Why should hotels use flexible rates to increase bookings
Stand out to travelers on Expedia Group sites with refundable rates
Flexibility is a major priority for travelers today. In a recent Expedia Group traveler survey, more than a third of respondents said they filter for refundable cancellation policies when searching for accommodations on a travel booking website. This means if you don’t offer a refundable rate, you will disappear from a third of traveler searches on Expedia Group sites. Why list on Expedia if that’s the case? By leveraging sites like Expedia, hoteliers ensure they have a good channel mix, allowing them to expand the reach of their offering by tapping into more than 60 million visitors to Expedia every month.
When you do offer a flexible policy on Expedia Group sites, your property will show as ‘Free Cancellation’ in traveler search results. This draws attention to your listing visually, and helps you stand out from the competition.
In the heart of Miami’s South Beach neighborhood, Dream South Beach uses flexible cancellation policies to capture bookings as travelers cautiously return.
A refundable rate also gives travelers increased confidence to book with you, and peace of mind in case their plans change. In the same survey, travelers told us that their number one priority when booking is having the ability to cancel and get a full refund if their plans change. This still remains a priority for travelers as it offers trust in the form of refundable rates, which in turn, builds loyalty with your brand. We recommend a 100% refund for cancellations within a short window (two days or less) before the stay date to give travelers maximum flexibility.
Expedia users: If you are already using Expedia, it only takes a few clicks to offer refundable rates on the Expedia Partner Central extranet. Update your refundable rate plan now!
Pegasus CRS is an award-winning cloud-based reservations solution that offers unprecedented flexibility, scalability, security and support in managing your rates and inventory. Take full control of your hotel’s distribution strategy with Pegasus CRS.
Pegasus CRS offers complete global distribution through hundreds of channels. Deep integrations with your PMS and key industry platforms and systems allow you to fully leverage the data in your RMS, CRM, guest loyalty programs, and more. We also make it easy to drive direct bookings through our industry-leading booking engine and eCommerce platform, which includes options for our premium call center and voice reservations service.
