We've always been worried that Facebook doesn't convert directly with businesses and this may just prove us entirely wrong! It certainly has some potential albeit we haven't tried it yet
From our hotel clients' point of view it appears to offer the chance to put up late availability or advance offers with discount without the rip off fees of flash sale sites and other deal aggregators. In that sense could it be a game changer? Even if it isn't, anything that makes hotels and tourism providers think about offering deals DIRECT cannot be a bad thing!
It comes also on the same day as the launch of Google Hotel Finder in the States just perhaps there is some hope for a move in the balance back towards direct offers and bookings. It is only a small move forward for hotels but for the savvy operators Facebook offers could add some value at little risk.
We'll test it out with clients over the coming few days and report back but we can certainly see where using the powerful price groups and discount codes within the Bookassist booking engine could drive direct reservations back through the Facebook booking app or through the website.
We'd suggest hotels try using code driven online reservations with a limited number of vouchers being allowed.
How about:
Stay two nights at The Celtic Links Demo Hotel before the end of June 2012 and receive 50% off the second night's stay. Rooms can only be booked online via the Hotel's own website or on the Hotel's own Facebook Page using Discount Code FBx3x4x5Ian McCaig of Bookassist in Scotland was quite keen to get a trial going, "Not all hotel pages have access to the Offers feature yet but we will be rolling out some Code driven promotions over the next few days in an attempt to guage how it may drive direct sales through the hotel's direct low cost booknig engine. It certainly won't do any harm in having a direct offers tool."
Bookings must be made by 30th of May 2012
Can only be booked online
Find out how to use Facebook Offers
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