Hotel Direct Bookings
Growing commission-free bookings: channel economics, booking-engine conversion, pricing tactics, and guest relationships.
Hotel Direct Bookings questions
- How do I increase direct bookings?To increase direct bookings, make your own website the easiest and most rewarding place to book, and make sure travellers who already know your name end up there. Concretely: win searches for your hotel's name, make the booking path fast and visible on mobile, show clear reasons to book direct where your contracts allow, remove friction in the booking engine, stay in touch with past guests, and measure the true cost of each channel. OTAs still play a role for reach; the goal is a healthier mix, not eliminating them.
- How do I calculate the real cost of an OTA booking?The real cost of an OTA booking is more than the headline commission. Add the commission on the room revenue, any extra commission from visibility or promotional programmes, payment or virtual-card processing fees, discounts funded by the hotel, and any costs of managing the channel. Then compare that per-booking cost with the cost of a direct booking, which also isn't free — it includes your website, booking engine, marketing, and payment fees. The comparison tells you where to invest, not that OTAs are always bad.