Online reservations continue to increase in importance as more and more consumers demand real-time, instant reservations. 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 contact us.
 

Tips of the Month

Innkeeper Comments
Online Reservation Trends

Tips of the Month

• Consumers are still looking for accommodations for their holiday travel and for upcoming winter getaways. Do you have inventory loaded so they can book with you? Please add rooms to the system to cover the next few months.

• Do you have a room that never sells? A last-minute cancellation? Load  it into the online reservations program, and see what happens! Log in, and click the Online Reservations Manager button to load your rooms.

• Concerned about the commission? There are many reasons why 30% is not always 30%:

• BedandBreakfast.com pays credit card fees of 2%-4% depending on the merchant, thus reducing the commission rate to 26%-28%.

• Extended stays are commission-free.

• When someone books, gets to your property and decides to upgrade their room, the upgrade is commission-free.

• The commission is a one-time cost of acquisition. A traveler may find you via online reservations, but on repeat visits, they most likely will book directly with you.

• Many people will see your property on Expedia, and then call you to book directly. Feedback Research says that happens 73% of the time. Forrester Research says that happens 40% of the time.

• With only 4% of the traveling public having stayed at a B&B, the majority of people look to general travel sites like Expedia when they are looking for a place to stay. Harnessing the major marketing power of Expedia will bring you first-time B&B guests, both directly as well as via Expedia and our other partner sites.
  
  

If you have questions or would like a free online reservations consultation, contact Online Reservations Support at 800-GO-B-AND-B (800-462-2632), extension 4; 512-322-2700, extension 4 or Reservations@BedandBreakfast.com.

Innkeeper comments
“I opened up availability 10 days before Thanksgiving for the holidays and immediately received six reservations. The service is working out great for our property.” Russ Harrison, Cinnamon Bear Inn Bed and Breakfast, Mammoth Lakes, CA

"I recently joined the BedandBreakfast.com reservations program, and my listing on Expedia and hotels.com went up about a month ago. I have not yet received any reservations through the system but have seen a HUGE increase in Google/MSN searches for 'Applesauce Inn,' 'Applesauce Bed and Breakfast,' 'Applesauce Inn Bellaire' and the like.

"I can only attribute this to the fact that there is no link to our website on hotels.com or Expedia, so people are doing a little research. This means that a certain percentage will book with us directly from our website. Many of them might not know we're a B&B judging by our listings, so I would rather they check us out first. Many will book with us although a B&B was not what they had in mind when they started checking. That's a good thing too…an introduction to the industry is usually all it takes to garner a B&B traveler for life.

"This is our slow season, so I'm happy to pay the 30% it costs to be a part of the program...especially considering it costs nothing up front and attracts attention the inn would not be getting otherwise. It is just one piece of my marketing plan that is geared toward making Applesauce Inn a recognized name in the region. Good for me now, and good for the inn's future, even if it changes hands down the road.

Perhaps the biggest reason to participate? The FREE secondary city listing on BedandBreakfast.com. Luckily for me I'm close to the busiest city in the entire northern half of the state. I've received more web hits and reservations from that page than from my hometown listing." Wendy Keene, Applesauce Inn B&B, Bellaire, MI

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.

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. Log into your Home Base, then click the green Online Reservations Manager button.

2. Scroll over the Rates/Availability tab and from the dropdown menu, click the room type you want to add to.

3. Click on the Add/Edit Range button; always click Set New, even if you're entering the same rate you previously had. Make sure that when you're entering your rate, you click on the blue calculator button to enter it. This will calculate your Net Rate for you.

4. Availability: Always click Set New here as well, even if you're entering the same number as before. Please enter the number of rooms of this type that are available. Set any min/max stays you may have, and choose a date range for the change. If you only want to enter these rates for the weekdays, make sure to uncheck the weekends, and vice versa.

5. Last, click on the Save Changes button; then remember to blackout any dates that are currently booked to avoid any potential double bookings.

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.

Trends in Online Reservations