How does Hot Deals work?
BedandBreakfast.com's goal is to put heads in your beds. While we can't change
travel trends, we can make it easier for you to reach the thousands of
inngoers who want an easy and convenient way to book a last-minute getaway at
an affordable price. Consumers can sign up to receive a weekly Hot Deals
mailing, containing information on Hot Deals in three states/regions of their
choosing; they can also check all the available Hot Deals at any time by going
to www.bedandbreakfast.com/specials/hotDeals.aspx
and clicking "What's hot this week."
How do consumers find out about Hot Deals?
Our Hot Deals press releases have received extensive pickup in newspapers
around the country, and are now promoted on the BedandBreakfast.com site via a Hot
Deals pop-up ad, home-page banner, and badges on almost every consumer page of
the site. With 50-100 new subscribers daily, this highly qualified list is
growing nicely. Here's a sample of the pop-up ad:
Is it working? We introduced
BedandBreakfast.com Hot Deals just four months ago, and feel that this new
program is off to an excellent start. Remember that marketing your inn is like
buying lottery tickets: there's no guarantee that you'll win, but you're
guaranteed to lose if you don't buy a ticket! Take five minutes each week to
post a Hot Deal. Who knows, you may get some great bookings, and all you can
lose are some empty rooms. Here are a few comments from satisfied innkeepers:
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"We ran a Hot Deal for Valentines Day weekend. It filled three of our five
rooms for two nights each. We added extras like roses and cookies in the room
that increased the value of the package. Basically the discount resulted in the
guests getting the added value items free. It was worth the expense to get the
rooms filled, plus it was a fun and enjoyable crowd." -- Stacey Marcin & Mark
Hampson, Cornerstone B&B, Philadelphia, PA
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Hot Deals is a wonderful idea. I find that it helps tremendously to fill rooms
in the last minute. And I use it myself to get away and choose a B&B at a great
deal. Keep up the good work! Shelley Nobile, Deacon Timothy Pratt B&B, Old
Saybrook, CT
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"We've posted a Hot Deal of some kind for the last six weeks, with moderate
success; it resulted in about five room nights booked. Today we hit the
jackpot. We had posted a one-night special for our standard rooms to fill a
number of single night gaps in my calendar. We didn't include our luxury rooms,
because they usually book at full rate for multiple night stays. Somebody saw
the Hot Deal, clicked through to our website, and saw our luxury cottages. They
called to ask if the one-night special applied. I said no, but I would give
them 10% off a two-night booking in a cottage. They took it! In general, rather
than just heavily discount the room rate, we've been doing it as a package to
try to maximize the income. At slow times I don't mind doing a dinner or a
romantic picnic basket at cost if it sells a room that would otherwise be
empty." Yvonne Martin, The White Oak Inn, Danville, OH
Is there anything else I should know?
For best results, take a look at our
Member Checklist to be sure you're maximizing your BedandBreakfast.com
membership. If you are a Bronze level membership, try our
risk-free upgrade offer, so that you can try Hot Deals for yourself. If
you are driving traffic to your website, but are still unsatisfied with your
"look-to-book" ratio, then it's time to update and upgrade your website.
Remember! Travelers are instructed to call you directly for details,
giving you maximum flexibility. Savings must total at least 20%, either on the
room rate or a value-added package, i.e. a $100 room for $80, or a $150 room
and dinner package for $120. Post a Hot Deal today!
More info:
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