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link8r

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This is a marketplace, so if you're not interested in buying it, don't you just not make an offer? Why are we trying to discuss "down" the price - esp tomed. Its a marketplace, product is worth whatever the highest bidder is willing to pay - whether that makes sense to you or not?
 

Dara

New Member
Just a quick follow up to all that posted and maybe I will eat humble pie but as of now it ranks 1 and 2 for the term I guaranteed in my origional post-Cheap Ballsbridge Hotels. Its also page 1 for Ballsbridge hotels and coming in for all other related terms and combos. Course this could change overnight but is a great sign.
 
A

Alan

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My 2 cent (for what its worth!!)

Probably well overpriced to the average web developer... yet both of the contributors make valid points (without multi quoting etc I think most reg readers of this forum will know which ones)

Fair play if you get it anyway Dara but I think as a long term investment the value in in the domain is not brilliant.

My main point is:
Ballsbridge traditionally is a high end market and it will return to that level in time so 'cheap' is not something which will ultimately attach itself to it.

I just hope (and I m sure you will be) you are honest with those who do not realise you have put a quick script on the site and basically spent nothing on it either monetary or timewise. Yes there is value in intellectual capital but would hope that you have the good sense not to rip off non techies.

Bit of value there, yes maybe, but not 2k. There is a bit of short term income in it but maybe thats where it stops.

BUT as link8r said, its worth whatever the market will pay for it so best of luck.
 

Dara

New Member
My 2 cent (for what its worth!!)

Probably well overpriced to the average web developer... yet both of the contributors make valid points (without multi quoting etc I think most reg readers of this forum will know which ones)

Fair play if you get it anyway Dara but I think as a long term investment the value in in the domain is not brilliant.

My main point is:
Ballsbridge traditionally is a high end market and it will return to that level in time so 'cheap' is not something which will ultimately attach itself to it.



Bit of value there, yes maybe, but not 2k. There is a bit of short term income in it but maybe thats where it stops.

BUT as link8r said, its worth whatever the market will pay for it so best of luck.

Alan,
Sean Dunne, Liam Carroll and the "lads" thought so. Bottom line is you are wrong. If you set a precendent for "cheap" "Good Value" " bog basic " room rates you never recover. Ballsbridge was the highest valued property per sq meter on the planet some years back (if I'm not mistaking) based on these eejits out bidding each other on " what they might get zoning for"

My main point is:
Ballsbridge traditionally is a high end market and it will return to that level in time so 'cheap' is not something which will ultimately attach itself to it.

"I just hope (and I m sure you will be) you are honest with those who do not realise you have put a quick script on the site and basically spent nothing on it either monetary or timewise. Yes there is value in intellectual capital but would hope that you have the good sense not to rip off non techies."

People lets get real here-I'm not a rip off fly by night merchant (quite the opposite I hope)- ask a question.... whats the average booking worth to a hotel-then how much greater is that for a targetted niche term, factor in group bookings etc.? Will they get value for medium/long term Google rankings for small niche terms like Ballsbridge Hotels etc.(when beside a new International Stadium and have competitors actively marketing in a similar niche ) Answer IMO yes of course they will. Hotels are paying hefty money to rank for the term "Cheap Hotels"-this site is already in top 40-50 for that term so an added bonus....

Anyway Alan thanks for the input-and yes I do know techies won't pay what I was asking-thats because most are techies and don't appreciate the difference that "poor" Jack in The Beanstalk made in the fairytale.... To sell at market or to risk it for a "biscuit"-that was the cows name!
 

Byron

New Member
I would have to say hotels in BB are gradually changing to having an image of being budget due to the somewhat... "going concern" nature of the D4 Hotels group.

I could see you easily flogging that domain off to any one of the associated developers, if you had the right links. So you better put on your Sunday best and ask for lunch with one of them!
 

Dara

New Member
I would have to say hotels in BB are gradually changing to having an image of being budget due to the somewhat... "going concern" nature of the D4 Hotels group.

I could see you easily flogging that domain off to any one of the associated developers, if you had the right links. So you better put on your Sunday best and ask for lunch with one of them!

Byron-you are bang on! Have actually decided not to sell but go a different route with it and redevelop the site properly. Actually spoke with every hotelier in the area or their sales managers last week to discuss my new approach. Not one was against it...and pretty much all of them expressed interest in being included as I figured they would.

Of course a few raised eyebrows at the word "cheap" but they are realistic enought to know in most cases that the likes of this term is becoming more widely used daily by online searchers and that the site is not labelling hotels in the area as down market-rather moving with online trends.

Would also reckon there was a lot of perceived "annoyance" in certain establishments towards the D4 hotels modus operandi but its simply competition so others need to adapt.

Thanks for the comment!
 

link8r

New Member
A thing about the word "cheap"

On face value, "Cheap" doesn't have to mean low-quality or low value - it just means that it's cheaper than all the rest or most of the rest.

[Rant/Start] Americans have done cheap for years. Ireland is just a huge "value-add" centre - we've been sucked into and worship at the throne of big brands - like the unilever brands - we've bought into brands that are so overpriced and under-efficient its hilarious. We're guilt tripped into not shopping at Lidl/Aldi - that somehow a German low-price sales company would also have to equate to lower quality, that surely the ham is made from machines that spill mercury and that they don't abide by the qulaity standards "enforced" by Superquinn/Dunnes.

Firstly, I doubt Dunnes and Superquinn do that much enforcing/quality control - in fact, they don't - much of this is bought in with the product - i.e. reselling the manufacturer's quality. I refuse to accept that Ireland is now superior to Germany in any area of productino - Food or otherwise...

Secondly, Superquinn and Dunnes are just selling on the unilever products - take a look - most of what unilver sells is just sand (silica) based - washing power, toothpaste anyway take a look yourself...Our brands | Unilever Global - what you are paying for is the extra cost that they've gone to market it to you - like lovely well-mannered middle-class children running around on a warm summer day - we're little sheep running behind Brand Marketing like we're supposed to...

[Rant/over]
 

Byron

New Member
;) Im Lost :(

Only joking...

... I do honestly think enough people would search it, I have know people who will only search a place-name for anything with the word cheap or budget before it. Even the regulars to the area will now be thinking, my god recession, look for something cheap instead.

It's colloquial (a word I cannot spell), but it will work. Like most hotels probably make a 100% markup, even 40 rooms at €99 a night would be worth buying the domain for! (thinks about pass maths (barely)
 

link8r

New Member
Don't know if the markup is quite 100% but...

...I do remember a brilliant Fortune article a few years back about easyHotels and their planned expansion into the middle east, and other 3* hotels. It was a brilliant piece of math that went like this: The average 5* hotel costs about US$ 1 million PER room (taking into account the total cost of the hotel and dividing it by the number of rooms) and a 3* just US$50k - but the 5* would typically only be double to four times the rate, despite being 15 times the investment cost. Ok, they do have better margins on food and drinks but still....So from a business point of view, the guys behind Cheap Ballsbridge Hotels idea seem to have a lot of sense behind it.
 

tomed

New Member
I would have to say hotels in BB are gradually changing to having an image of being budget due to the somewhat... "going concern" nature of the D4 Hotels group.

I don't think we'll ever see the Four Seasons or other pretige brands class themselves as "budget hotels".


Byron-you are bang on! Have actually decided not to sell but go a different route with it and redevelop the site properly. Actually spoke with every hotelier in the area or their sales managers last week to discuss my new approach. Not one was against it...and pretty much all of them expressed interest in being included as I figured they would.

Of course a few raised eyebrows at the word "cheap" but they are realistic enought to know in most cases that the likes of this term is becoming more widely used daily by online searchers and that the site is not labelling hotels in the area as down market-rather moving with online trends.

Great to see you are going a different angle than your original plan. We always agreed that people now use the word "cheap" when searching for value.

So are the plans to just build a portal of hotels in the area and offer discounted prices?

If so I can see why the hoteliers having no problem being on the site. It doesn't affect their brand in anyway.
 

Byron

New Member
No, but opposite it, Bewleys are marketing that way. Besides who would actually even comprehend getting "cheap" hotel deals in the Four Seasons, it's well known as a rip...putely high quality hotel.

The point is the attitue is chaging, just like Rathmines one hundred and fifity years ago was the most luxurious neiighbourhood in Dublin, then Ballsbridge happened... it's all a continuous cycle, and hotels are struggling against high quality Maldrons, Jurys and even Hilton's of this world.

Heres a tip, if you are rich enough not to search cheap, low cost or budget you will probably have a client / friend / family to stay with, or a company to pay for it in Ballsbridge. Certainly you won't get the casual traveller staying in the Four Seasons.
 

tomed

New Member
No, but opposite it, Bewleys are marketing that way. Besides who would actually even comprehend getting "cheap" hotel deals in the Four Seasons, it's well known as a rip...putely high quality hotel.

Yes exactly - therefore the Four Seasons would never be interested in this domain name.

The point is the attitue is chaging, just like Rathmines one hundred and fifity years ago was the most luxurious neiighbourhood in Dublin, then Ballsbridge happened... it's all a continuous cycle, and hotels are struggling against high quality Maldrons, Jurys and even Hilton's of this world.

It's not the area that allows them to have ridiculously high prices, it's the brand.

Heres a tip, if you are rich enough not to search cheap, low cost or budget you will probably have a client / friend / family to stay with, or a company to pay for it in Ballsbridge. Certainly you won't get the casual traveller staying in the Four Seasons.

I don't get your point here - have you read the whole thread?
 

Byron

New Member
Tomed,

No one said Four Seasons would be interested in the domain. They obviously wouldn't, but between Donnybrook, Ballsbridge and Merrion Gates, over a dozen hotels would be.

It actually was the area which allowed them to charge high prices, it always has been, Brands have certain effect, but it is really down to supply and demand, put the Four Seasons in Parnell Square and see how well it sells. People do use Trip Advisor, and don't want to stay in rough areas (never bothered me, but certainly I don't use expensive hotels in my day to day life).

Finally, my point is the Four Seasons is entirely outside of the market of the casual / average person who is searching for cheap / budget / affordable hotels anyway. Therefore the Four Seasons is a poor benchmark to put against the validity of a domain for people who are searching for cheap Ballsbridge hotels.
 

Dara

New Member
I don't think we'll ever see the Four Seasons or other pretige brands class themselves as "budget hotels".






Great to see you are going a different angle than your original plan. We always agreed that people now use the word "cheap" when searching for value.

So are the plans to just build a portal of hotels in the area and offer discounted prices?

If so I can see why the hoteliers having no problem being on the site. It doesn't affect their brand in anyway.

The guy that left them at the weekend without paying his 100k bill may think they are better than cheap-FREE!:)

Nothing as complicated as that Tomed. Still mulling a few options over yet. You still looking for that 5% stake lol?
 

tomed

New Member
No one said Four Seasons would be interested in the domain. They obviously wouldn't, but between Donnybrook, Ballsbridge and Merrion Gates, over a dozen hotels would be.

Ok, now I'm convinced you haven't read the whole thread.

It actually was the area which allowed them to charge high prices, it always has been, Brands have certain effect, but it is really down to supply and demand, put the Four Seasons in Parnell Square and see how well it sells. People do use Trip Advisor, and don't want to stay in rough areas (never bothered me, but certainly I don't use expensive hotels in my day to day life).

I have to disagree with you here. Put a hotel like the Four Seasons (smae building) in Parnell Square and it would be able to charge more than the Ballsbridge outfit. That would only be because of it's proximity to the city centre not because of type of area it is.

If that was the case we'd have a hotel in every affluent area in the country and none in the city.

People by into the brand. If you someone told you they were staying the Four Seasons hotel, you wouldn't think of the area, you'd think of the price...

When someone mentions a premier travell inn, you know you are going to get cheap, comfort and value but nothing special.

Finally, my point is the Four Seasons is entirely outside of the market of the casual / average person who is searching for cheap / budget / affordable hotels anyway. Therefore the Four Seasons is a poor benchmark to put against the validity of a domain for people who are searching for cheap Ballsbridge hotels.

Again I don't think you read the whole thread judging by this and your last point. My original point was that very few hotels in the ballsbridge area will want their brand associated with the word cheap. They would definitely want to be found when people are searching for the word cheap, as that now means value to the majority of people searching the web for hotel deals.

Therefore, I was of the opinion that Dara would find it difficult to sell at the price he is looking for to a hotel in that area. Simply because none of them would want to use that domain as it would be associated with their brand.

There's only 12 odd hotels in Ballsbridge, so if he hasn't found a buyer yet (which I don't think he has) he either hasn't been trying very hard to sell this domain or he's been told that they're not interested in the domain itself - but whatever other idea he has up his sleeve!

Dara; said:
Nothing as complicated as that Tomed. Still mulling a few options over yet. You still looking for that 5% stake lol?

That or just a cheaper price ;)
 

Dara

New Member
That or just a cheaper price ;)
Ok then €1999.99:) Actually have not tried at all to flog it to any hotel-had a change of strategy that will be better long term and hotels seemed open to it. Helps when you own(ed) sites ranked in top 1-5 in Dublin for the big hotel terms.
 

koconnor

New Member
Have you looked into the amount of traffic that is generated by those keywords by searching in Ireland? I imagine that based on your choice of keywords you are looking for people searching in Ireland, or am I wrong here?

I took a quick look on Google's keyword tool and searched within ireland - seems very limited amount of organic traffic for that phrase. Are you seeing much traffic?

You could take this idea further and go for http://www.cheap-hotels-rds.com or http://cheaphotelso2point.com etc...

I hope it works as it's somewhat of a niche.
 
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