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. Partnering with a reliable OTA revenue management company in India can help hotels implement these strategies efficiently. 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:
1. Enable Credit Card Option
Navigate to the "Property" tab and select the “Policy” option under which select "Guest Payment Options." 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.
2. Activate Pre-payment Policy
Navigate to the "Property" tab. Under "Cancellation & Prepayment Policies," activate the pre-payment policy. This feature enables you to charge the guest’s credit card prior to their check-in to guarantee their arrival. If you do not have provision for charging offline, prepare a template message requesting advance payment via NEFT or bank transfer and include your bank details for the transaction. Implementing this is simpler with guidance from an experienced OTA revenue management company in India.
3. Gentle Reminder Message
This can be done via a phone call or message. Ask the guest to confirm their arrival within a specific timeframe; after this period, the booking will be subject to availability. Example message:
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]
For hotels seeking expert support, Hospitality Minds specializes in OTA management, dynamic pricing, and no-show mitigation. Our team helps properties implement effective strategies, optimize revenue, and improve guest confirmations to maintain high occupancy and profitability.
