Originally a listing place for hotel rooms, Booking.com now has a wide range of
accommodation from hotels, to B&B's, to luxury resorts, homestays, even treehouses and
igloos!
They offer accommodation, flights and car rental, but no other tourist services.
Booking.com charge hosts a 15% booking fee + 3% credit card fee. Guests are not charged any
fees.
Advantages and disadvantages of Booking.com
Pros
- They attract a huge audience with their guaranteed low prices.
- Guests often don't need to pay in advance or can cancel for free, which is very attractive to potential customers.
- Great deals are offered to guests who book in advance.
- No booking fees for customers.
- Excellent support service -for both guests and hosts.
Cons
- You have no control over who stays at your property. Once a guest books, the reservation is automatically accepted.
- Very high commission relative to other booking channels.
- Payouts are made monthly rather than per booking, which doesn't suit all hosts.
- No review system or profile for guests, so potentially a higher risk of property mistreatment.
How to list on Booking.com
To list your accommodation, click "List your property" on Booking.com or go to https://join.booking.com/.For step-by-step instructions see: How to create a listing on Booking.com.
Summary
- Booking.com offers a wide range of accommodation.
- They charge very high commission compared to other channels.
- They attract a huge audience with their low prices.