Important to know:
To access Demand Plus, log in to Direct Booking > Setup > Integrations > Demand Plus.
Introduction to Demand Plus
Demand Plus lists your SiteMinder booking engine on popular metasearch engines (Google Hotel Ads, Trivago, and Tripadvisor), increasing your potential to get direct bookings and hence reducing your reliance on channels.
Some key benefits:
Increased visibility and reach
Your property will appear on global metasearch engines like Google Hotel Ads, Trivago, and Tripadvisor.
Easy sign-up and simple to use
Getting started is easy, just log in, go to Direct Booking > Setup > Integrations > Demand Plus. Our skilled team handles the setup for you, including distribution, commercials, and billing.
Reservations are made through your SiteMinder booking engine, so you own the booking data. If you have your guests’ consent (in compliance with GDPR), you can send them promotional, up-selling, and relationship-building e-mails.
Easy reconciliation of bookings
Reconciling your bookings and fees is straightforward, with a real-time transaction dashboard and reporting.
Higher profit margins and risk-free commission
When a guest books with you directly through Demand Plus, you only pay a small transaction fee for completed stays, and not for cancellations or no-shows. This commission structure is cheaper than channel commissions, which are often between 20-30%.
The European Union approved the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) in 2018, to control how companies and other organisations handle personal data. The law has regulations that protect the data of European citizens living anywhere in the world and European residents. Its jurisdiction is global, which means that even if your property is not located in the European Union, the regulation will still apply to you when a European person visits your website. If you fail to comply, you could be fined. See the GDPR website for further information.
Demand Plus costs
Demand Plus has a simple cost structure:
There are no setup or monthly fees, and you can cancel at any time.
A small commission is charged on the Net reservation value of each completed stay acquired through Demand Plus, which excludes credit card fees, taxes, and service charges.
The commission varies per region.
You can see the commission rates and the billing period:
During activation - on Step One: Getting started and Step Two: Review and activate.
If Demand Plus is enabled, you can see the commission percentage in Direct Booking > Setup > Integrations > Demand Plus. In the 'Important information' section, click the 'review and reconcile your Demand Plus reservations' link. The commission rate and cost is listed with each reservation.
Note:
Channels (online travel agents) often charge commission based on the Gross booking value, which includes credit card surcharges and taxes.
Once a reservation is made, the reservation e-mail confirms that the booking was made through Demand Plus.
If a reservation is cancelled or guests do not show up, this will show up in your statements. You can review your statements by going to Direct Booking > Setup > Integrations > Demand Plus. In the 'Important information' section, click the 'review and reconcile your Demand Plus reservations' link. Performing reconciliations before the 7th day of every month prevents commissions being charged for incomplete bookings.
Find your property on Demand Plus metasearch sites
Once you have enabled Demand Plus, your property will start being listed on metasearch sites including Google Hotel Ads, Trivago, and Tripadvisor. You can search these sites to check that your property is listed.
Site 1: Google Hotel Ads
Before your property will display on Google Hotel Ads, you will need to create a Google Business profile. Your details on your Google Business profile must match your property details in SiteMinder.
To be eligible on Google, your property must be listed in the 'Hotel property category' (e.g. a hotel, motel, bed and breakfast, etc) on your Google Business profile.
Perform a Google search with the name of your property.
The results show on a panel containing details about your property, and also the “Official Website” rate.
This shows that your property is being listed on Google Hotel Ads.
Site 2: Trivago
Before your property will display on Trivago, you will need to create a Trivago profile. Your details on your Trivago profile must match your property details in SiteMinder.
To be eligible on Trivago, your property must be listed in the ‘Accommodation’ category on your Trivago profile.
Go to Trivago’s website and search for your property name.
Your property should be listed in the search results. If it is not listed, try narrowing your search to be more specific. This search result will contain the “Hotel Website” rate.
This shows that your property is being listed on Trivago.
Site 3: Tripadvisor
Before your property will display on Tripadvisor, you will need to create a Tripadvisor profile. Your details on your Tripadvisor profile must match your property details in SiteMinder.
To be eligible on Tripadvisor, your property must be listed in the 'Hotels' category on your Tripadvisor profile.
Go to Tripadvisor’s website and search for your property name.
Your property should be listed in the search results with your direct booking price. If it is not listed, try narrowing your search to be more specific.
Click on your property’s View deal button and you should be redirected to your SiteMinder booking engine.
This shows that your property is being listed on Tripadvisor.