Direct Booking Strategy Consulting for Independent Hotels
Learn how to increase direct bookings for your hotel and cut the 15% to 25% commissions paid to Expedia and Booking.com. We audit your distribution mix, fix your booking path and build the channels that bring guests straight to you.
Where Direct Bookings Leak Away
Most independents are not losing bookings to a lack of demand. They lose them in search, on the website and inside the booking engine.
Guests find you, then book elsewhere
A guest who researches on your site but sees a lower or equal rate with perks on an OTA will click away. Rate parity and direct-only value close that gap.
Booking engine friction
Slow loading, extra steps, surprise fees and poor mobile layouts make guests abandon direct booking at the last step.
No owned audience
Without email and retargeting, every OTA guest is a one-time customer you paid to acquire again and again.
Direct Booking Strategy Services
Distribution and OTA mix audit
See what each channel truly costs after commission, cancellations and acquisition, and set a target mix.
Rate parity management
Strategies to keep parity while giving direct guests clear reasons to book with you: perks, packages, flexibility.
Booking engine optimization
Reduce steps, speed up pages, fix mobile layout and tracking so more visitors complete the reservation.
Search and metasearch visibility
Hotel SEO, Google Hotel Ads and Business Profile work that puts your direct link in front of ready-to-book guests.
Retargeting and email
Win back lookers and convert past OTA guests into repeat direct bookers.
Commission savings reporting
A running view of direct share, cost per acquisition and commission avoided.
OTA Commission Savings Calculator
Enter your room count, ADR, occupancy and OTA share to see what shifting 10% to 20% of your bookings to direct channels could save you every year.
- Annual room revenue
- $1,836,680
- Current OTA commissions paid
- $148,771
- OTA share after shift
- 30%
Estimate only. Excludes the cost of direct marketing, which is typically a fraction of the commission it replaces.
Get a plan to capture these savingsHow We Work With Independent Hotels
Diagnose
Analyze channel mix, rate position, website and booking funnel data.
Prioritize
Rank fixes by revenue impact and effort, with a target direct share.
Implement
Website, booking path, search, ads and email improvements in sequence.
Track
Monthly reporting on direct bookings, CPA and commission saved.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I increase direct bookings for my hotel?
Improve visibility for your own name and destination searches, make the direct rate at least as attractive as OTAs with added value, remove friction from the booking engine, and retarget and email past visitors and guests.
What are the best OTA commission reduction strategies?
Shift incremental bookings to direct through SEO and Google Business Profile, run retargeting, use email and loyalty offers to convert repeat guests, and keep rate parity healthy so OTAs are used for reach, not as the default.
How much can an independent hotel save?
It depends on revenue and OTA share. Use the calculator above to model shifting 10% to 20% of bookings to direct at your own commission rate.
How much does direct booking consulting cost?
We scope fees to your property size and goals, and compare them to the commissions you can recover. Start with a free audit to see the opportunity first.
Take Back Your Margin From the OTAs
Get a free audit of your direct booking funnel and a plan to move more reservations to your own channels.