Question 1

Is NovaBid free for businesses?

Accepted Answer

Yes. Hotels pay NovaBid a commission only when you book through us. There is no listing fee, no booking fee, and no subscription, for you or for them.

Question 2

Is NovaBid live right now?

Accepted Answer

Not for businesses yet. NovaBid is signing its founding independent Edinburgh hotels now. Businesses join the list and post first, the day the fifth hotel is live. Away days follow later. See /launch for what that means.

Question 3

How is NovaBid different from Booking.com?

Accepted Answer

Booking.com is a search engine: you compare published rates. NovaBid is closer to a private tender for your business stays: you post the trip once and independent hotels send you their own direct rates for it. They see your specific brief and respond with a tailored offer, often bundling in extras like breakfast, parking, meeting space or late checkout that a published listing does not put in front of you. A different model, designed specifically for SMB business travel.

Question 4

Which hotels are on NovaBid?

Accepted Answer

Independent hotels and independently-run groups, and from autumn 2026 independent serviced apartment operators too, for longer stays and teams. Never the chains, never private hosts. We are starting in Edinburgh and adding more UK cities over time. You can always see exactly who is on the platform on the Partners page before you post your trip.

Question 5

What if I do not like any of the offers?

Accepted Answer

Reject all of them. You have not paid anything, no card has been charged, and no booking exists until you accept an offer.

Question 6

How fast do hotels respond?

Accepted Answer

It depends on your dates. Bidding runs 4 hours for same-day trips, 24 hours for trips in the next day or two, 48 hours for trips within a week, and 72 hours when you're planning further ahead. Offers appear as they come in, you don't wait for the full window.

Question 7

When do I pay?

Accepted Answer

Only when you accept an offer. Posting a trip and receiving offers is free and card-free, you pay through the platform at the moment you pick a hotel, and never before.

Question 8

What happens if my plans change?

Accepted Answer

Each hotel sets its own free-cancellation window, from 48 hours to 30 days before check-in, and it is shown on the offer before you pay. Cancel before it closes and you're refunded in full. After it closes, the payment stands and goes to the hotel. No-shows are treated the same as a cancellation after the window closes.

Hotels compete.
You win.

One request, a better way to stay

Tell us the plan

Compare your offers

Choose your stay

Business trips, a warmer welcome

NovaBid in the press

Honest answers

Your reservation system

Hotels compete. You win.

One request, a better way to stay

Tell us the plan

Compare your offers

Choose your stay

Business trips, a warmer welcome

NovaBid in the press

Honest answers

01Is it really free for me to use?+

02Is NovaBid live right now?+

03How is this different from Booking.com?+

04Which hotels are on NovaBid?+

05What if I don't like any of the offers?+

06How fast do hotels respond?+

07When do I pay?+

08What happens if my plans change?+

Your reservation system

Hotels compete.
You win.