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

A few announcements from BedandBreakfast.com
Online Reservation Trends

Tip of the Month
Did you know that you can call us 8 a.m.-6 p.m. CT, and we can help you load more inventory? We can even load it for you! If you have any rooms that are sitting empty, we would love the opportunity to help you sell them. Call us today...you have nothing to lose but some empty rooms.
800-462-2632, extension 4, Reservations@BedandBreakfast.com

To load more inventory, first log in to the Online Reservations Manager. You can click here to download a movie that walks through the steps. When prompted, click Run to execute the movie.

Alternatively, you can follow the eight simple steps to loading rates and inventory:

1. Pull up the room type you want to add to.

2. Click on the Add/Edit Range button.

3. Rate - Always click Set New, even if you're entering the same rate as you previously had. When you enter your rate, click on the blue calculator button to enter it. This will calculate your Net Rate.

4. Availability - Always click Set New here as well, even if you're entering the same number as before. Please enter the quantity of this room type that is available.

5. Set any min/max stays you may have.

6. Apply to the following dates - Chose a date range that you want to add. If you only want to enter these rates for the weekdays, make sure to uncheck the weekends, and vice versa.

7. Click the Save Changes button; that's the final step.

8. Remember to black out any dates that are currently booked to avoid any potential double bookings.

Questions? Contact Online Reservations Support at 800-GO-B-AND-B (800-462-2632), extension 4; 512-322-2700, extension 4 or Reservations@BedandBreakfast.com.

Announcements  from BedandBreakfast.com
More than 1,000 properties have signed up for BedandBreakfast.com Online Reservations! Are you missing out on reservations? Join these 1,000 inns, and have exposure on Expedia.com, hotels.com, Sidestep.com, Kayak.com and BedandBreakfast.com. Together, these sites see more than 100 million visitors each month.

Signing up is easy, and we schedule a one-on-one training so you feel completely comfortable with the system. Contact us at 800-462-2632, extension 4 or Reservations@BedandBreakfast.com today, and you can be live on Expedia within 10 days.

Trends in Online Reservations
Online travel booking in the UK: Research conducted by Nielsen//NetRatings on behalf of marketing agency Harvest Digital and pan-European advertising network Adviva reveals that more than half of Internet users book their holidays directly online. Only 7% research and buy their holidays from travel agents on the high street, and 1% book on Teletext (a European travel website). Nine percent of Internet users book their holidays on the high street after researching online, and a further 17% research holidays online then book over the telephone, proving that the Internet is the most important channel for researching and buying holidays.

People prefer self service: A survey by NCR Corp reveals what people most hate to wait for:

The Department of Division of Motor Vehicles
• waiting on line at retail outlets
• registering at clinics or hospitals
• checking in at airports
• ordering at fast-food restaurants or deli counters
43% of respondents said they have chosen one provider of goods or services over another because it offered some sort of self-service option.