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Key Takeaways
Understand the Shrinking Booking Window: The timeline for guest bookings has significantly decreased. Bookings that used to come in 90+ days out are now happening as close as 7–30 days before arrival. You need to adapt your marketing and operations to this compressed window.
Track Search and Booking Intent: Don’t assume which dates guests are interested in — track it. Use your website data, OTA trends, and booking windows to align marketing with guest search behavior. Promote dates that guests are actually looking for, not just ones you want to fill.
Leverage SMS Over Email for Last-Minute Bookings: Text messaging has surpassed email in driving last-minute bookings for many operators. Build an opt-in SMS list and use it for quick, compelling promotions (e.g., cancellation alerts or “last-minute steal” offers).
Call Previous Guests, Especially for Larger Operators: Don’t underestimate outbound phone calls. If you have the bandwidth or a reservations team, re-engaging past guests via phone can fill soft spots, especially for older demographics who still prefer phone communication.
Know the Difference Between Spontaneous Travelers and Deal Seekers: Not all last-minute bookers are bargain hunters. Some are experience-driven and will pay full price if the value is there. Segment your messaging accordingly — don’t rely solely on discounts.
Pricing Tactics Are Useful but Not the Whole Story: Gradually lowering rates closer to stay dates (common practice) may not always boost bookings. Understand your true price floor by testing more aggressively, but know that pricing alone won’t overcome weak brand positioning or marketing.
Use Data to Drive Strategy, Not Emotion: Don’t panic based on a gut feeling. Use concrete data: occupancy trends, RevPAR, ADR, booking windows by channel, and competitor comps. Often the situation isn’t as bad as it feels — or it’s worse than you think.
Improve Review Quantity and Quality: Reviews matter even more for last-minute guests. Make a focused effort to get more recent, positive reviews — use personalized follow-up, not just automation. This boosts visibility and conversions when guests are deciding fast.
Outbound Marketing Beats Automation (When You Need Results Fast): Automated emails and posts help, but direct, personalized outreach (phone, SMS, or custom email) works better for urgent needs. When you need heads in beds this week, don’t rely on passive channels.
Align Owner Expectations with Realities: Sometimes lower occupancy isn’t bad, especially if revenue per property (RevPAR) is stable. Owners care about income and value, not just nights booked. Communicate effectively when applying pricing changes or last-minute tactics.
What We Cover In This Episode
In this episode of The Heads In Beds Show, Paul and Conrad dive into tips and tricks on getting more bookings this summer, driving last-minute demand, and boosting the number of bookings you get to fill in open dates.
