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Unfortunately, the only people that get outraged are innkeepers, hoteliers and B&B owners. Most people really don't care, they just look at the bottom line.
And the fact that they may be able to get discounts or perks if they book directly doesn't really matter if all they do is go to the OTA and reserve their room. I actually had someone look at my place from Trip Advisor through my Trip Connect five times in a row and then book through Booking.com! I don't get it. They're on my site, they see the prices are the same and they still go through Booking. Am I missing something here??
 
2cat_lady said:
Unfortunately, the only people that get outraged are innkeepers, hoteliers and B&B owners. Most people really don't care, they just look at the bottom line.
And the fact that they may be able to get discounts or perks if they book directly doesn't really matter if all they do is go to the OTA and reserve their room. I actually had someone look at my place from Trip Advisor through my Trip Connect five times in a row and then book through Booking.com! I don't get it. They're on my site, they see the prices are the same and they still go through Booking. Am I missing something here??.
Click to expand...
Annoys me to no end. They call, ask questions and then hang up when I say I can take their reservation. Same phone number shows up in their rez.
 
2cat_lady said:
Unfortunately, the only people that get outraged are innkeepers, hoteliers and B&B owners. Most people really don't care, they just look at the bottom line.
And the fact that they may be able to get discounts or perks if they book directly doesn't really matter if all they do is go to the OTA and reserve their room. I actually had someone look at my place from Trip Advisor through my Trip Connect five times in a row and then book through Booking.com! I don't get it. They're on my site, they see the prices are the same and they still go through Booking. Am I missing something here??.
Click to expand...
I understand these people, they are looking for a discount and a reason to book.
Now this is why you offer a discount/bonus/something to entice them to book direct, in their mind b.com is more trusted than a place they never stayed before and also b.com already saved their details.
Options to consider without breaking price parity rules:
1. Offer a bonus - Free Drink, Starter, breakfast, Meal Voucher, Room Upgrade etc (keep the price the same)
2. Offer a discount - You MUST change the terms and conditions so the OTA cant complain about it, so making it 48hour cancellation instead of 24h and giving a $10 discount will work well. Or making it non-refundable rate for a discount.
3. Offer other room types or rooms thats not available on the OTA, this helps you stand out
4. Offer packages that includes something that OTA dont have, This is kind of like point number 1. Stay 2 nights and get a meal voucher for the great local restaurant down the street.
5. Remember to ask for the booking to come direct on your website, most people dont realise your paying 15%, they think its like $2.
We should make a thread of things people have tried and how well each offer works
 
Interesting, maybe it's time for the worm to turn. When I joined b.c for 6 months back in 2013 they were far too big for their boots and really couldn't give a monkeys about the accommodation provider.
A couple of things struck me while reading this....
  • People don't realise that often businesses only list their least popular rooms on these sites. I know I did.
  • Often hotels are cheaper through these sites, I always check before booking, but that gives no incentive what-so-ever.
  • One major benefit of these sites is being able to do availability searches for an area. This is why I've been trying to encourage our local association to put something in place on our website.
 
Highlands John said:
Interesting, maybe it's time for the worm to turn. When I joined b.c for 6 months back in 2013 they were far too big for their boots and really couldn't give a monkeys about the accommodation provider.
A couple of things struck me while reading this....
  • People don't realise that often businesses only list their least popular rooms on these sites. I know I did.
  • Often hotels are cheaper through these sites, I always check before booking, but that gives no incentive what-so-ever.
  • One major benefit of these sites is being able to do availability searches for an area. This is why I've been trying to encourage our local association to put something in place on our website.
.
Click to expand...
Gomez used hotels. com to book one of our rooms on vacation. When I realized what he had done (as I was giving him the directions, in the car, 5 minutes before we arrived) I was cringing.
Yup. We got the room right over the outdoor pool, at the top of the stairs, surrounded by families with small children.
 
Morticia said:
2cat_lady said:
Unfortunately, the only people that get outraged are innkeepers, hoteliers and B&B owners. Most people really don't care, they just look at the bottom line.
And the fact that they may be able to get discounts or perks if they book directly doesn't really matter if all they do is go to the OTA and reserve their room. I actually had someone look at my place from Trip Advisor through my Trip Connect five times in a row and then book through Booking.com! I don't get it. They're on my site, they see the prices are the same and they still go through Booking. Am I missing something here??.
Click to expand...
Annoys me to no end. They call, ask questions and then hang up when I say I can take their reservation. Same phone number shows up in their rez.
.
Click to expand...
Morticia said:
Annoys me to no end. They call, ask questions and then hang up when I say I can take their reservation. Same phone number shows up in their rez.
Click to expand...
could it be that they [booking agents] are offering a loyalty program and that is why guests go through them rather than you?
 
IrisoftheWayfarer said:
Morticia said:
2cat_lady said:
Unfortunately, the only people that get outraged are innkeepers, hoteliers and B&B owners. Most people really don't care, they just look at the bottom line.
And the fact that they may be able to get discounts or perks if they book directly doesn't really matter if all they do is go to the OTA and reserve their room. I actually had someone look at my place from Trip Advisor through my Trip Connect five times in a row and then book through Booking.com! I don't get it. They're on my site, they see the prices are the same and they still go through Booking. Am I missing something here??.
Click to expand...
Annoys me to no end. They call, ask questions and then hang up when I say I can take their reservation. Same phone number shows up in their rez.
.
Click to expand...
Morticia said:
Annoys me to no end. They call, ask questions and then hang up when I say I can take their reservation. Same phone number shows up in their rez.
Click to expand...
could it be that they [booking agents] are offering a loyalty program and that is why guests go through them rather than you?
.
Click to expand...
IrisoftheWayfarer said:
Morticia said:
Annoys me to no end. They call, ask questions and then hang up when I say I can take their reservation. Same phone number shows up in their rez.
Click to expand...
could it be that they [booking agents] are offering a loyalty program and that is why guests go through them rather than you?
Click to expand...
Could be. Or could be they say 'cheapest price on the internet' everywhere you look.
 
Can I just ask why B&B's feel the need to be on any of the booking sites. Do they really fill your rooms enough to put up with all the paperwork and frustration?
 
IrisoftheWayfarer said:
Can I just ask why B&B's feel the need to be on any of the booking sites. Do they really fill your rooms enough to put up with all the paperwork and frustration?.
Click to expand...
IrisoftheWayfarer said:
Can I just ask why B&B's feel the need to be on any of the booking sites. Do they really fill your rooms enough to put up with all the paperwork and frustration?
Click to expand...
We're very seasonal. Right now we're empty during the week and only lightly booked on weekends. We're competing with 10 hotels. If we're not where guests are looking we're empty.
In the summer we get hotel overflow. It's not a good business model but until we develop another model it's what we've got.
 
IrisoftheWayfarer said:
Can I just ask why B&B's feel the need to be on any of the booking sites. Do they really fill your rooms enough to put up with all the paperwork and frustration?.
Click to expand...
IrisoftheWayfarer said:
Can I just ask why B&B's feel the need to be on any of the booking sites. Do they really fill your rooms enough to put up with all the paperwork and frustration?
Click to expand...
NO!
 
Morticia said:
IrisoftheWayfarer said:
Can I just ask why B&B's feel the need to be on any of the booking sites. Do they really fill your rooms enough to put up with all the paperwork and frustration?.
Click to expand...
IrisoftheWayfarer said:
Can I just ask why B&B's feel the need to be on any of the booking sites. Do they really fill your rooms enough to put up with all the paperwork and frustration?
Click to expand...
We're very seasonal. Right now we're empty during the week and only lightly booked on weekends. We're competing with 10 hotels. If we're not where guests are looking we're empty.
In the summer we get hotel overflow. It's not a good business model but until we develop another model it's what we've got.
.
Click to expand...
thumbs_up.gif

 
Joey Bloggs said:
IrisoftheWayfarer said:
Can I just ask why B&B's feel the need to be on any of the booking sites. Do they really fill your rooms enough to put up with all the paperwork and frustration?.
Click to expand...
IrisoftheWayfarer said:
Can I just ask why B&B's feel the need to be on any of the booking sites. Do they really fill your rooms enough to put up with all the paperwork and frustration?
Click to expand...
NO!
.
Click to expand...
okey dokey, hehe
 
innovermyhead said:
IrisoftheWayfarer said:
Can I just ask why B&B's feel the need to be on any of the booking sites. Do they really fill your rooms enough to put up with all the paperwork and frustration?.
Click to expand...
Iris, had to say I think your logo is so cute - very appealing!
.
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Awe, thank you. I have been trying to change it for the last 2 days to put a better picture of the same subject up, but whatever I do, the old picture keeps coming back.
It's a painting of my cottages turned into rack cards, business cards, postcards - we are a landmark.
 
with H ot els .com they offer 10 nights and the 11th is free - my business travellers save their work nights and then take the wife away on the free one, it is paid for by reduced commission so works for me as well.
 

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