Hotel Marketplace
Version: v1.0
Last Updated: May 30, 2026
An overview of how the hotel marketplace works and how the parties interact. For step-by-step guides, see the Customer Guide and the Hotel Partner Guide.
What it is
The hotel marketplace lets customers book accommodation — selecting dates and a room type, paying (with a deposit where required), and checking in on arrival. There is no delivery; the customer travels to the property.
📸 Screenshot: Hotel customer-facing browse screen
Who the parties are
| Party | Role |
|---|---|
| Customer (guest) | Books a room, pays, and stays at the property |
| Hotel (partner) | Manages room types and rates, prepares rooms, confirms check-in/out |
| Platform (BookMaMe) | Runs the marketplace, processes payment and deposit, deducts the service charge, settles the partner |
There is no rider or delivery company in this marketplace.
End-to-end flow
Customer selects dates and a room type
→ Reviews pricing (rate × nights + service charge + deposit)
→ Books and pays (deposit online, or pay/deposit at check-in)
→ Hotel prepares the room (ready_for_checkin)
→ Guest arrives → hotel confirms check-in
→ Guest stays → checks out
→ Deposit released (no damage) or retained (damage, admin-reviewed)
→ Booking completes → partner is paid automatically
Deposit model
A hotel can require a security deposit, collected at booking (online) or at check-in (cash/card). At check-out:
- No damage → deposit released to the guest
- Damage → the hotel requests retention; the platform reviews before any amount is kept
The deposit is held separately and is not part of the hotel's earnings.
How payments flow
- Customer pays by online card / mobile money, or cash/card at check-in
- The payout is triggered after check-out is confirmed (not at booking)
- The platform deducts the service charge from the room revenue; the deposit is settled separately
Cancellation and return policy
Each hotel sets its own cancellation policy (free cancellation window, partial refund, or non-refundable), shown to the guest before booking. No-shows and early check-outs are handled under that policy. Contested cases (deposit disputes, partial-stay refunds) are escalated to the BookMaMe team.
What's unique about this marketplace
- No delivery — the customer comes to the property
- Date-range inventory — bookings are capped by room-type inventory counts per night
- Deposit handling with damage review
- Partner-defined cancellation policies rather than a fixed platform window
- Payout happens at check-out, not at booking