Let's dicker

[Arks]

Copperhead, I checked your reservation page, found a couple of nights with availability, then put those dates into the Google big box after a search for you on Google. Got "No known availability for these dates". I hate them.

 

[Momma Smurf]

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..

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.

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. ;-)
.

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!
.

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!

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.
.

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.
.

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.
.

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.
.

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.

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.
.

So I think that Morticia still has the "Visit Website" as the link. I wonder why you and others don't. Figuring out patterns are key.
I have been dickering with Google since way back when there was no way to contact them personally. Our entire town became conflated with the county twice. It meant working with my pal SEO guru Mike Blum***thal back then, and letters by our state Reps and a lot of PR in local papers. This past February I had an issue again re our zip code and actually have a real Goo person contact that we could flood with complaints, oh, I mean concerns. She fixed our issue and coincidentally we were on the West Coast a few days later and actually visited the Google campus. Our son-in-law is the Tech Editor for WSJ and took us on the tour. But I digress, once the holiday weekend is over, what if we all contact and flood my Giggle contact re this messiness?

 

[Arks]

Also, the big box on the right has 1 star displayed by the name of Mort's inn, just as it does for mine.

It's actually a star you click to have it show you the inn location on the map, or something like that, but makes it look like it's a one-star accommodation.

I hate them.

 

[Arks]

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..

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.

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. ;-)
.

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!
.

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!

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.
.

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.
.

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.
.

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.
.

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.

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.
.

So I think that Morticia still has the "Visit Website" as the link. I wonder why you and others don't. Figuring out patterns are key.
I have been dickering with Google since way back when there was no way to contact them personally. Our entire town became conflated with the county twice. It meant working with my pal SEO guru Mike Blum***thal back then, and letters by our state Reps and a lot of PR in local papers. This past February I had an issue again re our zip code and actually have a real Goo person contact that we could flood with complaints, oh, I mean concerns. She fixed our issue and coincidentally we were on the West Coast a few days later and actually visited the Google campus. Our son-in-law is the Tech Editor for WSJ and took us on the tour. But I digress, once the holiday weekend is over, what if we all contact and flood my Giggle contact re this messiness?
.

So I think that Morticia still has the "Visit Website" as the link.

When I google Mort's place, the big box on the right calls it a "3-Star Hotel", it lists no website, and says No known availability for these dates. I hate them.

 

[Innkeep]

Sorry that for all the hard work you do to keep ahead, there's just no way to keep ahead in this game.

 

[Iris]

I always add to my prices on weeks, where I have very little availability. Always. I have added as much as $ 60 to a cottage that goes for $99. I can always give a regular guest the regular price, but if someone only uses me because "there's so little out there", then they have to pay for the pleasure of making me work for them. Funny thing is, a lot of those that were over charged, come back another time, they love it and they don't mind paying.
Charge them more. Charging less, giving discounts, devalues our places.

 

[Iris]

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!.

the very same situation here

 

[Momma Smurf]

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..

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.

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. ;-)
.

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!
.

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!

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.
.

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.
.

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.
.

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.
.

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.

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.
.

So I think that Morticia still has the "Visit Website" as the link. I wonder why you and others don't. Figuring out patterns are key.
I have been dickering with Google since way back when there was no way to contact them personally. Our entire town became conflated with the county twice. It meant working with my pal SEO guru Mike Blum***thal back then, and letters by our state Reps and a lot of PR in local papers. This past February I had an issue again re our zip code and actually have a real Goo person contact that we could flood with complaints, oh, I mean concerns. She fixed our issue and coincidentally we were on the West Coast a few days later and actually visited the Google campus. Our son-in-law is the Tech Editor for WSJ and took us on the tour. But I digress, once the holiday weekend is over, what if we all contact and flood my Giggle contact re this messiness?
.

So I think that Morticia still has the "Visit Website" as the link.

When I google Mort's place, the big box on the right calls it a "3-Star Hotel", it lists no website, and says No known availability for these dates. I hate them.
.

Am talking about the 3 Pack. Google "Mort's town" bed and breakfasts.
But yep, the Big Box does show "no availability" when you G her. But is that how folks really find us? Don't they do a generic search first vs specific?
Lots to hate, but when the stars align...

 

[Morticia]

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..

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.

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. ;-)
.

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!
.

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!

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.
.

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.
.

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.
.

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.
.

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.

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.
.

So I think that Morticia still has the "Visit Website" as the link. I wonder why you and others don't. Figuring out patterns are key.
I have been dickering with Google since way back when there was no way to contact them personally. Our entire town became conflated with the county twice. It meant working with my pal SEO guru Mike Blum***thal back then, and letters by our state Reps and a lot of PR in local papers. This past February I had an issue again re our zip code and actually have a real Goo person contact that we could flood with complaints, oh, I mean concerns. She fixed our issue and coincidentally we were on the West Coast a few days later and actually visited the Google campus. Our son-in-law is the Tech Editor for WSJ and took us on the tour. But I digress, once the holiday weekend is over, what if we all contact and flood my Giggle contact re this messiness?
.

So I think that Morticia still has the "Visit Website" as the link.

When I google Mort's place, the big box on the right calls it a "3-Star Hotel", it lists no website, and says No known availability for these dates. I hate them.
.

Am talking about the 3 Pack. Google "Mort's town" bed and breakfasts.
But yep, the Big Box does show "no availability" when you G her. But is that how folks really find us? Don't they do a generic search first vs specific?
Lots to hate, but when the stars align...
.

Am talking about the 3 Pack. Google "Mort's town" bed and breakfasts.
But yep, the Big Box does show "no availability" when you G her. But is that how folks really find us? Don't they do a generic search first vs specific?
Lots to hate, but when the stars align...

If they are looking for a 'B&B in this town' then they can go right to my website. BUT, if they are doing research because they saw my B&B listed somewhere, that stupid box is what they get. It's 50x bigger than the little one liner off to the left. And guests do not know that I didn't pay to put that there. So, sure, they're going to put their dates in that box. Easy peasy. Because, if I don't have anything open why bother looking at the website?

 

[Momma Smurf]

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..

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.

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. ;-)
.

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!
.

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!

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.
.

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.
.

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.
.

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.
.

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.

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.
.

So I think that Morticia still has the "Visit Website" as the link. I wonder why you and others don't. Figuring out patterns are key.
I have been dickering with Google since way back when there was no way to contact them personally. Our entire town became conflated with the county twice. It meant working with my pal SEO guru Mike Blum***thal back then, and letters by our state Reps and a lot of PR in local papers. This past February I had an issue again re our zip code and actually have a real Goo person contact that we could flood with complaints, oh, I mean concerns. She fixed our issue and coincidentally we were on the West Coast a few days later and actually visited the Google campus. Our son-in-law is the Tech Editor for WSJ and took us on the tour. But I digress, once the holiday weekend is over, what if we all contact and flood my Giggle contact re this messiness?
.

So I think that Morticia still has the "Visit Website" as the link.

When I google Mort's place, the big box on the right calls it a "3-Star Hotel", it lists no website, and says No known availability for these dates. I hate them.
.

Am talking about the 3 Pack. Google "Mort's town" bed and breakfasts.
But yep, the Big Box does show "no availability" when you G her. But is that how folks really find us? Don't they do a generic search first vs specific?
Lots to hate, but when the stars align...
.

Am talking about the 3 Pack. Google "Mort's town" bed and breakfasts.
But yep, the Big Box does show "no availability" when you G her. But is that how folks really find us? Don't they do a generic search first vs specific?
Lots to hate, but when the stars align...

If they are looking for a 'B&B in this town' then they can go right to my website. BUT, if they are doing research because they saw my B&B listed somewhere, that stupid box is what they get. It's 50x bigger than the little one liner off to the left. And guests do not know that I didn't pay to put that there. So, sure, they're going to put their dates in that box. Easy peasy. Because, if I don't have anything open why bother looking at the website?
.

Yes, us too. All of us. But, this has been happening for quite some time. Doesn't make it right. Hotels may be able to tolerate it, but we wee folks are at a significant disadvantage.

 

[happykeeper]

Also, the big box on the right has 1 star displayed by the name of Mort's inn, just as it does for mine.

It's actually a star you click to have it show you the inn location on the map, or something like that, but makes it look like it's a one-star accommodation.

I hate them..

...and as the crumpled happy keeper picks himself up off the floor from the "you can keep your influencers" stampede, the light begins to shine through that this WILL be the next opportunity to get discovered, unless of course you are content sucking on the "they aren't in this to make YOU money" OTA teat.
I'm closing my eyes and bracing for impact.

 

[Momma Smurf]

Also, the big box on the right has 1 star displayed by the name of Mort's inn, just as it does for mine.

It's actually a star you click to have it show you the inn location on the map, or something like that, but makes it look like it's a one-star accommodation.

I hate them..

...and as the crumpled happy keeper picks himself up off the floor from the "you can keep your influencers" stampede, the light begins to shine through that this WILL be the next opportunity to get discovered, unless of course you are content sucking on the "they aren't in this to make YOU money" OTA teat.
I'm closing my eyes and bracing for impact.

.

I'm on your team. There's Always another way to beat the system. AND OTAs will be The System if everyone jumps on the bandwagon. Nope, no one else is getting our money, not as long as I find new innovative ways to survive.

 

[Copperhead]

Copperhead, I checked your reservation page, found a couple of nights with availability, then put those dates into the Google big box after a search for you on Google. Got "No known availability for these dates". I hate them..

Copperhead, I checked your reservation page, found a couple of nights with availability, then put those dates into the Google big box after a search for you on Google. Got "No known availability for these dates". I hate them.

Yep. I know. I am right there with you.

 

[Copperhead]

Also, the big box on the right has 1 star displayed by the name of Mort's inn, just as it does for mine.

It's actually a star you click to have it show you the inn location on the map, or something like that, but makes it look like it's a one-star accommodation.

I hate them..

Also, the big box on the right has 1 star displayed by the name of Mort's inn, just as it does for mine.

It's actually a star you click to have it show you the inn location on the map, or something like that, but makes it look like it's a one-star accommodation.

I hate them.

Mine has a 1 star as well. I had not seen that before today. Maybe I hadn't noticed!

Hate is such a strong word! But if the shoe fits.... and it does!

 

[Copperhead]

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..

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.

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. ;-)
.

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!
.

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!

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.
.

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.
.

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.
.

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.
.

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.

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.
.

So I think that Morticia still has the "Visit Website" as the link. I wonder why you and others don't. Figuring out patterns are key.
I have been dickering with Google since way back when there was no way to contact them personally. Our entire town became conflated with the county twice. It meant working with my pal SEO guru Mike Blum***thal back then, and letters by our state Reps and a lot of PR in local papers. This past February I had an issue again re our zip code and actually have a real Goo person contact that we could flood with complaints, oh, I mean concerns. She fixed our issue and coincidentally we were on the West Coast a few days later and actually visited the Google campus. Our son-in-law is the Tech Editor for WSJ and took us on the tour. But I digress, once the holiday weekend is over, what if we all contact and flood my Giggle contact re this messiness?
.

So I think that Morticia still has the "Visit Website" as the link.

When I google Mort's place, the big box on the right calls it a "3-Star Hotel", it lists no website, and says No known availability for these dates. I hate them.
.

Am talking about the 3 Pack. Google "Mort's town" bed and breakfasts.
But yep, the Big Box does show "no availability" when you G her. But is that how folks really find us? Don't they do a generic search first vs specific?
Lots to hate, but when the stars align...
.

Am talking about the 3 Pack. Google "Mort's town" bed and breakfasts.
But yep, the Big Box does show "no availability" when you G her. But is that how folks really find us? Don't they do a generic search first vs specific?
Lots to hate, but when the stars align...

If they are looking for a 'B&B in this town' then they can go right to my website. BUT, if they are doing research because they saw my B&B listed somewhere, that stupid box is what they get. It's 50x bigger than the little one liner off to the left. And guests do not know that I didn't pay to put that there. So, sure, they're going to put their dates in that box. Easy peasy. Because, if I don't have anything open why bother looking at the website?
.

Am talking about the 3 Pack. Google "Mort's town" bed and breakfasts.
But yep, the Big Box does show "no availability" when you G her. But is that how folks really find us? Don't they do a generic search first vs specific?
Lots to hate, but when the stars align...

If they are looking for a 'B&B in this town' then they can go right to my website. BUT, if they are doing research because they saw my B&B listed somewhere, that stupid box is what they get. It's 50x bigger than the little one liner off to the left. And guests do not know that I didn't pay to put that there. So, sure, they're going to put their dates in that box. Easy peasy. Because, if I don't have anything open why bother looking at the website?

Mort, at least your big box still shows the website link. Mine does not.

I don't have a 3 Pack when searching my city as I am the only one around. But the Big box shows - again, no link.
Interesting, while the big box touts Bking dot com, I just noticed that in the generic feed, my listing has a drop down by the price listed. This provides both Bking and MY personal website. Still not enough. Website link should be in the Big Box.

 

[Momma Smurf]

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..

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.

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. ;-)
.

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!
.

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!

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.
.

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.
.

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.
.

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.
.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ch-fwaes8V0
This WSJ video from April 2014. The 3rd party AD boxes have been around since then. Since we have never had an OTA ours always has said "No Known Availability".
The new BiG Box may have become more prominent, but because I have seen this message for 15 months now it hasn't been anything new to us but another annoyance. Whether there has been a change to y'all who use OTAs suddenly showing no availability, I can't speak to that. Or is it because the box is now more prominent that it's being noticed?

 

[Morticia]

Also, the big box on the right has 1 star displayed by the name of Mort's inn, just as it does for mine.

It's actually a star you click to have it show you the inn location on the map, or something like that, but makes it look like it's a one-star accommodation.

I hate them..

Also, the big box on the right has 1 star displayed by the name of Mort's inn, just as it does for mine.

It's actually a star you click to have it show you the inn location on the map, or something like that, but makes it look like it's a one-star accommodation.

I hate them.

Mine has a 1 star as well. I had not seen that before today. Maybe I hadn't noticed!

Hate is such a strong word! But if the shoe fits.... and it does!
.

Also, the big box on the right has 1 star displayed by the name of Mort's inn, just as it does for mine.

It's actually a star you click to have it show you the inn location on the map, or something like that, but makes it look like it's a one-star accommodation.

I hate them.

Mine has a 1 star as well. I had not seen that before today. Maybe I hadn't noticed!

Hate is such a strong word! But if the shoe fits.... and it does!

AAA book does the same thing. Seems to imply we're not really all that good because we have 3 stars. Same as those motels with the numbers in them. I tell anyone who comments that they have to read the explanation in the front of the book about how those numbers are derived.
Mostly the comment I hear is, "How come you're only 3 stars? This place is MUCH cleaner than (one of the numbered motels)."
Because it's not about clean, it's about amenities.