Sonstbbs

You could market it as a family room then have price options 4 people, 3, and a couple then in your descriptions thoroughly describe the room and facilities.

Our family room is divisible as above and also describe that if 2 adults and 2 children it's better suited for families with children under 10 due to space in the room & en-suite.

So for you just write that it is not suitable for 5 adults....try that maybe?

Regards

S

Hi Masjud9,

We too have had a run of bogus bookings....it first came to my notice on a 'no show'...I then saw a pattern...The booking is simply a surname..no Mr or Mrs, no John or Jane. Always for one night for 2 people. Always with a contact number that doesn't exist.

I have had 10 bookings now since early April.

Each time I find one I message Booking .com and on the whole they have cancelled the booking as being part of their suspicious pattern.

When they message back saying they can't cancel it I just open the room back up manually & mark it as a no show.

Booking.com's solution....for me to charge on booking. This is not something I'm prepared to do as I have many one nighters and advance bookings and 99% of these stick so I'm not going to make changes to my system just for these few but remain vigilant when I receive new bookings.

By opening the room back up manually you still have the option for bookings but just keep the messages to BDC on going so you have proof of the bogus bookings as and when you speak to someone willing to help you out.

Regards

Sonia

Hi Anna,

I have rooms that are bookable for either single occupancy or as a double....people don't read...they book the cheaper (single occupancy) then think they can blag it by turning up as a couple thinking you'll just roll over.

So double check their original booking and if it reads 1 guest then message them back and say (as I have done in the past) :

Just to clarify, you mentioned 'we' in your message to me. Your booking is for single occupancy at a cost of £ (whatever their booking is) and for double occupancy the reservation will be £ (whatever you charge)

You could also put they can cancel without penalty if this is not what they're looking for.

If you are still happy to receive them print out their booking reservation or at least have it on screen to show them the mistake.

If he is still adamant call Booking.com while they are there with you and they can speak to the guest.

Hope this helps

Sonia

Hi Paul,

I upgrade all the time and it's really easy :

Go into the rates and availability tab at the top

Click on adjust rooms to sell

Set the dates so you can see the ones you need

You will then see the 'Rooms to Sell Grid' with the room descriptions down the left column and the dates across the top and then number 1 (or 2 or 3 depending on how many of each room you have)

All you need to do is zero out the booking from the room you want to move them to and then add a number 1 back in the room you then have available.

Zero being no availability in the room, 1 meaning the room is available.

Once you've changed it click on the update tab...all done!

Hope this makes sense! Any problem message back

Where abouts in Spain? Lived there myself for ten years!

Sonia

I agree about identifying the rooms separately identifying one as the Family Room and the other as a 2 Room Family Suite...works for us.

I also add in the description to double check which family space is being booked.....

...I came into my breakfast room one morning to find our lovely Chinese guest eating muesli out of her small tea cup using the teaspoon....it was so sweet...

The bowls are stacked next to the cereals with the milk & juice...I don't know if she just didn't see them or what..

The next morning I made up her place and put a cereal bowl on her place mat...nothing needed to be said...

Hi Mashi,

We too suffer from lower reviews for facilities....it is a very ambiguous category I think.

Even though I thoroughly detail what guests can expect from their rooms we still get lower ratings. We are a B&B not a hotel so don't have 24/7 check-in, public lounge areas etc...again all this is detailed in the descriptions of the property and we still get lower ratings. We are over the road from the beach and have a FREE on-site car-park....and yet we still get lower ratings!!

I honestly don't know what people expect...I've learned that if a space exists for a negative comment people will feel the need to fill it whether it's relative, useful or constructive or not.

As frustrating as it is I've just learnt to actually ignore the facilities reviews as they bear no relation to what we offer or what guests can expect.

Hope this helps

Sonia

Ouch...not an ideal situation....what about the other reservation?? Do you have any neighbours/friends who run apartments that you could ask to put them into? How long is the reservation for? Try and find a solution yourself...BDC can find alternative accommodation for either guest but be warned it could be at your expense...ie they could put them in a 5* if that's all they can find and you will be the one paying the difference....good luck!