Direct Bookings For Your Hotel

The best way to stay relevant and maintain competitive advantage is to constantly differentiate your property. Furthermore, taking time to benchmark tactics from other successful hotels in your area can lead to higher revenues, customer satisfaction, and brand recognition. Benchmarking is a great tool when you use an idea from a competitor, but change it slightly with creativity to cater to your specific target market. Can including guest perks persuade customers to directly book through your hotel's website versus online travel agencies?

LA Times Article by Hugo Martin

Hugo Martin reports that Hotel Amarano in Burbank currently offers guests who book directly either a $25 food and beverage credit to use or a room upgrade. Other properties such as Beverly Hilton Hotel offer guests free Wi-Fi. The disadvantage for customers when direct booking through your hotel's website is that they can't compare options and rates with other competitors. Therefore, it's essential your hotel entices customers with "guest perks." Excerpt from LA Times

In Hawaii, a hotel management group is giving daily $20 Starbucks gift cards to guests who book directly at the group's Lite hotels, plus 12 other properties across the islands."

What perks would you offer guests to encourage them to directly book instead of losing the 15%-25% commission fee to OTA's? Read the Full Article Here.