2018 was a quieter year for us at the bunkhouse, having been closed for the first half of the summer due to family commitments but we started slowly in August were booked through September.
Trying Booking.com (again!) We made the bold decision to try Booking.com for the 2018 season and stared accepting bookings earlier than usual in February for the occasional one night stay. After two months we decided it wasn't for us, largely because we found it complex when doing a booking with pets. Pets have always stayed for free at Greytones Bunkhouse but we have always asked for a small damage deposit per pet. Booking.com had difficulty with this additional deposit and it meant we had to call guests after booking and ask for their payment details again (booking.com keeps this information) and it led to a lot of extra time. Well, nothing lost, nothing gained as they say, I'm glad we gave it a go but I think we're a little bit too unique for them, added to which the 15% cut they take did make it more expensive! We've always kept an open mind and for 2019 we're sticking with Laterooms.com and Tripadvisor for bookings. A quiet summer We were busy through to April but then decided to wind down until August. We had a lot on as a family and were worried we wouldn't have the time to properly run the bunkhouse. I always say, if it can't be done properly there's no point doing it at all, and I know that even though we are a bunkhouse our regulars have got used to our high standard of cleanliness and this is something I would not compromise on. A busy September We started up properly again in August and had a couple of bookings through the new TripAdvisor instant booking system. A much improved system over Booking.com! We found the four bookings that came through all with out any issues and crucially we had all the guests contact details so we could get in touch if need be. Not an important point in itself but if ever there were an emergency and we had to move a guest to the Falcon Manor Hotel (the last time that happened was in 2016 and we always cover the costs). New TripAdvisor bookings led to us being sold out every weekend in September and we had a busier October than in previous years as well! Thank you :) I'd like to thank all the guests that came and stayed with us again in 2018 and I hope to welcome back some converts who came and stayed for the first time last year! It wouldn't be half as fun without any guests! Looking ahead I'll be putting up our looking ahead into 2019 post soon after this one has 'gone live'. Cheers Jan x
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrote by Jan at Stainforth Walled Lodge to provide updates on whats happening in the area and at the accommodation. Archives
December 2023
Categories
All
|
Holly House
Stainforth Settle North Yorkshire Yorkshire Dales National Park England BD24 9PH Contact 01729 821259 Monday - Sunday 9.30am - 10pm daily to speak to Jan (the proprietor) with any enquiries or to make a reservation. You can dial out of hours and leave a message. |
|