Hostelbookers integrated into Hostelworld backend. What happens next?

On 13 January, 2016 the new Hostelbookers site launched, and the backend was merged with Hostelworld’s. What does this mean for your hostel, and what will WRI do with Hostelbookers?

According to emails sent out to properties that are listed on both sites:

• All Hostelbookers bookings, content and reviews are now stored in the HOSTELWORLD inbox.
• You will no longer be required to update Hostelbookers rates or availability separately. The rooms/rates and availability showing on this site are taken from your HOSTELWORLD inbox.
• If you are currently Elevating on Hostelworld you will also benefit from improved positioning on the new Hostelbookers website.

Properties that were only listed on HW before will now also be listed on Hostelbookers. Your hostel will be added automatically, but you can change your HB microsite content through the HW Inbox.

If you are using a channel manager, then the channel controlling HW will also update your HB rates and availability. It will no longer be possible to assign different rates or availability to these two sites.

What isn’t going to change?

• Booking modifications and cancellations were never possible on Hostelbookers before, and they will still not be possible now
• The rating system on HB will stay the same (average rating is based on the last 25 reviews)
• Strikethrough pricing will still be displayed if you list a price that is 5-50% higher within the next 6 months

There is a Frequently Asked Questions link available for more information about the HW/HB integration.

What will WRI do with HB?

The HB website was discussed at the HW conference. Instead of running it into the ground, which some people expected them to do, they’re going to focus on a different target audience to prevent the two sites from cannibalizing each other.

According to the presentation, HB customers tend to be:

• Older than HW guests
• Visiting a city for a particular event rather than general tourism
• Interested in accommodation in general rather than hostels
• More interested in a hostel’s proximity to their event than in the atmosphere or community
• More inclined to book private rooms than dorms

So the idea is to run keyword ads on searches for specific attractions and events to promote the HB accommodation options nearby with the new slogan “Just a step away.”

This may not recruit the usual hostel clientele, but perhaps that’s a good thing because it means a broader customer base and more potential business. These will likely be people more familiar with (and interested in) budget hotels than hostels. Many of us felt the same way about Booking com when they started listing hostels too, and they later grew to be a major booking channel for a lot of hostels.

So how can we make the most of this? Align your HB listing with their marketing efforts:

• Talk about your location with respect to attractions and events in your property description
• Load more photos of private rooms than dorms
• Select photos that include slightly older guests
• Showcase your comfort and design aspects