Bookassist Drives New Hotel Websites

Bookassist is delighted that Open Rooms Scotland has this week introduced the first in a series of upgrades for its users giving a choice of three new "skins" for the accommodation websites driven by Bookassist's booking engine.

The Open Rooms Scotland website package combines The Claymore Project tourism database with Bookassist's booking engine and offers affordable ecommerce ready web design for the largest or smallest operator with prices starting from £695 plus VAT inclusive of hosting, website development and integration of Bookassist into the site.

The new changes allow accommodation providers to select the design they wish from a selection of three options with others added over the next couple of months. The site remains fully content managed with the website owner able to update content, images and news. Events and Job Vacancies can also be added to the system for publication on a range of third party websites. Current users can view the different styles currently available by clicking on the Site Appearance area of their control panel and select a new one to apply to their website which will update immediately.

And of course if you're interested in changing your website in the future you could now perhaps consider Open Rooms Scotland with Bookassist embedded as the perfect future proof answer.

For further information on the package and how you can get your rooms on line email us on scotland@bookassist.com

Open Rooms Scotland Website Package comes inclusive of

• Bookassist Booking Engine
• Domain Name
• Web Hosting Package
• E-mail package
• Site Optimisation Tools
• Embedded Google Map
• Integrated destination information
• Free distribution on third party websites
• Integrated Google reports
• Full management of your content including
• Contact information
• Google Map
• News
• Special offers
• Updateable room rates
• Information on facilities, dining, weddings, meetings
• Integrated information on attractions, golf courses and travel in your area
• Photo gallery and easy image uploads
• Upload PDF menus, business packages and brochures
• Updateable metatags for search engines
• Classified adverts section

Online reservations facility complete with:

• Low commission rate
• Multiple language function
• Multiple currency
• Mobile phone text confirmations
• Powerful reporting functions
• Full rate and availability control
• Integrated live availability map
• Guest comments function
• Gift vouchers
• Sell guest add ons

The evolutionary, perhaps revolutionary, Open Rooms Scotland website is powered by The Claymore Project database and Bookassist online reservations and will link into other accommodation providers, visitor attractions, golf courses and destination marketing websites to support your own marketing activities.

All the information is easily updated through The Claymore Project database with full online assistance, an FAQs section, help functions and ongoing marketing support and hints.

So if you're looking at your web presence for 2009 don't put your web in a closed box; make yourself available through Open Rooms Scotland. Contact them directly on 01292 521404 or at scotland@bookassist.com

Highland Hotel Uses Bookassist to the Max!

The Claymore House Hotel in Nairn has gone live with Bookassist on their new Web 2.0 website.

The site which features not only the Bookassist booking engine but a fully updateable content management system and recognises the need for accommodotion providers to grasp the current and future potential of Google Mapping, image galleries, Blogs and RSS News Feeds.

The site was designed and published by using the new Bookassist SiteBuilder Pro web development tools. The SiteBuilder project has been developed specifically for accommodation providers who are looknig to improve their web presence and incorporates a whole host of tools aimed as 1) Increasing traffic to the website and 2) increasing on line sales using the Bookassist engine once the visitor is on the site.

The Claymore House Hotel team can now control and update all its metatags, create new web pages at will and even publish their job vacancies!

The Bookassist Booking engine is fully integrated into all three of the SiteBuilder packages and offers award winning and innovative solutions for hoteliers, small operators and self catering establishments. It offers real time booknigs with an easy to understand administration panel and powerful reporting tools linked to Google Analytics for unrivalled market analysis.

The three Sitebuilder packages - Lite, Standard and Pro - have been built to be fully upgradeable ensuring that if the accommodation providers needs or aspirations change, the site can change alongside.

For further information on Sitebuilder and how it combines with Bookassist contact the Scotland office on 01292 521404 or email scotland@bookassist.com

New Business Development Manager for Scotland

Bookassist Scotland are delighted to announce that James Kennedy has joined their team as Business Development Manager for Scotland.

James who is well known across the Scottish Tourism industry has been performing a similar role over the past four and a half years for VisitScotland.com and it is anticipated that he will bring both a wealth of knowledge and natural enthusiasm to the Bookassist role.

Ian McCaig, in charge of operations for Bookassist in Scotland, was delighted to have James on board. "We've been expanding very rapidly over the past twelve months with Bookassist performing exceptionally well across all accommodation sectors but we recognised that we needed to increase the reach as we go into a challenging period for Scottish tourism. James' understanding of the market place and most importantly the people in that market place made him easily the the number one person for this position."

James will now be reponsible for a raft of new marketing opportunities for Scottish tourism businesses including the rolling out of Bookassist's Web 2.0 tools, a new and exciting Sitebuilder product and the continuing growth of the Bookassist Trafficbuilder programmes.

Bookassist continues to offer accommodation providers and their customers unrivalled booking engine technology - multiple languages, multiple currency, SMS Text confirmations, detailed reporting, complete integration and - but this is now being supplemented by a marketing support pacakge which assists in bringing together all the elements of the accommodation providers online marketing to maximise site visits and conversion to booking.

James Kennedy was excited at the new challenges ahead, "I'm delighted to be joining the Bookassist team and look forward to working with clients old and new over the coming months and years. The Bookassist suite of products offers real and affordable solutions for all sizes of operators throughout Scotland and will be able to help many hotels, guest houses and self catering businesses get their product to the market more directly."

James will be based out of the Ayrshire offices of Bookassist in Scotland but will be making it a priority to be on the road across the length and breadth of the country. To arrange an appointment or just to discuss the Bookassist product you can contact James by email on james.kennedy@bookassist.com or call the office on 01292 521404.