How to get the first bookings for small accommodation without needless discounts

When accommodation is new, guests have no experience of their own and no reviews to rely on. That doesn’t mean the lowest price is the only way to the first booking. Start by making the decision easier: show clearly where guests will sleep, what is included in the price, how they get inside and what they can do in the area.

Shape the offer for a specific guest

“An apartment for everyone” is hard to picture. Instead, decide who the stay suits best: families with children, couples on a weekend away, cyclists or people looking for a quiet place to work. You don’t have to turn other guests away; just be clear about whom you will explain the value of the stay to first. Write one sentence that connects the type of guest, the place and the main benefit. For example: “A family apartment a few minutes’ walk from the beach, with a kitchenette and space for bikes.” Use it to check that your headline, photos and description all talk about the same offer.

Show reality in good photos

Start with a clean, tidy space, daylight and level shots. Photograph the main rooms, the sleeping areas, the bathroom, kitchen, entrance and parking. Add the view or the garden if they are part of the experience. Avoid wide-angle distortion and photos that hide the real size. Captions can remove doubt: “bedroom with a double bed”, “parking in front of the house” or “a 12-minute walk to the beach”. Good presentation is not embellishment; it is an accurate preview of the stay.

Remove surprises from the price and terms

Set your price according to the season, length of stay, cleaning costs and local alternatives. Compare places of similar size and equipment nearby, but don’t mistake their rates for a guarantee that you will see the same demand. Check the final price for a typical stay: before sending a booking, guests should understand any fees, the deposit, the cancellation policy, the arrival time and whether bed linen or parking are included. If you have a gap between stays, you can test a shorter stay or a small price adjustment. Note down the change and the date so you know what actually worked.

Start where guests can find you

In the first season, booking portals, the local tourist organisation, recommendations from people you know or themed groups where listings are allowed can all be useful. Read the rules of each channel and keep the same price, capacity and availability everywhere. If you have your own website, share it in local tips, on your business card or in your communication with past guests, as long as this complies with the rules of the channel and the consent you have. Useful, readable content also helps visitors from search engines, but no article or specific technique guarantees a position in the results. Google recommends writing mainly for people who want to solve something with the text (Google Search Central).

Reply quickly and collect specific feedback

Prepare answers to the five most common questions: availability, number of beds, parking, arrival and what there is to do nearby. Reply specifically, not just “everything is in the description”. After departure, say thank you and ask the guest for an honest review; don’t offer a reward for a positive comment. If the same question keeps coming up, add the answer to your listing or to your information message. Track not only the number of bookings, but also where guests came from and what they asked about.

Your first month in seven steps

Do you want guests to see availability and the calculated price on your website and send the booking straight to you? BKNGWEB offers a website with a booking form and calendar management. But first write down how you will bring visitors there – a website on its own won’t bring guests. The article Your own booking website or portals? follows on from this. As bookings start coming in, prepare clear information for guests before arrival too.