Instant Booking helps drive revenue for this holiday home

Lucio Cocchietto owns a charming property called Chilling Lakeside – a home that he calls his ‘love in life’ – on the southern shore of Lake Macquarie, Australia’s largest inland saltwater lake. A comfortable 70-minute drive from Sydney, the lake is a popular destination for families looking for a relaxing getaway. 

Lucio was delighted to see a significant increase in bookings for Chilling Lakeside in 2020 and 2021, even though global travel volume was impacted by the pandemic. He found it interesting that his bookings included quite a few mid-week stays. He says it was a bit like school holidays, with travellers looking to schedule family getaways that didn’t have to involve weekend dates. 

Working with his account manager, Lucio has refined his strategies over the last year to build visibility and revenue for his property and to adapt to changing market conditions.

Lucio made several changes to his listing and policies, resulting in dramatic revenue growth year over year. 

• Chilling Lakeside had always had a very strict cancellation policy. As market conditions changed, Lucio decided to move to a much more flexible approach. He’s confident the change was good for business: all the guests who had to cancel earlier in the pandemic came back to rebook later, because they appreciated the guest-friendly approach he had taken. 
• Lucio also moved Chilling Lakeside to Instant Booking. He was initially reluctant to allow travellers to go straight to a confirmed booking without his review, but after seeing the quality of guests he got from our platform, he decided to give it a try. And he says it’s made things a lot easier for him and his guests.
• Lucio and his account manager discussed how pandemic-wary travellers were looking for reassurance about property cleanliness. He adapted his check-in/check-out processes to provide more space between outgoing and incoming guests. He made sure to use professional cleaners after each stay and offered new amenities, like complimentary hand sanitiser and the ability for guests to bring their own linens if they wished. 

With these changes, Lucio saw his revenue take off. He appreciates his partnership with the our team and quality of guests his listing brings in, especially during the challenging travel market over the last year. 

Turn on Instant Booking

From your dashboard, visit ‘property’ then ‘rules and policies’, then ‘booking type’ and select ‘Instant Booking’.