CASE STUDY

Taipei hostel boosts bookings with inventory strategy

The Beimen WOW Poshtel attracted early bookings and increased revenue by almost 400% after applying a long-term inventory strategy and our tools in Partner Central.

Hotels Inventory distribution
150%

increase in net room nights after loading long-term inventory*

392%

increase in raw margin dollars (RMD) after loading long-term inventory*

Challenge: Maintain steady bookings in a competitive market

As general manager, Janet Chen had a top goal of filling as many beds as possible at the Beimen WOW Poshtel. The Taipei market is competitive, with over a million searches by travellers every day across our travel websites.
 

Janet knew she had to think creatively to help the Beimen WOW Poshtel stand out from the competition. The 22-room property is unique in that it offers private rooms and dormitory options, making it appealing to a wide variety of guests.
 

For help attracting more travellers and increasing bookings, Janet turned to her market manager. Together, they analysed the market and came up with a revenue management plan to achieve these goals and maintain a healthy average daily rate.

Solution: Increase bookings with a long-term inventory strategy

Janet’s market manager recommended the hostel adopt a long-term inventory strategy to maximise potential bookings. Opening up inventory for future dates would help the Beimen WOW Poshtel attract travellers who want to make reservations six months or even a year ahead of their trip.


To further appeal to potential guests, Janet created several early-bird promotions. The earlier travellers made their reservation, the bigger the discount they received. Janet also offered discounts to guests who stayed more than two nights to incentivise longer stays.

‘It’s easy for us to set up promotions in Partner Central since we can amend them daily instead of having to set them for specific lengths of time. We depend on OTAs to sell rooms, so the promotions function works really well for us.’

Janet Chen

General Manager, Beiman WOW Poshtel

Results: Managing and promoting future inventory pays off in a big way

After opening up long-term inventory and adopting early-bird promotions, the hostel saw a 150% increase in net room nights and a 392% increase in raw margin dollars.*

Future: Preparing to welcome future guests

Like many partners, Janet has felt the impact of COVID-19. The Taiwan market saw a drop in demand throughout the pandemic, but the hostel’s inventory management strategy ensures that they can capture bookings from travellers eager to explore in the future.


In addition to adjusting their inventory and creating early-bird discounts, Janet and her team are also renovating select rooms to ensure that the property is ready to welcome future guests as demand returns to normal.

*Expedia Group internal data, 2020

Information contained in this article may have changed since publication.

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