How early should a new hotel set up its OTA listings?
Hotels that open with thin listings and no reviews spend their first months catching up. A simple timeline avoids that.
About four months before opening
Settle positioning: who the hotel is for, what it charges and why. Study nearby competitors and decide your opening rate plans.
About three months before
Plan content and book the photo and video shoot for when rooms, lobby and common areas are finished. Write room and property descriptions.
About two months before
Choose and set up the channel manager. Map rooms and rate plans, and connect your PMS if you have one. Prepare your Google Business Profile and website.
About six weeks before
Submit OTA listings. Verification and approval times vary by OTA and can take days or weeks, so leave room for corrections.
At opening
Open sales with controlled inventory and tested rates. Make sure staff know how to use each extranet and how to respond to reviews.
First 90 days
Review rates and pick-up weekly. Ask every guest for feedback and a review, and answer every review. Early reviews shape your search rank for the months that follow.
A note on dates
Every property is different. If your opening date is close, tell us and we will compress the plan.