In October, when the last guests leave, many owners do the same sum: how many bookings came from Booking.com, how many from Airbnb, how many by phone. Then comes the question: should I open more channels next year? Which ones?
The answer starts with what can be connected. Bookmatrix.com connects to booking channels through Channex, our channel manager partner. According to the figures Channex itself publishes at channex.io/integrations, it has 544 connections in total, of which 75 are OTA channels. How the connection works, what is sent and what comes back, is on our new page Bookmatrix.com and Channex.
Here we do something more practical: we split the 75 channels into groups and say which kind of property each group makes sense for.
1. The big ones: Booking.com, Airbnb, Expedia, Vrbo
You know these. For most Greek properties Booking.com brings the largest volume. Airbnb is strong for apartments, villas and houses. Expedia brings guests from markets where Booking.com is less dominant, and Vrbo, from the same company, is mostly used by families and groups renting a whole home.
For whom: almost everyone. If you sell on only one of them, a second one is usually the first step.
2. Google Hotels & Vacation Rentals
Not a booking platform in the classic sense. Google shows prices from several sellers when someone searches for a place to stay, and with free booking links your own website's price can appear there too.
For whom: anyone with a booking engine on their site who wants more direct bookings.
3. Asia and long-haul markets: Agoda, Trip.com, Traveloka, MakeMyTrip, Yatra, Tiket, Klook
Agoda belongs to the same group as Booking.com and is strong in Asia. Trip.com mainly serves travellers from China and wider Asia. MakeMyTrip and Yatra are Indian, Traveloka and Tiket mostly South-East Asian.
For whom: properties in destinations that already see guests from these markets, such as Athens, Santorini or Mykonos. For a small property in a Pieria village, the work will probably not pay off.
4. Wholesalers and distribution networks: Hotelbeds, WebBeds, TBO Holidays, W2M, MG Bedbank, Didatravel, Emerging Travel Group, Hyperguest, TravelgateX
These do not sell to the guest directly. They sell rooms to travel agents, tour operators and other platforms, usually at a net rate you agree with them.
For whom: hotels with enough rooms that want to fill off-peak months or work with agencies abroad. Watch your prices, because their customers may resell the room.
5. European national channels: Check24, HRS, feratel, Szallas, Travelminit, Noclegi.pl, Nocowanie.pl, Hotely.cz, Bed-and-Breakfast.it, eDreams
Many countries have their own popular channels. Check24 and HRS are German, Szallas is Hungarian, Travelminit Romanian, Noclegi.pl and Nocowanie.pl Polish, Hotely.cz Czech.
For whom: this is probably the most interesting opportunity for Northern Greece. If in Pieria, Halkidiki or Thassos you host guests from Romania, Hungary, Poland or the Czech Republic every summer, a channel from their country puts you in front of them in their own language.
6. Special audiences: Hostelworld, Glamping Hub, Hipcamp, Pitchup, Ctoutvert, VacanceSelect, Mr & Mrs Smith, Tablet Michelin, Hotel Tonight
Hostelworld is for hostels. Glamping Hub, Hipcamp, Pitchup, Ctoutvert/Secureholiday and VacanceSelect are linked to camping and glamping. Mr & Mrs Smith and Tablet Michelin select boutique hotels and do not accept everyone. Hotel Tonight sells last-minute stays.
For whom: anyone who fits their audience exactly. A camping site gains more from a camping channel than from one more general OTA.
How to choose: four questions
- Where do your guests come from today? Look at the nationalities in this season's bookings. The channel worth having is the one those people use.
- Which months stay empty? In August you do not need a new channel. In May and September you might.
- How much work does it take? Every channel has its own contract, commission, extranet, photos, descriptions and payment method. With a channel manager you do not type prices and availability again, but the profile on the channel has to be set up and checked.
- Can you measure it? Open one new channel at a time and see after a season how many bookings it brought.
What Bookmatrix.com does on every channel
Whichever channels you choose, they connect to the same calendar. The channel manager sends availability, prices and restrictions (minimum stay, closed to arrival, stop sell) and brings back every booking, change and cancellation. When the last room sells on one channel, the date closes on all of them. That is why more channels do not mean more double bookings, as we explain in double booking? Never again.
You do not need your own Channex account or contract: the connection is part of your plan. The contract with each OTA is between you and the channel. We map rooms and rates with you on the phone, usually within 48 hours. If you are still wondering whether you need a channel manager at all, read why every hotel needs a channel manager.
Frequently asked questions
Which booking channels does a small hotel need?
Most start with Booking.com and a second big channel (Airbnb or Expedia), together with their own booking engine. The rest are added one at a time, depending on where guests come from.
How many channels connect to Bookmatrix.com?
Through Channex, 75 OTA channels according to Channex's list (544 connections in total, including technology partners). The full list is at channex.io/integrations.
Do I pay extra for each channel?
Not to Bookmatrix.com: the channel manager is part of every plan. Each OTA has its own commission, which you agree with it.
If I open many channels, do I risk double bookings?
No, as long as they are all connected to the channel manager. Every booking closes availability on every channel within seconds.
Want to see which channels fit your property? Try Bookmatrix.com free for 14 days at bookmatrix.com/demo, or tell us which channels you sell on today at bookmatrix.com/form and we will call you on the next working day. Or call us at +30 2351 151525.