Home / Blog Articles

Increasing direct bookings post covid19

Wed 17th June 2020 - Author: Nick Hill

Encouraging your guests to book directly has always been our mission in order to reduce the impact of OTA commission fees on your bottom line and maximise your profits.

As hotels across the UK plan to reopen in early July, hotel owners are looking to staycationers for a much-needed financial boost this summer, and with UK bookings increasing week on week, now is the time to review your direct booking strategy.

In the wake of Covid19, many guests will want reassurance that the hotel they book is following the government guidelines for Coronavirus precautions as well as checking which services are still being offered. Guests would only be able gain this information by visiting your hotel website, and if you are offering best prices and exclusive special offers, your guests will be encouraged to complete their booking directly with you.

Why not offer a discount for booking direct or for longer stays? Entice your guests with a complimentary drink on arrival or afternoon tea? Make the offer attractive and appealing to grab their attention and ensure that they complete their booking with the knowledge that they are getting a fantastic deal.

With no guarantee of when international travel restrictions will be lifted, domestic demand is currently on the rise, which means that there is no better time to take advantage of direct bookings and reduce commission fees paid to OTA’s.

FREE DEMO

If you would like a full FREE no-obligation demo of our Premium all-in-one property management system with channel manager and online booking system with one of our friendly sales team then please book a demo with us. In just 30 minutes we can show you via an online Zoom demo how our services work and how they can turbo charge your accommodation business.

Who are freeonlinebooking?

We are freeonlinebooking - the reservation system experts.

Our multi award winning cloud-based reservation system is designed to be really easy to use and is packed with all of the features you need to run a successful accommodation business. The system is suitable for all property types, including B&Bs, motels, hotels, backpackers and holiday parks.

Choose from our totally FREE online booking system or upgrade to our Premium all-in-one property management system with channel manager and online booking system.

Join thousands of properties across the World that have already joined our online booking revolution!

We are book direct champions

Here at freeonlinebooking, we have always been champions of zero commission and direct bookings and we fully embrace the #BookDirect movement.

The benefits of direct bookings for your accommodation business are significant. Not only are you avoiding the high commissions charged by the Online Travel Agents (OTAs), you also have much more control of your business and will enjoy a much more direct relationship with your customers.

Our mission is to help your accommodation business maximise profits by adopting a book direct strategy.

Why switch to freeonlinebooking?

All our services are really easy to use
This means that it is easy for you to learn and easy to train your staff.
Our innovative rate and commission management features
We make it very easy to manage your rates and commission to maximise your profitability. In most cases our system pays for itself in just a matter of weeks.
Our fabulous round the clock support
As we are global, we can offer round the clock support from our friendly team, with 24/7 support for all urgent issues.
No commission or additional fees on bookings
We do not charge any additional fees or commission on bookings made through websites such as Booking.com.
Wide range of flexible functionality
Our services are a step up from the basic booking diaries that limit what you can do and constrain your business. Our system includes many features available on bigger more expensive systems.

We can help you get setup quickly and without fuss
Our team can quickly and efficiently help you move from your current reservation system vendor. We can even automatically import data from your old system if required.
We help you maximise bookings through your website
As we do not earn any additional fees or commission on bookings through websites such as booking.com, we will encourage you to maximise bookings through your own website rather than the big expensive websites.
All our services are very affordable
We offer excellent value for money. You may find cheaper, however you will probably find that you may not be able to get the system functionality and support you need.
We have been servicing the accommodation and tourism sectors since 2001
In short, we have lots of experience in this industry and we know our onions. That's why we are the reservation system experts.
No risk
We offer a FREE 30 day trial and FREE setup & training if you decide to use our services.

What our customers say about us

Simple, stress free and very cost effective. I'm also dealing with one supplier, not three. Paid for itself in the first week with bookings from sources we had little previous success from.

Wine Country Lodge, Havelock North

After looking around for several months we decided to go with freeonlinebooking and we have to say we are so glad we did. This is our first experience of using a channel manager and it has not disappointed, it is user friendly, clear and reliable. We had support right from the beginning and still do. freeonlinebooking has a small team that enables them to address any concerns, queries or problems we may have immediately, 24/7. A team that actually talks to each other, this is a testimonial in itself. The cost of this channel manager compared to others gives value for money and we believe we are safe within the knowledge, that if we would like any adaptations or changes within the site, our opinions are valued and examined. Having said that, freeonlinebooking is consistently making additions and amendments to enhance their service to us as users. We would therefore recommend.

Mark and Lyn Rogers, Bryn Derwen Guest House

We have been very impressed with the service we have received from freeonlinebooking. We were a new business setting up our systems when we first met them at a trade show and they have been very supportive in setting up their online booking system for our website, showing us how to make the most of all the features and how we can use the features to grow our business. Over the last year we have contacted them numerous times and they are always happy to support us with our queries and we would definitely recommend them.

Kat and Spencer, Twentieth Century B&B

18 Years of experience on different booking systems, love freeonlinebooking.

Martie van Schalkwyk Tarawera River Lodge

Brilliant no nonsense system that functions well in our small B&B. Simple to use, great value and excellent prompt back up help.

The Pillars Retreat, Taupo

Agar House in Llandudno has been working withfreeonlinebooking for 8 months now. We changed from another channel manager and so pleased we did. We would highly recommend freeonlinebooking, from training sessions to the 24/7 support you have is second to none. You are kept updated with any changes and they produce a monthly newsletter which always keeps you in touch with any new developments in our industry or site development which might be happening in the future. Well done freeonlinebooking so pleased we changed over to you and would highly recommend them.

Betty and Ian Davidson, Agar House

I cannot rate freeonlinebooking more. We only took over our Guest House in July 2019. freeonlinebooking have been great and have been a tremendous help to us from the start. Being new to the industry we are so very thankful for the support that we have received.

Teresa and Mark, The Cranmore Hotel

I bought a Bed & Breakfast business in Cornwall in 2018 and chose freeonlinebooking as my management system. I have never run my own business before and the level of personalised support and coaching I get from Liz andfreeonlinebooking is nothing short of outstanding, they are always available on the phone to talk me through any new processes or updates that I need to do, emails are always answered immediately to answer any questions I have and helpful suggestions are often offered to help me stay competitive. The system is easy to use and has many facilities within it to meet all your business requirements, I would recommend it to anyone and would not look at a different management system for my business.

Nicky Pender, Three Tees B&B

We have been with freeonlinebooking four years now, from day one we have used their entire package PMS + Channel Managment + Online Booking Service . My lack of computer expertise was never an issue and your patient staff talked me through things in a logical manner. Always a friendly voice at the end of the phone when I was unsure and helped me every step of the way during the set up period. The system operates to my every expectation. Would recommend them 100%.

Linda & Rob, Sherwood Hotel

Book a demo