The cost of living crisis is a nationwide concern, but no more so than for owners of accommodation businesses. With businesses looking at doing everything from reducing rooms available to closing completely over winter, there doesn’t seem to be any one solution for many accommodation businesses.

We asked 231 of our customers what their plans were to offset energy prices, and 38% of respondents said they would have no choice but to raise their prices this winter, with another 25% saying they would be closing their doors until spring time.

11% of those surveyed said they would keep their current prices and accept some loss of profit, whilst 8% said they would potentially be looking at reducing the amount of rooms they have available over the winter.

A further 6% said they would be using down time over the winter to look into energy efficient measures and schemes.

Other less popular responses were to extend the minimum night stay (3%), cut costs (2%), close the business (1%), wait until the beginning of the 2023 season and set prices then (1%) and to open only at weekends (1%).

The Results

1. Raise prices 38%                                                                                  89 votes
2. Close for winter 25%                                                                           60 votes
3. Keep current prices and accept some loss of profit 11%             26 votes
4. Reduce rooms available over winter 8%                                         19 votes
5. Introduce energy efficient measures 6%                                        16 votes
6. Extend minimum night stay 3%                                                         6 votes
7. Cut costs 2%                                                                                         4 votes
8. Close business 1%                                                                               3 votes
9. Wait until beginning of 2023 season and set prices then 1%       3 votes
10. Open only at weekends 1%                                                             3 votes
11. Reduce services offered 0%                                                             1 vote
12. Push non-refundable offers for winter cash flow 0%                  1 vote

What Else Can I Do?

No matter what your plans are for the winter, its always worth using the low season to get your ducks in a row. While the world is figuring itself out, make sure you have the best possible suppliers and technology in place to support your business. Set aside some time to research all possible energy saving advice and eligibility schemes to make sure you’re getting all the support available.

Dynamic Pricing

Many businesses shy away from dynamic pricing, assuming that the emphasis will be on lowering prices to achieve a better occupancy. This is not the case, with some freetobook customers seeing an uplift of 15-20% in their average daily rate (ADR). Using this technology, based on the demand for your location coupled with your current levels of occupancy, could save time and increase profit for your business. Find out more here.

What are your plans to offset the increase in energy prices this winter? Join freetobook today to join our community and the conversation today.