Booking.com and other OTAs no longer share phone numbers with rental and accommodation businesses. That makes it harder to reach guests directly, but guests still need the same information they always have.
Phone numbers are the latest in a series of details the OTAs have stopped sharing. Over time, they have passed on less and less guest information to the businesses that actually host the guests. This affects both accommodation providers and the systems they use.
Guests still need information
This change doesn’t affect what guests expect. They want to know how to check in, where to go and what to expect, ideally before they arrive. Accommodation providers need a way to give them that information. Without contact details, this gets harder.
Stay one step ahead
The businesses that come through this change best are the ones that adapt early. There are a few things you can do today:
- Make sure your messages get through. Check that the systems you use are approved senders with the OTAs, so messages to guests aren’t blocked.
- Make active use of the booking confirmation. Tell guests what happens next and how they’ll receive information before their stay.
- Have a solution at the front desk. Make it easy for guests who arrive without contact details on file to enter them on arrival.
Invite has the solution ready
Invite has already adapted to these changes. Our system makes sure businesses still get the guest details they need to communicate directly with guests, even when the OTA doesn’t share them.
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