Let me set the scene - I run a tourism website about Barcelona, Spain.
We are making hotels bookings, but in an innefecient manner. The site
is bcninternet.com. We currently have to ask the hotels for
availability each time we have an interested client, then they allow
us a 10% discount on their price so we can sell at the same price as
they do, taking a 10% commission. The worst problem is the inability
to show the user the acual price and availablity automatically and
consequently the user cannot make on-line bookings.

The question - I would like to know what type of deals the hotel
chains routinely make with other companies, so that I can look to
develop a system for my site which is more profitable and more
automated.

Specifics:

- How do big players like hotels.com purchase rooms
- Can I request that rooms be left open just for us to fill?
- Can I reasonably buy and sell at totally different prices, to make
more rofits, perhaps paying the hotels fully in advance ourselves?

Thanks for your consideration and time.