It must be the time of year because I have had not one single enquiry that hasn’t asked for a discount along the lines of: I love your flat but it’s out of my budget…; there’s only two of us, so since we’re a ‘small group’ do you offer a group discount (yes, truly, that was an enquiry - and they wanted only the double bed!); and so on.
We decided not to change our prices much during the autumn, winter, spring months, because our city is a year round destination. We put our prices up by £10-£20 for the very high season - during the Edinburgh festival as there is such demand and we will always fill up then.
I wonder how other people discount?
You are in Edinburgh and I would not discount if you are in such a world class city as that! I book solid for the 6 month tourist season, but get zero bookings the other six months. Air BnB sent me an unsolicited suggestion to drop prices off season. I have not.
If you get people off season asking for discounts, just think to yourself how badly you want that booking, and then decide. Not sure a price cut can make people travel when they don’t tend to travel. I mean up where you are the dark and wet months are hardly holiday weather. I booked conventional BnB’s in Edinburgh many years ago when I was young, in September and October, I tended to be the sole tourist between Edinburgh and Aberdeen! If you’de like to give it a try, a discount for off season, please come back and tell us if it works!
We’re in downtown Toronto, and there’s always lots going on here. Bookings have suddenly dropped to zero, though. We’re taking advantage of the break to do some painting and floor sanding - oh yeah, and some walking around in our underwear (such a relief!) Anyway, our prices are on the low end anyway because we’re fairly new, and I can’t see dropping them any further. Most of the local competition is still more expensive than us. No idea whether hotels have dropped their prices. So far, we’re not interested in nickle-dimey guests because we’re not nickle-dimey hosts - we’re quite generous with our time and our food service. I have given cash discounts to guests that are already here, in one case because the city was suddenly doing unbelievably noisy work outside that made it unbearable in here. But that’s not the kind of discounting you’re talking about.
I think you’re right 69jamescole about not discounting in peak season. I did last year for part of the week as they asked. It annoyed me, but I’d booked out the other half of the week and they did leave a nice review so it all worked out in the end.
We are still getting enquiries but all for discounts. I think the tourist season has extended beyond the summer months (albeit, Oct/Nov are dead) due to the new Winter Festival which is now very popular in Edinburgh and this tends to bleed into busy Hogmanay.
Mo_in_To, I think you’re right: it’s the nickle-dimey guests I’m afraid of. It’s not just about the money is it? I’ve been warned by others on another thread to beware of anyone who asks for a discount (we’re pretty good value for our location we feel - though we’re marked down for value, but only I think because they don’t understand the concept of paying for a great location) because they tend to be whingers and ‘hotel’ guests - which of course not one of us wants!
I’ve had a bit of a rest for the last couple of weeks, so might countenance a discounter if one comes along as I’m ready to inject some cash into my account! But I just hope I’m not then introducing a bad guest into my life…
