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BOOKER TOOLS CONNECTIONS

Using Channel Manager is a basic requirement for success in the Vacation Rental Industry. Besides providing more visibility, automatic content, rates, restriction, and availability management on all booking channels, Channel Manager is a time saver and scalability precondition. 

Being present on multiple sales channels will help you to develop your business as Channel Manager allows you to advertise your listings on multiple channels by managing them from one place.

Booker Tools features Channel Manager connected by two-way connection with 10 sales channels. Our partner NextPax Channel Manager provides a connection to additional 40+ sales channels directly via Booker Tools.

Booker Tools Channels Manager is connected to:

 

#1 Booking.com

Booking.com was founded in 1996 and is headquartered in Amsterdam, Netherlands. It has become the go-to booking website for all things travel. Booking.com dominates the industry, along with Expedia. According to HotelTechReport, Booking.com and Expedia control approximately 95% of the online travel market.

In Europe, Booking.com drives 50% of all European online hotel bookings (Source Tnooz).

Booking.com charges a commission of 10-18% (15% global average) per booking depending on the location and the status of the property. Being a global leader in listing properties online, Booking.com caters to travellers of all kinds. Any accommodation type including hotels, hostels, motels, B&Bs, apartments, vacation homes, cottages, cabins, villas, resorts, boats, luxury tents, etc lists their properties on Booking.com.

Booking.com listed Booker Tools as Premier Connectivity Partner, showing our technology meets the highest technology standards in the industry . 

#2 Airbnb

Airbnb is becoming one of the largest community for hosts and guests, with over 150 million users. Airbnb was founded in 2008 as a startup, and today is the most popular booking website that completely revolutionized the way travellers book their stay and how owners market vacation rentals.

Airbnb’s crowd-sourced, cultural approach to distribution has transformed the hospitality industry.

Airbnb travellers want to experience a destination like a local look, as 74% of properties are located outside main hotel districts.

Airbnb listings range from air beds in apartments to enhanced castles. Guests can find property types such as hostels, bed & breakfasts, apartments, castles, hotels, camping, farmhouses, lodges.

#3 Expedia

Expedia is the world’s largest travel company handling flights, car rentals, cruises, activities, hotels, and vacation rentals. They have localized sites in numerous countries and as a channel, it has a strong global presence. Adding Expedia to the vacation rental marketing mix will generate extra exposure on the numerous sites that belong to the Expedia Group.

Expedia charges a commission of 12-20% (on average 16.5%) depending on the market and property type. Expedia attracts a large audience as they are offering a variety of travel products.

Expedia listings include property types such as hotels, hostels, bed & breakfasts, campgrounds, lodges, pensions, apartments, palaces, townhouses, farmhouses, and other vacation rental types.

Expedia listed Booker Tools as 2021 Preferred Connectivity Partner among best technology providers for Expedia.

#4 Agoda

Agoda was founded in Thailand and is headquartered in Singapore. Agoda has over 2 million listings and it is the strongest in Asia, particularly Malaysia, Taiwan, Indonesia, Thailand, and the Philippines. It forms part of Booking Holdings; the parent company behind Booking.com.

Agoda is one of the fastest-growing travel booking platforms in the world. In terms of its marketing approach, the company places a strong emphasis on providing customers with cheap or discounted accommodation.

Agoda charges a commission fee of 15%, and Agoda guests are travelers wanting to travel to less popular and rural areas in Asia because Agoda is often their only choice.

On the Agoda sales channel, every type of accommodation can be listed, from Luxury hotels to budget ones, apartments, villas, vacation rentals, and bungalows.

#5 TripAdvisor

TripAdvisor is most well known for its extensive library of over 600 million travel-related reviews on properties, restaurants, airlines, activities, and more. It also allows travellers to book and reserve services through the website. Reading about the experience of others is a great way to book (or not) with confidence.

With 455 million monthly visitors, according to TripAdvisor’s sources, this website is the top choice for travellers.

TripAdvisor charges a commission of 12-15% (on average 15%) per booking. The user of TripAdvisor is generally interested in reading candid guest reviews of everything from hotels to restaurants and attractions that are listed on the platform. Travel services offered by TripAdvisor include hotels and vacation rentals, tours and tickets, flights, and restaurant reservations.

#6 E-domizil

E-domizil was founded in 2000 and is headquartered in Frankfurt, Germany. Today it is one of the leading vacation and holiday home sites in the world with more than 450.000 properties localized in countries such as Croatia, Hungary, Cyprus, Greece, Denmark, Italy, Montenegro, Spain, Bulgaria, and many more.

E-domizil travellers prefer character, privacy, space, and a variety of amenities as well as a larger audience of families and group travellers. Listings include property types such as hotels, hostels, bed & breakfasts, campgrounds, apartments, farmhouses, and other vacation rental types.

#7 HomeToGo

HomeToGo is a price-comparison search service for vacation rentals, offering 18 million offers in over 200 countries. Founded in 2014 in Berlin, they work with more than  2,000 vacation rental companies worldwide in over 200 countries. The platform sees over 23 million visitors every month.

The portfolio of vacation rentals ranges from vacation homes, apartments, hotels, boats, castles, hostels, lodges, resorts, bed & breakfasts, campgrounds, pensions, and farmhouses.

#8 HomeAway / Vrbo

Vrbo is part of the Expedia Group and has its focus on providing vacation rentals in the United States. Vrbo is a network of 50 sites around the world, receiving 75 million visits per month. It focuses on non-urban markets, which has made it one of the strongest channels in 2021.

Vrbo caters to a wide traveller base. However, they tend to be more of a reference point for families than other channels.

On Vrbo guests can find a vast offer of property types including houses, apartments, cabins, cottages, bungalows, studios, townhouses, villas, resorts, hotels, guest houses, lodges, chalets, caravans, farmhouses, estates, bed & breakfasts, country houses, boats, and even houseboats.

#9 HostelWorld

Hostelworld has more than 13 million reviews across 17,700 hostels in more than 178 countries, making the brand the leading online hub for social travel. HostelWorld lists Hostels around the world, and headquartered in Dublin it has offices around the world such as London, Shanghai, Sydney, and Porto.

Hostelworld receives a commission between 10% and 25% for each booking that is made through their website or app. Travellers who crave unique experiences that Hostelworld facilitates with the best choice of hostels around the world.

#10 HotelBeds

Since the establishment of HotelBeds in 2001, their hotel portfolio now holds 180,000 hotels, including globally recognized brands like the Hilton, Sheraton, Intercontinental, Hyatt, and many more. They span over 185 countries covering Asia Pacific, Europe, the Americas, and the Middle East.

Travelers seeking quality standards with exclusive standards that they cannot find anywhere else will book their stay via HotelBeds. Hotels, resorts, apartments, villas, bed/breakfasts, hostels, boutique hotels, apart-hotels they all list on HotelBeds.

We stay at your disposal to get more information on how to list your properties via Booker Tools Channel Manager.
If you want to further develop your vacation rental business be present, be active and generate more bookings.

 

 

Why should you start with Direct Booking?

2020 was the beginning of new trends that shifted traveling to different levels and made it unpredictable so that both travelers and service providers had to learn how to adapt to the new normal.

In 2020, we saw a sharp increase in direct bookings. On average, almost 20% of all bookings happened directly. That is an increase of 65% compared to 2019. (source: Stardekk)

Direct Booking is a global trend in the Vacation Rental Industry where travelers prefer to make a reservation for their stay directly with the Property Manager or a Homeowner. This trend has been on the rise for several years, especially since the previous pandemic year. In the following, you can find more details on how having your website can help your business and what are different models of generating direct bookings on your website.

  • Create Your Website

Having your website can be a powerful tool in building your brand. Your rental website can help travelers find all information that they need before making the reservation while keeping the contact after the reservation was made will be the first step in building your customer loyalty. 

If in the offer you provide Promo codes for your guest’s travel or your guest friends, it will be a great option to convert travelers into your regular guests. 

It is no secret that many fees for Property Managers include paying OTA commission fees for reservations generated via their distribution channels. Your rental website will boost your revenue, and being a property manager, it is your business goal. 

Booker Tools Direct Booking tool can help you to boost your business by creating your website directly from the software. A generated website can include all details of your properties together with a booking engine that will allow travelers to make the reservation directly with you. Adapting your rental website to your brand with high-quality images will make a great first impression on your guests. Demonstrate your company brand and what you provide to the customer, and how value is created.

The benefits that travelers get when booking directly with you: 

  • Best prices guaranteed
  • Guaranteed payment security
  • Personal verified properties
  • Personal approach
  • Direct communication
  • Local suggestions and help

 

  • Booking Engine

Booking Engine is a crucial component of generating direct reservations. If you create your rental website from the system, it will include Booking Engine as well. Suppose you already have your existing website with property content. In that case, Booker Tools can provide you the option of using an integrated booking engine that will enable travelers to book directly on your website. Automatic synchronization of prices, availability, and restrictions will allow you to have the best offers on your website while enabling your customers to have real-time rates and availability without the need for prior inquiries.

  • API Integrations

Using API integration, an existing website can be linked using the iframe components (booking form, calendar, search engine, etc.) – the possibility of API connection means full connection with your website, including automatic synchronization of inventory (reservations, prices, restrictions, and availability) and synchronization of content (photos, description, guiding content of property units…). Connecting your existing website with Booker Tools also provides your customers with real-time rates and availability to book directly on your website.

Regardless of creating a new website from the software or connecting the existing one, Booker Tools central calendar will keep all reservations organized in one place so you can have an overview of all reservation details, both on your desktop version and your Booker Tools mobile app.

Create your website directly from Booker Tools software, start generating direct reservations and make your business more successful. 

If you would like to have more information on how Direct Booking can help your business, we stay at your disposal.

Try Booker Tools for free 15 days.