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Morticia

Morticia

Well-known member
Joined
May 22, 2008
Messages
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685
Looking for rooms for this weekend. Want 'last minute special'. You know, I'd be happy to offer $10 off if a bunch of full freight guests weren't standing there while the person was yelling on the phone. Had to say sorry, no can do.
So now, when the last minute specials call I have all the hotel rates right to hand. $235 (continental), $255 (continental), $335 (no breakfast)
 
Stop discounting at the last minute until you see everyone else's price. You may be surprised and find out... you could make more! My last minute... price went up.
 
The desperation phone calls are starting. They're not looking for a discount, they're looking for any room they can get. This will be one of the few weekends that we'll unplug the phone at night and put saw horses across the driveway. There will not be a room on the coast to be had and people will soon learn the mistake of coming to the coast without a reservation when it's a holiday weekend, but also when it's really hot inland.
Let the craziness begin!
 
Jon Sable said:
Stop discounting at the last minute until you see everyone else's price. You may be surprised and find out... you could make more! My last minute... price went up..
Click to expand...
Jon Sable said:
Stop discounting at the last minute until you see everyone else's price. You may be surprised and find out... you could make more! My last minute... price went up.
Click to expand...
Because it is SO slow here, I'd rather have the room at $10 off than not at all. If we had booked up early the rates would already be up, but we're still nickel & diming our way thru the summer.
But, yeah, asking me for a discount when the hotels are way over $200 is a bit much. ;-)
 
Morticia said:
Jon Sable said:
Stop discounting at the last minute until you see everyone else's price. You may be surprised and find out... you could make more! My last minute... price went up..
Click to expand...
Jon Sable said:
Stop discounting at the last minute until you see everyone else's price. You may be surprised and find out... you could make more! My last minute... price went up.
Click to expand...
Because it is SO slow here, I'd rather have the room at $10 off than not at all. If we had booked up early the rates would already be up, but we're still nickel & diming our way thru the summer.
But, yeah, asking me for a discount when the hotels are way over $200 is a bit much. ;-)
.
Click to expand...
It is scary slow here in this state this year. Still say it's our state Tourism bureau and not very intuitive website. Or are so many lodging places now on an OTA that folks are waiting to the last minute to get a good deal? Just noticed that xpda has gobbled everyone down on the beach. Even the ticky-tacky box places. And prices are astronomical.
European/Canadian sales are WAY down due to the exchange rate methinks. And although we are discouraging kids we had two delightful adorable 6 & 9 year old Swedes here for two days that I offered to clone... not much else international.
My priceless phone call today: I'm on my way to our rental tomorrow and noticed you have a room open tonight. No. But it says you do. No... are you on our website? Yes... it says you have 10 rooms open. ???***Funny, we have only 6, and they have been booked for weeks. Let the fun begin!
 
Momma Smurf said:
Morticia said:
Jon Sable said:
Stop discounting at the last minute until you see everyone else's price. You may be surprised and find out... you could make more! My last minute... price went up..
Click to expand...
Jon Sable said:
Stop discounting at the last minute until you see everyone else's price. You may be surprised and find out... you could make more! My last minute... price went up.
Click to expand...
Because it is SO slow here, I'd rather have the room at $10 off than not at all. If we had booked up early the rates would already be up, but we're still nickel & diming our way thru the summer.
But, yeah, asking me for a discount when the hotels are way over $200 is a bit much. ;-)
.
Click to expand...
It is scary slow here in this state this year. Still say it's our state Tourism bureau and not very intuitive website. Or are so many lodging places now on an OTA that folks are waiting to the last minute to get a good deal? Just noticed that xpda has gobbled everyone down on the beach. Even the ticky-tacky box places. And prices are astronomical.
European/Canadian sales are WAY down due to the exchange rate methinks. And although we are discouraging kids we had two delightful adorable 6 & 9 year old Swedes here for two days that I offered to clone... not much else international.
My priceless phone call today: I'm on my way to our rental tomorrow and noticed you have a room open tonight. No. But it says you do. No... are you on our website? Yes... it says you have 10 rooms open. ???***Funny, we have only 6, and they have been booked for weeks. Let the fun begin!
.
Click to expand...
True, the exchange rate isn't helping. Thus all the Euros last month who wanted rooms under $100.
I took the minimum off last week just to generate some traffic.
 
Morticia said:
Momma Smurf said:
Morticia said:
Jon Sable said:
Stop discounting at the last minute until you see everyone else's price. You may be surprised and find out... you could make more! My last minute... price went up..
Click to expand...
Jon Sable said:
Stop discounting at the last minute until you see everyone else's price. You may be surprised and find out... you could make more! My last minute... price went up.
Click to expand...
Because it is SO slow here, I'd rather have the room at $10 off than not at all. If we had booked up early the rates would already be up, but we're still nickel & diming our way thru the summer.
But, yeah, asking me for a discount when the hotels are way over $200 is a bit much. ;-)
.
Click to expand...
It is scary slow here in this state this year. Still say it's our state Tourism bureau and not very intuitive website. Or are so many lodging places now on an OTA that folks are waiting to the last minute to get a good deal? Just noticed that xpda has gobbled everyone down on the beach. Even the ticky-tacky box places. And prices are astronomical.
European/Canadian sales are WAY down due to the exchange rate methinks. And although we are discouraging kids we had two delightful adorable 6 & 9 year old Swedes here for two days that I offered to clone... not much else international.
My priceless phone call today: I'm on my way to our rental tomorrow and noticed you have a room open tonight. No. But it says you do. No... are you on our website? Yes... it says you have 10 rooms open. ???***Funny, we have only 6, and they have been booked for weeks. Let the fun begin!
.
Click to expand...
True, the exchange rate isn't helping. Thus all the Euros last month who wanted rooms under $100.
I took the minimum off last week just to generate some traffic.
.
Click to expand...
Wait.. Monday you will see the Euro and CAD dip... no matter what happens in Greece.
 
Momma Smurf said:
Morticia said:
Jon Sable said:
Stop discounting at the last minute until you see everyone else's price. You may be surprised and find out... you could make more! My last minute... price went up..
Click to expand...
Jon Sable said:
Stop discounting at the last minute until you see everyone else's price. You may be surprised and find out... you could make more! My last minute... price went up.
Click to expand...
Because it is SO slow here, I'd rather have the room at $10 off than not at all. If we had booked up early the rates would already be up, but we're still nickel & diming our way thru the summer.
But, yeah, asking me for a discount when the hotels are way over $200 is a bit much. ;-)
.
Click to expand...
It is scary slow here in this state this year. Still say it's our state Tourism bureau and not very intuitive website. Or are so many lodging places now on an OTA that folks are waiting to the last minute to get a good deal? Just noticed that xpda has gobbled everyone down on the beach. Even the ticky-tacky box places. And prices are astronomical.
European/Canadian sales are WAY down due to the exchange rate methinks. And although we are discouraging kids we had two delightful adorable 6 & 9 year old Swedes here for two days that I offered to clone... not much else international.
My priceless phone call today: I'm on my way to our rental tomorrow and noticed you have a room open tonight. No. But it says you do. No... are you on our website? Yes... it says you have 10 rooms open. ???***Funny, we have only 6, and they have been booked for weeks. Let the fun begin!
.
Click to expand...
Momma Smurf said:
It is scary slow here in this state this year. Still say it's our state Tourism bureau and not very intuitive website. Or are so many lodging places now on an OTA that folks are waiting to the last minute to get a good deal? Just noticed that xpda has gobbled everyone down on the beach. Even the ticky-tacky box places. And prices are astronomical.
European/Canadian sales are WAY down due to the exchange rate methinks. And although we are discouraging kids we had two delightful adorable 6 & 9 year old Swedes here for two days that I offered to clone... not much else international.
My priceless phone call today: I'm on my way to our rental tomorrow and noticed you have a room open tonight. No. But it says you do. No... are you on our website? Yes... it says you have 10 rooms open. ???***Funny, we have only 6, and they have been booked for weeks. Let the fun begin!
Click to expand...
I hope your business isn't down because of the dirty little trick Google played on the "No Availability " chart. I had a former guest call to ask me how to contact B&B properties directly and not "go through" Exped. Prior to this conversation I thought she was smart enough, but claims that the search term she was using on yahoo search engine only found OTA's.
I hope I helped her figure out how to get to the websites of properties and hopes she mentions how hard it was for her to do that.
 
Breakfast Diva said:
The desperation phone calls are starting. They're not looking for a discount, they're looking for any room they can get. This will be one of the few weekends that we'll unplug the phone at night and put saw horses across the driveway. There will not be a room on the coast to be had and people will soon learn the mistake of coming to the coast without a reservation when it's a holiday weekend, but also when it's really hot inland.
Let the craziness begin!.
Click to expand...
We put the phone on a 2-ring setting all weekend with message that we do not have vacancy. It is tempting to turn the ringer off though. Now that I am no longer expecting an emergency phone call about my Mom maybe I'll follow your lead and just turn the ringer to mute.
thumbs_up.gif

 
Innkeep said:
Momma Smurf said:
Morticia said:
Jon Sable said:
Stop discounting at the last minute until you see everyone else's price. You may be surprised and find out... you could make more! My last minute... price went up..
Click to expand...
Jon Sable said:
Stop discounting at the last minute until you see everyone else's price. You may be surprised and find out... you could make more! My last minute... price went up.
Click to expand...
Because it is SO slow here, I'd rather have the room at $10 off than not at all. If we had booked up early the rates would already be up, but we're still nickel & diming our way thru the summer.
But, yeah, asking me for a discount when the hotels are way over $200 is a bit much. ;-)
.
Click to expand...
It is scary slow here in this state this year. Still say it's our state Tourism bureau and not very intuitive website. Or are so many lodging places now on an OTA that folks are waiting to the last minute to get a good deal? Just noticed that xpda has gobbled everyone down on the beach. Even the ticky-tacky box places. And prices are astronomical.
European/Canadian sales are WAY down due to the exchange rate methinks. And although we are discouraging kids we had two delightful adorable 6 & 9 year old Swedes here for two days that I offered to clone... not much else international.
My priceless phone call today: I'm on my way to our rental tomorrow and noticed you have a room open tonight. No. But it says you do. No... are you on our website? Yes... it says you have 10 rooms open. ???***Funny, we have only 6, and they have been booked for weeks. Let the fun begin!
.
Click to expand...
Momma Smurf said:
It is scary slow here in this state this year. Still say it's our state Tourism bureau and not very intuitive website. Or are so many lodging places now on an OTA that folks are waiting to the last minute to get a good deal? Just noticed that xpda has gobbled everyone down on the beach. Even the ticky-tacky box places. And prices are astronomical.
European/Canadian sales are WAY down due to the exchange rate methinks. And although we are discouraging kids we had two delightful adorable 6 & 9 year old Swedes here for two days that I offered to clone... not much else international.
My priceless phone call today: I'm on my way to our rental tomorrow and noticed you have a room open tonight. No. But it says you do. No... are you on our website? Yes... it says you have 10 rooms open. ???***Funny, we have only 6, and they have been booked for weeks. Let the fun begin!
Click to expand...
I hope your business isn't down because of the dirty little trick Google played on the "No Availability " chart. I had a former guest call to ask me how to contact B&B properties directly and not "go through" Exped. Prior to this conversation I thought she was smart enough, but claims that the search term she was using on yahoo search engine only found OTA's.
I hope I helped her figure out how to get to the websites of properties and hopes she mentions how hard it was for her to do that.
.
Click to expand...
You know, the "No Availability" status has been around for quite a while now, perhaps over a year when Giggle decided to become an OTA skimmer. Funny it's just getting noticed.
What has changed with Google dramatically since last year is the clear separation between B&Bs & Hotels! Remember the carousels? Well, we all had the opportunity to be displayed under hotel & motels until last November, when Big G began making a clear distinction. Now, it is a rarity if you google a "town" lodging and even see a B&B show up. A B&B will not show up in hotels ever now. You are one or the other, and never the twain shall meet. In the past, we showed up in every kind of lodging category. Now that they have reduced the 7-Pack back to the 3-Pack in April, playing around with different strategies is even more difficult. One used to be able to add customized descriptors such as Beach B&B, now all categories are strictly set. I've even tried adding Hotel, and immediately get a call back from G asking which we are, so back to B&B. So this year instead of all those pix running a top of results that used to show our pretty B&BS that stood out amidst the sea of ubiquitous hotels, 'tis only the 3 Pack. And if you don't have an upfront link to your website showing in the pack, then yes, once folks HAVE to click into the G-Page they will see the "No known Availability".
Btw, with much fiddling, if you Goo "(our state) Bed & Breakfasts" we are in the coveted 3 Pack with an upfront web link! Although, tomorrow is another day in the fickle Land of G.
 
Innkeep said:
Momma Smurf said:
Morticia said:
Jon Sable said:
Stop discounting at the last minute until you see everyone else's price. You may be surprised and find out... you could make more! My last minute... price went up..
Click to expand...
Jon Sable said:
Stop discounting at the last minute until you see everyone else's price. You may be surprised and find out... you could make more! My last minute... price went up.
Click to expand...
Because it is SO slow here, I'd rather have the room at $10 off than not at all. If we had booked up early the rates would already be up, but we're still nickel & diming our way thru the summer.
But, yeah, asking me for a discount when the hotels are way over $200 is a bit much. ;-)
.
Click to expand...
It is scary slow here in this state this year. Still say it's our state Tourism bureau and not very intuitive website. Or are so many lodging places now on an OTA that folks are waiting to the last minute to get a good deal? Just noticed that xpda has gobbled everyone down on the beach. Even the ticky-tacky box places. And prices are astronomical.
European/Canadian sales are WAY down due to the exchange rate methinks. And although we are discouraging kids we had two delightful adorable 6 & 9 year old Swedes here for two days that I offered to clone... not much else international.
My priceless phone call today: I'm on my way to our rental tomorrow and noticed you have a room open tonight. No. But it says you do. No... are you on our website? Yes... it says you have 10 rooms open. ???***Funny, we have only 6, and they have been booked for weeks. Let the fun begin!
.
Click to expand...
Momma Smurf said:
It is scary slow here in this state this year. Still say it's our state Tourism bureau and not very intuitive website. Or are so many lodging places now on an OTA that folks are waiting to the last minute to get a good deal? Just noticed that xpda has gobbled everyone down on the beach. Even the ticky-tacky box places. And prices are astronomical.
European/Canadian sales are WAY down due to the exchange rate methinks. And although we are discouraging kids we had two delightful adorable 6 & 9 year old Swedes here for two days that I offered to clone... not much else international.
My priceless phone call today: I'm on my way to our rental tomorrow and noticed you have a room open tonight. No. But it says you do. No... are you on our website? Yes... it says you have 10 rooms open. ???***Funny, we have only 6, and they have been booked for weeks. Let the fun begin!
Click to expand...
I hope your business isn't down because of the dirty little trick Google played on the "No Availability " chart. I had a former guest call to ask me how to contact B&B properties directly and not "go through" Exped. Prior to this conversation I thought she was smart enough, but claims that the search term she was using on yahoo search engine only found OTA's.
I hope I helped her figure out how to get to the websites of properties and hopes she mentions how hard it was for her to do that.
.
Click to expand...
Could be that too.
The B&B Team posted an article from an inn owner who says his business is down 50% and long time guests are calling him to ask if he's had a cancellation just in case. All they see when they look up his inn is the big box that says no known availability.
It's happening to all of us I think.
I've shared the article on fb but this is what Swirt was talking about last week.
 
Morticia said:
Innkeep said:
Momma Smurf said:
Morticia said:
Jon Sable said:
Stop discounting at the last minute until you see everyone else's price. You may be surprised and find out... you could make more! My last minute... price went up..
Click to expand...
Jon Sable said:
Stop discounting at the last minute until you see everyone else's price. You may be surprised and find out... you could make more! My last minute... price went up.
Click to expand...
Because it is SO slow here, I'd rather have the room at $10 off than not at all. If we had booked up early the rates would already be up, but we're still nickel & diming our way thru the summer.
But, yeah, asking me for a discount when the hotels are way over $200 is a bit much. ;-)
.
Click to expand...
It is scary slow here in this state this year. Still say it's our state Tourism bureau and not very intuitive website. Or are so many lodging places now on an OTA that folks are waiting to the last minute to get a good deal? Just noticed that xpda has gobbled everyone down on the beach. Even the ticky-tacky box places. And prices are astronomical.
European/Canadian sales are WAY down due to the exchange rate methinks. And although we are discouraging kids we had two delightful adorable 6 & 9 year old Swedes here for two days that I offered to clone... not much else international.
My priceless phone call today: I'm on my way to our rental tomorrow and noticed you have a room open tonight. No. But it says you do. No... are you on our website? Yes... it says you have 10 rooms open. ???***Funny, we have only 6, and they have been booked for weeks. Let the fun begin!
.
Click to expand...
Momma Smurf said:
It is scary slow here in this state this year. Still say it's our state Tourism bureau and not very intuitive website. Or are so many lodging places now on an OTA that folks are waiting to the last minute to get a good deal? Just noticed that xpda has gobbled everyone down on the beach. Even the ticky-tacky box places. And prices are astronomical.
European/Canadian sales are WAY down due to the exchange rate methinks. And although we are discouraging kids we had two delightful adorable 6 & 9 year old Swedes here for two days that I offered to clone... not much else international.
My priceless phone call today: I'm on my way to our rental tomorrow and noticed you have a room open tonight. No. But it says you do. No... are you on our website? Yes... it says you have 10 rooms open. ???***Funny, we have only 6, and they have been booked for weeks. Let the fun begin!
Click to expand...
I hope your business isn't down because of the dirty little trick Google played on the "No Availability " chart. I had a former guest call to ask me how to contact B&B properties directly and not "go through" Exped. Prior to this conversation I thought she was smart enough, but claims that the search term she was using on yahoo search engine only found OTA's.
I hope I helped her figure out how to get to the websites of properties and hopes she mentions how hard it was for her to do that.
.
Click to expand...
Could be that too.
The B&B Team posted an article from an inn owner who says his business is down 50% and long time guests are calling him to ask if he's had a cancellation just in case. All they see when they look up his inn is the big box that says no known availability.
It's happening to all of us I think.
I've shared the article on fb but this is what Swirt was talking about last week.
.
Click to expand...
This is not new, Google started using the Price Box ads way back in April 2014:
Wall Street Journal
Google Checks In to the Hotel Business
Updated April 8, 2014 9:29 p.m. ET

Google Inc. is moving boldly to play a larger role in booking hotel rooms—at the risk of offending some of its most important advertisers.
Google is adding more photos and reviews to its hotel listings, so they increasingly resemble those of travel search sites such as Priceline Group Inc., Expedia Inc. and TripAdvisor Inc. And it is more aggressively promoting its "hotel-price ads" that post room rates directly as travel-search sites do.
******
So if one does not use an OTA there is still one of these ADs on your page that will say: No Known Availability.
Check it out on a listing. Since it's been going on for over a year, is not likely a comparable factor for this year's decline in business.
 
What is involved and what would it cost you to be play it google's way? So that the no known availability goes away?
 
Momma Smurf said:
Morticia said:
Innkeep said:
Momma Smurf said:
Morticia said:
Jon Sable said:
Stop discounting at the last minute until you see everyone else's price. You may be surprised and find out... you could make more! My last minute... price went up..
Click to expand...
Jon Sable said:
Stop discounting at the last minute until you see everyone else's price. You may be surprised and find out... you could make more! My last minute... price went up.
Click to expand...
Because it is SO slow here, I'd rather have the room at $10 off than not at all. If we had booked up early the rates would already be up, but we're still nickel & diming our way thru the summer.
But, yeah, asking me for a discount when the hotels are way over $200 is a bit much. ;-)
.
Click to expand...
It is scary slow here in this state this year. Still say it's our state Tourism bureau and not very intuitive website. Or are so many lodging places now on an OTA that folks are waiting to the last minute to get a good deal? Just noticed that xpda has gobbled everyone down on the beach. Even the ticky-tacky box places. And prices are astronomical.
European/Canadian sales are WAY down due to the exchange rate methinks. And although we are discouraging kids we had two delightful adorable 6 & 9 year old Swedes here for two days that I offered to clone... not much else international.
My priceless phone call today: I'm on my way to our rental tomorrow and noticed you have a room open tonight. No. But it says you do. No... are you on our website? Yes... it says you have 10 rooms open. ???***Funny, we have only 6, and they have been booked for weeks. Let the fun begin!
.
Click to expand...
Momma Smurf said:
It is scary slow here in this state this year. Still say it's our state Tourism bureau and not very intuitive website. Or are so many lodging places now on an OTA that folks are waiting to the last minute to get a good deal? Just noticed that xpda has gobbled everyone down on the beach. Even the ticky-tacky box places. And prices are astronomical.
European/Canadian sales are WAY down due to the exchange rate methinks. And although we are discouraging kids we had two delightful adorable 6 & 9 year old Swedes here for two days that I offered to clone... not much else international.
My priceless phone call today: I'm on my way to our rental tomorrow and noticed you have a room open tonight. No. But it says you do. No... are you on our website? Yes... it says you have 10 rooms open. ???***Funny, we have only 6, and they have been booked for weeks. Let the fun begin!
Click to expand...
I hope your business isn't down because of the dirty little trick Google played on the "No Availability " chart. I had a former guest call to ask me how to contact B&B properties directly and not "go through" Exped. Prior to this conversation I thought she was smart enough, but claims that the search term she was using on yahoo search engine only found OTA's.
I hope I helped her figure out how to get to the websites of properties and hopes she mentions how hard it was for her to do that.
.
Click to expand...
Could be that too.
The B&B Team posted an article from an inn owner who says his business is down 50% and long time guests are calling him to ask if he's had a cancellation just in case. All they see when they look up his inn is the big box that says no known availability.
It's happening to all of us I think.
I've shared the article on fb but this is what Swirt was talking about last week.
.
Click to expand...
This is not new, Google started using the Price Box ads way back in April 2014:
Wall Street Journal
Google Checks In to the Hotel Business
Updated April 8, 2014 9:29 p.m. ET

Google Inc. is moving boldly to play a larger role in booking hotel rooms—at the risk of offending some of its most important advertisers.
Google is adding more photos and reviews to its hotel listings, so they increasingly resemble those of travel search sites such as Priceline Group Inc., Expedia Inc. and TripAdvisor Inc. And it is more aggressively promoting its "hotel-price ads" that post room rates directly as travel-search sites do.
******
So if one does not use an OTA there is still one of these ADs on your page that will say: No Known Availability.
Check it out on a listing. Since it's been going on for over a year, is not likely a comparable factor for this year's decline in business.
.
Click to expand...
This is the first time I've seen the no availability message listed. If Google isn't going to read my exact calendar they shouldn't be guessing.
What the big deal is that guests want the website to check their own dates. This essentially says there's no avail ever.
 
seashanty said:
What is involved and what would it cost you to be play it google's way? So that the no known availability goes away?.
Click to expand...
seashanty said:
What is involved and what would it cost you to be play it google's way? So that the no known availability goes away?
Click to expand...
Still doesn't work to our benefit because the link will take the guest to the OTA. And if you don't list your whole inventory it will show 'No availability' in that box.
 
It is crazy thinking to be traveling anywhere during the main summer holiday and not have a reservation. Picture me when looking at Jon's pic.
Speaking of the 'no known availability' on Goo... This is how one of the many calls today looking for a room went:
Caller: looking for a room for tonight
Me: Sorry we are booked
Caller: any recommendations for a place like yours anywhere near by?
Me: After determining where the caller was needing to be near... I provided a couple of B&B's.
Caller: would try "B" as she had seen online that "A" had no availability.

Me: Since I know neither have online reservations of any type I said 'were you looking at Goo and saw the 'no known availability'? If so that is very misleading. Do not ever go by that when looking. Told her to always go to the property website. In this case she needed to call as they do not post their avail.
Caller: Thank you for the heads up... yes that was what I saw. This is good to know and yes, very misleading.
 
Morticia said:
Momma Smurf said:
Morticia said:
Innkeep said:
Momma Smurf said:
Morticia said:
Jon Sable said:
Stop discounting at the last minute until you see everyone else's price. You may be surprised and find out... you could make more! My last minute... price went up..
Click to expand...
Jon Sable said:
Stop discounting at the last minute until you see everyone else's price. You may be surprised and find out... you could make more! My last minute... price went up.
Click to expand...
Because it is SO slow here, I'd rather have the room at $10 off than not at all. If we had booked up early the rates would already be up, but we're still nickel & diming our way thru the summer.
But, yeah, asking me for a discount when the hotels are way over $200 is a bit much. ;-)
.
Click to expand...
It is scary slow here in this state this year. Still say it's our state Tourism bureau and not very intuitive website. Or are so many lodging places now on an OTA that folks are waiting to the last minute to get a good deal? Just noticed that xpda has gobbled everyone down on the beach. Even the ticky-tacky box places. And prices are astronomical.
European/Canadian sales are WAY down due to the exchange rate methinks. And although we are discouraging kids we had two delightful adorable 6 & 9 year old Swedes here for two days that I offered to clone... not much else international.
My priceless phone call today: I'm on my way to our rental tomorrow and noticed you have a room open tonight. No. But it says you do. No... are you on our website? Yes... it says you have 10 rooms open. ???***Funny, we have only 6, and they have been booked for weeks. Let the fun begin!
.
Click to expand...
Momma Smurf said:
It is scary slow here in this state this year. Still say it's our state Tourism bureau and not very intuitive website. Or are so many lodging places now on an OTA that folks are waiting to the last minute to get a good deal? Just noticed that xpda has gobbled everyone down on the beach. Even the ticky-tacky box places. And prices are astronomical.
European/Canadian sales are WAY down due to the exchange rate methinks. And although we are discouraging kids we had two delightful adorable 6 & 9 year old Swedes here for two days that I offered to clone... not much else international.
My priceless phone call today: I'm on my way to our rental tomorrow and noticed you have a room open tonight. No. But it says you do. No... are you on our website? Yes... it says you have 10 rooms open. ???***Funny, we have only 6, and they have been booked for weeks. Let the fun begin!
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I hope your business isn't down because of the dirty little trick Google played on the "No Availability " chart. I had a former guest call to ask me how to contact B&B properties directly and not "go through" Exped. Prior to this conversation I thought she was smart enough, but claims that the search term she was using on yahoo search engine only found OTA's.
I hope I helped her figure out how to get to the websites of properties and hopes she mentions how hard it was for her to do that.
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Could be that too.
The B&B Team posted an article from an inn owner who says his business is down 50% and long time guests are calling him to ask if he's had a cancellation just in case. All they see when they look up his inn is the big box that says no known availability.
It's happening to all of us I think.
I've shared the article on fb but this is what Swirt was talking about last week.
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This is not new, Google started using the Price Box ads way back in April 2014:
Wall Street Journal
Google Checks In to the Hotel Business
Updated April 8, 2014 9:29 p.m. ET

Google Inc. is moving boldly to play a larger role in booking hotel rooms—at the risk of offending some of its most important advertisers.
Google is adding more photos and reviews to its hotel listings, so they increasingly resemble those of travel search sites such as Priceline Group Inc., Expedia Inc. and TripAdvisor Inc. And it is more aggressively promoting its "hotel-price ads" that post room rates directly as travel-search sites do.
******
So if one does not use an OTA there is still one of these ADs on your page that will say: No Known Availability.
Check it out on a listing. Since it's been going on for over a year, is not likely a comparable factor for this year's decline in business.
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This is the first time I've seen the no availability message listed. If Google isn't going to read my exact calendar they shouldn't be guessing.
What the big deal is that guests want the website to check their own dates. This essentially says there's no avail ever.
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Morticia said:
This is the first time I've seen the no availability message listed. If Google isn't going to read my exact calendar they shouldn't be guessing.
What the big deal is that guests want the website to check their own dates. This essentially says there's no avail ever.
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I haven't noticed this before either. And until recently our website was also listed in the big box on the right.... but now our website is gone and the date tabs are in place to take you to an OTA. Google found that this was another way to make a little cash.
 

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