Promo codes and discounts on the booking engine

There are two ways to take money off a booking-engine reservation: have the guest type a code (promo code), or have HotelBee apply a discount automatically when conditions are met (automatic discount). They're separate features in different places, and they answer different marketing questions. This article explains both, where they live, and the patterns we see properties use.

Promo code or automatic discount?

Use a promo code when the discount should reach a specific group, channel, or campaign — newsletter subscribers, an Instagram giveaway, a corporate partner. The code is the gate. Use an automatic discount when the discount should reach anyone who meets a numeric condition — book 4+ nights, spend €500+, returning guest with 3+ past stays. The condition is the gate.

Promo codes — set up

Go to Backoffice → Promo Codes (there's also a quick-link button on the Booking Engine settings page). Click + to create one. The form is small:

• Name — your internal label ("Spring 2026 Newsletter"). Not shown to the guest.
• Code — the string the guest types. Keep it short, easy to read, no ambiguous characters (avoid 0/O and 1/l). Example: SPRING26, WELCOME10.
• Active — toggle off to immediately disable the code without deleting it. Useful if a campaign has to end early.
• Valid from / Valid to — the window during which the booking can be made (not the stay dates). A code valid Apr 1 → May 31 means guests can use it to book any time in that window, even if their stay is in August.
• Discount value & type — type can be "total" (a flat amount in your default currency, e.g. 50.00) or "percentage" (e.g. 15 = 15% off). Total is more dramatic for low-priced bookings; percentage scales naturally with longer stays.

Promo code patterns

• Newsletter — code WELCOME10, 10% off, no end date. Active permanently as a thank-you for signing up.
• Time-bound campaign — code FLASH20, 20% off, valid only this weekend. Set tight valid-from/valid-to dates so guests feel the urgency.
• Corporate partner — code ACMECORP, 15% off, valid for the contract duration. Each corporate gets a unique code so you can track redemption per partner.
• Influencer / affiliate — one code per partner so the report tells you who actually drove bookings.

Automatic discounts — set up

Go to Backoffice → Discounts. Click + to create one. The form is similar to promo codes but the gate is conditions, not a code:

• Name — your internal label ("4-night long stay"). Sometimes shown in the basket as the discount line.
• Discount value & type — same as promo codes: total (flat) or percentage.
• Minimal nights — discount applies only when the stay is this many nights or more. Use 4 for a long-stay discount; 7 for a weekly rate; 30 for a monthly rate.
• Minimal amount — discount applies only when the booking total reaches this threshold. Use to push high-spend reservations: "spend €1000+, get 10% off".
• Minimal reservations — discount applies only to guests who already have at least this many past reservations under the same email/profile. The HotelBee CRM tracks the count automatically. Use 3 for a returning-guest reward.

Automatic discount patterns

• Long-stay incentive — Min nights 4, 10% off. Encourages guests to extend.
• Weekly rate — Min nights 7, 15% off. The classic "stay a week, save 15%".
• Loyalty / returning guest — Min reservations 3, 5% off. Silent reward — the guest sees a lower price the third time they book; word of mouth follows.
• Big spender — Min amount €1000, 10% off. Gives suite buyers and group bookings a reason to lean in.

What about rate plans?

Rate plans (set in Backoffice → Rates) are the structural pricing — flexible, non-refundable, breakfast-included, etc. — that show up as choices in the booking engine. Don't use them for one-off campaigns; use them for permanent product variations. Promo codes and discounts adjust whatever rate plan the guest picks.