"Is that your best price?" is one of the most common questions in a hotel inbox. It is also one of the easiest to answer inconsistently: one colleague gives 10% off, another says no, a third adds breakfast. A few simple rules turn the question into a quick reply — and often into a direct booking.
What the guest is really asking
A discount request usually falls into one of four types. Identify which one before you answer:
- "Can you do it cheaper?" — a general request with no reason given.
- "It's cheaper on [booking site]." — a price-match request.
- "We're staying a week." — a long-stay request.
- "We're a group / we come every year." — a group or loyalty request.
Template 1: Your best direct price
Template: best direct price
Thank you for your interest in staying with us!
For [number] nights from [arrival date] to [departure date] in a [room type], our best price when you book directly with us is [price] in total. That includes [what's included, e.g. breakfast, Wi-Fi and free cancellation until [date]].
Just reply "yes" and we'll confirm the booking right away.
Warm regards,
[Your name]
[Hotel name]
Template 2: Add value instead of a discount
Template: added value instead of discount
Thank you for asking! The rate of [price] per night is already our best price for those dates, so we can't lower it.
What we can do is make your stay a little better: if you book directly with us, we'll include [benefit, e.g. free parking / breakfast for two / late checkout until 2 pm] at no extra cost.
Shall I go ahead and reserve the room for you?
Warm regards,
[Your name]
[Hotel name]
Template 3: Long-stay or group rate
Template: long-stay or group rate
Thank you for your message — we'd love to have you with us for [number] nights.
For stays of [number] nights or more, we offer a [percentage / fixed] reduction. For your dates, that means:
• [Room type], [arrival] to [departure]: [total price] instead of [regular price]
• Includes: [what's included]
• Cancellation: [terms]
Reply to this e-mail and we'll confirm the booking.
Warm regards,
[Your name]
[Hotel name]
Template 4: A polite no
Template: discount not possible
Thank you for your message. I'm sorry, but we aren't able to offer a lower rate for [dates] — it is a busy period and the price is already our best available.
If your dates are flexible, [alternative, e.g. the same room costs [price] from [other date]], or our [cheaper room type] is available for [price].
Either way, we'd be happy to welcome you — just reply and I'll reserve the option you prefer.
Warm regards,
[Your name]
[Hotel name]
Example: how BookingWatch answers
An illustrative example of a price-match request. BookingWatch has checked the hotel's direct price for the dates and applies the hotel's rule: no lower rate, but parking is included for direct bookings.
Guest e-mail · Price for 14–16 May
We're looking at a double room 14–16 May. I saw it a bit cheaper on a booking site — can you match that if we book with you directly?
Thomas
Reply drafted by BookingWatch
Thank you for getting in touch — good to hear you'd like to book directly.
For 14–16 May, our direct price for a Double Room is €238 for two nights, including breakfast for two and free cancellation until 12 May. Prices on booking sites sometimes look lower because breakfast or free cancellation isn't included, so it's worth comparing the conditions.
We can't go below that rate, but when you book directly with us, parking (normally €15 per night) is included for free.
Just reply "yes" and I'll confirm the room for you.
Warm regards,
Anna
Hotel Seaview
Set your discount rules once
The table below is an example — adjust the levels to your own hotel. The point is that everybody, including your AI assistant, gives the same answer:
| Request | Example rule | Who decides |
|---|---|---|
| General "can you do it cheaper?" | Quote the best direct price; no extra discount | Anyone / AI assistant |
| Price found on a booking site | Compare conditions; if identical, add a direct-booking benefit (e.g. parking or breakfast) | Anyone / AI assistant |
| Long stay | Fixed reduction from a set number of nights | Anyone / AI assistant |
| Group (e.g. 5+ rooms) | Group rate on request | Manager |
| Quiet dates | Upgrade or late checkout allowed instead of price cut | Front desk |
| Peak dates | No discount; suggest other dates or room types | Anyone / AI assistant |
A word on price matching and booking sites
If you sell rooms through booking sites, your agreements with them may include rules on how your direct price may compare with the price on their platform (often called rate parity). These rules differ between platforms and countries and have changed over time, so read your own contracts before you promise to beat or match a price in writing. Offering added value — breakfast, parking, a later checkout — is a common way to make the direct booking the better deal without changing the published room rate.
Best practice
- Answer with a full offer, not a question. Dates, room, total price, what is included, cancellation terms — and how to confirm.
- Prefer value over price. A free breakfast feels generous; a lower rate teaches guests to always ask.
- Compare like with like. When a guest mentions a cheaper price elsewhere, check the conditions before you react.
- Reply fast. A guest who asks about price is often comparing several hotels at the same time.
- Write the rules down so the answer does not depend on who is on shift.
Common mistakes
- Giving a discount just because the guest asked, without a rule behind it.
- Replying "we can't" and nothing more — no alternative, no price, no way to book.
- Matching a booking-site price without checking that it is the same room and the same conditions.
- Quoting a price without saying what is included, which leads to another round of e-mails.
- Different colleagues offering different deals to the same guest.