OTAs may deliver bookings—but often at the cost of margin, control, and customer data. For hotels aiming to take back ownership of their distribution and drive more direct revenue, there are several proven strategies worth adopting.
1. Optimise Your Website for Conversion
Your website should function like a 24/7 salesperson. That means fast load times, mobile responsiveness, clear calls to action, and a frictionless booking engine. If it’s clunky or confusing, travellers will default to the convenience of an OTA.
2. Offer Rate Parity with Perks
Offer direct bookers exclusive perks like free breakfast, late checkout, a welcome drink, or room upgrades. These bonuses differentiate the direct experience without breaching rate parity agreements.
3. Invest in SEO & Google Hotel Ads
OTAs spend big on paid search, often outbidding you for your own brand terms. Fight back by investing in SEO, and use tools like Google Hotel Ads to make sure your direct rates appear prominently in search results. This keeps potential guests from clicking away to a third-party site.
4. Leverage Retargeting and Email Marketing
Not every visitor will book on the first visit. Use retargeting ads and email automation to re-engage visitors who abandoned the booking process. This low-cost marketing tactic nudges high-intent users back to your site.
5. Use Social Proof Strategically
Encourage satisfied guests to leave Google and TripAdvisor reviews, and showcase positive testimonials and user-generated content on your website. Real guest photos and stories build trust and improve conversion.
6. Incentivise Loyalty from the First Stay
A good loyalty program isn’t just for repeat guests—it’s a reason to book direct from day one. Offer future discounts or a points system that only applies to bookings made on your site.
7. Partner with Vacaay to Drive Direct Bookings
Vacaay helps hotels connect with high-intent travellers during the planning phase—before they’ve entered the OTA booking funnel. By showcasing your property as a must-visit destination, Vacaay inspires travellers and drives them directly to your website to book. The result? More direct bookings, greater control over the customer journey, and significantly lower acquisition costs compared to OTAs.
Final Thought
Reducing OTA reliance doesn’t mean eliminating OTAs altogether—it means finding balance. By strategically boosting direct bookings, hotels gain more control over pricing, customer relationships, and profit margins. It’s not just about distribution—it’s about long-term sustainability.
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