Pros and Cons of Booking.com

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Country Girl

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For those of you who are listed on booking.com can you please give me the pros and cons. I'm not sure I want to pay a commission but they do seem to be at the top of every search list. Thanks.
 
IF they send you bookings, you get money. If they don't send you bookings, will you be able to fill that room?
We got over 50% of our reservations through them last year. A commission is worth it if it is compared to zero.
And if you manage your guests right, next time, they will book direct. :)
 
You said it yourself. Top of the search lists. When somebody looks for lodging in your area, they'll come up first or near the top every time, and they will push what ever inns they represent in the area.
Associating with them also gives you a Book Now button on TA at no extra cost to you. If you don't have a Book Now button, TA will tell potential guests, "we don't know cost or availability for Country Girl Inn, but here's some lodging in that area that we DO have info on. In other words, a relationship with booking can bring people to you rather than to your competition.
 
One con is that they don't interface with our reservations system. (web reserve) Because of that we run the risk of double bookings if someone comes direct while someone else goes through boo king.
 
One con is that they don't interface with our reservations system. (web reserve) Because of that we run the risk of double bookings if someone comes direct while someone else goes through boo king..
TheBeachHouse said:
One con is that they don't interface with our reservations system. (web reserve) Because of that we run the risk of double bookings if someone comes direct while someone else goes through boo king.
One pro is that the do interface with ResKey. Love my ResKey!
 
May I ask those who use this service what % of your weekend guests arrive via Boo.com? If you can run a little report and share i would greatly appreciate it. I have been hesitant to hand over the keys to the mansion. But I like to be aware. Thanks!
 
The pro list and the con list are similar.
Pro - you get top billing in your area on searches
Con - that top billing means the guest goes to booking and you pay them instead of the guest using your website booking engine.
Pro - you get listed with hotels
Con - you get guests who think you're a hotel
Pro - they are professional and they handle guest problems like cancelations
Con - they may tell you that they won't accept your policies on cancelations if they are weather-related and will charge you the commission even if the guest doesn't show up and pay you.
I'm still not sure what happens when you cancel your listing with them.
Con - TripAdvisor will show the guest the booking. com website from your listing on ta, once again taking your guest to a paid booking site.
Pro - their commission is lower than other sites.
 
May I ask those who use this service what % of your weekend guests arrive via Boo.com? If you can run a little report and share i would greatly appreciate it. I have been hesitant to hand over the keys to the mansion. But I like to be aware. Thanks!.
Joey Bloggs said:
May I ask those who use this service what % of your weekend guests arrive via Boo.com? If you can run a little report and share i would greatly appreciate it. I have been hesitant to hand over the keys to the mansion. But I like to be aware. Thanks!
In season it's 0% because I can book those rooms myself. Off season it's not that high, either, because most guests don't use the service in the off season. YMMV.
 
The pro list and the con list are similar.
Pro - you get top billing in your area on searches
Con - that top billing means the guest goes to booking and you pay them instead of the guest using your website booking engine.
Pro - you get listed with hotels
Con - you get guests who think you're a hotel
Pro - they are professional and they handle guest problems like cancelations
Con - they may tell you that they won't accept your policies on cancelations if they are weather-related and will charge you the commission even if the guest doesn't show up and pay you.
I'm still not sure what happens when you cancel your listing with them.
Con - TripAdvisor will show the guest the booking. com website from your listing on ta, once again taking your guest to a paid booking site.
Pro - their commission is lower than other sites..
Morticia said:
Con - TripAdvisor will show the guest the booking. com website from your listing on ta, once again taking your guest to a paid booking site.
I know that those ON this service show avail on TA and we don't. Chicken and egg scenario. The same reason I took TA off our website via a link. Our analytics seem to be useless these days, so we wing it aye.
 
The pro list and the con list are similar.
Pro - you get top billing in your area on searches
Con - that top billing means the guest goes to booking and you pay them instead of the guest using your website booking engine.
Pro - you get listed with hotels
Con - you get guests who think you're a hotel
Pro - they are professional and they handle guest problems like cancelations
Con - they may tell you that they won't accept your policies on cancelations if they are weather-related and will charge you the commission even if the guest doesn't show up and pay you.
I'm still not sure what happens when you cancel your listing with them.
Con - TripAdvisor will show the guest the booking. com website from your listing on ta, once again taking your guest to a paid booking site.
Pro - their commission is lower than other sites..
Morticia said:
Con - TripAdvisor will show the guest the booking. com website from your listing on ta, once again taking your guest to a paid booking site.
I know that those ON this service show avail on TA and we don't. Chicken and egg scenario. The same reason I took TA off our website via a link. Our analytics seem to be useless these days, so we wing it aye.
.
Joey Bloggs said:
Morticia said:
Con - TripAdvisor will show the guest the booking. com website from your listing on ta, once again taking your guest to a paid booking site.
I know that those ON this service show avail on TA and we don't. Chicken and egg scenario. The same reason I took TA off our website via a link. Our analytics seem to be useless these days, so we wing it aye.
It is chicken and egg. Like arks said, they're going to show the guest the properties they are going to make money on first.
If you're the only game, you don't need this. If you want to break into a bigger market you might need it.
We still show up at the bottom of the list here because the hotels get listed first. You can sort, but who reads?
 
The pro list and the con list are similar.
Pro - you get top billing in your area on searches
Con - that top billing means the guest goes to booking and you pay them instead of the guest using your website booking engine.
Pro - you get listed with hotels
Con - you get guests who think you're a hotel
Pro - they are professional and they handle guest problems like cancelations
Con - they may tell you that they won't accept your policies on cancelations if they are weather-related and will charge you the commission even if the guest doesn't show up and pay you.
I'm still not sure what happens when you cancel your listing with them.
Con - TripAdvisor will show the guest the booking. com website from your listing on ta, once again taking your guest to a paid booking site.
Pro - their commission is lower than other sites..
Morticia said:
Con - TripAdvisor will show the guest the booking. com website from your listing on ta, once again taking your guest to a paid booking site.
That's the killer for me, not only are they taking away people who'd find you through organic google searches, but ta is actively encouraging people to do date searches so now you're paying commission on people who find you on ta and get sent to b.c who'd probably found your own site otherwise.
 
One con is that they don't interface with our reservations system. (web reserve) Because of that we run the risk of double bookings if someone comes direct while someone else goes through boo king..
TheBeachHouse said:
One con is that they don't interface with our reservations system. (web reserve) Because of that we run the risk of double bookings if someone comes direct while someone else goes through boo king.
One pro is that the do interface with ResKey. Love my ResKey!
.
Arks said:
TheBeachHouse said:
One con is that they don't interface with our reservations system. (web reserve) Because of that we run the risk of double bookings if someone comes direct while someone else goes through boo king.
One pro is that the do interface with ResKey. Love my ResKey!
They do? DANG! Why didn't I know that. - TY again Arks! Another addition to my growing list of New Years resolutions to do things wiser. I am off to a great start & here is another!
 
The pro list and the con list are similar.
Pro - you get top billing in your area on searches
Con - that top billing means the guest goes to booking and you pay them instead of the guest using your website booking engine.
Pro - you get listed with hotels
Con - you get guests who think you're a hotel
Pro - they are professional and they handle guest problems like cancelations
Con - they may tell you that they won't accept your policies on cancelations if they are weather-related and will charge you the commission even if the guest doesn't show up and pay you.
I'm still not sure what happens when you cancel your listing with them.
Con - TripAdvisor will show the guest the booking. com website from your listing on ta, once again taking your guest to a paid booking site.
Pro - their commission is lower than other sites..
Morticia said:
Con - TripAdvisor will show the guest the booking. com website from your listing on ta, once again taking your guest to a paid booking site.
That's the killer for me, not only are they taking away people who'd find you through organic google searches, but ta is actively encouraging people to do date searches so now you're paying commission on people who find you on ta and get sent to b.c who'd probably found your own site otherwise.
.
Highlands John said:
Morticia said:
Con - TripAdvisor will show the guest the booking. com website from your listing on ta, once again taking your guest to a paid booking site.
That's the killer for me, not only are they taking away people who'd find you through organic google searches, but ta is actively encouraging people to do date searches so now you're paying commission on people who find you on ta and get sent to b.c who'd probably found your own site otherwise.
Let me side track this thread for a moment. HJ, you now can use TripConnect through TA without having a business listing. It is a pay per click but you are in control of your monthly budget. Sign into TA and look for it, you have to start the process to get the facts you can stop if you need to. I stopped short of finishing because I am setting up a TA reservation page on ResKey so I can track all of those visits.
 
The pro list and the con list are similar.
Pro - you get top billing in your area on searches
Con - that top billing means the guest goes to booking and you pay them instead of the guest using your website booking engine.
Pro - you get listed with hotels
Con - you get guests who think you're a hotel
Pro - they are professional and they handle guest problems like cancelations
Con - they may tell you that they won't accept your policies on cancelations if they are weather-related and will charge you the commission even if the guest doesn't show up and pay you.
I'm still not sure what happens when you cancel your listing with them.
Con - TripAdvisor will show the guest the booking. com website from your listing on ta, once again taking your guest to a paid booking site.
Pro - their commission is lower than other sites..
Good List! Let me add:
Con - guest may call you to cancel, but not listen when you tell them they must cancel trough b.com. Then YOU must tackle the beast to get them to cancel the rez so you aren't paying commission.
Pro - my assigned service reps have been great
Con - calling the CS hotline when your rep is at a conformance is a pain, with hit or miss service
 
May I ask those who use this service what % of your weekend guests arrive via Boo.com? If you can run a little report and share i would greatly appreciate it. I have been hesitant to hand over the keys to the mansion. But I like to be aware. Thanks!.
Joey Bloggs said:
May I ask those who use this service what % of your weekend guests arrive via Boo.com? If you can run a little report and share i would greatly appreciate it. I have been hesitant to hand over the keys to the mansion. But I like to be aware. Thanks!
My bookings are all over the place, JB. If you just want weekday booking help, you can do that. Or add weekends only at your slow period. Or add them once you feel you need help filling those dates.
 
Listened to a webinar this AM that mentioned that OTA's are only going to become bigger and more aggressive in 2015.
Aggressive in:
  • Advertising in all media
  • Advertising by purchasing PPC ads on your Business Name and major keywords
  • Priceline (owners of Booking.com) just purchased Buuteeq and OpenTable - may see more
The speaker stated we as independents must learn how to play their game without getting burnt. Must work hard to find ways to keep your brand out there.
 
One con is that they don't interface with our reservations system. (web reserve) Because of that we run the risk of double bookings if someone comes direct while someone else goes through boo king..
TheBeachHouse said:
One con is that they don't interface with our reservations system. (web reserve) Because of that we run the risk of double bookings if someone comes direct while someone else goes through boo king.
One pro is that the do interface with ResKey. Love my ResKey!
.
Arks said:
TheBeachHouse said:
One con is that they don't interface with our reservations system. (web reserve) Because of that we run the risk of double bookings if someone comes direct while someone else goes through boo king.
One pro is that the do interface with ResKey. Love my ResKey!
They do? DANG! Why didn't I know that. - TY again Arks! Another addition to my growing list of New Years resolutions to do things wiser. I am off to a great start & here is another!
.
Copperhead said:
Arks said:
One pro is that they do interface with ResKey. Love my ResKey!
They do? DANG! Why didn't I know that.
Well, they do indirectly. You have to pay a little to a middleman, but once it's set up it's seamless. The middleman is called MyAllocator. MyAllocator can read your ResKey calendar and rates and pass them to Booking.
It's pretty much instant, too. I can have a room book on ResKey and immediately go check TA and TA shows no availability for the newly booked date. TA picks it up from Booking.
Quite amazing how all this stuff is passing back and forth in cyberspace! I'm still amazed that when I get an inquiry through AirBB, I can see the potential guest's FB profile pic and their profile!
 
May I ask those who use this service what % of your weekend guests arrive via Boo.com? If you can run a little report and share i would greatly appreciate it. I have been hesitant to hand over the keys to the mansion. But I like to be aware. Thanks!.
Just setup with them a month ago, yesterday got two bookings from European travelers over $1000 - a big market of theirs that I saw drop off last year when my competition put everything they have on book ing. But I don't give them my weekends because I fill them up myself with local people. So you can choose how much and which dates you give them. We'll see how the summer season goes this year compared to last now that we've joined.
 
While on the subject of Booking.com
What is their deposit policy(s)?
If they book with you, you generally require a deposit to cover stolen items, damage, etc.
Does Booking.com have a limit? Are they anal retentive against an owner who actually is trying to charge for stolen items/damage?
 
While on the subject of Booking.com
What is their deposit policy(s)?
If they book with you, you generally require a deposit to cover stolen items, damage, etc.
Does Booking.com have a limit? Are they anal retentive against an owner who actually is trying to charge for stolen items/damage?.
You set your own deposit policy. If you require a damage deposit then you put that in the policies.
You collect the money. Booking has nothing to do with collecting the money.
If you are opening a B&B then a damage deposit is not standard procedure. If you are opening a weekly or monthly self catering establishment then damage deposits are acceptable.
 
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