3 Effective Strategies to Reduce
Booking.com No-show Issues

Hotels are generally happy to accept bookings from online travel agencies (OTAs). While receiving these reservations typically goes smoothly, the challenge often lies in the payment options provided by the OTAs. Hotel rooms are considered a perishable product, yes you heard it right, because a room that is not occupied today cannot be sold again tomorrow. Thus, Confirmation of reservations is crucial for hotels to prevent no-shows and maintain full occupancy, particularly during periods of high demand. No-shows not only result in lost revenue for hotels but also lead to missed opportunities to accommodate genuine guests, especially on peak dates. Therefore confirming guest arrival is important particularly if it's a pay-at-hotel reservation

One of the OTAs that only allows customers to pay at the hotel when booking reservations is Booking.com. No need to worry—while Booking.com offers pay-at-hotel options for guest convenience, they have also provided hoteliers with ways to confirm reservations, which helps to minimize the likelihood of no-shows. Let's dive into three key strategies that can cut no-shows by up to 60%, and with proper implementation, potentially eliminate them entirely.

3 Key steps to follow:

Enable Credit Card Option

Navigate to the "Property" tab and select the “Policy” option under which select the "Guest Payment Options." There kindly select credit card options, By enabling this feature, guests will be required to provide their credit card details to guarantee their reservation. This measure significantly reduces the likelihood of no-shows by 50% and fake bookings by 60%. Since guests know their credit card will be charged if they cancel, they are more likely to confirm their bookings.

Activate Pre-payment Policy

Navigate to the "Property" tab, the first subject line you will encounter will be Cancellation & Prepayment Policies, There you can activate the pre payment policy, this feature enables you to charge the guest credit card prior to their check-in to guarantee their arrival. This process requires the hotel to charge the guest credit card offline. If you do not have provision for charging offline, prepare a template message for guests. In this message, request advance payment via NEFT or bank transfer and include your bank details for the transaction.

Gentle Reminder Message

This can be done via calling your guest or by sending them a message. Here you can message the guest asking them to confirm their arrival. Include a time frame in which they need to respond; after this period, the booking will be subject to availability.

Here’s an example message you might use:

Dear [Guest’s Name],

We hope this message finds you well!
Thank you for booking with us from [Check-in date] to [Check-out date]. To ensure that we hold your room as reserved, please let us know your expected time of arrival. If we do not hear from you by [specific time or date], we may need to release the room, and it will be subject to availability upon your arrival.

We look forward to welcoming you!

Warm regards,
[Hotel Name & Team]

We trust that the information provided will be valuable in addressing and minimizing the challenges of no-show bookings at your hotels. If you need further assistance, feel free to contact Hospitality Minds. Our experts are dedicated to managing your hotel's needs and tackling no-show issues effectively.

For more details call us now :- +91 9967333442