Latest news with #directbookings
Skift
16-06-2025
- Business
- Skift
Accor Bets on Kylian Mbappé in Loyalty Ad to Cut Out Middlemen
Accor is running ads for its loyalty program that star footballer Kylian Mbappé. The goal is to drive more direct bookings. The backstory is that online travel agencies are incredibly convenient for consumers and incredibly expensive for hotel companies like Accor. Accor is banking on sports superstar Kylian Mbappé, to help solve an expensive problem: too many guests booking through online travel agencies instead of directly. The Paris-based hotel group debuted on June 12 a marketing campaign starring the Real Madrid forward to promote its ALL loyalty program, which now counts more than 100 million members. But the real goal isn't building brand awareness. Instead, it's about getting customers to bypass online travel agencies, which typically charge commissions of 15% to 25%. While Mbappé's ads never explicitly mention companies like Expedia or the film highlights the hotel group's loyalty program. Accor is using data to identify and retarget online travel agency users with ads like the one with Mbappé to encourage more direct bookings. "For customers that have used alternative mean
Travel Daily News
11-06-2025
- Business
- Travel Daily News
BWH Hotels GB invests in new website
BWH Hotels GB launches streamlined website to boost direct bookings, reduce OTA reliance, and enhance digital tools for 230+ UK hoteliers. BWH Hotels GB is launching a faster, simpler website as part of a push to help its partners minimise reliance on OTAs. This will impact more than 230 independent hoteliers across the UK. The fully redesigned website is part of plans to improve digital infrastructure and will deliver faster load times, a simplified booking journey and improved image and content functionality. It will also introduce tools to support marketing activity at both hotel and regional level, with future plans to integrate AI. The move follows several years of development and testing and forms part of BWH's long-term digital investment strategy. The platform is underpinned by cloud-based technology, with a focus on improving the guest experience while streamlining operational processes for hotel teams. Chris Bowling, Head of Digital and Consumer Marketing at BWH Hotels GB, said: 'The launch of this new website will provide independent hoteliers with the tools they need to compete with the big players, for advanced tech without the complexity. This launch has been years in the making, with vigorous testing to ensure every part of the journey is optimised and efficient. Our team is here to make sure the tech works for our hoteliers, not the other way around. We are of course invested in helping our members thrive – by taking the pressure off them and providing ongoing expertise that makes their digital presence stronger, more streamlined and ultimately more profitable.' BWH Hotels GB is forecasting improvements in conversion rates and organic traffic as a result of the rebuild, as well as a reduction in OTA dependency. This upgrade will impact all BWH hoteliers, including Angela Burns, CEO of Webb Hotel Group Ltd and owner of three BWH hotels including Moor Hall Hotel & Spa, BW Premier Collection by Best Western in Sutton Coldfield Angela Burns said: 'We've been working with BWH Hotels since its inception more than 50 years ago and they've always been a fantastic partner – giving us the freedom to run our businesses while providing the right support. 'With technology evolving so quickly in the industry, it's great to see BWH focusing on solutions that not only boost our direct bookings and reduce our reliance on OTAs, but also deliver what our guests actually care about. 'As a hotel, images are key, but large files can slow down website speeds. This new website launch from BWH provides us with a central hub that lets our properties shine without compromising loading speeds, ensuring guests have the best online experience that mirrors the level of care they receive when they arrive.' Worldwide, BWH Hotels operates out of more than 100 countries with 4,200 hotels and 60 million rewards members which means that partner hotels have the potential to significantly increase their number of overseas guests. BWH Hotels GB, which represents Great Britain's largest group of independent hotels, including Best Western and WorldHotels, allows hoteliers to enjoy global reach without sacrificing their individuality.
Travel Daily News
29-05-2025
- Business
- Travel Daily News
Boom partners with ICND for short-term rental operators
Boom integrates with ICND, empowering vacation rental managers to boost direct bookings, enhance branding, and optimize operations through AI tools. MIAMI, FL, and OCEAN ISLE BEACH, NC – Boom, the AI property management system (AiPMS), has announced its integration with InterCoastal Net Designs (ICND), providing vacation rental managers with best-in-class direct booking websites and new tools to supercharge revenue. The integration enables Boom users to seamlessly pair ICND's high-performance websites and booking engine with Boom's AiPMS. This provides operators a complete end-to-end solution that grows direct bookings, builds brand presence, and increases profitability. ICND helps short-term rental managers create customized, sleek, and user-friendly websites optimized for performance, conversion, and guest experience. This integration allows ICND to plug websites directly into Boom's AI platform, giving property managers ultimate flexibility without sacrificing functionality. Boom places AI at the heart of property managers' operations, handling everything from guest messaging and task assignment to maintenance and review management. Boom's powerful AI also collects data and creates dashboards to allow property managers a 360-degree view of their operations at all times. With this strategic overview and the day-to-day administration out of the way, property managers can focus on truly growing their business, and optimizing their channel mix. Boom's AI sales agent is a key part of that strategy. Operating 24/7, the sales agent negotiates rates with prospective guests in real time, adapting its tone, language, and cultural expectations to make guests feel at home before they even start their trip. This capability boosts booking volumes by 10–30% and increases ADR by securing higher-value guests and personalizing recommendations. Shahar Goldboim, CEO and Co-Founder of Boom, said: 'Direct bookings are a key part of many property managers' revenue strategy, and this partnership supports them to expand their channel mix where it makes sense for them, as well as building their brand to attract new homeowners and grow their brand. This partnership helps operators take control of their brand and guest relationships, while our AiPMS handles the operations in the background.' Brandon Sauls, President of ICND, said: 'For vacation rental managers who are serious about ensuring the longevity of their companies, a powerful and attractive branded website is the storefront they need. Our partnership with Boom is an important step in helping managers to take control of their revenue and booking streams, with cutting-edge AI technology at the fore.'
Travel Daily News
21-05-2025
- Business
- Travel Daily News
Three emerging booking trends you can't ignore in 2025
Hotels must prioritize direct bookings, flexible policies, and modern revenue strategies to meet evolving guest expectations and boost 2025 profitability. If you've been working in the hospitality industry for any time, I'm sure you've experienced the huge shifts and changes in the way that hotels operate, in how consumers select where to travel and stay, and how they prefer to book their hotel. Staying on top of these changes can feel exhausting but, never fear, I'm here to update you on three key booking trends that hotels need to know today to make the operational (and technology) updates necessary to attract more guests, increase bookings and revenue and improve guests' overall booking experience in 2025. So, let's get started… TREND #1: The hard work that hotels have done to drive more direct traffic is starting to pay off (but the work is not done yet!) For years, hotels have been working to direct more traffic and bookings via the direct channels but, due to the huge marketing budgets, innovative features and cost-saving loyalty programs offered by the OTAs, travelers have been slow to make the shift. While the OTAs are still coming out on top, the tide is beginning to shift, signaling good news for hotels' bottom lines in the future… According to Skift Research's Hotel Distribution Outlook 2024, 'by 2030, direct digital channels will surpass OTAs as the primary booking source for hotels, generating $409 billion in gross bookings, compared to $333 billion from OTAs.' While this is a development that is just starting to take shape, it demonstrates a shifting preference among travelers for booking direct, likely because of the hard work that hotels have done in improving their direct rates, offering more personalized experiences, providing additional value and the development of loyalty programs that add even more value for repeat guests. Hoteliers that don't prioritize improving their direct booking channels will lose valuable business to savvy hoteliers who have already updated their revenue and reservation management strategies accordingly. What can you do today to boost your direct bookings? First, hotels must use a CRS with a built-in booking engine to offer the best booking experience to guests, while optimizing their reservation management and front-office operations. To encourage guests to book directly, hotels should offer value-added services, such as free breakfast, discounts on on-site amenities, free airport transfers or room upgrades. Obviously, your website and booking engine needs to offer a frictionless booking experience, both on desktop and mobile, but that's no longer enough. Integrated AI chatbots on your website can enable better customer service by automating the process of answering repetitive questions, making it possible for your staff to do more, with less. Create a loyalty program that will provide exclusive incentives to members to encourage repeat customers and consider upselling pre-stay options, room upgrades, etc., thereby creating a new revenue stream. Finally, retargeting previous guests (or those who visited your website previously) with social media ads and emails can also dramatically increase conversion rates and maximize the revenue earned via your direct channel. TREND #2: Guests are looking for more flexibility in booking and payment terms Immediately after the pandemic, last-minute bookings were at an all-time high but, today, hotels are experiencing a guest preference towards a longer booking window, averaging guests booking 32 days in advance. With that increase in advance booking, guests now expect more flexibility in hotels' cancelation policies to minimize their risk. While offering flexible cancellation terms may feel risky to hoteliers, recent statistics show that it's a worthwhile risk as 'cancellations are now falling below 20%' and, based on an industry report, 'more than half of [guests] are willing to pay extra for a hotel that offers free cancellation… [with] nearly 1 in 5 [saying] they'd pay $50 or more.' In addition to flexibility in cancellation, guests are also looking for flexible payment options that enable booking without paying upfront or which offer price alerts (and the ability to change the reservation) if the price of the hotel room decreases during the cancellation window. If your property isn't already offering flexible booking and payment options, you should update your policies across all channels to maximize conversions. Finally, making it easy for guests to modify or cancel their reservation online (if necessary) will go a long way towards encouraging guests to book early, as it will minimize their stress levels. TREND #3: Modern revenue management strategies for modern guests Revenue management is becoming more sophisticated every year, especially at the group level where cluster revenue management is being deployed with a few clicks across an entire portfolio of properties, enabling the implementation of brand-wide (rather than property specific) revenue management strategies. Today's guests are willing to be brand loyal, if they are offered valuable incentives to do so innovative cluster revenue managers should implement strategies to ensure that brand-specific strategies cultivate loyalty over the long term. In the luxury and all-inclusive market, we've seen a growing trend of membership- or subscription-based travel, in which a guest earns stays at any of a group's properties by paying a subscription or membership fee, either to get free stays at different locations or to receive a discount on all hotel bookings. For example, Accor implemented a subscription program in 2023, called Accor Plus, which gives members discounts of up to 50% on dining and hotel stays (with one free stay per year) at more than 1,000 participating Accor properties (under their various brand names) in 20 countries around the world. If properly marketed and promoted, the subscription- or membership-based revenue model could prove very valuable for hotels because it incentivizes repeat guests (the guests who spend the most during their stay) and frequent travelers to fill rooms, especially valuable if implemented during slower travel periods. Also, groups can leverage a brand-level revenue management strategy by offering portfolio-wide packages to loyalty members to book within a hotel group rather than switching to competitors' properties when they visit a new destination. Today, the guest booking journey is constantly evolving and hotels must evolve along with the trends to stay competitive. Hotels that don't prioritize innovating to match guests' changing needs, risk losing bookings and revenue to more savvy competitors. So, is your property's direct booking channel ready to welcome today's modern guests?
Hospitality Net
19-05-2025
- Business
- Hospitality Net
Optimizing OTA Commissions: Keep the Bookings, Strengthen the Partnerships
Online Travel Agencies (OTAs) are vital allies in hospitality. They expand reach, bring in new guests, and boost occupancy - especially in competitive markets. But to make the most of this partnership, properties must balance visibility and profitability with strategic planning. Know What You're Paying For Start with a distribution audit: Compare commissions and guest value across OTAs Identify platforms with the strongest returns Use analytics to understand where your profits grow best Properties using quarterly audits optimize their mix and unlock up to 5% higher margins through smart OTA partnerships. Make Your Listings Work for You Strong listings lead to better visibility and conversions: Use professional photos to stand out Keep seasonal offers and content fresh Respond to reviews to build trust Properties that regularly update OTA listings see up to 18% more bookings while maximizing their OTA placement. Encourage Direct Bookings - Without Undermining OTAs OTAs bring guests to your door. Use that momentum: Offer extra perks to direct bookers without violating rate parity Highlight member-only advantages on your website A boutique hotel grew direct bookings by 34% just by showcasing added value on its own channels—while still relying on OTAs for first-time discovery. Strategically Work Within Parity Rate parity doesn't limit creativity: Create custom bundles, mobile-only deals, or exclusive packages Offer loyalty pricing that respects parity rules It's about enhancing value while maintaining compliance. Let Data Guide Your OTA Strategy Use data to amplify OTA performance: Track Net ADR by channel Identify which OTAs bring bookings during key periods Adjust inventory based on booking windows and trends With the right tools, you'll gain clear insights that help you work smarter with each OTA. Turn OTA Guests Into Loyal Fans Every OTA guest is a future direct guest: Deliver standout stays that guests want to repeat Follow up with tailored, direct incentives Use subtle in-stay education to show the value of booking direct One property reduced reliance on paid listings by 22% through a well-structured guest retention plan—without cutting OTA exposure. Use Dynamic Pricing to Maximize Value Smart pricing works across all channels: Adjust rates automatically based on demand and competition Protect margins during peak periods Align pricing strategies across OTA and direct channels Hotels using dynamic tools report up to 12% higher RevPAR with better balance across their OTA mix. Leverage OTAs as Strategic Partners The goal isn't to cut OTAs - it's to use them with intent: Use high-visibility OTAs for exposure and first-time bookings Reserve value-adds and loyalty incentives for direct channels Partner with niche or regional OTAs that align with your market Reduce Operational Costs with Smarter Distribution Working more efficiently with OTAs doesn't just grow bookings - it saves money too: Automation tools reduce time spent on manual updates Centralized content management minimizes labor across platforms Smarter inventory allocation cuts reliance on high-cost channels One multi-property group saved over 20 hours per month on administrative tasks by streamlining their OTA strategy. Ready to Grow with the Right Balance? When used strategically, OTAs are powerful partners - not just platforms. Smart distribution, thoughtful rate management, and proactive guest retention can help you thrive across all channels. Visit us at to learn more.
