Do my motel’s booking-site listings and reviews come with the sale?
Only what the purchase agreement names, and only what the platform allows. Property listings and their review history may move to the buyer, while personal logins do not. List the booking-site pages, map profile, website, domain and guest email list one by one, and check each platform’s own rules before closing.
For many motels, most bookings start on a booking site or a map search. The reviews built up over years do a lot of the selling. A buyer who gets the building but not the listings can start nearly from scratch. So decide what you are handing over, who holds each account today, and write it down.
Listings and review history
A property page on a booking site usually belongs to the property, with reviews attached to it, but the login often belongs to a person. Each platform has its own process for changing the owner or the contact on a listing. Ask the platform how it works rather than assuming. Do not promise the buyer that reviews will carry over until you have that answer.
Profile, website and domain
Your search and map profile, website and domain name are separate assets. Find out whose name the domain is registered under and whose email receives the renewal notices. A domain set up by a nephew or a web designer is a common surprise. Ask your lawyer whether to move these into the company’s name before listing.
Guest lists and personal logins
A guest email list can be a real asset, but how personal information may be shared and used is a privacy question for your lawyer. Ask your lawyer how to handle it. Your own personal accounts, such as your private email, stay with you, so set up business accounts the buyer can take over.
- Booking-site property pages and contacts.
- Map and search business profile.
- Website, domain and hosting.
- Social pages and phone numbers.
- Guest email list, if lawful to transfer.
The day-of steps are in handing a motel over to the new owner.
Related reading
15 pages on the same subject, grouped by topic.
Selling
Buying
- Expert answerWhat should I change first after buying a motel?
- Expert answerWhat happens to a hotel’s brand when the hotel is sold?
- Expert answerWhich contracts should I review when buying a hotel?
- Expert answerWhat should a new hotel owner do in the first months?
- Expert answerFranchised or independent hotel: what should a buyer weigh?
- Expert answerHow do I take over a motel’s property management software and booking calendar?
Due diligence
Sources
This answer is checked against primary sources. Links were last confirmed on the dates shown.
- 01Office of the Privacy Commissioner of CanadaGovernmentPIPEDA requirements in brief
- 02Office of the Privacy Commissioner of CanadaGovernmentThe Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act (PIPEDA)
- 03Business Development Bank of CanadaGovernmentMajor pitfalls to avoid when negotiating a purchase agreement
- 04Business Development Bank of CanadaGovernmentAfter buying a business, what is the next step?
Deavo is an advertising and listings platform, not a brokerage, law firm or valuation firm. This page is general information, not legal, tax, accounting or valuation advice, and rules differ by province. Confirm anything you rely on with a qualified professional before you act on it.