Everything you need to know and expect if you receive a reservation from BookOutdoors, a RoverPass partner.
RoverPass continues to build its distribution network to get your property in front of as many campers as possible. Learn more about BookOutdoors below!
Who/What is BookOutdoors?: BookOutdoors is a marketplace platform that makes planning and booking outdoor travel a more joyful, seamless experience enabling everyone, everywhere to experience the joy, wonder and adventure of the outdoors.
What is the BookOutdoors/RoverPass Reservation Process?
- A Camper is browsing BookOutdoors for a Campground
- They find one they like, and it’s a RoverPass Campground
- The Camper creates a reservation and pays BookOutdoors
- BookOutdoors sends the Camper and the Campground a confirmation email. This email is informational only, your RoverPass Reservation Calendar will be updated with the reservation.
Why Are You Offering This Integration / Why Should I Want to Use it?: In the age of technology, we believe that missing a reservation should never be because campers don't know that your property is an option... regardless of marketing budget! RoverPass continues to build partnerships throughout the industry to ensure that, no matter what website a camper might be searching when they are planning their trip, that your property comes up as an option. What's better?!?!... as a RoverPass customer, our integration allows campers to book your property through BookOutdoors with no extra hassle or cost to you. Read on to understand how.
How Does it Work?:
- Our team works with BookOutdoors to create a listing for your park on their site. Using a lot of the same technology that we use for our Channel Manager*, we connect your RoverPass account with your BookOutdoors listing. Once activated, rate information and availability information sync seamlessly between RoverPass and BookOutdoors. This means that campers can book your park on BookOutdoors and an Inventory Hold will show up on your RoverPass Reservation Calendar without you ever having to worry about double bookings.
- *While we work with BookOutdoors to initially set up your listing and the integration maintains your rates and availability going forward, you are free to update anything else on your BookOutdoors listing (such as Tax Rate, Extra People Fees (and count), Maximum Night Stay, Pet Fees (and count), Add ons, Deposits, Photos, Description, Cancellation Policy, etc) by logging into your BookOutdoors account (login provided upon activation).
- As soon as a camper books on BookOutdoors, an Inventory Hold will show up on your RoverPass Calendar. You will be able to see any reservations that come from BookOutdoors:
- As an Inventory Hold on your RoverPass Calendar (a block with a name on your RoverPass calendar)
- In the Inventory Holds list (future only)
- In the Inventory Holds Report (past and future)
- As an Inventory Hold on your RoverPass Calendar (a block with a name on your RoverPass calendar)
- You can click on the Inventory Hold from the RoverPass Calendar to see basic information:
- BookOutdoors will take payment for the reservation on the BookOutdoors platform to provide a seamless booking experience to the camper. The money will then be paid out to you directly through your BookOutdoors Account. You will receive the same payout amount that you would if the reservation had come directly from the roverpass.com Marketplace.
FAQ:
Q: What are the requirements to be listed on BookOutdoors?
A:
- Be a RoverPass Inventory Campground (Your RoverPass Dashboard will read "Your RoverPass System: CRS - Central Reservation System" or "Your RoverPass System: Marketplace Inventory).
- Opt into RoverPass Marketplace to be bookable on the RoverPass Marketplace (roverpass.com). This is usually done at the time of initially signing up with RoverPass.
- Make sure that you have at least 2 sites that are:
- Available for short term bookings (less than 7 days in length)
- Available Online for bookings (not indefinitely blocked or disabled)
- Have only 1 rate attached (you can find and edit the number of rates attached to each site under "Reservation Setup > Sites" in your RoverPass Owner Portal).
- Accept BookOutdoors Terms of Service through the RoverPass Owner Portal (you will see a pop-up in RoverPass where you can do this)
Q: How do I get listed on BookOutdoors?
A: Just ask! All inventory parks that meet the above criteria get listed on BookOutdoors as part of the RoverPass Onboarding Process. If you for some reason requested not to be on BookOutdoors and have now changed your mind, just reach out to our Support Team and we will be happy to get you listed!
Q: Do I need to / can I purchase the RoverPass Channel Manager to be listed on BookOutdoors?
A: No.
- BookOutdoors, Spot2Nite, and Hipcamp are considered partner OTAs and managed differently than non-partner OTAs. Use of the Channel Manager (for each partner channel) is included with the marketplace agreement to be on the Partner OTAs.
- Purchasing the Channel Manager is only required when you want to link a non-partner OTA (Expedia, airbnb, booking.com, or VRBO). The Channel Manager as a product is only sold for connection to Expedia, airbnb, booking.com, or VRBO.
Q: I am already listed on BookOutdoors... Can I link my existing BookOutdoors listing to RoverPass or do I need to get a new one?
A: Just let us know that you already have a BookOutdoors listing and we will be happy to work with BookOutdoors to link your existing BookOutdoors listing. You must still opt into the RoverPass Marketplace program (talk to a Sales Representative) to connect your BookOutdoors listing.
Q: What is an Inventory Hold?
A: This object resembles a reservation, but it holds only minimal information as its main purpose is to place a hold on a site for particular dates to ensure that you do not get double booked. When you receive an Inventory Hold from an integrated OTA, this signals to you that the reservation itself was taken on a different OTA (see source) and blocked on your RoverPass Calendar to ensure that inventory is held to serve the reservation that you received from BookOutdoors.
It is important that you do not edit an Inventory Hold directly as you cannot take payment or perform a refund on an Inventory Hold. Instead refer your guests to their source OTA for any necessary adjustments (cancellations, refunds, adding more people, any change that needs to be done to the original reservation).
The integration with BookOutdoors syndicates inventory (via Inventory Holds) and pricing information, but does not completely transfer all information (payments, photos, descriptions, etc) to make sure that the integration is as reliable and fast as possible. This allows you to be on multiple platforms at once without concern for double bookings. You don't have to manually sync reservations between RoverPass and BookOutdoors.
Q: Can I change the site for the reservation?
A: Yes, you certainly can! You'll notice the process from the RoverPass Reservation Calendar Quick Edit is the same as it would be to move a Real RoverPass Reservation.
Q: The camper wants to make modifications (change the dates, shorten the reservation, add people, add pets, upgrade the site type, etc) or cancel the BookOutdoors reservation. What should I do?
A: Refer them to BookOutdoors. Since payment originally went through BookOutdoors, any adjustment beyond a site change of the same price needs to be done on the original booking source (BookOutdoors). Once the adjustment is made on BookOutdoors's side, the integration will update it on your RoverPass Calendar.
Q: I want to give the camper a refund.
A:
- If this refund is for something in line with your stated policies (such as a cancellation that meets your cancellation policy), BookOutdoors will automatically refund the camper in accordance with your listed policies.
- If this refund is for an exception to your stated policies (maybe the camper was unhappy with their site and you want to offer them a refund. Or maybe the camper wanted to check out a day early and you wanted to offer a refund even though your cancellation policy normally would not allow it), reach out to BookOutdoors to authorize the exception and request the refund to the camper.
Q: The camper wants to extend their stay after having checked-in. What should I do?
A: Simply create a new reservation in your RoverPass Calendar for the extra dates and process it as you usually would.
Q: How do I know the rig and occupancy information?
A: This information is sent to you in the BookOutdoors Confirmation email as well as available via your BookOutdoors account.
Q: Should I collect payment for these reservations?
A: No. For reservations generated through BookOutdoors, payment is collected in full by BookOutdoors.
Q: When will my payout be processed?
A: BookOutdoors will send your Payout directly to you via your BookOutdoors account. Your RoverPass Marketplace Fee will already be deducted prior to payout to you.
Q: How do I get in touch with BookOutdoors's Support?
A: Submit a ticket to support@bookoutdoors.com