Here are 12 tips on how to maximise Riparide bookings. We realise that some of these you may already be doing, or that they may not be feasible for you, which is absolutely ok!

1. Calendar accuracy

We want you to be able to accept every booking request you receive, so please make sure your availability calendar is always up-to-date. There's nothing more disappointing to a customer than their booking being declined after hours of searching and planning their adventure. You can also add custom pricing and minimum booking requirements using your Calendar.

If you also use other booking platforms like Airbnb, Booking.com and HomeAway, you can import your calendars to keep them in sync. We can sync almost any calendar as long as it's in the iCal format.

2. Pricing

If you compare your pricing to similar properties in your region, are you more expensive? If so, think about dropping your rates.

Want to set-up a 'New Listing' special or a 'Last Minute' discount? Please reach out and we can set-up a special discount banner for you and search promote your listing, to help you stand out. You can email [email protected]
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We also have some great pricing features that you can use to drum up more bookings. We recommend setting up special lowered rates for mid-week stays. Also offering 1 & 2 night stays throughout the year will help. Then you can also use the longer stay discount feature to encourage guests to book for 3-4 nights or more.
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If you have high season rates and minimum night stays, you can set these up manually in your calendar settings. It's super quick and easy! Please take the time to do this instead of declining a booking if your pricing is incorrect.

Learn more about pricing options here

3. Beat the filter

A lot of our travellers will search for listings using filters. These are the most common amenities they search for:

If you’ve been thinking about adding any of these to your property, we definitely recommend doing so. You’ll not only increase your bookings, but also have yourself a nice bath to soak in, or fire to relax around once your guests have departed.
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On that note, please jump into your Riparide account and confirm that all the correct amenities have been ticked for your property – otherwise you might be missing out on bookings!

4. Pictures speak a thousand words

Having 15+ landscape-oriented, high resolution, bright images showing each room and your surrounds, will make the world of difference to your listing.

Do you know a professional photographer who can help? If not, the latest smart phones have incredible cameras. Take the time to re-shoot your space! We find that twilight pics taken with the lights on, fires going and sunset hues have the most wow factor.

Want a Riparide story? Make sure you have an update-to-date story offer so we can make a storyteller match when there is availability. Offering a complimentary weekend story offer will help speed along this process.

Learn more about updating your story offer here

5. Remember: it's all about the vibe

Our travellers love it when hosts create a warm, inviting atmosphere at their property. We’ve found that fairy/festoon lights, throw rugs and cushions are a really simple, affordable way to achieve this.

6. Turn instant book on

Many customers are time poor and will carve out a short window to book a holiday. We find that our listings with instant book switched on receive up to 30% more bookings that those set to inquire.

7. Include Riparide service fees in your nightly rate

We all love simple pricing, right? When you set your pricing to include the 12% Riparide customer service fee, this will show up fee-free to the customers in their online quote when booking. You can always adjust your nightly rate so that this doesn’t mean more money out of your pockets.

8. Comfort is king (and queen)

If you’ve done much travelling yourself, you’ll no doubt know how much of a difference good sheets and pillows make. Also, welcome packs with local goodies and staples like tea, coffee, milk, sugar and olive oil. If you offer these things, let the guests know by adding the details into your property description.

9. Furry friends are forever

Travelling with pets is becoming more and more popular, and we know for a fact that pet-friendly properties always receive a lot of interest. In our experience, pets can often create less mess than children, so why not let them stay as well? You can charge a pet fee for enquiries by creating a special offer once a booking request has been made.

10. Family first

Do you allow children to stay at your property? If so, we recommend ticking ‘kid friendly’ as one of your amenities, otherwise customers may assume you don’t accept kids. If you have features of your home that parents with small children should be aware of, you can add this into ‘additional info’.

11. Reviews, reviews, reviews

Keep in-touch with your nice guests and ask them to leave a review if they forgot. Our customers love reading reviews before they make a booking.

12. Be flexible

Consider updating your cancellation policies to allow a full refund up to 1 week before. This allows more flexibility for travellers and encourages more bookings on average.

Any questions? Or words of advice, or ideas that have worked for you? Please get in touch with us. We'd love to answer all your questions, or share your ideas with the rest of our host community.