The latest service from SafeHostel launches today. BananaDesk is a complete front desk solution specifically designed for hostels. You can check it out now with a 30-day, risk-free trial. Property management, channel management, intelligent dashboard and The SafeHostel Network are integrated into one easy-to-use package.

We are checking it out. Just wanted to know if anyone had real world experience with it.

St. Christopher’s Inns have implemented a self check-in process for guests.

Hostels come in from the dark ages – online check-in has arrived

…European hostel chain St Christopher’s Inn will allow customers to check-in to property before arrival.

The chain of hostels… will now offer a facility to manage a booking and check-in online (desktop or mobile) from within the customer’s booking registration.

Ancillary services are also kicking in as well, with guests able to book breakfast and other refreshments.

On arrival at the hostel, guests will no longer have to queue at the reception desk but will instead pick up their key and other materials from a kiosk.

What do you think of implementing self check-in in hostels? Would it be beneficial for streamlining hostel operations or would it reduce personal contact with the staff?

Would you implement self check-in in your hostel?

Hello,
Lately we started getting a situation when guests reserve 3 or 4 nights and at arrival time cancel all nights except the first one. We have a very developed couch surfing system in our small town. And these guests can find out the couch availability only when they arrive into town. And in this case they cancel with us. Some have other reasons. Anyway we are loosing business. Does anybody have this kind of experience? What do you do? Do you apply cancellation policy to the second night? Can hostels behave in this situation as hotels do, or do you think that hostels have to be more tolerable?
Thank you for answer.

Hi everybody..

I have a question: how can i check that any of my receptionists is stealing money?

Like making reservation and then cancel it, so he can take money for that reservation..

Is there any system or suggestion from u?

many thanks to anyone who can help me!

Marco

ps. camera it could be a option, but since we are a NGO, we are not so rich.... and another option copuld be a fake camera, but receptionist would know is fake...

Hey!

I'm making a website for a hostel down here in portugal.
As right now the whole hostel is managed on paper we want to change that, get an online-booking-tool into the website as well as having an online tool to do the booking-organization.

Following things are important:
- it has to be an online tool
- possible to integrate a booking button or form into the website
- possiblity of booking beds and rooms (as there are some rooms with beds which are rented out seperatly as well as for example double rooms which will be rented out as one room)
- Calender-view
- possiblity to enter bookings which come in per email or phone
- seasonal prices
- additional notes to be put in at bookings
- channel-management
(to hostelworld, hostebookers, hostelclub, booking.com)
- direct onlinepayment after boking (or part-prepayment)
- selling extras (like board-rental)
- perhaps different languages
- no commissions on sales
- not to high mothly costs as the hostel is renting out beds quit cheap as well
- easy to work with

do you know anything like that?
do you have already worked with some and can tell me how you like it - what is good / what is bed, etc. ?

thanks a lot
have a nice day!
karo

Are there any users of Hostel Office out there? We signed up about three months ago but are still having lots of niggling problems.

Most seem to be related to Booking.com and their XML connection. For example: their system only allows you to sell four beds of 4 Bed Dorm at one time even if you have six 4-Bed Dorms. Whenever we sell out one room type on BC it takes sometimes up to a day to upload our availability for this room type again. As a result we are losing bookings.

We also receive bookings not in English as ??? When I asked about this I was told it was Booking.com's fault. However when I asked BC they pointed the finger to Hostel Office. Frankly I don't care who's fault it is we just want to read our bookings.

Any feedback appreciated.

For the sake of fairness I must say they handle Hostelworld, HiHostels and Hostelbookers very well.

We are currently using an excel spreadsheet to track our reservations, but i'd really like to scrap the front desk computer and the credit card machine and change to using squareup.com for credit cards, and ideally, an iPad compatible PMS. Is anyone using a similar system currently?

I'm analyzing different strategies at the front desk for a new hostel project. I will have 60 beds. Was wondering for this size what are most peoples front desk hours of operation? I was originally thinking 7am to 2am, (bars close at 130am), so they could be there is someone is locked out, needs a room, ect. But now I am thinking I would be fine with a 7am - 10:30am shift. On demand front desk from 10:30 to 3pm (front desk helps cleans at this point but is on call if anyone request front desk service, then have a 3pm to 10pm shift. What do you think? Obviously would like to reduce payroll hours, payroll taxes/withholding, ect. Maybe just 7am to 2am on weekends?

Herrow everyone,

I am looking on t'internet for software for HOSTELS but can only find it for hotels. Loads of stuff out there but also very expensive. A few months ago I found the only free one called KWhotel, which is good but not very good for booking bed spaces.

I would love a program which enables me to pick an choose what I need in my software. (am I dreaming?)

I would like to have software that would talk to all of my affiliated sites and update all my info without me going through every single one of them.

Can anyone help?

Thanks,