Blog
Updated
Short, practical posts on pricing rooms, paying for distribution and reading demand, written for owner-managers of independent hotels. For the longer method, read the guide on how to price hotel rooms; for the words, the glossary.
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Booking.com Genius, explained: who pays for the discount
The hotel pays for a Genius discount, on top of commission. What it costs on a £110 room, when the extra visibility earns it back, and when it does not.
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Christmas and New Year pricing: a checklist for small UK hotels
Open festive rates in October, price New Year's Eve as a compression night with a two-night minimum, and package the quiet days between. A dated checklist.
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The 14 numbers every small hotel owner should know
RevPAR, ADR, occupancy, pickup, pace, commission and eight more: what each number means, the figure for a 24-room hotel, and why it is worth knowing.
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How to read a compression night (and what to do about it)
A compression night is one where demand in town outruns the rooms available. How to spot one early, how far to move your rate, and the mistakes that waste it.
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Length-of-stay rules: when they make money and when they cost you
A minimum stay pays when the peak night will fill and the nights beside it are weak. It costs you when demand is late or the night will not fill.
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OTA commission in the UK: what Booking.com really costs you
A Booking.com booking costs a UK hotel its commission, often about 15%. The big agents bill from abroad without UK VAT, so that is usually the whole cost.
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Seven signs your hotel is underpriced this weekend
Bookings arriving faster than last year, rivals selling out and nobody haggling are signs your weekend rate is too low. Seven checks, and what to do about each.
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Should an independent hotel use dynamic pricing?
Yes, within limits: a best available rate that moves with demand, between a few set price points. Not a black box, not prices changing every hour.
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What is the night audit? A plain-English guide for small hotels
The night audit closes the hotel's day: rooms and payments reconciled, no-shows charged, the day's numbers written down. A 20-minute checklist for small hotels.
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What should a 20-room UK hotel charge on a Tuesday in November?
Start from what comparable hotels nearby charge that night, check your own bookings against last year, then set a rate above your floor and review it weekly.