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Why the Bottom of the Funnel Should Come First in Hotel Direct Booking Strategy

Every hotelier knows the uneasy math of online travel agencies. OTAs bring visibility a property could rarely buy on its own, which is genuinely valuable for niche or resource-constrained hotels. But that visibility comes at a cost that compounds in ways many operators underestimate. The OTA collects a commission, frequently undercuts the property’s own rate by a few dollars to win the click, and once the booking closes, owns the guest record, the email address, and the relationship that could have fueled a loyalty program or a return stay. A direct booking isn’t just cheaper than an OTA booking, it’s worth more over time. The hotel keeps the data, the opt-in, and the chance to market directly to that guest again. An OTA booking, by contrast, is a rented guest — the hotel pays for access once and then loses the thread. None of this makes OTAs the enemy. They’re [...]

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