Hotel & Hospitality

Test strategies for room search, rate management, booking flows, loyalty programmes, check-in/check-out, and property management systems.

Domain Overview

Hospitality booking combines real-time availability, complex rate rules (BAR, member rates, package rates), and PMS integration. Loyalty points add a currency layer. Online check-in has legal requirements (ID verification). GDS (Global Distribution System) integration means availability can change in seconds.

Typical stack: React / Angular frontend, Opera or Mews PMS, Amadeus / Sabre GDS, Stripe or Adyen payments, loyalty managed in-house or via Comarch.

Key Test Areas

Test Pyramid for Hotel & Hospitality

Unit (50%):        Rate calculation, points earn, availability logic
Integration (40%): PMS sync, GDS availability, payment gateway
E2E (10%):         Search → book → confirmation, online check-in flow

Common Failure Scenarios

1. Rate changes between search and payment (rate not locked)
   Test: intercept rate API between search and checkout, assert displayed price matches final charge

2. Room shown available but blocked in PMS (sync delay)
   Test: mock PMS sync delay via page.route, attempt booking, assert conflict error shown

3. Loyalty points deducted on booking but not credited on cancellation
   Test: book with points, cancel, assert points balance restored to pre-booking value

4. Online check-in available for wrong date (timezone mismatch)
   Test: book for midnight boundary date, assert check-in window uses property local timezone

5. Package rate doesn't include all advertised inclusions in checkout summary
   Test: select package, proceed to checkout, assert all inclusions listed match package description

Playwright Patterns for Hotel & Hospitality

// Date picker for check-in/check-out (min 1 night, max 30)
test('date picker enforces min 1 night and max 30 nights', async ({ page }) => {
  await page.goto('/search');
  await page.getByLabel('Check-in').click();
  const today = new Date();
  const todayStr = today.toISOString().split('T')[0];
  await page.getByTestId(`day-${todayStr}`).click();
  // Same-day checkout should be disabled
  await expect(page.getByTestId(`day-${todayStr}`)).toHaveAttribute('aria-disabled', 'true');
  // 31 nights ahead should be disabled
  const over30 = new Date(today);
  over30.setDate(over30.getDate() + 31);
  const over30Str = over30.toISOString().split('T')[0];
  await expect(page.getByTestId(`day-${over30Str}`)).toHaveAttribute('aria-disabled', 'true');
});

// Rate lock: simulate price change mid-booking
test('rate is locked after room selection', async ({ page }) => {
  await page.goto('/search?location=London&checkin=2026-08-01&checkout=2026-08-03');
  await page.getByTestId('room-card-0').getByRole('button', { name: 'Select' }).click();
  // Simulate backend price change before payment step
  await page.route('**/api/rates/**', route => {
    route.fulfill({ json: { pricePerNight: 999 } }); // inflated price
  });
  await page.goto('/checkout');
  // The locked rate should still show the original price
  await expect(page.getByTestId('rate-per-night')).not.toHaveText('£999');
  await expect(page.getByTestId('rate-locked-badge')).toBeVisible();
});

// Loyalty point calculation on confirmation page
test('loyalty points earned shown on confirmation', async ({ page }) => {
  await page.goto('/booking/confirmation/TEST123');
  const pointsEarned = page.getByTestId('loyalty-points-earned');
  await expect(pointsEarned).toBeVisible();
  // Points should be a positive integer
  const text = await pointsEarned.textContent();
  expect(parseInt(text.replace(/\D/g, ''))).toBeGreaterThan(0);
});