Webervations New Feature

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Proud Texan

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Just received this from B&B.com:
Because you are a member of BedandBreakfast.com and a Webervations customer, you can now use Webervations to seamlessly manage the BedandBreakfast.com Online Reservations Program. Rates and availability automatically update, and reservations drop right into your system for bookings on BedandBreakfast.com, Expedia.com, hotels.com, Kayak, SideStep, Travelocity (coming Fall 2009), and hundreds of affiliate sites. Here's the deal:
Easy setup: Just email [email protected] or call 512-322-2712 and we'll schedule a few minutes to show you how it works.
Saves time: You'll manage all rates, inventory, and minimum stays from Webervations.
It's automatic: Webervations synchronizes automatically with all of the distribution sites.
No extra Webervations cost: Just as it has always been with the BedandBreakfast.com Online Reservation program, you pay a commission only when you get a reservation.
Tremendous exposure: Participating properties are bookable on BedandBreakfast.com, Expedia.com, hotels.com, Travelocity.com (fall 2009), SideStep.com, Kayak.com, TravelPost.com, Away.com, UpTake.com, NexTag.com, iExplore.com, Vast.com and LATimes.com. The international sites of our partners are also included: hotels.com for Germany, kayak.co.uk, Expedia.fr, etc.
Contact me today -- it's not too late to boost summer occupancy; the distribution websites get a lot of last-minute bookings. I'll explain the details, answer your questions, and help you sign up right over the phone -- it's fast and easy.
You have nothing to lose but empty rooms.
Sincerely,
Tim Wilson
Director - BedandBreakfast.com Online Reservations
800-462-2632, x 2712
1-512-322-2712
[email protected]
Comments?
 
I received the same but with a different contact person.
My problem is this: they are offering me to market myself on booking sites that are spamming me with "BIG DISCOUNT! 80% OFF REGULAR RATES" and on TV I see the same. I don't want to be associated wtih this.
I am filling my rooms and my tours with my regular rate. I don't jack it up, but I am not discounting.
I believe this connection will help inns that have big competition where they are, or inns that are just outside of town - you know the ones that are just 15 minutes from downtown but people don't book them because they are not right in town.
Riki
 
I for one am very happy with the program, and was even happier to be able manage it through my webervations account.
 
I am now mud, ahem I mean bronze so I never got that email..
I think the big flaw with this whole thing is where they say"...reservations drop right into your system for bookings on BedandBreakfast.com, Expedia.com, hotels.com, Kayak, SideStep, Travelocity" Our little B&B doesn't even show up when you do a search for our area. You WILL get a listing of the cheap ass motels in the area, but none of the B&Bs are listed.
Until we get equal footing with hotel/motel chains it's hardly that good a deal.
The other problem I have with tying into reservations from other sites is the large percentage they take off the top with the happy little phrase, "a percentage of something is better than a percentage of nothing". That would be true if we weren't getting any reservations at all through conventional means, but we have no trouble staying booked.
I don't see any advantage. John, if you want to weigh in here......
 
I think its a nice feature if you need it, and I know lots of larger inns especially in ultracompetive or non-destinations that need it. If you don't need it, it's nice to not have to use it. ;)
I think the real plus is for the inns that really need it, they will immediately see the advantage because they have been using a much more cumbersome process and this just makes it much more convenient.
 
And while we are at it, we will be launching another new set of credit card security features in Webervations. This will mimic what we have in Rezo GT for the most part. The added features are auto-delete/masking settings for credit card numbers. Innkeepers will now be able to rest assured that their customers credit card data is not being stored any longer than they want. There will be two choices - to delete X number of days after entering the number, or X number of days after a guest checks-out. The delete function will get rid of (X-out) the first 12 digits of the card and keep the last four permanently for reference. One of the key parts of PCI compliance is only holding card data for as long as is necessary, and this function will enable innkeepers to be sure that they are doing just that. As I said, we've had this in Rezo for a while, and in fact at Rezo we have only been backing up the last 4 digits of credit cards offsite for almost four years now to keep liability low, but Webervations did not have a standard for this.
This will go live in the next week or so, and every customer will receive an email directly about it.
 
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