Important to know:
Encourage more direct bookings by setting up Dynamic discounts (length of stay discounts, package deals and stay pay deals) for your booking engine.
To set up Dynamic discounts for your booking engine, configure the Dynamic discounts section in Direct Booking controls when creating a rate plan, or when editing a Direct booking rate.
Introduction to Dynamic discounts
Encourage more direct bookings by setting up Dynamic discounts for your booking engine to offer guests discounted rates:
Dynamic length of stay discounts — offer a discounted rate for longer stays.
Package deals — a set number of nights at a fixed price.
Stay pay deals — offer a discount for a specific length of a stay, for example, ‘Stay 3 nights and only pay for 2’.
To restrict when guests will be allowed to book a dynamic discount, you can set up additional Direct booking controls, such as:
applicable dates
advertised dates
maximum advance booking dates
restrict rate to mobile device
minimum stay, maximum stay, and release period setting.
Note:
A rate plan can only have one type of dynamic discount (a length of stay, package deal, or a stay pay deal).
To feature a dynamic discount and showcase your rate plan and its inclusions and discounts at the top of your booking engine, configure the ‘Highlight rate plan on direct booking engine’ feature in the rate plan’s Direct booking controls.
Dynamic length of stay discount
Dynamic length-of-stay discounts allow you to offer discounts through your booking engine based on the number of nights a guest books. Encourage guests to book more nights by offering a higher discount for longer stays.
For example, you could offer the following length of stay discounts:
10% discount for stays of 5 nights or more.
15% discount for stays of 7 nights or more.
20% discount for stays of 10 nights or more.
Rate plans on your booking engine with a Dynamic length of stay discount applied will display the message "Save X%" — "X" being the percentage of the discount. The original price before the discount will be crossed out and the discounted price will display below it.
Set up a Dynamic length of stay discount
To set up a dynamic length of stay discount on your booking engine, follow these steps:
Go to Rooms and Rates > Rate plans.
Add a new rate plan or edit an existing rate plan.
Under Direct booking controls, click on the Dynamic discounts toggle.
Select Dynamic length of stay discount as the Discount type.
Click on Add a new rule.
Enter the Discount percentage in the Value field.
Select the number of stay nights from the drop-down menu.
Add multiple rules, as needed.
Enter any other applicable direct booking controls (for example Applicable dates).
Click Save.
Package deal
A Package deal allows you to offer a set number of nights at a set price, based on the rate of the first night only.
For example, if you set the Number of included nights as 3, you could set the daily rate for this rate plan at AUD 500. This would mean the guest would need to book a minimum of 3 nights, for the price of AUD 500 (the rate for the first night’s stay).
Room rates on your booking engine with a Package deal applied will display the message "Package deal". Guests can click on the room rate’s name to see the Package deal’s nightly breakdown, which is also included in the confirmation e-mails sent to both your property and the guest.
Package deals will only be displayed on your booking engine when guests search for a number of nights that is:
equal to or greater than the Number of included nights configured for the room rate;
equal to or less than the Maximum stay configured in the inventory.
Set up a Package deal
To set up a package deal on your booking engine, follow these steps:
Go to Rooms and Rates > Rate plans.
Add a new rate plan or edit an existing rate plan.
Under Direct booking controls, click on the Dynamic discounts toggle.
Select Package deal as the Discount type.
Enter the Number of included nights — in other words, the number of nights included in the package price.
Enter any Charges for additional nights — the extra amount you will charge to guests who want to stay for more nights than what is included in the package.
Enter the Rate for included occupants — the extra amount you will charge to included occupants who want to stay for more nights than what is included in the package.
Enter the Extra adult rate — the amount you will charge for every extra adult per night (on top of the Rate for included occupants for the room rate).
Enter the Extra child rate — the rate you will charge for every extra child per night (on top of the Rate for included occupants for the room rate).
Enter the Extra infant rate — the rate you will charge for every extra infant (baby) per night (on top of the Rate for included occupants for the room rate).
To set different package rates for specific times of the year, click on Add seasonal override.
Click on Save.
Note:
The Number of included nights will override the Minimum stay set in the inventory for a rate — but only on your booking engine. For example, if the Minimum stay is set to ‘4’ in your inventory but you create a package deal with 3 nights included, guests will be able to book the package deal in your booking engine for a 3-night stay.
Occupancy is not set at the rate plan level, but rather under the room type or room rate — edit a room rate to view its Included occupancy.
You can offer an attractive price for your extra adult/child/infant rates; however, the Rate for included occupants cannot be lower than the rate’s Minimum rate, which can be found by editing a rate plan and looking under the Pricing section.
If you do not want to charge any additional fee for an extra occupant, set the extra adult/child/infant rates to “0”.
Stay pay deal
A Stay pay deal lets you offer a discount for a specific length of a stay. For example, you can create a "Stay 3 nights and only pay for 2" deal to encourage guests to book a room for more nights.
Room rates on your booking engine with a Stay pay deal applied will display the message "Stay X nights get Y free". The original price before the discount will be crossed out and the discounted price will display below it.
The Stay pay deal will only be displayed on your booking engine when guests search for a number of nights that is:
equal to or greater than the Stay nights that have been configured;
equal to or less than the Maximum stay set for the rate plan in the inventory.
Set up a Stay pay deal
To set up a stay pay deal on your booking engine, follow these steps:
Go to Rooms and Rates > Rate plans.
Add a new rate plan or edit an existing rate plan.
Under Direct booking controls, click on the Dynamic discounts toggle.
Select Stay pay deal as the Discount type.
Stay — add how many nights are included.
Pay — enter the number of nights that guests need to pay for.
Below Discount for, select which night guests will not pay for: First night, Last night, or Cheapest night.
Click on Save.
The number of Stay nights will override the Minimum stay set in the inventory for a rate — but only for your booking engine. For example, if the Minimum stay is set to ‘4’ in your inventory but you create a Stay pay deal with 3 Stay nights, guests will be able to book the Stay pay deal for 3 nights via your booking engine.