BedFlow Blog

PMS comparison 10 May 2026 · 8 min read

Alternatives to MyTourist in 2026 — an honest comparison

MyTourist is an established name in the Belgian market, strong on invoicing and tourist tax. Still, many operators look for a more modern, user-friendly package with a smooth calendar, automatic channel sync and WhatsApp. An honest comparison with BedFlow, Cubilis, RoomRaccoon and Lodgify.

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PMS comparison 11 June 2026 · 9 min read

BedFlow vs MyTourist — an honest comparison for B&B operators

MyTourist is strong on tax, tourist tax and accounting export. BedFlow PMS focuses on ease of use: a visual drag-and-drop calendar, automatic channel sync, a WhatsApp inbox next to the booking and a commission-free booking widget. Plus: BedFlow PMS installs as an app on your phone (PWA). An honest comparison for B&B operators weighing their options.

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Guest communication 15 May 2026 · 7 min read

How to automate WhatsApp communication with B&B guests without becoming impersonal?

Guests increasingly reply via WhatsApp. Which automation works — and which feels like spam? A practical guide.

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Migration guide 25 May 2026 · 8 min read

From MyTourist to Channex: how to migrate your B&B without losing bookings

A practical migration guide based on the real switch of a B&B in the Ghent region: channel order, OTA pitfalls, 72h monitoring and tools that make the migration safe.

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PMS basics 9 June 2026 · 9 min read

What is a PMS? Property Management System for B&Bs explained (2026)

A PMS is the operating system of your B&B: calendar, channels, payments, invoices and guest communication in one place. What exactly does it do, what does it cost, and when do you need one?

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Direct bookings 11 June 2026 · 10 min read

Driving direct bookings: how to pay less commission to Booking.com

Booking.com and Airbnb take 15 to 18% commission on every booking. With your own booking widget, smart pricing and good guest communication you shift part of those bookings to your own channel — commission-free. A practical guide for B&B operators.

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Invoicing & tax 12 June 2026 · 8 min read

Tourist tax for your B&B: how the city tax works and how to invoice it correctly

The tourist tax is a municipal levy separate from VAT. Each municipality sets its own rate and declaration. How do you calculate it, put it correctly on your invoice and keep the declaration smooth — even for OTA bookings?

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Pricing strategy 13 June 2026 · 9 min read

Pricing strategy for your B&B: setting room rates with dynamic pricing and length-of-stay discounts

A fixed rate all year round leaves money on the table. With a thoughtful pricing strategy — a fair base rate, seasonal and weekend pricing, length-of-stay discounts and some last-minute logic — you get more revenue out of the same rooms. A practical guide for B&B operators.

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Seasonal marketing 14 June 2026 · 9 min read

Filling your B&B in low season: 8 ways to get more bookings outside peak months

November, January and February are the quiet months for many B&Bs. But empty rooms in low season aren't a law of nature. With midweek deals, themed packages, a strong direct booking flow and smart pricing, you fill the quiet weeks too. Eight concrete tactics for B&B operators in the Benelux.

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Holiday rental 14 June 2026 · 7 min read

A channel manager for your seaside holiday home: one calendar for Airbnb, Booking.com and your own site

Renting a seaside apartment or holiday home on Airbnb and Booking.com? You know the double-booking risk. Here is how to sync all your channels from one calendar — without hotel complexity, affordably per year with BedFlow Seizoen.

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Holiday rental 14 June 2026 · 8 min read

Renting out one holiday home in season: how to automate it on a budget

You own one holiday home you rent mainly in season. A pricey yearly PMS plan feels excessive. Here is how to automate bookings, channels and guest communication without paying much — from around € 6.58 a month with BedFlow Seizoen.

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Direct bookings 14 June 2026 · 7 min read

BedFlow Seizoen: direct bookings with no platform fees for your holiday home

On Airbnb and Booking.com you pay commission on every booking. With your own booking widget guests book directly — with no platform fees. Here is how direct renting works with BedFlow Seizoen, a € 79 yearly plan for one holiday home.

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Guest communication 15 June 2026 · 9 min read

More reviews for your B&B: how to systematically collect good guest feedback

Reviews determine your ranking on Booking.com and Airbnb and whether a hesitant guest books directly. Yet most B&Bs leave it to chance. A practical guide to honestly collecting more and better reviews — with the right moment, the right question and some automation.

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Channel management 16 June 2026 · 9 min read

Preventing overbookings: how a channel manager stops double bookings

A double booking is every B&B operator's nightmare: two guests, one room, and a conversation nobody wants to have. We explain why overbookings happen, how a channel manager stops them with automatic two-way sync, and which settings you really need to check.

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Pricing strategy 17 June 2026 · 8 min read

Length-of-stay discounts for your B&B: more nights per booking, less work

A guest who books 5 nights is often more profitable than five separate one-night stays. Learn how length-of-stay discounts encourage longer bookings, cut your cleaning and check-in workload and fill the gaps in your calendar — with a concrete calculation and smart thresholds.

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Channel management 18 June 2026 · 9 min read

Ranking higher on Booking.com: 8 levers for your B&B

Why isn't your B&B higher in Booking.com search results? We explain roughly how the ranking algorithm works and give 8 concrete levers — from content score and reviews to availability and response time — you can act on today.

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Reservation management 19 June 2026 · 9 min read

Setting cancellation policies for your B&B: flexible, moderate or strict?

Which cancellation policy should you pick for your B&B? We compare flexible, moderate and strict, explain how no-shows and non-refundable rates differ, and show how to keep your terms consistent across every channel without mistakes.

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Invoicing & accounting 20 June 2026 · 10 min read

Peppol and mandatory e-invoicing for your B&B: what changed in 2026?

Since 1 January 2026, structured e-invoicing via Peppol is mandatory for B2B invoices between Belgian VAT-registered businesses. What does that mean for a B&B in practice, which invoices are in or out of scope, and how do you get your admin ready without extra hassle?

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Guest communication 21 June 2026 · 7 min read

Online check-in for your B&B: less work on arrival and a correct guest register

Guests arriving late, a pile of paperwork at the desk and still a mandatory guest register to keep: check-in costs many B&B operators time and stress. With online check-in you collect the details in advance, enable self-arrival and keep your register tidy. Here is the practical approach.

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Invoicing & accounting 22 June 2026 · 9 min read

VAT on accommodation in Belgium: the 12% rate since 2026 explained for your B&B

Since 1 March 2026, Belgium applies 12% VAT on accommodation instead of 6%. What changes for your B&B, what about breakfast and add-on services, when do you qualify for the small-business exemption, and how do you keep your invoicing correct? A practical explanation.

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Direct bookings 23 June 2026 · 8 min read

Preventing no-shows at your B&B: prepayment, deposit and clear terms

A no-show costs you an empty room you can no longer resell. With the right mix of prepayment, deposit, clear cancellation terms and a reminder beforehand, you keep no-shows low — without scaring guests off. A practical guide for B&B and guest-room operators.

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Holiday rental 24 June 2026 · 8 min read

iCal sync for your holiday home: why the free calendar link falls short

iCal links between Airbnb and Booking.com look free and handy, but they update with a delay and don't push prices. Learn where iCal sync goes wrong and when you need a real channel manager.

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Channel management 25 June 2026 · 9 min read

Becoming an Airbnb Superhost as a B&B: the four criteria and how to hit them

You don't become an Airbnb Superhost by luck, but by system. We break down the four criteria — rating, response, cancellations, stays — and how to hit them structurally without chaining yourself to your phone.

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Revenue & upselling 26 June 2026 · 8 min read

More revenue per booking: selling extras and upsells in your B&B

Your rooms are full, but your revenue can still grow — without a single extra booking. With well-thought-out extras like a breakfast option, late checkout, a wellness moment or a bottle of cava in the room, you raise the average spend per guest. How to offer upsells without being pushy, and how to get them onto the invoice automatically.

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Guest experience 27 June 2026 · 9 min read

Self check-in and smart locks for your B&B: welcome guests without always being home

A guest arriving at 11pm, or right when you sit down to dinner: self check-in with a key safe or smart lock makes your B&B flexible without having to wait at home. Which options exist, what they cost, how to keep it secure and welcoming, and how to handle the access code automatically per booking.

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Channel management 28 June 2026 · 9 min read

Rate parity for your B&B: are you allowed to be cheaper on your own website?

Are you allowed to charge a lower price on your own website than on Booking.com? Many B&B owners don't dare to, for fear of a "fine". We explain what rate parity is, what changed under the European rules, and how to make direct bookings more attractive without hurting your OTA ranking.

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Channel management 29 June 2026 · 9 min read

Expedia for your B&B: signing up, costs and whether it's worth it

Most B&Bs lean on Booking.com and Airbnb. But is a third channel like Expedia worth it? We explain what Expedia Group is, how to sign up (directly or via a channel manager), what it costs, and when it does or doesn't pay off for a small B&B in the Benelux.

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Marketing & bookings 30 June 2026 · 9 min read

B&B photos that book: how better room photos lift your occupancy

Your photos are the first thing a guest sees — and often the reason they click through or scroll past. Practical tips for room photos that book, plus how to get them right across Booking.com, Airbnb and your own website in one go.

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Guest communication 1 July 2026 · 9 min read

Automating guest communication for your B&B: the messages your guests actually expect

From booking confirmation to review request: which messages do you send when, and how do you automate them without going impersonal? A practical timeline for B&B and guest-room hosts.

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Marketing & bookings 2 July 2026 · 9 min read

Google's free booking links: how your B&B shows up commission-free in search

When someone googles your B&B, a booking panel shows prices from Booking.com and Airbnb — and increasingly your own direct rate too. Here is how Google's free booking links work, why they matter and how to appear in them.

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Channel management 3 July 2026 · 8 min read

Booking.com Genius for your B&B: is the extra discount worth the visibility?

Genius promises more visibility on Booking.com, but you pay with a discount on top of your commission. We work out the real cost and help you decide whether it is worth it for your B&B.

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Guest communication 4 July 2026 · 8 min read

Returning guests: how to get more repeat bookings for your B&B

A returning guest is your cheapest booking: no commission, no ad spend, and they often book directly. Yet most B&Bs never systematically invite their guests back. Concrete tactics to turn a first stay into a second and a third.

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Direct bookings 5 July 2026 · 9 min read

A booking system on your own website: let guests reserve directly

A pretty website without a booking button is a brochure, not a sales channel. Here's how to put a real booking module on your own site — with live availability, direct payment and zero commission — without technical skills or double bookings.

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Channel management 5 July 2026 · 9 min read

Airbnb vs Booking.com for your B&B: which platform do you choose?

Airbnb or Booking.com — or both? An honest comparison of commission, guest profile, payments and visibility for small B&Bs in the Benelux, plus why the real win is in how you run both channels together without double bookings.

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Administration & law 7 July 2026 · 8 min read

Reporting accommodation statistics to Statbel: what your B&B or holiday home must file each month

Statbel's accommodation statistics are often confused with the tourist tax, but they are two separate obligations. One you pay to your municipality, the other is a monthly report of arrivals and overnight stays by country of origin — without paying a single euro. What Statbel asks exactly, who has to file, and how a good PMS fills it in almost automatically.

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Pricing & revenue 8 July 2026 · 9 min read

Occupancy, ADR and RevPAR: the 3 numbers every B&B should know

Many B&B operators steer by a single number: occupancy. But a full calendar at low rates can earn less than a half-full one at the right price. This article explains occupancy, ADR (average daily rate) and RevPAR with concrete worked examples — and why RevPAR is the number that ties the other two together.

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Channel management & OTAs 9 July 2026 · 9 min read

Booking.com payouts and the virtual credit card (VCC): how does your B&B actually get paid?

You get a booking via Booking.com, the guest has "paid online" — so where is your money? This article explains the difference between a virtual credit card (VCC) and a bank payout, when the card becomes chargeable, how commission is invoiced separately, and where reconciliation often goes wrong.

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Channel management 10 July 2026 · 9 min read

Setting a minimum length of stay: how many nights minimum for your B&B?

A minimum length of stay protects you against costly one-night bookings and isolated gaps in your calendar — but set too strictly, it scares guests away. Learn when a min-stay makes sense, how to set it per period on Booking.com and Airbnb, and how to avoid bricking up your own calendar.

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Direct bookings 11 July 2026 · 9 min read

Google Business Profile for your B&B: get found for free and win more direct bookings

Before a guest ever lands on Booking.com, they often Google your name or your region first. A well-filled, active Google Business Profile puts you on the map for free — in search results and on Google Maps — with a direct link to your own site instead of an OTA. Here's how to optimise it and turn that attention into commission-free bookings.

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Guest communication 12 July 2026 · 9 min read

Responding to a negative review as a B&B: what to write and what to avoid

One bad review feels personal, but your reply is read by dozens of future guests. A calm, sincere response says more about your hospitality than the complaint itself. Here's how to answer negative reviews on Booking.com, Airbnb and Google without getting defensive.

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Direct bookings 13 July 2026 · 9 min read

Online payment for direct bookings: deposit, payment link or full prepayment?

If you take direct bookings, you also want to get paid. But do you ask for a deposit, a payment link or the full amount upfront? A practical guide to online payments for your B&B: which method when, how to cut no-shows and how to keep it smooth.

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OTA & commission 14 July 2026 · 9 min read

How much commission does Booking.com charge in 2026 — and how to lower it structurally

Booking.com is a powerful channel, but the commission eats into your margin. How much do you really pay — base rate, Genius, Preferred Partner and payment fees combined? And more importantly: how do you lower that cost structurally without losing visibility? An honest, concrete guide for B&B operators.

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Occupancy & pricing 16 July 2026 · 8 min read

Filling the gaps in your booking calendar: selling orphan nights without losing revenue

That single night stuck between two bookings — too short to sell on its own, too valuable to leave empty. These gaps quietly cost a B&B thousands of euros a year. This guide shows how to spot orphan nights, why your minimum stay creates them, and how to fill them smartly with pricing and stay rules.

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Invoicing & accounting 17 July 2026 · 9 min read

Automating your B&B bookkeeping: from booking to accounting software without retyping

The same evening every month: manually turning bookings from Booking.com, Airbnb and your own site into invoices for your accountant. This guide shows how the booking → invoice → accounting software chain works, where it breaks (VAT rates, OTA commissions, virtual cards) and how to automate it.

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Pricing strategy 18 July 2026 · 9 min read

Setting your B&B room rate: how much do you charge per night?

What do you charge per night when you're starting a B&B? This guide shows how to work out a fair base rate from your costs, what an OTA commission does to that figure, why the cheapest price is rarely the smartest, and how to let the rate move with season and occupancy.

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Direct bookings 19 July 2026 · 8 min read

Email newsletter for your B&B: how to get guests to come back

A happy past guest is your cheapest next booking — if you stay in touch. Here's how a simple email newsletter builds repeat guests and direct bookings without OTA commission: from GDPR consent to the four emails that actually work.

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Guest communication 20 July 2026 · 8 min read

Foreign guests in your B&B: how to solve the language barrier

Half your guests don't speak your language — yet they still expect a warm welcome. Here's how to give French, German and English-speaking guests a flawless experience without translating every email by hand: from confirmation to check-in instructions in their own language.

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Pricing strategy 21 July 2026 · 8 min read

Cleaning fees in your B&B: whether to charge them, and how to set them up

A cleaning fee looks like free money, but on Booking.com and Airbnb it can cost you ranking and conversion. When a separate cleaning fee makes sense, when to fold it into the nightly rate instead, and how to set it up correctly per channel so direct bookers pay less.

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In practice 22 July 2026 · 9 min read

Breakfast in your B&B: make it, outsource it or drop it — and how to charge for it

The second B in B&B stands for breakfast, but it is also your most expensive and most labour-intensive service. When breakfast pays off, when to outsource or drop it, and how to charge for it as a separate option so it lands neatly on the invoice instead of eating your margin.

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Guest experience 23 July 2026 · 9 min read

Allowing pets in your B&B: policy, surcharge and how to set it up

Allowing dogs can save your low-season occupancy — or wreck your cleaning schedule. What being pet friendly really costs, how to write a policy you dare to enforce, which surcharge works, and how to push it correctly to Booking.com, Airbnb and your own booking widget.

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Payments 24 July 2026 · 9 min read

Asking your B&B guests for a deposit: when, how much and how to handle it correctly

A deposit protects you against damage, but scares off bookings if you handle it wrong. When a deposit makes sense, what amount is reasonable, the difference between a pre-authorisation and an actual charge, and how to handle it cleanly on Booking.com, Airbnb and your own booking widget.

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Direct bookings 25 July 2026 · 9 min read

Selling gift vouchers for your B&B: direct commission-free revenue and cash flow in the low season

A gift voucher is one of the few sales no platform takes a commission on — and the money lands in your account up front. Why gift vouchers are ideal for low-season cash flow, which types exist, how to price and account for them correctly, and how to promote them around the holidays.

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Invoicing & accounting 28 July 2026 · 9 min read

Business guests in your B&B: how to fill your midweek and invoice correctly to a company

Business guests book exactly the nights that are hardest to sell: Monday to Thursday, off season, often several weeks in a row. What they really need, what must appear on an invoice made out to a company, how to set up a corporate rate, and why to collect the VAT details before checkout.

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Bookings & occupancy 29 July 2026 · 9 min read

Group bookings in your B&B: renting out several rooms at once without the chaos

A group of friends wanting four rooms, a family celebration asking for the whole house: group bookings are your biggest bookings and your biggest risk. How to hold rooms while a quote is open, what deposit and cancellation terms to agree, how to invoice as one bill or per couple, and why exclusive use needs its own price.

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In practice 30 July 2026 · 9 min read

Housekeeping planning in your B&B: rooms ready between check-out and check-in

Between 11am and 3pm everything has to line up: which room gets a full clean, which one only a refresh, and which can wait. How to build a daily plan your cleaner can read on their own, what to do with same-day turnovers, and how to stop a departed room from sitting dirty unnoticed.

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Getting started 31 July 2026 · 10 min read

Starting a B&B in Flanders: the admin checklist before your first guest

The room is ready and the photos are online — but what has to be sorted out on paper before you accept that first booking? Registering the accommodation, fire safety, company number and VAT, tourist tax, guest register and statistics: a checklist in the order you should work through it.

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Pricing 1 August 2026 · 9 min read

Price per room or per person? Setting up children, extra beds and surcharges without the chaos

Two adults and a six-year-old: what do you charge? Choosing between per-room and per-person pricing decides how you set child rates, extra beds, breakfast and tourist tax — and where it goes wrong on Booking.com and Airbnb. A practical approach.

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PMS basics 2 August 2026 · 9 min read

From Excel to a PMS: when has your booking sheet outgrown itself?

Almost every B&B starts with an Excel sheet, and it works for surprisingly long. Until it doesn't. Five concrete signals that your sheet has outgrown itself, plus a plan to switch in one week without losing a booking.

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Seasonal marketing 3 August 2026 · 8 min read

More bookings in autumn and winter: what to set up now

Your B&B's winter occupancy isn't decided in December — it's decided in August and September. Eight settings and decisions to lock in now, from calendar horizon and holiday weeks to midweeks, cost floor and closing periods.

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Administration 4 August 2026 · 9 min read

Keeping guest data: what does the GDPR allow, and for how long?

With five rooms you are just as much a data controller as a hotel chain. Which guest data you may collect, what to do with the ID card, how long to keep invoices, email logs and bookings, and how to handle an access or erasure request without losing your figures.

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Administration 5 August 2026 · 9 min read

Is your Booking.com commission invoice correct? Check it in twenty minutes

Every month a commission invoice lands that most hosts simply pay. A pity: cancellations, unreported no-shows, shortened stays and tourist tax regularly inflate the commission charged. How to line the invoice up against your own bookings, how to dispute an error, and how the reverse-charged VAT works.

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Operations 6 August 2026 · 9 min read

Adding a second property: managing multiple places without doubling the work

The second property rarely feels like twice the work — until you notice everything is duplicated: two calendars, two inboxes, two rate sheets, two sets of books. What genuinely has to stay separate per property, what you can set up once, and which choices to make before the first guest of property two arrives.

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Operations 7 August 2026 · 9 min read

A guest wants to move their booking: changing dates, rooms and prices without chaos

Moving a booking is not a cancellation, yet most hosts treat it as one: cancel and re-enter. That is exactly where the price, the payment, the tourist tax and the availability go wrong. How to handle a date change, room swap or extension properly — including bookings that came in via Booking.com or Airbnb.

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Pricing 8 August 2026 · 9 min read

Room rates during events and holidays: how much can you actually charge?

A festival, a trade fair or a long weekend sharpens demand for a few nights — and that is exactly when most B&Bs are still sitting on their standard rate. How to put peak dates in your calendar a year ahead, what surcharge is defensible, and why a minimum stay often earns more than a higher price.

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Pricing 9 August 2026 · 9 min read

The non-refundable rate in your B&B: how much discount, and when does it pay off?

Two rates side by side — cancel freely, or a few per cent cheaper with no refund — is the simplest way to cut your cancellations without scaring guests off. What discount is defensible, how to work out whether it pays, and the traps around payment, chargebacks and wording.

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Guest experience 10 August 2026 · 9 min read

An EV charger at your B&B: what does a charge cost you, and how do you bill it?

More and more guests arrive in an electric car and ask whether they can charge. An extension lead to a wall socket is not the answer. What a charge really costs you, three ways to bill it, and how to get the amount onto the booking and the invoice.

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