Hostelbookers Premium Listing

[stozza]

Good news, Hostelbookers have worked out how to extract more money from hostels. They want £350 a month for a premium listing...thats worse than hostelworld's attempts...

[aboriginalhostel]

Are they so desperate for money? I wouldn't mind paying 350 for a year but for a month? Would such investment return to anyone?

[Hostels]

£350 = $570 USD per month. $6,840 per year, about 8.5 times as expensive as Hostels.com.

I'd be interested to hear from anyone that tries it.

[Scotch Argus]

Even at £100 a month for the more remote locations I couldn't see it would be worth it, as most of these places have limited numbers of hostels anyway.

I was interested to see that not only do you have to pay the £350 for this listing, but have to agree that:
"Prices displayed with HostelBookers will be the lowest price, or price parity for the lowest price offered, across all your online distribution channels including your own website."
So you can't even have cheaper prices on your own website if you use this offer. Or any other Booking Engine.

[Hostels]

Originally Posted by Scotch Argus

So you can't even have cheaper prices on your own website if you use this offer. Or any other Booking Engine.

If my memory is correct, even Hostelworld's contract used to say that you had to offer the lowest rates through them. (Can anyone confirm this? I don't think I have the document anymore.)

It could turn into a "you have to offer us the lowest price to be listed here" booking engine war.

If Hostelbookers would create an API for front desk software then they could be guaranteed of allocations and consistent price parity.

[Scotch Argus]

Originally Posted by Hostels

If my memory is correct, even Hostelworld's contract used to say that you had to offer the lowest rates through them. (Can anyone confirm this? I don't think I have the document anymore.)

I hadn't realised that - I must have our agreement somewhere - I'll look it up. I wonder how strict they are - i.e. if you're HW beds are $1 cheaper than HB - will they boot you off the site? Has this ever happened?

[Hostels]

Originally Posted by Scotch Argus

I wonder how strict they are - i.e. if you're HW beds are $1 cheaper than HB - will they boot you off the site? Has this ever happened?

I would be surprised if it were still in the contract. I think that booking engines should compete based on how good of a service they offer to the hostels and travelers, and not on how effectively they can strong-arm hostels on prices and allocations.

[santa klaus]

Originally Posted by Hostels

booking engines should compete based on how good of a service they offer to the hostels and travelers

Are you in a romantic mood today?

[Scotch Argus]

Originally Posted by Hostels

I would be surprised if it were still in the contract. I think that booking engines should compete based on how good of a service they offer to the hostels and travelers, and not on how effectively they can strong-arm hostels on prices and allocations.

Yes, it's still there. Item 10 of the owner's obligations says:
"(x) except with prior written agreement with the Company, the prices on the Website in relation to the Arrangements are no higher than on any other website competing with the Website."

The company being hostelbookers and the website being hostelbookers.com. I'd never read that, and it seems a bit unfair. Not to mention anti-competitive.

[Hostels]

Originally Posted by Scotch Argus

Not to mention anti-competitive.

Sounds like it. If every booking engine said that, the hostels would be trapped.

Is that Hostelbookers? I think Hostelworld's contract said (says?) the same thing.