Most owners put off switching booking systems because they’re worried about the bookings already in the diary. That worry is fair. A badly planned move can leave a room sold twice, or a guest with no record of their stay.
A planned move avoids that. Here’s how we approach it, and what to ask of anyone who offers to move you.
Before you switch: write down what you have
- Every room or unit, and how you sell them (by room, by unit, by pitch).
- Every rate you sell: seasons, minimum stays, breakfast or room only.
- Every booking site you’re on, such as Booking.com, Airbnb, Expedia or Pitchup.
- Your future bookings, with deposits and balances.
Protect the bookings already in the diary
Future bookings need to come across before any channel is switched over, so the new system knows those nights are taken. Only then should channels be connected to the new system, one at a time, with availability checked on each.
Ask whoever moves you how they handle this. If the answer is “you export a spreadsheet and import it”, you’re doing the move yourself.
Connect your website’s booking engine last
Once the diary and channels are right, the booking engine on your own website goes live. That’s the part that wins direct bookings, so it’s worth testing a booking end to end on your phone before you tell guests about it.
What a switch should cost
Some providers charge a setup fee to move you. We don’t: Room Filler is from £60 a month with no setup fee, and your first month is free. We plan the move with you so live bookings are protected.