Happy New Year from the Online Reservations team at BedandBreakfast.com. We want to take this opportunity to thank you for being a valued partner in 2009 and to share some exciting updates and reminders for success in 2010!

This page will keep you up to date on industry trends and online reservation news; if you'd like us to address a particular topic, don’t hesitate to This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .

Online reservations news
How to load rates and availability
Innkeeper comments

Online reservations news

Our link to Travelocity is nearly complete; we are in the process of uploading content and photos to Travelocity and its partner sites for all of the participating properties. This gives you another major travel partner to feature your property and gives you even more online exposure.

To help you start off the New Year on the right foot, we came up with a list of the top five things you can do to help maximize your results with this great program:

1. Make sure your rates and availability are loaded for the entire year, as noted below.
2. Verify that your settings are updated and correct: minimum night stays, reservation cut-off, cancellation policies, extra person fees, etc. (Note: extra person fees are a new feature – please call us if you need help with adding this.)
3. Make sure you have the correct net rates, availability, and minimum stays loaded for holidays, special events and peak time periods. Please remember that these reservations are paid in full at time of booking and cannot be cancelled or modified by the innkeeper. If you have an incorrect rate loaded, it must be honored as booked. Your net rate must be entered into our system at either 75% or 70% of your normal rate, depending on which of the two options you participate with.
4. Verify that you have all of your blackout dates loaded correctly
5. Provide your lowest rates and all room types that you are offering through any other site including your own. A greater selection of rooms at competitive prices will help customers choose you over other properties in your area when they find you on our partners’ sites. The market is very competitive right now; don’t let your competition (hotels as well as B&Bs) secure a reservation because your rates are set too high or you are not showing rooms that are available directly.

Webervations 1.0 and RezOvation GT/GTO users -- if you are connected to our system through these programs, you will never need to load rates or inventory with us as your system extends the availability every day!

To read more tips, click here to visit the Online Reservations Blog. Click here to subscribe to the blog and you'll receive an email when there is a new post.

How to load rates and availability

Adding more rates and room availability is easy! Just take five minutes to log in and enter your rates and inventory into the Online Reservations Manager by following these simple steps:

1. Click here to log into your Home Base and then click on the Online Reservations Manager button.
2. Scroll over the Rates/Availability tab and from the dropdown menu, click on the room type that you want to update.
3. Click on the blue Add/Edit Range button in the lower left hand corner. Make sure you click the Set New radio buttons in both the Rate and Availability sections, even if you’re entering the same rate or amount of availability that you previously had in the system.
4. To load rates, click the Set New radio button, then enter your net rate (not your retail or rack rate). You can calculate the net using the blue calculator icon – click on the calculator icon first and a small pop-up box will appear. Enter your sell rate in the pop-up box and click OK – that will calculate your net rate which should then appear in the Rate box. (Net rate is 70% or 75% of your lowest retail rate, depending on the program option you are on).
5. To add availability, click the Set New radio button, then enter the number of rooms. For example, if you want to load two queen suites, enter the number “2.”
6. Set any minimum/maximum stay requirements. Remember holidays and special time periods.
7. Choose a date range for these updates (why not load into 2011 now, so you don’t have to worry about it later?)
8. If the rate/availability is applicable to all days of the week, leave all days checked. If the rate/availability is applicable to specific days, leave those days checked and uncheck the others.
9. Last, click on the Save Changes button, then blackout any dates already sold out.

It's that easy! If you have any questions or need assistance loading more inventory, please let us know. We are happy to help you load more room inventory right over the phone. Call us Monday - Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. CST at 800-462-2632 extension 4, or send an email to This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .

Innkeeper comments

"Our first full year on the BedandBreakfast.com Online Reservations program produced a 63% increase in revenues and a 28% increase in occupancy over previous years. I would not hesitate to recommend BedandBreakfast.com Online Reservations. This kind of exposure puts a small property like ours toe-to-toe with the big guys." — Wendy Keene, Applesauce Inn B&B, Bellaire MI

"I really appreciate how BedandBreakfast.com is working to assist B&Bs in competing with the larger hotels by putting them on a more even playing field in a way that is not possible as an individual property, particularly with internet presence." — Yvonne, Avalon B&B, Key West, FL

"BedandBreakfast.com Online Reservations opens up a totally different world for us with hotel folks, who would never find us otherwise." — Philip and Ellen Wolff, Village Victorian Bed & Breakfast, Morrisville, VT

If you'd like to start getting more exposure via Expedia and hotels.com, sign up today for BedandBreakfast.com Online Reservations! Getting set up is quick and easy, and you'll receive a one-on-one training session to learn the program.

Are you a part of the program but are not getting the exposure you had hoped for? Make sure you have availability loaded into the system.