As a hotelier, you know this scenario very well. You pay high commissions for bookings in your hotel, which are made via booking platforms. Likewise, unfavorable cancellation conditions may result in lower occupancy than anticipated. This costs money – day after day, booking after booking. In some cases with consequences that threaten the existence of the company. But there is a light at the end of the tunnel. With the #closertobern campaign, the Bern Hotel Association is demonstrating how guests can be motivated to make more direct bookings.
The aim of the campaign is to reward guests for their direct bookings in the 32 associated hotels from Bern. This takes the form of 300 free nights, which guests who come to the hotel via direct bookings can win during the six-month campaign period.
The winners will be followed in small cheering clips on social networks (such as Facebook, etc.) and on www.closertobern.ch, thus making others want to make a direct booking and also win. Through this, the association hopes to bring the importance of direct bookings closer to the guests again and to strengthen the bond between hotel and guest in the long term. This is apparently done with great success!
But what can you now implement in your hotel to convince guests to book directly? How about treating your guests to a free night as well? Or invite direct bookers to the bar for a complimentary drink during their stay. Capture the positive moments in a video or picture and stream them across your social networks. And how about your guests recommending and inviting more friends and acquaintances to your hotel through one click? The digital solutions of straiv by CODE2ORDER support you easily and cost-effectively.
Conclusion: There are simple and straightforward ways to generate more direct bookings. Campaigns like #closertobern demonstrate this. For more direct bookings, higher customer loyalty and thus more sustainable sales.
