Problems with booking via Booking.com

Booking through the Booking.com channel involves two risks, namely the chance of staggered bookings and the chance of double bookings. Unfortunately, due to the design of the Booking.com application, these risks cannot be solved. Below, I will describe what these risks are, how the risks arise and provide tips on how these risks can be reduced. The applicability of these tips will depend on the size and type of organisation.

Chance of staggered bookings

With booking.com, it is only possible to pass on the total availability of a type of rental accommodation. This availability cannot be communicated at accommodation level.

Here’s an example:

Because on 10, 11 and 12 January, the total availability is 1 cottage, staggered reservations may come in for this period for rental cottage 12, 13 and 14 where guests would therefore have to move twice in one stay.

Chance of double bookings

Occupancy may not be transmitted to booking.com in real time, but only in 1-minute intervals. This means that if the last available cottage is booked, there is always a chance that a booking.com booking will come in within 1 minute. This booking is also always confirmed directly to the guest booked via booking.com. So these are annoying double bookings that booking.com cancels only against payment.

Tip 1
In busy periods, book on fixed arrival and departure days. This prevents short-term “gaps” in the schedule board.

Tip 2
Fill the gaps with blockades, then the stock will be gone and it will solve the problem.

Tip 3
Turn off accommodation availability within the booking.com app during busy periods.

Tip 4
Instead of three cottages, make one cottage less bookable for booking.com. In the booking.com app, you can make fewer places available only for booking.com. Reservations received through booking.com can then be moved to another cottage during quieter periods, making the cottage available for booking.com again.