IWBMob is a New Mobile Booking Technology

Bed Breakfast Traveler is a brand operated under the Instant World Booking umbrella. A few weeks ago we introduced a brand new concept in mobile booking. Yes, Bed and Breakfasts can be booked on the fly, from anywhere. And, as an innkeeper you can host your booking engine on your B&B website, and be assured that people from any location using any type of devise can book your rooms instantly. This includes users of mobile phones, tablets, and any computer.

The first phase of this re-branding has just been released. It’s a mobile-first design. This means that your profile page, and the entire booking process, has been redesigned. Our new design features leading edge mobile aesthetics and streamlined user experience. For users of our new booking engine, the experience will surpass almost any modern booking site available today.

What does mobile-first mean?
Mobile-first means that our site will respond flexibly to all types of computers and devices, with an emphasis on mobile users. After all, more than 25% of worldwide travel bookings are made on mobile devices. In the coming weeks, additional phases of our IWBmob re-branding will be visible across our entire website.

One thing to consider when selecting your primary booking engine is this. Have you gone through the booking process on multiple different mobile devices such as an iPhone, an Android phone, and a tablet? Are the email confirmations that your guests receive equally mobile-friendly? Instant World Booking has this all covered for you.

We invite you to check out your new profile pages. We’re sure you’ll agree that it works better on mobile devices, and is easy for users, than most other booking sites.

Here are some of best profiles we’ve seen. We recommend you check them out for ideas. Remember, add your best photos!

Hotel Convento Santa Catalina, Guatemala
Wander Inn Bunbury, Australia
Amigos Hostel Cozumel, Mexico
Bondalem Beach Club, Indonesia
New Ostel Florence, Italy
Nanu Guesthouse, South Korea

We will soon introduce some innovative methods of integrating your IWB experience with Facebook and other social media. These are brand new innovations that are currently not used by any other booking service. Look for future announcements to learn how to take advantage of these innovations.

For more information, please see:

http://www.instantworldbooking.com/blog_iw/2017/06/introducing-iwbmob-mobile-booking-concept/

March 8, 2014

Why a Booking Engine on your Website is Vitally Important for B&Bs

Here are some reasons why instant online booking capability on a Bed & Breakfast’s website is vitally important:

B&B’s can offer incentive pricing for direct booking on their website versus OTAs.
Encourages international guests, and can actually increase the diversity of guest demographics.
Helps capture reservations from potential guests that would otherwise leave the website and search elsewhere (the fact is, most guests are searching multiple accommodations on the internet, and just don’t want to waste time emailing or calling).
A well-integrated Booking Engine raises the credibility bar for a B&B. Properties using freebee booking buttons, old style email request forms, or PayPal-style payment buttons are often perceived by guests as amateurish or “low-budget”. This is a perception that, rightly or wrongly, reflects how well the B&B manages their accommodations.
The importance of collecting deposits online with a booking cannot be overlooked. Most free booking buttons don’t offer this. Additionally, a well-established Booking Engine that can verify customer credit cards, and handle collections in multiple currencies is important, particularly in many regions. Many international guests will not be able to book if their cards are being declined by second-rate providers and merchant accounts. Most innkeepers don’t know that even PayPal restricts payments from cardholders in many countries. These are questions that all innkeepers should be asking when selecting a Booking Engine provider.

So, if you are an innkeeper or manager of a small hotel, consider how online booking capability may enhance your business. Ask questions, and consider several providers before selecting one that’s right for you.

For some ideas on how BedBreakfastTraveler.com (Instant World Booking) can improve your website with a Booking Engine, visit:

http://bedbreakfasttraveler.com/booking-engine.php

December 3, 2013December 3, 2013

Time for a New Booking Engine

Time for a New

Booking Engine!

Get a new IWB Booking Engine for your website.

New for 2014, Instant World Booking offers the guaranteed lowest cost versus any competing solution. So, now is the time to switch. Shop around, then come to Instant World Booking.

Try it today with no contracts, no obligation.

Instant World Booking has the lowest price, guaranteed. No exceptions. Just contact us for a personalized price quote. If we can’t reduce your current cost, you get our booking engine free for a year.

This offer is a virtual “game-changer”! IWB’s Booking Engine is fully integrated with IWB Front Desk 2.0 and IWB Channel Manager (see below for more information). In fact, Instant World Booking now offers more service and payment options than any other provider. So why not switch now?

Get a New Booking Engine?

IWB Channel Manager

now updates Booking.com, Expedia, and over 150+ booking sites

Manage hundreds of booking sites from a single calendar.

See all your reservations in one place … Booking.com, Expedia, HostelWorld, Travelocity, Orbitz, and dozens more.

Bonus: Free listing on the GDS … access over 450,000 travel agency sites worldwide.

Manage your calendar on all your booking channels from just one source.

Additionally, all booking sites will automatically be updated every time you receive a reservation. Here’s how it works. Whenever you receive a booking on any channel or website (e.g., HostelWorld, Booking.com, Expedia, etc.), your availability calendar is immediately updated on all connected sites. Over 150 booking sites are available. Even update all your calendars when you receive a reservation from your own website (IWB Booking Engine required).

Get IWB Channel Manager Now? Questions?

Why IWB Channel Manager?

Less than $14 per month
More than 150 booking sites, plus the GDS, all included
Free signup for IDS/GDS sites, reaching 450,000 travel agents worldwide
All major hostelling sites included, HostelWorld.com, Hostelbookers, etc.
Incredible savings of time and money by updating your calendar only once
Automatic updates for incoming reservations

IWB Front Desk 2.0

Free Trial!

IWBFrontDesk.com is a property management system (PMS) that will save you money. Enhance your front desk operations by managing your reservations, guest communication and other functions more efficiently.

Get 1 Month Free. Just enter Promo Code SAVE2014 to begin your free trial.

Get your Free Trial?

Savings of 40% to 85%

IWBFrontDesk is significantly cheaper than many popular property management systems (front desk software).
Compare now?

Learn More? Questions?

November 7, 2012

Hurricane Sandy forum introduced by PAII

PAII CEO, Jay Karen and Lisa Kolb, owner of Acorn Internet Services, met at the Washington B&B Guild Annual Meeting earlier this week. Due to the impact of Hurricane Sandy and the relatively little information we’ve been hearing about impacted B&Bs and inns, the two thought a more public-access information sharing site would be helpful.

From that discussion, PAII has since created a public forum for the innkeeping industry to post any innkeeper needs, as well as offerings of help those affected. This forum is the place to go to post any requests for assistance or awareness of the need for assistance of your peers on the East coast, and to offer help in whatever way you can. Some examples of needs might be finding places for guests who had reservations at now-closed B&Bs, knowledge of any trouble getting a response from insurance carriers, supplies, places for weary innkeepers to stay or relax, etc.

Visit www.innkeeping.org/sandy and you’ll see the Hurricane Sandy forum. Once inside the forum, use the two conversations to post your information. Thanks for any help you can offer.

October 18, 2012

Talking about Increasing Your Web Exposure for Online Bookings

When it comes to your accommodation & lodging business, having the right exposure is key. You want to maximize your potential for online bookings from multiple channels. But, you don’t want to have all the work of managing your information and updating your calendars on all those channels, right?

This is the type of discussion we have every day with hotels, bed & breakfasts, and hostels of all sizes every day. So, what if you called and asked how we could expand your exposure and increase your business. Here’s a hypothetical answer about how the discussion might go:

It was very nice speaking with you this afternoon. We discussed 2 optional services that, based on our discussion, will work very well for your business. These services are:

1) IWB Channel Manager

2) IWB Booking Engine for your website

CHANNEL MANAGER

First, regarding IWB Channel Manager, you mentioned that it was your goal to (a) increase exposure of your property for bookings, and (b) have just one interface to deal with for calendars, billings, commissions, etc. IWB Channel Manager can meet these goals.

Here is our proposal for how it works:

You pay a monthly cost of $14 for the basic IWB Channel Manager membership. This offers connections to a variety of booking channels, e.g., Expedia.com and others. This service enables you to manage your calendar just once on our website, and it simultaneously updates all your 3rd party booking channels. This eliminates any time and effort having to maintain multiple calendars on multiple systems.

For a channel that you are already signed up with, e.g., Expedia, we offer an Expedia connection. And, within 24 hours you can begin using IWB Channel Manager, and updating your Expedia calendar from IWB. There are no other costs. Whatever you Expedia commission and arrangements are would continue as before.

We discussed connecting you to our excellent Reconline channel. This channel offers a simultaneous connection to about 120 IDS booking sites, plus the GDS. Premium IDS sites include premium channels such as Hotels.com, Hotwire, Orbitz, Travelocity, and many other similar sites. The GDS are the reservation systems used by over 300,000 travel agents to book their air, hotel and car reservations.

To get set up with Reconline, with simultaneous connections to all 120 IDS sites, plus the GDS, we will facilitate the application process for you. There is no cost for setup. There is a 17% commission for any bookings that originate from any of these sources. The billing and commission process is handled all centrally.

So, to summarize, IWB Channel Manager will connect your IWB calendar to your external channels, so you only have to maintain one calendar. The Reconline channel will publish your property on about 120 sites plus the GDS. The total cost will be only $14 per month for the membership, and 17% commission on any bookings from any Reconline channel. There are no other costs.

BOOKING ENGINE

The second service that we discussed is a new Booking Engine for your website. This service will enable customers to book reservations instantly on your website. And, it’s a natural complement to the Channel Manager, since bookings will be confirmed from the same calendar you’re already maintaining on our website. So, one source for all bookings and channels. And, our pricing options are very flexible.

We discussed a setup in which customers would pay a standard flat $25 deposit on each booking. Our cost for this booking engine would be $5 per reservation. There are no setup fees or other costs.

We offer alternative pricing methods, including a 35% deposit option, which would have a 5% commission cost. Or an 8% deposit option, which would have a 1.9% commission cost.

Alternatively, you can select a no-deposit option which would have a monthly fixed price of $28 (pricing available through November 2012).

GETTING STARTED

1) To get started with IWB Channel Manager, please log in to your profile at our website. Once logged in, proceed to the CHANNEL MANAGER page. Purchase your membership to get started.

2) Once you have purchased the membership, proceed to the Setup Interface. There you will select CHANNELS, and then the “Reconline” channel. Follow the instructions on your screen to request Reconline setup.

3) We will then send you the necessary Reconline application materials, and initiate the set up process.

4) For any other channels you want to setup, follow the instructions on the Setup Interface.

5) Before setting up and connecting any channels you will need to add your calendar of availability on IWB’s Calendar interface. Proceed to the CALENDAR page to do this. This will also need to be done before we can setup your Booking Engine for your website.

October 12, 2012

How to Properly Interact with Facebook Fan Pages

We all know that social media interaction works well for small businesses and tourism and bed & breakfast hotels in particular. But how does the whole “Like” system work? And what is the best method of socially interacting with Facebook?

For those asking for clarification on exactly how the “LIKE” procedure should go, here it is. We’ve found that this procedure works best, and is fast when trying to like multiple pages:

1) Log in as your personal page.

2) Go to the facebook fan page you want to like.

3) Click the like button (this increments the like count since you are logged as your personal profile).

4) Click the little down arrow in the upper right corner of your window, and switch to “Use facebook as” your business page.

5) Click the backspace button. This takes you back to the fan page you are liking.

6) Click the like button again. This likes the page as your business page, which has the benefit of allowing you to comment on and continue interaction with the page in the future (Don’t underestimate the value of this step).

7) Now, post a comment on the page you have just liked. This has the benefit of leaving a link back to your facebook page on the timeline of the liked page.

Again, don’t underestimate the value of steps 6 and 7 when it comes to social media interaction. Step 6 allows you to follow the page on your business profile and continue interaction in the future. Step 7 allows you to place a comment and link to your facebook page on the liked page. This means that every person who has liked that page (perhaps hundreds) has the potential to now see your comment and your link in their newsfeed. Since you already liked the page in step 6, you will be able to track and return to that page again in the future to leave further comments, and of course your link.

September 30, 2012September 29, 2012

Praise for Britain and Ireland Bed & Breakfasts

As part of an introduction to Europe’s bed and breakfast accommodation, travel specialist Rick Steves recently had some very positive things to say about UK & Ireland B&Bs in the Seattle Times.

An obvious fan, Steves begins by giving a warm impression of B&Bs in general and makes a number of pertinent observations: “While B&Bs often lack the conveniences of a hotel — such as fancy lobbies, restaurants, and in-room phones — I happily make the trade-off for the personal touches that they do offer, whether it’s joining my hosts for tea in the afternoon or relaxing by a common fireplace at the end of the day. […] But even though B&Bs are family-run, it doesn’t mean you have to feel pressure to become ‘part of the family.’ Chatty friendliness is not forced on guests. Depending on my mood and workload, I am often very business-like and private during my stay. On other occasions, I join the children in the barn for the sheep-shearing festivities.”

Book Bed and Breakfasts

January 24, 2012

How to Get Channel Management for your B&B

The interest level in IWB Channel Manager is incredible. A number of questions have been received about how to get the quickest access to this service. We’ll answer this question here.

Well, you need to start by having a free listing on BedBreakfastTraveler.com (Instant World Booking), which provides free marketing, a high-end calendar system, and access to all our other services. This can be accomplished in about 3 minutes at the following page:
http://www.bedbreakfasttraveler.com/listings/add_property.php

Once listed, you will have access to a wide array of service options, for example Booking Engines and a low cost property management system called IWBFrontDesk.com. You can get a free trial of our excellent property management system at:
http://www.IWBFrontDesk.com

Now, for Channel Management, which is the hot topic. You will have access to get started with IWB Channel Manager, offering management of dozens of booking sites right from one calendar. Once you have your free listing, please log in with the User ID provided, then proceed to the CHANNEL MANAGER page. There you will find all the information you need.

One thing Instant World Booking prides itself on is being able to provide high-end services at a cost cheaper than any competitor. For example, we have a guarantee to provide a booking engine for your B&B website lower than any other competing offer. For some demos on our Booking Engines, please see:

http://www.bedbreakfasttraveler.com/booking-engine.php

January 19, 2012January 12, 2012

Volcano Bed and Breakfast

Aloha,

We offer several Bed & Breakfast Suites.

Our beautiful Fern House hosts two cozy rooms with private baths on the second floor. It has a common sitting room with microwave and coffeemaker on the second floor as well. Guests of the Ohia Room and Ola’a Room can use the large 60 ft swimming pool in the back yard of the Fern House.

Our Ohia Room features a queen size bed, saterllite tv and dvd player. It is furnished with bamboo hardwood flooring, teak wood bed and furniture. It has a private marble bathroom with walk-in shower and Jacuzzi tub. From the windows you have an intimate view of the Volcano Forest with Ohia trees and Hapu’u ferns.

Our Ola’a Room features a queen size bed, satellite tv and dvd player. It is furnished with Lyptus Fire hardwood flooring, mahogany wood bed and furniture. It has a private bathroom with shower. From the windows you have a view into the forest of Ohia trees and Hapu’u Ferns and onto the 60 foot salt water swimming pool in the spacious garden beneath you

This beautiful Bed & Breakfast lies on virgin land in the middle of the Volcano Forest, 10 minutes north of the famous Volcanoes National Park. The Spanish-style Fern House with yellow stucco and red tile roof is surrounded by Hapu’u ferns and the famous Hawaiian Ohia trees that grow on elevation and carry red blossoms in the spring.

The Fern House is very classical in its set up. It features hard wood floorings, teak furnitures and cozy rooms.

Due to rising quest inquiries, we now offer three more rooms at only 3000 feet away from the Fern House.

Our Forest House features three spacious rooms; the Ginger Room and the Hibiscus Room for couples and the Orchid Room for families. Outside the house is an area with two Jacuzzi tubs and a sauna for use by the guests of the Forest Rooms only.

Our Ginger Room in the Forest House features a 300 sqft room with king size bed, satellite tv, small seating area with coffee maker and private bathroom with tub and shower. Laminate flooring and island style furnitures. Guests of this room can use the outside lounge area with two Jacuzzi tubs and a sauna and the large common living room with wireless internet.

Our Hibiscus Room in the Forest House features a 300 sqft room with king size bed, satellite tv and private bathroom with tub and shower. Guests of this room can use the outside lounge area with two Jacuzzi tubs and a sauna and the large common living room with wireless internet.

Our Orchid Room in the Forest House is ideal for families. It is a 400 sqft unit with one queen bedroom and one twin bedroom, satellite tv and private bathroom with tub and shower, washer and dryer. Guests of this room can use the outside lounge area with two Jacuzzi tubs and a sauna and the large common living room with wireless internet.

January 13, 2012

BedandBreakfast.com, Rezovation, and Webervations Raise Prices

BedandBreakfast.com, Rezovation, and Webervations have raised prices again. Upon recently visiting their websites to update our analysis of comparative pricing, we discovered that another wave of price increases have been rolled out in the last 6 months. But don’t take our word for it, visit their websites for yourself.

BedandBreakfast.com for example now charges about $433 per year for a “Silver” membership. This is up about 8.5% from last year’s price. Apparently BedandBreakfast.com, which was bought up by a vacation site holding company called Homeaway in 2010, believes that their hold on the North American B&B industry demands more value. Their increase in pricing seems to ignore the fact that many specialty bed and breakfast directories (BedBreakfastTraveler.com included) still offer B&B memberships for free.

This is not to say that BedandBreakfast.com doesn’t offer value for their price. For example, the price you pay enables a B&B hotel to participate in BedandBreakfast.com’s online reservation system. This is a system that will charge a B&B an additional 25% commission (on top of the membership price) to publish their availability on the BedandBreakfast.com-owned sites, as well as Expedia, Hotels.com, Travelocity, and a selection of others.

So, Bedandbreakfast.com does offer some value for B&B’s who absolutely want exposure to Expedia, Hotel.com, and other premium sites. But is 25% too high a price to pay (we didn’t mention that they charge 30% to some properties, depending on the specifics of their arrangement). Consider BedBreakfastTraveler.com’s new IWB Channel Manager service (presented by Instant World Booking). With a free membership at BedBreakfastTraveler.com, B&B’s have access to join IWB Channel Manager, which offers connections to Expedia.com, Hotels.com, Booking.com, Travelocity.com, and others for a total commission rate of only 18% (compare to BedandBreakfast.com’s 25% – 30% commission). Assuming an average reservation value of $200 and about 60 reservations per year (conservative assumptions), after considering all membership fees, commissions, etc., BedBreakfastTraveler.com comes in at savings of about 31% versus a BedandBreakfast.com Silver membership, or about $1,260 in the first year. Quite significant savings indeed.

What about Rezovation and Webervations? Well, Webervations have now increased their pricing for the smallest B&Bs by 11% – 18% over last year’s prices. This is really quite a substantial increase in a down economic cycle. But, let’s consider Rezovation, which now offers a more full service set of options. Prices for Rezovation GT Basic software increased between 20% – 33% in the range of property sizes between 1 and 19 rooms. A price increase of 33% represents an increase of a full third of last year’s cost. The Rezovation GT Online product, and online offering which starts at a higher price than Rezovation GT, now has prices between 13% – 20% higher than last year, also substantial increases.

Rezovation has a rather dominant market position, and perhaps their price increases reflect this. But, considering that a B&B with 5 rooms may now pay $90 per month for Rezovation GT Online (or a 15 room B&B $130 per month), is this still a positive value proposition. Sleek alternatives like IWBFrontDesk.com will cost only $16 per month for the same property ($28 for the 15 room property), a significant savings pocketed. But, what about Rezovation’s built in service suite, including a website Booking Engine. Well, BedBreakfastTraveler.com can bundle Booking Engine with IWBFrontDesk.com, essentially the same product set as Rezovation GT Online, and still save up to about 60% of the cost a user would pay for Rezovation GT Online (as much as $1,000 savings per year given the assumptions above, for a 15 room B&B).

When it comes to Channel Management, Rezovation offers connection to the GDS or BedandBreakfast.com’s third party website connections (like Expedia). The GDS connectivity will cost $649 just to get the process started, and then there are ongoing 15% commissions, $15.50 per reservation, and $250 per year after the first year. If this sounds expensive, it is. The connection to BedandBreakfast.com’s online reservations may be cheaper for some B&Bs. But, as mentioned above, with commissions of 25% – 30%, this is still quite an expensive undertaking. This is why BedBreakfastTraveler.com can bundle GDS connectivity, or connectivity to Expedia.com, Hotels.com, Booking.com, Travelocity.com (or about a hundred other choices), right into the IWBFrontDesk.com solution. So, an end to end solution including property management system, booking engine for your website, and channel management, can save you $1,000 or $2,000 every year versus Rezovation’s and BedandBreakfast.com’s new pricing.