January. The property is closed, the garden is full of leaves, and the first booking for August 2027 pops up on your phone. From Booking.com, at the August 2026 rate. Because nobody has entered the new rates yet.
Winter mistakes show up in summer: a forgotten rate, a cancellation policy with no deposit, a room sold while it was being renovated. Before you open bookings for the new year, go through this list. It takes an afternoon.
1. Rates for the whole season, not just May
Check that every room type has a rate for every 2027 date you sell, up to the end of the season. The most common trap is dates with no rate, or with last year's rate. In Bookmatrix.com you set a rate for a date range, and for specific weekdays if you want a different weekend, in one update. The channel manager sends it to every channel.
2. Minimum stays at peak times
A single lonely night in mid-August can spoil a whole week. Set a minimum stay for peak periods and, if needed, closed arrivals or departures on certain days. Check that the restrictions reached the channels too, not only the system.
3. Cancellation and deposit policies
Every rate plan should carry the policy you want for 2027: how many days before arrival cancellation is free, how much deposit you ask for, what a no-show is charged. If you had many last-minute cancellations this year, now is the time to change the policy, not in June. For option reservations, also check how long you hold the room before it is released.
4. Rooms and rate plans mapped on every channel
If you added a room type or a rate plan during the winter, it must be mapped to each channel, or it will not sell there. Do a simple test: close a date on the calendar and see that it closed on Booking.com and Airbnb. Then open it again. Why this matters more than anything else is explained in our article on double bookings.
5. Opening and closing dates
When do you open, when do you close? If you open earlier or close later this year, the dates outside the season must be closed on every channel. The same goes for rooms that will be out of service for works: close them for those days before a guest books them.
6. A test booking on your website
Open your booking page on your phone, as a guest. Pick dates in July 2027. Do you see the right rooms, the right rates, the cancellation policy before payment? Does the confirmation email arrive? If something is missing, you see it first, not the first guest of the year.
7. Card payments
Check that your payment provider account is active and that the bank details for payouts have not changed. An expired card or an account waiting for a details check can stop deposits without you noticing. Make a small payment with a link from a test reservation.
8. Taxes and fees for the new year
The climate crisis resilience fee and VAT must be calculated correctly for 2027 stays. If amounts or rules change, they must change in your settings too. See what applies in our article on the resilience fee, and confirm the 2027 amounts with your accountant before you open.
9. Descriptions, photos, arrival times
New air conditioners? Breakfast hours changed? Check that descriptions, photos, amenities and check-in and check-out times are the same on your website and on every channel. Differences bring questions, complaints and lower reviews.
10. Guest emails and team access
Read your automatic emails: confirmation, pre-arrival instructions, thank you after departure. Do they have the right phone number, the right parking directions, the right times? Also check who in the team has access to the system: whoever left goes out. Whoever joins this year comes in with the right permissions.
And one more: the bookings you already have
If you took bookings for 2027 back in the summer, in a notebook or by email, put them on the calendar now. A booking that exists only in a notebook does not close availability on the channels. If you are switching systems, future reservations are imported into Bookmatrix.com before you start, so the calendar is complete from day one.
Frequently asked questions
When should I open bookings for 2027?
When the new year's rates and policies are ready for the whole season. The first summer bookings often arrive during the winter, so do not leave dates open at old rates.
Do I have to enter rates separately on each channel?
No, if you have a channel manager. You set the rates once on the calendar and they go to every connected channel.
How long does this check take?
For a small property, an afternoon if the rates are already decided. Deciding the rates takes most of the time, not entering them.
Want to open 2027 with all of this ready? Try Bookmatrix.com free for 14 days with your own rooms at bookmatrix.com/demo, or leave your details at bookmatrix.com/form and we will call you on the next working day. Phone: +30 2351 151525.