8 Simple Steps To Create Listing on Booking.com

Running a hotel is heavy work. You're probably always looking for new ways to increase bookings and promote your property. Putting your hotel on OTAs is always a great decision. One of the top OTA sites you can list your property on is Booking.com.

Online travel agencies or OTAs set up accommodations, trips, or others for travelers and sell them on an online platform. They are considered as a third party that sells services for other businesses. Usually, these OTAs offer a lot of perks and make things easier by letting people do more of the work themselves. They also have a built-in booking system that lets you make reservations right away.

What is Booking.com?

Booking.com is one of the biggest websites for booking accommodations, and it has now grown into smaller markets like privately owned bed and breakfasts, vacation rentals, and privately owned apartments.

The channel will also help make the resulting bookings, but it will take a cut of the money the hotel makes as a commission. Booking.com is different from most of its online reservation competitors in that it lets its lodging partners handle their own relationships with clients. 

How Booking.com is Different From Others:

• Prices are set by property owners, they can change them on their own using Extranet on Booking.com
• Properties continue to be the only sellers of their services
• Guests usually pay for their rooms at the hotel after their stay is over

Benefits of Listing on Booking.com

• Free property listing
• The platform provides 43-language client service 24/7
• You can report visitor behavior and prevent rebooking
• Team members verify guest reviews
• Use Booking.com's marketing tools
• External channel managers can integrate bookings

How To Create A Listing On Booking.com

Making a listing on Booking.com is easy and will only take a few minutes of your time. Before getting started, there are a few things you have to prepare to make the listing process easier. Make sure you know:

•  Adress of property

• Property type and room type

• Property availability

• What facilities/amenities are provided

• Pictures of property (rooms, amenities, location)

•  How to make payment

1. Create An Account

Before you get to list your property, you must have an account. To do that is simple. Go to Booking.com.

When you get to the website, you get the option to register or sign in to your Booking.com account. To start your listing, you can click on 'List your property' and be directed to register a partner account. A standard account on Booking.com will only allow you to browse properties and make bookings. With a partner account, you can list your properties. 

As usual, you have to fill in some contact details. After making sure all the information is correct, you can proceed to create a password. Choose a strong one so there's no chance for your account to get hacked by others.

 2. Choose Your Property

There are several choices to choose from. That includes apartments, hotels, bed and breakfasts, and other alternatives. Select the option that best describes your property because this will be how Booking.com future visitors will filter searches to find it.

You'll be prompted to provide some basic information about you and your property on the following page and whether you use a channel manager. It's challenging to amend your property address once you've submitted your listing for evaluation, so be sure to put it exactly. Booking.com may send you a postal letter to confirm. 

From the main four property lists, you can narrow down more by choosing which property category suits you. For example, if you choose hotels, B&Bs, and more, you will get choices like the picture above. Fill in the correct details for your property and make sure to double-check.

3. Set Your Price and Room Layout

The rooms you are offering and their prices must be added after that. This includes specifics like the room's category, name, and the number of identical rooms you are offering. You should also include the size of the beds you will be provided in the room and the maximum number of guests that can sleep there comfortably. 

You must choose the currency in which you want to advertise your prices. Following that, you can specify your price points by entering the nightly rate and the number of nights you want the room to be available.  Choosing the payment methods you want to accept is another important decision. Credit cards, debit cards, PayPal, and Apple Pay are just a few of the payment options that Booking.com accepts. 

At least 15% commission is charged by Booking.com because they:

• Have 24/7 client support

• Use Google to market your home

• Save time from automated confirmed reservations

4. Set Your Facilities and Services

Next, you can add to the facilities or amenities your property provides. Besides that, you can tick if you provide breakfast or not, your property parking, and house rules. Remember, you should provide the best amenities that will satisfy guests if it's within your capability. More facilities or amenities will attract more potential customers.  

After all that, you can add a host profile. It's up to you whether you want to do it immediately or on the extranet after you completed the registration. Filling in all these details might make feel overwhelmed, but Booking.com allows you to filter everything.  

5. Set Up Photos

Time to include some pictures. Visitors want to know what they are getting into before making a hotel reservation. They don't want to be caught off guard by unanticipated costs or a poor site. Images give customers a sense of your hotel and the amenities it offers. Use Booking.com's ability to post up to a minimum of 20 images of your property to showcase it to the fullest extent possible.

Additionally, images might improve your rating on booking websites. Your rating on websites like Booking.com is based in part on the caliber of your images. To ensure that potential visitors can see all the characteristics of your house, including pictures of the outside, inside, and any facilities your resort offers, it's important to choose well-lit shots. 

Tips on How To Choose The Best Photo: 

• Know when the best time it is for you to shoot

• Pick the right angle

• Choose pictures that show selling points

• Show surrounding areas and views

• Capture property from outside also

*Note that Booking.com will boost your property if your pictures are high quality

6. Policy

Next step for you is policies. Here, you'll list details guests should be aware of, such as your cancellation policy, the time for check-in or check-out, age limits for occupants, and any specific requirements. When establishing your policies, it's crucial to be as brief and clear as you can to ensure that guests don't have any questions when making a reservation. As an owner, you have to make sure the policy matches the expectation guest will have of your property and is reasonable. 

Type of Policies and Examples:

i. Cancellation policy

This policy gives guests a time limit to when they are able to make cancellations for their bookings without being charged.

• 5 days before arrival: You will not be charged if you cancel within 5 days before your arrival. You will be charged if you cancel after 5 days after arrival

ii. Specific requirements

This policy gives owners to set certain rules for their property. Owners can professionally clarify what guests can and cannot do, what is expected of them, and the consequences of breaking the rules. 

• Smoking, pets, noise, parties, restricted areas, garbage disposal, damages

iii. Additional Service Charge

This policy covers property security damage and cleaning. This gives property managers/owners to have control. Guests are made aware that they are to pay extra if they want this service. 

7. Payments

The last set to create a listing on Booking.com is setting up a payment. Here you must specify the type of payments that you accept, any tax details, and if there are any additional charges. You should also specify if credit card payments are permitted at your establishment or if Booking.com will handle all transactions. 

8. Getting Verified 

When everything is set up, Booking.com reviews your property and notifies you through email of its approval or disapproval. A second email with a link to the Booking.com Extranet Dashboard, where you may modify your property will arrive at the same time. In order to gain further insight into the success of your property, you will also have the chance to review data on your previous and upcoming reservations. You're now set to get your first-ever booking!

Tips To Optimize Booking.com Listing 

Here are some tips for you to optimize your listings on Booking.com:

1. Update regularly

Any changes that are related to your property should be updated. The guest needs to know if the property has any upgrades or issues. The availability of each property must be updated each time there is a booking. We don't want to give guests false hope. If there are any discounts or seasonal promotions happening, you have to update so guests are informed. 

2. Check Your Reviews 

In a recent survey conducted by Booking.com, it was shown that 75% of travelers rate reviews from other travelers as important in helping them find welcoming hosts before they book. Make sure to regularly check the reviews left on your property. It's important to know that guests were satisfied with their stay. If they leave a bad review, you can take their review as constructive criticism and make amendments.

3. Manage Calendar and Availability 

Managing your calendar and availability on Booking.com is crucial for a smooth booking process and guest satisfaction. This is to ensure the accurate availability of the rooms to prevent overbooking and build trust with your potential guests.

Here's the thing. You can use the iCal format to import and export availability data, enabling synchronization with other platforms and minimizing the risk of overbookings. Alternatively, a Channel Manager can streamline the process by updating the availability in one place, and the changes are automatically synchronized across all connected platforms, including Booking.com. 

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Conclusion 

Listing your property on OTAs will give you the needed exposure and increase your bookings, especially with a popular OTA like Booking.com. If you have trouble making a decision if this OTA suits you, take a look at the Guide to Online Travel Agencies. Take only a few seconds plus it's free of charge. 

However, if you're also interested in having direct bookings and don't want to rely on OTAs then download the Guide to 10x Your Hotel Direct Bookings. Don't worry, it's also free!