I quoted that statistic to guests this morning who said they really don't like hotels anymore. They were surprised the number was so low but offered no reasons why they thought it was or how we could get more people to pick B&B's.
An all B&B/inn reservation system would help. An 'Expedia for B&B's' so we can get out of the hotel category. If the complaint is that it's too hard to find a B&B or look at all the websites or try to book one, then having a system that allows guests to sort by whatever they want (state, town, large, small) would allow those who chose to jump on that bandwagon a bigger piece of the pie. But it might also pull more guests toward a B&B.
However, that's only part of it. Because guests have to be looking for B&B's to start with. Which is where PAII's national campaign may come in.
In spite of the number of people who say they won't stay at a B&B because they don't know what they're going to get, how many really, really bad reviews are out there for hotels with a corporate logo over the door. FAR, far more than for B&B's. The guest may THINK they know what's in store because there's a logo, but all that gets them is cold comfort once they arrive and it's a dump..
"An all B&B/inn reservation system would help. An 'Expedia for B&B's' so we can get out of the hotel category."
I'm pretty sure Expedia seperates them.
Ummm... wouldn't you say that was what was offered by B&B.com for several years before they partnered with Expedia on the online reservation system?
We even had the choice of doing either, both or nothing.
.
Tim_Toad_HLB said:
"An all B&B/inn reservation system would help. An 'Expedia for B&B's' so we can get out of the hotel category."
I'm pretty sure Expedia seperates them.
Ummm... wouldn't you say that was what was offered by B&B.com for several years before they partnered with Expedia on the online reservation system?
We even had the choice of doing either, both or nothing.
I just checked because I wasn't sure...Expedia lumps the B&B's in with the hotels. What I was thinking was a system strictly allowing B&B's, no hotels, no campgrounds, no rental units. Did B&B.com do something like that? But it was just for their own members, right? This would be a system any B&B could sign up for without belonging to any other directory.
I didn't realize B&B.com had anything prior to the Expedia thing unless it was just a matter of hitting the 'book it' link. It just wasn't a big enough system that way. You had to find B&B.com to use it. This would be another 800 lb gorilla like Expedia is. Just for B&B's. With ads on TV, the whole 9 yds.
.
"I just checked because I wasn't sure...Expedia lumps the B&B's in with the hotels."
Oh, maybe I was thinking about the "check rates" feature on TA which is next to one's listing if you participate and checks both Expedia and hotels.com
"What I was thinking was a system strictly allowing B&B's, no hotels, no campgrounds, no rental units."
Sounds like a good idea but the biggest B&B directory online with over 7,000 B&Bs under its belt already does that. Anyone considering starting something like it would have to weigh the investment involved in playing catchup to B&B.com
The branding alone would be tough. Its pretty hard to beat a name like Bed&Breakfast.com, kind of says it all. Its probably why when I look at our web tracking every day, there is no single referrer with more entrees. Every day, of every week, of every month, of every year since we launched.
"Did B&B.com do something like that?"
Yup.
"But it was just for their own members, right?"
Yup. An added bonus of having a listing on the number one rated B&B directory. And unless you get a booking you don't pay a cent for the extra exposure. We undoubtedly get plenty of bookings who went through the process to a point and then for whatever reason called us directly anyway to book.
"This would be a system any B&B could sign up for without belonging to any other directory."
Its an interesting idea.
"I didn't realize B&B.com had anything prior to the Expedia thing unless it was just a matter of hitting the 'book it' link."
Yup, we liked it but didn't see our bookings through the system they offered go up much until they expanded and partnered with Expedia. Its easy to use, integrate into our calendar and as the #1 B&B directory, it'b be hard for some newcomer to do much better or even compete with them.
"It just wasn't a big enough system that way. You had to find B&B.com to use it."
I've never found them very hard to find thanks to their size, very clear name and highly effective branding campaign.
"This would be another 800 lb gorilla like Expedia is. Just for B&B's. With ads on TV, the whole 9 yds."
I personally wouldn't want to drop my lisitng or participation with them while waiting for some new startup to achieve the same level of name recognition or exposure. Nobody else could do it any cheaper with all those initial costs and massive ad campaigns.
I thought B&B.com has run some TV ads in the past?
Maybe John can answer that one.
.
