IN THE SPOTLIGHT
Having more platforms to advertise your property brings to an end the era of a single service provider, empowering local ...
THE GOLDEN MOON NEWS
We are Thegoldenmoon.com, an online platform specialising in booking tourist accommodation. We work in a ...
No business can or will last forever; it is a law of industry that all ...
You have probably been running your rental business for many years with the same providers ...
THE GOLDEN MOON MEDIA GROUP
News that’s worth your time reading
TheGMMG is for hospitality industry managers, strategists, marketers and developers, providing the latest views on industry trends.
HOT TOPICS
PAY 50% LESS SERVICE FEE FOR 6 MONTHS: TheGM charges the Local Hosts only 2.5% plus VAT Service Fee what is ...
THE GREEN MOON: FEATURED STORIES
World Animal Protection The Mill
Join us to help stop animal cruelty.
Animals need your protection. Across the world, animals suffer unthinkable cruelty – but you can help protect them from harm. Some animals are very young when they learn just how cruel people can be. Baby bears are being taken from the wild, in some cases forced to watch their mother killed in front of them, to face a lifetime of torture, all in the name of ‘entertainment’. Young elephants are easier to “train” – so the torture begins when they’re small. Beatings, starvation and sleep deprivation make sure their wild spirits are utterly broken, just so tourists can ride their backs on holiday. Captive dolphins are separated from their mothers far too young, confined in tanks 200,000 times smaller than their natural home and deprived of food so they can be trained to entertain tourists. But with your help, there’s hope.
INTERESTING
The freedom and opportunities occurring from a newly developed market: How? We remove the boundaries between accommodation categories, resulting in bringing them all together under the same brand name, specifically... ...
We decided to do away with the boundaries of categories between various ...
We provide you with the freedom to choose from a vast number ...
The dream that guides The Golden Moon is to bring a universe ...
Thegoldenmoon.com is the largest online travel accommodation booking platform incorporating 80 types ...
RUFF DIAMONDS
Ruslans Kovalovs tells us why you are a big part of his Smart Choice Programme
Struggling for a slice of cake
Ruslans Kovalovs "Independent Travel Network Magazine".
If you are reading this, there is a good chance these statements are familiar: “There are a lot of hotels that aren’t right for Airbnb, and probably never will be.” “Focusing on just boutique and bed and breakfasts ensures that the company [Airbnb] stays true to its vision”. On the other hand: “Boutique hotels beware: the hotel industry gets a new frenemy [meaning Airbnb]”. “The hotel industry takes Airbnb as a threat and is prepared to take action against it”. Fairly bold statements, making it clear that for some reason, there is a massive effort to keep hotels and local hosts disconnected.
Struggling for a slice of cake
Commercial wars are designed to protect a business’ market share and prevent competitors from acquiring some of it. They protect interests, create boundaries, and aim to bring more control and power over a market share. This is what they are designed to do. It’s nothing personal, but why should a business’ or market’s wars, vision or ambitions prevent your business from developing?
It is time to move on
Regardless of what epithets are used to describe Airbnb, it is a great business that provides many an opportunity to travel more, a chance for others to become entrepreneurs, own a little business, and one which has brought a sense of adventure and hope for a future. In a sense, it has
brought more justice into society by spreading profits between the rich and not so rich more equally. Apparently, not everybody likes this. Nevertheless, the travel industry must now deal with the reality that Airbnb is here to stay. So, it is time to adapt to the new reality.
Benefits of misfortune
Do not let your business become a hostage to someone’s war or vision. It is undeniable that local hosts benefit from a wider audience of hotels guests when provided with the opportunity. Hotels will also benefit in that they can reach a previously unreachable market of local hosts’ guests by advertising along with their listing. In fact, some already do so. Now, with Thegoldenmoon.com, both markets can do so openly without accusing each other of
“overstretching their roots”, being “misguiding” or hurting feelings. TheGM permits hotels, local hosts and all other property owners showcase on one platform. That’s the beauty of it.
While some create boundaries- others remove them
There are 80 categories of properties in the list making TheGM the largest provider of accommodation categories under one brand name. “In fact, we include them all. By creating the best possible environment for hosts to flourish we allow them to concentrate on serving the end consumer to the best of their ability. Come, bring your best offer, and let the guests decide what they want to book”…
Continued on Page 1
AND ANOTHER THING
The Golden Moon is designed for hosts by hosts that understand the challenges from personal experience. One of our values is ‘Driven by Customer Needs’ we work with hosts to deliver a better service that reflects and values their needs. This means that when you join The Golden Moon your opinion counts, your voice is heard and decisions are not motivated by financial incentives. We are nurturing a collaborative culture of mutually beneficial relationships that result in fair treatment for all. We believe that this makes everyone happy.
We know how precious your time is. TheGM is delighted to take some of the gruelling work away from you. We will create the listings of your properties on TheGM for Free, leaving you able to concentrate on more important things. What you need to do next...
We are currently searching for individuals in 152 countries to work with TheGM to create a database of the local hosts in each of the countries. You have to be over 18, have a higher education, be ambitious, prepared to work hard towards the target and be a generally nice person! No other technical skills or specific experience is required. We will provide the knowledge you will need and ensure that you have all of the necessary training and...
A second chance hotels cannot afford to miss
Hotel companies know that fighting home sharing is a losing battle
The ability to get a second chance at bookings is crucial after the first wave of euphoria about the availability of cheap rooms from local hosts has passed. Potential guests have had the opportunity to book and compare their experience with the more traditional hotel offering. The outcome might surprise you – there are plenty of guests out there that are ready to pay more for stability, predictability, and service rather than risk a ruined holiday. The size of that second wave might be as large as 20-30% of all guests that had previously booked with local hosts. More…
DISCUSSION CLUB ``The Golden Moon``
What is your opinion?
The world of short-term rentals: myths and reality
So, how the ideal world of an average short-term rental might look like? Is it like when you have not to pay a service fee? Or having no excessive competition? Or is it more like having all your calendar booked? Being treated with respect by a booking platform? Polite guests? No safety issues? A little entertaining program for your guests at the end to keep them happier? It would be reasonable to assume that all the factors do contribute into making your business a pleasant and desirable job to do. Comment…
Vocational rentals: paranoia as a remedy against the death of your business
“Do guests leave your listing and immediately recommence the same search on another platform, for example to compare prices? Is there any additional work involved? If so, there is definitely a platform that reconnects all categories, best prices, and choice. If your listing is not on there- you will be in trouble”. More…
Fresh competition for Airbnb and Booking.com
“…advertising hotel rooms alongside the rooms of your closest competitors [local hosts] creates a massive opportunity for a hotel to reach a new market segment which prior to that was hopelessly lost. This is a second chance that hotels cannot afford to miss. Adapt. Put aside plans to advertise by brand. Advertise in the same way as local hosts do: by room, by unit, by anything you like. Make sure your hotel is ready for that second wave and that your ads appear in the right place at the right time…”. Dig deeper…
Can we be cheaper, faster or easier?
“…Bearing in mind that existing platforms charge hosts a 15% service fee (with a few exceptions) this is where the opportunities start to get very interesting. Apart from the obvious increased profit margins, it lets your listing price be more flexible compared to those of your competitors. Now you can match the booking demand by reducing the price without losing profit. In other words, you can reduce your price in moments when needing to attract bookings…” Find out more…
Thinking outside the box.
Staying relevant in the travel industry means using the OODA loop. This is Observe, Orient, Decide, and Act. If you operate the OODA loop fast enough, you will find it easier to remain relevant in the industry and retain your strong position. Slow down, and trouble may be coming your way. Find out more…
Making booking platforms to compete for your rental
Introducing competition between booking platforms and not between the hosts: that is the key notion creating choice and opportunities for rental property owners. Being able to choose between platforms and choosing those with the best conditions created for hosts, forces the booking platforms to compete for you instead of vice versa. This new sort of competition will ensure that owners’ needs are met, and your voice is heard. This in TheGM is what we consider the unique selling point we offer your business. Read more…
Navigating the changes in the age of booking platforms
The number of local hosts has almost tripled in recent years. The number of guests did not grow on the same scale and was considerably reduced by recent aggressive price policies of hotels. This left the overpopulated AirB&B platforms with no choice but to create an algorithm which spreads demand equally among suppliers. This means that your listings have limited exposure to certain groups of guests at certain times, as ordered by the algorithm which tries to spread the exposure of your listing equally among you and other competing hosts. An inevitable… Read more
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START AN EMAIL WITH "VIEWS" FOLLOWED BY YOUR COMMENT, NAME AND WHERE YOU LIVE. EMAIL TO discussionclub@thegoldenmoon.com
