from the consumer indicating a willingness to accept the possibility of having to switch rooms during the multi-night lodging stay.   
     
     
         17 . A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing computer program instructions to cause a computer to execute a method for obtaining a lowest rate on a multi-night lodging stay, the method comprising:
 receiving, from a consumer, information defining a desired multi-night lodging stay at the first location;   obtaining lodging rate information for a first lodging location from a plurality of lodging rate sources;   comparing the information defining the desired multi-night lodging stay to the lodging rate information from the plurality of lodging rate sources to determine a source of a lowest lodging rate for each of the nights of the desired multi-night lodging stay;   assembling a lodging reservation itinerary comprising multiple independent lodging stays of one or more nights forming in sum an itinerary covering the desired multi-night lodging stay;   calculating a total price of the lodging reservation itinerary;   displaying the total price of the lodging reservation itinerary to the consumer as a lowest possible rate on the desired multi-night lodging stay; and   generating a plurality of lodging reservations corresponding to the multi-night lodging stay, wherein at least two of the lodging reservations correspond to different nights of the multi-night lodging stay and are placed through different lodging reservation systems.   
     
     
         18 . A non-transitory computer-readable medium as recited in  claim 8 , wherein obtaining lodging rate information comprises obtaining lodging rate information from each lodging rate source corresponding to a plurality of all permutations of stays of varying lengths within the desired multi-night lodging stay to locate any special rates available for multi-night less stays no longer than the desired multi-night lodging stay, and wherein the itinerary comprises reservations of varying lengths of stay. 
     
     
         19 . A non-transitory computer-readable medium as recited in  claim 8 , the method further comprising:
 updating the lodging rate information from the plurality of lodging rate sources throughout a period of time during which any of the plurality of lodging reservations is subject to cancellation;   automatically comparing current rate information to rates of the plurality of lodging reservations; and   when a current rate for a given night is less than a rate at which the given night was reserved:
 automatically canceling an original reservation for the given night; and 
 automatically making a new reservation for the given night at the current rate. 
   
     
     
         20 . A non-transitory computer-readable medium as recited in  claim 13 , wherein the new reservation is made through a different lodging reservation system than the original reservation.