Around mid-day on Friday we noticed some inconstancies with the Agoda channel. We proactively took the decision to temporally take all Agoda listings offline until everything is fixed. This will prevent any booking issues, but also means we won't receive booking amendments, modifications or cancelations during this period. 

It is important to acknowledge any email communication from Agoda and action any changes or cancelations manually. 

As soon as Agoda has confirmed everything is 100% we will reactivate the listings. 

As of Sunday @ 3pm the listings remain offline. 

A quick note - we don't see which user posted a comment or feedback, so please include your name or property name when leaving feedback so we know who to get back too. Thanks :) 

We are thinking of subsidising a travel photographer and videographer to travel around to each property and generate content for your social and digital platforms. 

Matt (Sam's brother) & Holly have worked with some of the biggest global brands to generate content from Tourism NZ to Cunard Cruise Line. Normally a package like this would cost in excess of $2,000. 

We are proposing that each property will receive the following package; 

• Full day shoot on location
• At least 50 x high res, edited room images
• At least 15 x high res, edited resort & facilities images
• 5 staged images for social (model relaxing by the pool, checking in etc)
• 2 x videos (15 second and 45 second edits)

Flights, accommodation & rental car will be provided by Resly, as well as $150 per property towards the cost of the shoot. The total out of pocket cost for a property will be $915. 

Have a look at their instagram here - https://www.instagram.com/_farfromhome/?igshid=tpv30nahbydz

If interested please comment on this post with your property name and any questions. For this to work we will need to get some minimum numbers. Likely to be later this year July/Aug

Direct Booking Marketing by Sojern. 

Contact Irina Markovych for more details. 

0431990084 • irina.markovych@sojern.com 

We have added a discount calculator to the quote screen so you can easily offer a direct discount. 

Once you have selected the room type to quote, you will see a discount drop-down menu on the left hand side of the pop-up box. 

What does this mean for tourism operators in Brisbane?

• People can continue to arrive to Greater Brisbane from outside the region to return home, stay at a residence such as a family member’s home or hotel, or for an essential purpose such as work or for essential health care. However, if they do, they are required to comply with all the requirements of the lockdown.
• If you have guests from the Brisbane area due to check in after 5:00pm AEST today and over the next three days, they will be unable to. Brisbane residents can only leave home for essential reasons and leisure travel is not one of the reasons.
• Guests who are currently on an island within the Greater Brisbane region can return home during the lockdown period. However, these guests should travel directly home and then continue to comply with the stay at home direction, only leaving home for essential reasons.

What does this mean for tourism operators outside of Brisbane?

• If you have guests already staying with you who have been in the Greater Brisbane area since 20 March 2021, these people should stay where they are and follow the lockdown restrictions as though they were in Brisbane – i.e. they should only go out for essential purposes and should wear a mask when doing so. They should also check the contact tracing alert and follow Queensland Health's advice if they have been in any of the locations listed.
• If you have guests from the Brisbane area who made a booking for today and/or arrived today before 5:00pm AEST, you can take those bookings, however those guests will also need to follow the lockdown restrictions wherever they are. You also have the right to refuse service, if you wish.
• If you have guests from the Brisbane area due to check in after 5:00pm AEST today and over the next three days, they will be unable to. Brisbane residents can only leave home for essential reasons and leisure travel is not one of the reasons.
• If you have guests who need to return home to Brisbane, they can do so. They should travel directly home and then continue to comply with the stay at home direction, only leaving home for essential reasons.
• Restrictions have also changed across Queensland outside of Brisbane – including a requirement for seated dining, mask wearing in indoor areas and lowered gathering numbers. All businesses outside of Brisbane must adhere to the restrictions outlined in the 'Restrictions for Queensland' Direction.

Advice on how tourism operators can respond and assist has been issued in this fact sheet.

You can now record additional guests in each reservation. 

Reservation overview > Edit > Additional guests > Enter details > Save

Green plus = add guest

Red cross = remove guest

You can now customise your guest invoice by showing room number, or showing room type, or not showing anything.

Go to Settings - General - Charges - Invoice - Room Details

By default, it's showing nothing.

Online check-in has been improved to validate and collect your guests direct contact details. 

New rule: If the mobile number is missing the guest will be prompted to enter it. 

New rule: If the email is a channels alias address (@guest.booking.com) the system will recognise this and prompt the guest to enter their actual email address. 

We now include a breakdown of the daily rates for every booking. Click into the comment field to see the breakdown.