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Half-Board Rates

The hotel is part of a group that currently has over 20 bars, restaurants & shops.

The hotel has added a half-board rate during the peak season (May to September) in which guest have the option to dine in one of 3 different restaurants. As the restaurants are not very large it was decided that the rate should be a non-refundable rate in order to minimise cancellations.

The rate comes with some extra conditions:

  1. It is non-refundable
  2. Guests may only dine between the hours of 19.30h and 21.00h
  3. One of the restaurants has bi-weekly ‘Dinner & Show’ nights. (On those nights Dinners are available in that restaurant by paying an extra supplement)
  4. Dinner consists of a 3 course meal with wine included from each restaurants daily menu (not a la carte)

One the hotel’s reservation system, these conditions are all very clear and form part of the description of the rate and also form part of the terms and conditions of the rate.

It is important for us that the guests understand the conditions when they book and so are not annoyed when they arrive at the hotel and feel that they have been misled.

This half-board rate has been very successful on the hotel’s website and we also would like guests who reserve through BDC to be able to reserve this rate.

We have contacted BDC to ask how to include the rate’s conditions in the extranet and they say that it cannot be done and that we should just add it to the Fine Print on the hotel’s profile. As many of our guests’ gripes come from them not having read the Fine Print we feel that is not the correct place for such important information regarding the rate.

BDC has suggested two options as to how this rate could work.

  1. Once the guest has made a reservation of the Non Refundable Half Board we then send them an automatic message telling them of the terms and conditions that in effect they did not agree to when making the reservation.

Or

  1. We wait until the guest checks-in to the hotel before telling them of the terms and conditions that in effect that they did not agree to when making the reservation

We were very surprised by both BDC’s suggestions for their lack of transparency.

Can any of you guys think of any better ways for us to be able to add this rate to the extranet?


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BrookAve 4 years ago

 

Hi

 

Simply do it as a series of photos with text.

 

Also edit the Fine Print to detail it.

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hector 4 years ago

Hi Barry, Thanks for your answer.

We tried to add it to the fine print but were told by BDC that it was not important enough text to be considered 'fine print'.

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M Adamopoulou 4 years ago

Then maybe you should try the photo trick Barry suggests.

Wish you luck.

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hector 4 years ago

Hi M Adamopoulou,

We like the photo idea, however we don't think that it is fair that a guest should have to look at every photo just incase there maybe some important terms and conditions about their reservation on one of the pictures.

The terms and conditons of a reservation should be obvious and available for the guest to see along with all the other information regarding the reservation before they actually make and confirm the reservation.

There should be no 'after confirmation' suprise amendments to the terms and condition.

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BrookAve 4 years ago

ironically they will look at photos quicker than read text, and you can set the order they appear in too to move them to the top

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M Adamopoulou 4 years ago

You have a point of course.....

Photos  could be a temporarily option until you can pursuade BDC to give you a better solution.

Wish you all the best.

 

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hector 4 years ago

It has been over 18 months since we received BDC's slightly odd advice so we feel that it won't happen.

On a website so large everything has to be very generic and not tailored to individual hotels or seasonal hotels. It is a shame. 

 

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M Adamopoulou 4 years ago

Have you tried again to convince them with facts???

Maybe you can meet half way!!!

Wish you luck.