📌 This article answers the following questions:
- How do I create a promotion in elloha?
- What is the difference between a Standard, Early Bird and Last Minute promotion?
- How do you apply a percentage discount or a fixed amount discount?
- How do you target specific properties or pricing plans with a promotion?
Why is this important?
Creating promotions with elloha allows you to:
Increase your visibility: Promotions draw attention to your booking engine and on OTAs.
Optimise your occupancy rate: Fill gaps in your calendar or boost future bookings.
Build guest loyalty: Offer exclusive benefits that make guests want to book with you rather than elsewhere.
Follow the step-by-step guide
Step 1: Access the promotion creation tool
To set up a promotional offer for your accommodation:
In the left-hand side menu, click on Pricing, then select Rate Plans.
Click on the ‘Create a pricing plan’ button.
This section allows you to create and manage multiple pricing plans to suit your needs. You can therefore offer different rates depending on your periods, offers or customer types.
Step 2: Configure the promotion type
Enter the name of your promotion in the ‘Name of rate plan’ field.
From the ‘Type of rate plan’ drop-down menu, select ‘Discount’
Choose one of the three available categories depending on your pricing strategy:
Standard Promotion: applies without any booking deadline conditions.
Early Bird Promotion: applies to guests booking in advance. Specify the latest date by which guests can book.
Example: I want to secure my schedule and offer a promotion to guests who book more than 6 months in advance; here, I’ll specify 180 days before arrival.
Last Minute Promotion: applies to last-minute bookings. Specify the number of days before arrival and the time at which the promotion takes effect.
Example: I want to optimise my booking calendar when I have last-minute availability, so I’m offering a promotion for guests who book less than 7 days before arrival.
💡 Tip:
Early Bird Promotion: Reward your most forward-thinking travellers. By offering a discount to those who book 60 days in advance, you secure your cash flow and your schedule early in the season.
Last-Minute Promotion: Don’t leave a single night empty! Activate a discount for last-minute bookings (for example, 3 days before arrival) to attract spontaneous travellers.
Step 3: Set the type of discount
Select how your promotion will be applied:
Percentage discount
Fixed-amount discount
If you set a percentage discount, the rounding rule applies to your rates:
Exact value : the calculated price is applied as it stands.
Upper rounding : to the next unit (with or without decimals).
Lower rounding : to the next lower unit (with or without decimals).
Step 4: Complete your offer
Use the following fields to define the specifics of your pricing plan and inform your customers:
Rate plan details : provide further details on the conditions under which this rate applies.
Type of board included : specify whether your pricing plan includes:
No meals
Breakfast
Half-board
Full board
The rate plan includes : list the services automatically included in your booking (e.g. linen, electricity).
The rate plan does not include : list any supplements or charges to be paid separately (e.g. tourist tax, optional cleaning).
Step 5: Set the validity period for your offer
Specify the period during which your offer will be available for booking:
Permanent : your offer remains active with no end date.
Customized dates : you set a specific period with a start date and an end date.
💡 Tip: Opt for the customized dates option for your seasonal promotions to maintain optimal control over your schedule.
Step 6: Set your stay restrictions
This section allows you to define the conditions for booking your accommodation:
Length of stay: set the minimum and maximum number of nights per booking.
Check-in and check-out days: specify the days of the week permitted for your guests’ check-ins and check-outs.
💡 Tip: Use these restrictions to maximise the impact of your promotion. For example, limit it to certain days or set a minimum stay to increase the average basket value whilst keeping the offer attractive.
Step 7: Set a cancellation policy
Select the refund conditions applicable to this offer:
From the drop-down list, choose one of the cancellation policies you have previously set up.
Ensure that the selected policy is consistent with your accommodation’s rates and terms of stay.
⚠️ Please note: Clicking on ‘Create a new cancellation policy’ will take you away from the current page. Any unsaved data for your promotion will be lost.
To ensure your settings are saved, we recommend that you:
Save your promotion before creating the new policy.
Or create your cancellation policies before setting up your offers and rates.
You can also finalise the creation of your promotion using an existing condition and return to edit the cancellation policy at a later date.
Step 8: Choose your cashing method
Select the cashing method you wish to apply when booking your accommodation :
Full payment on booking : the full amount of the stay (excluding tourist tax) is collected upon confirmation.
Partial payment on booking : a percentage of the total amount, as defined by you, is charged at the time of booking.
Payment on site with credit card guarantee : the guest’s card details are recorded to secure the booking, with no immediate payment taken.
Payment on site without credit card guarantee : no payment or credit card details are taken at the time of booking.
❗️Important: You must activate a virtual payment terminal to use the full payment, partial payment or credit card as a guarantee payment methods.
Step 9: Apply the promotion to your offers and rates
Once your promotion has been set up, specify exactly which accommodation listings and pricing plans it should apply to.
Select the relevant main offer from the list provided.
Click on the offer to expand the list of associated pricing plans.
Enable or disable the promotion for each pricing plan using the dedicated button.
💡 Tip: This setting allows you to target specific rates (for example, your standard rate) without applying the discount to all your rates.
Step 10: Apply your promotion to your add-ons
You can extend your price discount to your additional services (options).
Identify the relevant options in the list on your dashboard.
Activate each service individually using the dedicated button.
Select exactly which services you wish to include, such as breakfast, an activity or a specific service.
💡 Tip: Applying a discount to an add-on enhances your offer and encourages your guests to add extra services, thereby increasing the value of your bookings.
Step 11: Save your offer
Once you’ve filled in all the details, click Save to confirm the creation of your promotion.
Your promotion is now ready to use. You can adjust it or create new ones at any time to test different strategies and optimise your bookings.
Key points
Be strategic: Use promotions to balance your occupancy rate.
Be clear: A well-informed traveller is more likely to book.
Plan ahead: Set up your Early Bird offers now for next season!