On 4th March 2026, Jason and Agata met with Daniel, our Booking.com Account Manager, at the Booking.com offices in Bristol.
The purpose of the meeting was to review the performance of our properties on Booking.com and explore ways we can:
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Increase bookings
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Reduce cancellations
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Encourage more guests to leave reviews
These regular strategic meetings form an important part of how we work with major booking platforms to ensure our properties remain competitive and visible to potential guests.
Property Performance Review
During the meeting we reviewed every property listing individually, looking at how each one is set up and performing within the Booking.com platform.
This included reviewing:
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Listing content and imagery
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Facilities and activity listings
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Pricing and discount structures
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Review performance
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Booking trends
We were pleased to confirm that our listings are currently achieving 100% audit scores, meaning that property information, photographs, and facilities are being displayed effectively on the platform.
Guest Reviews – Current Performance
One key area of discussion was guest reviews.
Across our properties, the percentage of guests leaving a review currently ranges between approximately 2% and 17% of guests per booking.
Booking.com explained that this is very typical across the platform, as guests generally only leave reviews when they have either an exceptionally positive or negative experience.
After checkout, Booking.com sends two automated email requests asking guests to leave feedback. Despite this, many guests simply do not respond.
Review Incentives
During the discussion we shared our idea of offering a small hamper to guests who leave a review, regardless of whether the feedback is positive or constructive.
This approach was received very positively by Booking.com, and early results from properties that have already implemented the incentive show an increase in the percentage of guests leaving reviews.
We will continue to monitor these results and review them again during our next update meeting.
Genius Loyalty Programme
We also reviewed Booking.com’s Genius loyalty programme, which rewards repeat Booking.com travellers.
The programme has three tiers:
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Genius Level 1: 10% discount (currently enabled on our listings)
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Genius Level 2: 15% discount
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Genius Level 3: 20% discount
While higher levels can increase visibility to frequent travellers, we advised Booking.com that the current pricing structure does not allow sufficient margin for us to offer Level 2 or Level 3 discounts at this stage.
We will continue operating with Level 1 participation, which already provides exposure to a large number of loyal Booking.com users.
Mobile App Discounts
Another opportunity discussed was mobile app discounts.
Booking.com advised that many guests who book through the mobile app tend to be impulse or last-minute bookers, and offering a small mobile-only discount can sometimes help increase visibility for these bookings.
This is something we will continue to explore as part of our ongoing strategy.
Reducing Cancellations
Cancellations are another challenge across the entire travel industry, particularly with flexible cancellation policies.
One suggestion from Booking.com was to increase the discount offered on non-refundable rates.
This encourages guests to:
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Book earlier
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Feel they are getting a better deal
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Commit to the booking without the option to cancel
Importantly, this discounted non-refundable price can still remain higher than the typical last-minute discounted rate, meaning it can help reduce cancellations while still protecting pricing levels.
While this strategy can help influence booking behaviour, Booking.com advised that no approach can guarantee reduced cancellations.
Additionally, it is not possible to see whether cancellations were triggered by the guest directly or by the system, for example due to a failed payment, as cancellation reasons are not recorded.
Listing Optimisation
Daniel has taken three properties away for further analysis, where the Booking.com team will:
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Stress test the listings
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Review search positioning
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Identify opportunities to increase visibility and bookings
Once their findings are returned, we will look at applying any successful improvements across all properties where appropriate.
2027 Pricing Preparation
Another important point discussed was future availability and pricing.
Booking.com operates on a rolling 16-month booking calendar, which means we will shortly need to provide 2027 pricing so that the platform can continue selling our properties further into the future.
Publishing pricing early helps capture early planners and international travellers, who often book well in advance.
Next Steps
This was a very positive and productive meeting, and it was encouraging to see how engaged the Booking.com team are in helping us improve performance across our portfolio.
We will now:
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Monitor the early results of review incentives
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Explore mobile and non-refundable discount strategies
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Await the findings from the three listing reviews
We are scheduled to reconvene with Booking.com in the next 2–3 weeks to review progress and discuss any additional opportunities to increase bookings and reduce cancellations.
Working Together
Our goal with meetings like this is to continually refine how your property performs on major booking platforms, ensuring we maximise visibility, occupancy and long-term performance.
We will continue to keep owners informed as new strategies are tested and results become available.