Direct booking solutions aren’t new, and neither is the use of online travel agents (OTAs). With OTAs becoming more popular and expensive, the competition for your guest’s booking is steep. Utilizing the right solution can poise your property to earn those direct bookings. However, ensuring you have the current solution for your property and are getting the most benefits can be tricky.
Overview of the right direct booking engine:
- Has a mobile-friendly design
- Seamlessly integrates to your website
- Provides real-time data
- Supports packages and special rates
- Presents detailed room information
- Includes an easy-to-use availability calendar
- Promotes high-quality room images and videos
Saves money on commission fees
While online travel agents (OTAs) can appeal to guests as they can book everything at a discounted rate when they bundle flights and hotels, the benefits are not as great as they once were for hotels. With rising commission fees, which a property could have kept if the reservation was booked directly, the cost is becoming increasingly unaffordable. By leveraging a direct booking solution, your hotel can combat ongoing OTA price increases as bookings rise. Meanwhile, with OTAs, as bookings for your property go up, so does the amount of money you’re paying.
Reduces the Workload of the Front Desk
At this point, the internet is an integral part of almost everyone’s life. However, your Front Desk Agents may still be handling bookings without a proper online booking system. Whether people are calling or emailing to make a booking or checking that their online booking is accurate, your Front desk Agents have to take time away from other tasks to assist. With an intuitive and consistent online booking solution, your guests will have no issues creating, submitting, and confirming their booking online.
Customized to Your Brand with a Seamless experience
Guests trust a brand that they are familiar with and appreciate a seamless and aesthetic direct booking site. Your direct booking solution should allow your property to customize and brand your booking engine to match your website, which allows guests to book directly from your website with a couple of effortless clicks. In addition, mobility is a high priority to guests, as they want to book from anywhere, at any time, and from any device. With your solution, guests should easily be able to do so, as the solution should directly integrate into your mobile responsive website so that visitors will have the same great experience across any of their devices.
Upsells Value-added Services
Upselling can have many benefits to your property and your guests. It opens communication and helps your property and guests get to know each other better. You can increase your revenue while improving your guest’s personal experience. Your direct booking solution should have suggestive and comparative selling tools built in to offer your guests relevant upsell services and experiences. It’s an easy way for your property to increase revenue and bookings, for your guests to enhance their stay, and assist your staff in upselling.
Integrates directly with your PMS for real-time updates
Another benefit of direct booking for your property is the vital communication between the online booking engine and your PMS system, ensuring that specific requests and preferences are executed correctly. Your guests’ and properties’ data will flow seamlessly between your solutions. Updating availability, rates, and images/videos is a simple task. Additionally, tracking guest preferences and requests will make it easy for your team.