Maximum return on online visibility. More commission-free bookings

To achieve a good occupancy rate, it is important to promote your accommodation on different booking platforms. In doing so, strive for a healthy balance between indirect and direct bookings to keep your commission costs under control. So, in addition to strong online visibility, you need a smooth direct booking process for a profitable distribution strategy.

In an ideal world, all travellers come straight to your hotel website and all bookings happen directly. In practice, however, bookings are very often made via external platforms. It is therefore essential to be present on these channels with your hotel or B&B. 

"To achieve optimal online visibility, 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. Via a clear central dashboard, you easily manage prices and availability on the various channels. Thanks to real-time synchronisation, overbooking is a thing of the past."

MORE THAN 200 CHANNELS

Cubilis provides access to more than 200 OTAs (e.g. Booking.com, Expedia, Airbnb) and metasearch platforms (e.g. Trivago, Google Hotel Search). These include not only major players, but also local booking sites that can be important to reach specific target groups. That way, you have a wide range of distribution channels.

Cubilis interfaces with several Property Management Systems, such as Bookingplanner, Mews, Protel and Opera. As a result, prices and restrictions are automatically exchanged between the Channel Manager and the desired PMS. Furthermore, connection is possible with Global Distribution Systems, Revenue Management Systems and Payment Service Providers, further strengthening the online distribution strategy.

Online presence is indispensable for a hotel in this digital world. For the profitability of your accommodation, it is important to strike a good balance between bookings through external platforms and direct bookings. OTAs can serve as billboards to attract more potential guests to your own hotel website. Vanden
Buverie: "Research has shown that more than 50% of website visitors found your hotel through an OTA, the so-called 'billboard effect'. Still, you should not forget that website visitors are worthless if the conversion is not right. To generate enough direct bookings, your website must look professional and offer an effortless booking process. With Cubilis, you have a user-friendly booking module that integrates seamlessly with any website. It's a win-win situation: the guest is sure of the best price and, as a hotelier, you pay
less commission."

The Cubilis Booking Engine is designed with maximum conversion in mind. The CCO of
Stardekk highlights the role of the built-in Ratebox: a price comparison tool that highlights the advantageous direct rate and encourages guests to book with an eye-catching button. Furthermore, you can add packages and extras to increase your revenue per booking.

Since guests often want to pay in advance, you need to provide a fast and secure payment method. Vanden Buverie: "The Booking Engine offers integration options with several Payment Service Providers that allow guests to pay securely via their preferred payment method, at no extra cost to the hotelier."