“Did we even have a summer?” Is it us or is that a question we all ask ourselves every year. No sooner are the “back to school” shelves empty, replaced with every possible Christmas decoration, food, drink and toy possible. It’s built into capitalism to show the next juicy worm as soon as we’ve caught the last fish. Whether you think that is a good or bad thing, the same can be said for the accommodation market. In this article we look at how our accommodation owners can start preparing for and increasing direct bookings over the festive period.
Yes it is only October and this author for one sincerely hopes that not one of our readers will have yet heard a Christmas song on the radio, but now is the time to start thinking about what you want to achieve in terms of occupancy over the festive period and how it can be managed effectively to ensure you also get to do the most important thing – eat, drink and be merry… Just kidding, it’s to spend time with loved ones and cosy up against the winter chill.
So how can Inn Style’s property management system provide you with the tools to get the very best out of the festive season? Well in order to answer this we’re going to split our response into two categories; the “Elves” and the “Humbugs”…
“So… what’s an elf?”
“An elf is a supernatural being. Sometimes they’re invisible, they’re like fairies.” If ever I’d thought I could shoehorn my favourite Office (UK obviously) quote into an article about accommodation, I’d have slapped me – but here we are! What an elf actually is in this context is the accommodation owner who loves the festive period and looks to maximise their occupancy and revenue throughout the season. They’re certainly out there and Inn Style’s property management system has the tools to help make their Christmas a very merry one indeed.
Gift Vouchers – owners can allow guests to purchase gift vouchers or refund a guests stay to secure the booking. Gift vouchers support the cash flow of your accommodation by securing guaranteed revenue, future stays and increasing repeat customers. Why not make the most of this feature by showcasing gift vouchers on your website, utilising the customisable design to allow folks to buy them as a Christmas gift. Check out how to implement gift vouchers here.
Eyecatchers – Use eye-catchers for anything you want to promote to your guests, such as selling gift vouchers or advertising last minute availability. In this case, you can use it for promoting your promo (?!) or new gift vouchers throughout the booking journey on your website. Implement eyecatchers easily following this guide on Inn Style’s property management system.
Promos – Who doesn’t love a special offer? Setting up a Promo for the festive period will entice your guests to book. If you want to ensure that missing out on the turkey whilst it’s hot is a worthwhile exercise, utilising a seasonal promotion will ensure you maximise your occupancy and drive up your revenue. Find out how to set up promos for your accommodation here on your Inn Style’s property management system.
Optional Extras – make use of Inn Style’s property management system’s Optional Extras feature to upsell some festive treats as a part of your guests’ stays. Provide a hamper of local produce to allow them to cook up their own Christmas dinner or provide a cheese board with port, or even a visit from jolly old St Nicholas himself (if he has time). However you choose to utilise this feature, you can add that extra bit of festive magic to their stay. Learn more about the Optional Extras feature here.
The Inn Style’s property management system and our dedicated support team can help you with everything, except putting up the tree sorry, this festive period to help drive direct bookings and turn your accommodation into your very own grotto. The festive period really is a unique time of year and we’re on hand to ensure our system helps you reflect your love of it, and to pass that onto your guests.
“Bah Humbug!”
“Humbug (noun): deceptive or false talk or behaviour.” Ok, forgive me, I had already used the best “humbug” quote there is… It doesn’t really matter though as for us, the Humbug is an equally important accommodation owner who, whilst maybe harbouring a love of the festive period themselves, wants to ensure they get the requisite downtime for themselves too. It will come as no surprise to you that in writing for Inn Style, Inn Style’s property management system has a number of useful tools and tips to help you get the most out of your accommodation, whilst keeping your valuable time for family and friends too.
Length of Stay Pricing – usually, we recommend pricing per night so whilst length of stay pricing is useful when looking to control the number of days folks stay, you don’t have to change all your settings to do so. Users can implement Check In / Check Out rules to ensure bookers arrive and leave on specific days, reducing changeover admin and retrieving time back.
Our useful guide will show you exactly how to implement the changes on your Inn Style’s property management system. You can also utilise the Minimum Stays Rules feature to ensure bookers can only book for pre-determined stay lengths ensuring again that housekeeping duties are minimised. Check out our help article to help you understand the differences in our Rules features and what’s best for your accommodation.
Detailed Closures – Want to shut up shop completely? We’ve got you covered… If you’re looking to take a break from running your accommodation, simply implement our Detailed Closures feature on Inn Style’s property management system to let bookers trying to book specific dates on your website, that you’re closed for the festive period. Check out our help guide to get started.
Secret Codes – want to meet Christmas somewhere in the middle? Secret Codes allow users to control who can and cannot book at their accommodation on given dates. You can provide the codes to family who wish to stay, or provide it to a select few past bookers who you know you can trust to self-serve and allow you to enjoy the period for yourself! Get the most out of this feature by giving our simple guide a quick read.
I myself love spending time with family and friends during this time and I also love the cheesy feel-good atmosphere this time of year creates, so really I’m an Elvish Humbug. Whichever end of the spectrum (yes it’s now a spectrum) your are as an accommodation owner, Inn Style’s property management system and our incredible support team are on hand to help guide you through.
If you have any further questions about Inn Style’s property management system, please do reach out to us via the chat facility within Inn Style’s property management system or email team@innstyle.co.uk.