BedFlow Blog

Invoicing & accounting 4 October 2026 · 7 min read

Airbnb and city tax in Belgium: who collects the tourist tax, Airbnb or you?

In France or the Netherlands, Airbnb collects tourist tax itself. In Belgium it does not: city tax stays your responsibility, also for bookings through Airbnb and Booking.com. How to charge, collect and declare it correctly.

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Channel management 2 October 2026 · 8 min read

Connecting a channel manager to Booking.com: how the extranet connection works

Half of connecting a channel manager to Booking.com happens in the extranet: you choose a connectivity provider, accept the agreement and map your rooms and rates. Step by step, with the pitfalls that slow down a switch.

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Channel management 1 October 2026 · 7 min read

What is a channel manager? Meaning, how it works and when you need one

A channel manager is the software that automatically keeps your availability, rates and restrictions in sync on Booking.com, Airbnb, Expedia and your own website, and brings every booking back into one calendar. What the term means, what actually travels over the connection, what a channel manager does not do, and when a B&B needs one.

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Booking platforms 30 September 2026 · 7 min read

The difference between a B&B and Airbnb: what is what, and what does it mean for you?

A B&B is a type of stay; Airbnb is a platform where you book stays. Yet many people use the words interchangeably. What is the real difference for a guest, what changes for you as a host, and why your B&B can perfectly well be listed on Airbnb too?

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PMS & software 29 September 2026 · 8 min read

A PMS for a holiday park or campsite: what should you compare before choosing?

A holiday park or campsite works differently from a B&B: dozens of identical units, fixed changeover days, a cleaning peak on one day and extras per unit. Eight points to compare a PMS on, and when specialised campsite software is the better fit.

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Booking platforms 28 September 2026 · 8 min read

How do you optimise your Airbnb profile and listing as a B&B? A practical checklist

An Airbnb listing that does not get booked is rarely just a price problem. Photos, title, amenities, calendar and host profile together decide whether you are found and chosen. A checklist in order of impact.

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Channel management 27 September 2026 · 7 min read

Airbnb integration: how to connect Airbnb to your PMS or channel manager (API or iCal?)

What an Airbnb integration actually does, the difference between an API connection and an iCal link, how connecting works in practice and what to check if you are also on Booking.com.

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Bookings & occupancy 26 September 2026 · 7 min read

A guest asks for a free cancellation or to waive the cancellation fee: what should your B&B do?

A guest with a non-refundable booking asks via Booking.com or Airbnb to cancel for free. Should you agree? A practical decision framework, three alternatives to a full refund and how to process it cleanly in your admin.

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Guest communication 25 September 2026 · 7 min read

Booking.com no longer passes on guest phone numbers: how to reach your guests anyway

From 28 September 2026 Booking.com no longer sends the guest's phone number to channel managers and PMS systems. What exactly changes, where you can still find the number, and how to handle your welcome message, arrival info and door codes without a mobile number.

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In practice 24 September 2026 · 7 min read

Your B&B's daily overview: arrivals, departures and breakfast list in five minutes

Who arrives today, who leaves, who has not paid yet and how many breakfasts do you set out? How to build a fixed morning overview for your B&B or holiday home, the five questions it must answer, what not to keep in your head, and how to get it automatically in your inbox or on WhatsApp.

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Invoicing 23 September 2026 · 8 min read

Passing energy costs on to guests: settling consumption without arguments

From October onwards every guest turns the heating on. Do you include energy in the rate, charge a flat fee per night, or settle on meter readings? The three models side by side, what goes wrong with each, how to build a consumption statement a guest pays without arguing, and where to announce it so you are actually entitled to it afterwards.

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Pricing strategy 22 September 2026 · 8 min read

Setting next year's rates: the autumn check for your B&B

Early bookers for next summer start looking in October. If your prices are not ready by then, you sell your best nights at last year's rate. A concrete autumn check in six steps: which figures to pull from your system first, how to map out the year before you fill in any prices, and how to get everything into your booking system in one go.

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Channel management 21 September 2026 · 8 min read

Change prices in the Booking.com extranet or in your PMS? One source of truth for your B&B

You have a channel manager, but out of habit you still tweak a price in the Booking.com extranet. An hour later the old price is back, or worse: your PMS and Booking.com contradict each other. How a channel connection actually works, what you now only do in your PMS, what still belongs in the extranet, and how to track down a price mismatch in five minutes.

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Direct bookings 20 September 2026 · 8 min read

Instagram for your B&B: more direct bookings from social media, without it becoming a full-time job

Almost every B&B has an Instagram account, almost nobody knows what it brings in. Instagram rarely delivers guests out of nowhere, but it nudges people who already know you to book direct instead of through Booking.com. What your profile must show, which link belongs in your bio, what to post in one hour a week, how to turn DMs into direct bookings and how to measure whether the channel pays.

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Guest communication 19 September 2026 · 8 min read

Your B&B booking confirmation: what it must contain (and what to leave out)

The confirmation email is the most-read message a B&B sends, and usually the worst written. Weeks later, guests still open it to find the address, the arrival time and the amount paid. What must be in it, what belongs in a separate pre-arrival email, how it differs for a Booking.com or Airbnb booking, and a sample text you can copy straight away.

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In practice 18 September 2026 · 9 min read

A guest damaged something in your B&B: what do you do, and how do you charge for it correctly?

A cracked washbasin, a scorched tabletop, a mattress beyond saving. Sooner or later it happens to every host. What you do in the first ten minutes decides whether you see the money back: document the evidence, approach the guest in the right tone, start the Booking.com or Airbnb damage procedure in time, and process the amount correctly in your books. A practical step-by-step plan, plus what not to do.

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Pricing strategy 17 September 2026 · 9 min read

Raising your B&B room rates: when, by how much and how to do it without losing guests

Your costs have gone up, but your room rate has sat at the same amount for three years because you fear empty nights. Six signs you are too cheap, a worked example showing how much occupancy you can afford to lose after a rise, and a step-by-step plan: where to raise first, what to do with returning guests and how to measure after eight weeks whether it worked.

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Direct bookings 16 September 2026 · 9 min read

A Booking.com guest wants to book direct next time: is that allowed, and how do you handle it?

At check-out the guest says: "Next time we'll just book with you directly." What can you say, what exactly does Booking.com prohibit, and how do you make sure that second booking really arrives commission-free? The anti-circumvention rules, what you may do with guest data, and a concrete plan from check-out to repeat booking.

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Administration 15 September 2026 · 9 min read

Writing terms and conditions for your B&B: what to include and how guests accept them

As long as everything goes well, nobody reads your terms and conditions. Until a guest doesn't show up, damages a room or demands a refund three weeks after leaving. Which topics must be covered at minimum, how to keep them short and readable, why house rules are not the same thing, and how to make sure a guest has actually accepted them on a direct booking.

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Invoicing & accounting 14 September 2026 · 10 min read

Invoicing a foreign company for a stay: reverse-charge VAT or plain Belgian VAT?

The Dutch or German guest asks for an invoice in the company's name "without VAT, we're VAT-registered". Sounds logical, but it's wrong: an overnight stay is always taxed where the property stands. Why the reverse charge doesn't apply here, what must be on your invoice, how your foreign client still recovers the Belgian VAT and how to handle it in your PMS without the hassle.

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Channel management 13 September 2026 · 9 min read

Airbnb suddenly charges a 15% host fee after connecting your channel manager? Here is why, and what to do with your rates

When you connect your Airbnb listing to a PMS or channel manager, you automatically switch from the split fee (around 3% for the host) to the host-only fee of roughly 15%. Not a bug, but a structural change. We explain exactly what changes, what the guest sees, and how to correct your Airbnb rate with a single channel rule so your net stays the same.

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Seasonal marketing 12 September 2026 · 9 min read

Keep your B&B open or close it over Christmas and New Year? Decide in September, not in December

Every year the same question: stay open over the festive season or give yourself and your family the holidays? An honest weighing of cost, revenue and energy, plus how to set your calendar, minimum stay and rates so you do not have to think about it again in December.

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Channel management 11 September 2026 · 9 min read

Booking.com promotions for your B&B: Mobile Rate, Country Rate and Deals — which to switch on and which to leave off

The Booking.com extranet is full of buttons promising "more visibility": Mobile Rate, Country Rate, Getaway Deals, Early Booker. Every button is a discount, and discounts stack. How to work out what a promotion really costs you, which ones make sense for a small B&B, and how to keep your own website from being more expensive than Booking.com.

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Guest experience 10 September 2026 · 9 min read

Online check-in for your B&B: let guests fill in their details before arrival instead of at the door

The guest is standing in the hallway with a suitcase while you look for a pen and try to spell their names. How an online check-in form collects guest details, arrival time and preferences before arrival, what you may and may not ask, and how to keep it short enough that guests actually complete it.

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Invoicing 9 September 2026 · 9 min read

The guest has not paid: chasing outstanding balances without losing your hospitality

A deposit that never lands, a balance still open after checkout, a bank transfer that never came. How to chase outstanding amounts with a fixed reminder ladder, which tone works at which stage, and how to stop finding out a month too late.

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Pricing strategy 8 September 2026 · 9 min read

Setting a fixed arrival day for your holiday rental: does a changeover day still work?

Friday to Friday, or let guests arrive whenever they like? What a fixed changeover day buys you in cleaning logistics, what it costs you in lost bookings, and how arrival and departure restrictions give you a middle road that changes with the season.

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Pricing strategy 7 September 2026 · 9 min read

Setting weekend rates for your B&B: how much extra on Friday and Saturday?

Friday and Saturday sell out, Tuesday stays empty — and still you charge the same price all seven days. How to set a weekend supplement that matches your own occupancy numbers, why a fixed amount often beats a percentage, and how to stop the supplement from wrecking your midweek nights.

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Guest communication 6 September 2026 · 9 min read

Answering Booking.com and Airbnb guest messages in one inbox instead of five

Booking.com messages, Airbnb chat, WhatsApp, email and the phone: every channel has its own window and its own response clock. Why scattered guest communication costs you reviews, what you may and may not move to your own channels, and how to get everything into a single inbox without breaking platform rules.

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Pricing strategy 5 September 2026 · 9 min read

Single occupancy rates for your B&B: what do you charge a solo traveller?

A double room with one guest in it costs you almost as much as with two. Solo travellers still expect a lower price. How to work out a single occupancy rate that adds up, why a fifty percent discount is nearly always wrong, and how to set it up so Booking.com and Airbnb show the same thing as your own site.

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Pricing strategy 4 September 2026 · 9 min read

Last-minute discounts for your B&B: when to use them, and how deep to go

An empty room the day after tomorrow earns you nothing — but that does not make every discount smart. How to work out the marginal cost of a night, the three situations you should never discount, how deep a last-minute rate may go, and how to stop guests learning to wait for your drop.

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Direct bookings 3 September 2026 · 8 min read

Fully booked? How to run a waiting list that resells your cancellations

"No availability" is the most expensive screen on your website: that guest was looking for you and leaves empty-handed. A simple waiting list keeps hold of that demand and lets you resell a cancellation within the hour, commission-free. Which fields to ask for, where to put the list, how to handle it fairly and what the GDPR expects.

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Invoicing & bookkeeping 2 September 2026 · 9 min read

Refunding a guest: the payment, the credit note and your bookkeeping

A guest cancels, leaves a night early or paid twice. Sending the money back is the easy part — the hard part is that your invoice, your VAT, your tourist tax and your books still have to add up afterwards. How to separate the money from the document, and what to recalculate on a partial refund.

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Occupancy & revenue 1 September 2026 · 9 min read

A cancellation came in: how to re-sell those freed-up nights

A cancellation only costs you money if the nights stay empty. A six-step method: check availability, loosen restrictions, work your own list first and only then lower your rate.

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Product news 1 September 2026 · 4 min read

The BedFlow app is now on the App Store and Google Play

The BedFlow PMS mobile app is available from today for iPhone and Android. It is the companion to your existing BedFlow account: arrivals and departures, check in and out with one tap, the room grid, housekeeping, invoices, payments and your guest inbox — and it keeps working when your connection drops.

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Reservation management 31 August 2026 · 9 min read

A booking by phone, e-mail or WhatsApp: how to enter it correctly

Bookings that do not come through a channel are your most profitable and your riskiest at the same time. A fixed seven-step method: from the call to confirmation, deposit, channel tagging and invoice, without double bookings.

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Channel management 30 August 2026 · 9 min read

How many booking sites should your B&B be on? An honest calculation

Booking.com, Airbnb, Expedia, Vrbo, Google: every channel promises extra bookings, but every channel also costs maintenance, commission and risk. How to decide how many channels your B&B can actually handle.

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Payments & administration 29 August 2026 · 9 min read

Who has already paid? Tracking payments per booking without a spreadsheet

Deposit via payment link, balance in cash on arrival, a virtual card from an OTA and a bank transfer that only lands after checkout: money arrives through four channels. Here is how to track what is paid and what is still outstanding, per booking.

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PMS & basics 29 August 2026 · 9 min read

Room type or individual room? How to structure your rooms in your booking system

Five rooms, but how many room types? The choice you make when setting up your PMS and channel manager drives your rates, your availability, your overbooking risk and even your ranking on Booking.com. How to decide, and how to fix it.

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Software & basics 28 August 2026 · 9 min read

Channel manager, PMS or booking engine: what is the difference and what do you actually need?

Three terms used interchangeably and usually bundled in the same quote. What does a channel manager do, what does a PMS do, what does a booking engine do — and in what order do you actually need them?

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Numbers & profitability 27 August 2026 · 9 min read

Working out what your B&B actually earns: cost per night and break-even occupancy

You know your turnover. But how much is left after each night, and how many nights do you need to sell before the year pays for itself? Work out your variable cost per stay, your fixed costs and your break-even occupancy.

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Payments & administration 25 August 2026 · 8 min read

Asking for a deposit on a direct booking: how much, when, and how to collect it

On Booking.com the payment is handled for you; on your own website you have to organise it yourself. How much deposit to ask, when to charge it, what if the guest does not pay, and how a deposit differs from a damage bond.

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Organisation & team 24 August 2026 · 8 min read

Giving staff access to your booking system — without opening up your whole administration

Your housekeeper needs to know which rooms are leaving, your holiday stand-in needs to enter a booking, your bookkeeper only wants the figures. None of them needs your full guest list or revenue. Here is how to divide access without sharing your password.

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Calendar & availability 23 August 2026 · 8 min read

Blocking your calendar for personal use, maintenance or holidays — without breaking your channels

Two weeks closed, a room being repainted, or family coming to stay: you need to take nights out of sale. Do it wrong and you get a double booking or skewed figures. Here is how to block properly — and how to avoid the unsellable gaps around it.

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Revenue & upselling 22 August 2026 · 9 min read

Building packages for your B&B: which ones actually sell

A package is the easiest way to raise your average booking value without touching your room rate. Yet most packages never sell, because they are too expensive, too vague, or too much work. Here is how to build one that does sell, and how to work out what it earns you.

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Direct bookings 21 August 2026 · 9 min read

A discount code for direct bookings: when it works and when you are just giving money away

Ten percent off for booking direct sounds obvious when you pay 15 to 18 percent commission. But a code that always applies, to everyone, mostly costs you money on guests who would have booked direct anyway. Here is how to work out what you can give away, and to whom.

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Booking platforms 20 August 2026 · 9 min read

Airbnb Instant Book on or off? How to use it safely in your B&B

Instant Book lifts you in Airbnb search but hands over your say on who sleeps in your rooms. The real question is not on or off, but on what conditions — and whether your calendar is fast enough to cope.

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Choosing software 19 August 2026 · 9 min read

What does a PMS cost for a B&B? The pricing models decoded (and the costs that never make the quote)

Booking system prices vary wildly — not because one is ten times better, but because everyone counts differently. Here are the five pricing models, the hidden costs, and the only calculation that matters: your cost per booking.

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Channel strategy 18 August 2026 · 9 min read

Booking.com Preferred Partner: is that thumbs-up worth the extra commission for a small B&B?

Booking.com invites you into the Preferred Partner programme: more visibility and a thumbs-up next to your name, in exchange for a few extra commission points. Smart or expensive? Here is how to do the maths with your own numbers instead of your gut.

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Pricing strategy 17 August 2026 · 9 min read

Comparing your competitors' rates: how 30 minutes a month tells you if you are underpricing

Most hosts check their neighbours' rates once a year, or never. You do not need an expensive rate shopper: a fixed list of five comparable properties, half an hour a month and the right way of looking tells you exactly where you stand — and what to do about it.

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Guest communication 16 August 2026 · 9 min read

A digital guest guide for your B&B: the house information guests actually need

The plastic-sleeved folder on the kitchen table is rarely read — and yet guests still call at ten at night for the wifi code. Here is how to build a digital guest guide that answers the ten questions that actually get asked, in the guest's own language, and that you only have to maintain once.

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Direct bookings 15 August 2026 · 10 min read

Getting your own B&B website found on Google: what works and what does not

Your site is live, it looks good, and yet hardly anyone arrives through Google. Usually that is not down to your copy but to the search terms you are trying to win. Here is how to pick queries you can actually rank for, how to structure your pages, and how to measure whether it works — without hiring an SEO agency.

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Numbers 14 August 2026 · 10 min read

Which booking channel actually earns you the most? How to calculate net revenue per channel

Your biggest channel by gross revenue is rarely your best channel. Commission, channel discounts, payment costs and cancellations take out pieces your revenue report never shows. Here is how to work out an honest net revenue per night for each channel, and how to use that number to steer your channel mix without wrecking occupancy.

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Operations 13 August 2026 · 9 min read

Check-in and check-out times for your B&B: what hours, and what do you charge?

Fixed check-in and check-out times are not a detail: they decide your cleaning window, your evenings and how many questions you answer each week. Here is how to pick realistic hours, communicate them so guests actually read them, and turn early check-in and late check-out into a paid extra instead of a favour.

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Pricing strategy 12 August 2026 · 9 min read

Setting up an early bird discount for your B&B: does it actually work?

An early bird rate fills your calendar months ahead — or simply hands money to guests who would have booked anyway. The difference comes down to three settings: how many days ahead, how much off, and for which periods. Plus the four traps that quietly eat your margin.

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Channel management 11 August 2026 · 9 min read

How far ahead should you open your booking calendar?

Twelve months? Eighteen? Or simply everything? Open too far ahead and you sell next high season at last year's rates. Open too short and you miss exactly the three- and four-night stays. A workable rule per property type, and how to roll the window forward once a quarter.

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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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 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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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 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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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 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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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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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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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 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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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