By Ana Bayona (Senior Revenue & Profit Manager)

During 2020, the volatility of reserves forced us to work with a last-minute pick-up that was truly complex to manage. We learned to have to work with a large number of rooms that were sold and canceled in the same proportion in just a few hours. This panorama is continuing for many of the hotels that during these months have bravely decided to remain open. Maintaining an On the books with low quality and high volatility.

During these months at Bedsrevenue we have implemented actions based on making the quality of the reservations that come in us optimal given the very high degree of uncertainty with which the client is dealing at the time of making reservations. «Maximum flexibility, but ensuring that the client does not cancel»

All strategies are based on finding ways to make the customer feel comfortable at the time of making the reservation and not decide to cancel in the moments before the travel period. That is complex right now, so rates such as Non-refundable rates have become minimally used. Not because the client does not find them attractive if they go hand in hand with a significant discount, but because assuming 100% payment at the time of making the reservation is now more complex.

The Semi-Flexible Rate is a safe value. It was already before the pandemic and now it continues to be an extraordinarily recommendable value and one that the client appreciates significantly. The key is to get the release of that rate right to make it Non-refundable. This is where one has to get it right and the application of this release varies greatly depending on the city in which the hotel is located.

At Bedsrevenue, the use of this rate in hotels/open clients represents on average 40% in the general sale and 65% if we talk only about the contribution of that rate in the direct web sales segment. Numbers that support the use of this rate as an option in the face of the foreseeable increase in reservations that we expect in the months of April and especially May.

At Bedsrevenue we propose the use of some rates focused on maintaining a higher quality of reservations and consequently greater control of the rate of last-minute cancellations that you may have.

• Maintain a BAR rate with maximum flexibility but that enters expenses 48 hours before the arrival date, especially in B2B and OTAS and in the vacation segment.
• If we work with a FIT (high), especially on islands, try to ensure that the management of offer rates entails restrictions on last-minute cancellations.
• Promote the Semiflexible without charges until 21-15 days before the entry date.
• Promote direct bonus rates. Rates that at the time of making the reservation require you to pay the 1st night but in exchange the hotel directly adds a 5% to that payment for the night as a subsidized discount and subject to cancellation conditions similar to the semi-flexible one.