How do you fine-tune your distribution strategy for maximum return?

More online visibility and more commission-free bookings

To achieve good occupancy rates, your accommodation must be visible to travellers on various booking platforms. At the same time, it is important to ensure a smooth direct booking process on your own website to keep commission costs under control. Bruges-based Stardekk - developer of innovative hotel software with 22 years of experience - offers the solution for a profitable distribution strategy with Cubilis. 

In an ideal world, all travellers would come straight to your own hotel website and everyone would book directly. In reality, most bookings happen through external booking platforms, making it essential to have a presence with your hotel or B&B on these channels. 

"To maximise the online visibility of lodgings in an efficient way, Stardekk developed the Cubilis Channel Manager," says Niels Vanden Buverie, Chief Commercial Officer (CCO) of Stardekk. "Your Channel Manager is the engine of your online distribution. From a clear central dashboard, you can easily manage prices and availability on the various channels. Real-time synchronisation in two directions makes overbooking a thing of the past."

Cubilis gives you access to more than 200 OTAs (Booking.com, Expedia, Airbnb, ...) and metasearch platforms (Trivago, Google Hotel Search, ...). Besides big, international players, Cubilis also links with local booking sites such as Weekendesk and HotelSpecials, which help you reach specific target groups. That way, you have a wide range of distribution channels.

Cubilis can integrate with numerous Property Management Systems, including Bookingplanner, Mews, Protel and Opera. Prices and restrictions are thus automatically exchanged between the Channel Manager and the desired PMS. Furthermore, you can connect with several Global Distribution Systems, Revenue Management Systems and Payment Service Providers, further strengthening your online distribution strategy.

For the profitability of your accommodation, it is important to strike the right balance between bookings through external platforms and direct bookings through your own website. OTAs can serve as billboards to attract more potential guests to your hotel website. In fact, research has shown that more than 50 per cent of your website visitors found your accommodation via an OTA, the so-called 'billboard effect'.

Yet you should not forget that these website visitors are of no use to you if they do not book. "To receive enough direct bookings, your website must look professional and offer an effortless booking process," explains Niels Vanden Buverie. "With Cubilis, you have a user-friendly booking module that integrates seamlessly with any website, including on mobile. It's a win-win situation: the guest is sure of the cheapest price and you, as a hotelier, pay less commission."

The Cubilis Booking Engine has been carefully designed with maximum conversion in mind. Stardekk's CCO highlights the great added value of the built-in Ratebox: a price comparison tool on the homepage that highlights the lower direct price and encourages visitors to book with an eye-catching button. Furthermore, you can add packages and extras to increase your revenue per booking.

As guests often want to pay in advance, you need to provide online payment options. Niels Vanden Buverie: "The Booking Engine offers integration options with various payment providers that allow guests to pay securely via their preferred payment method, at no extra cost to the hotelier."■