Sunday, 19 June 2016

How Hotels are Matching OTAs with Innovative Benefits for Booking Direct

Even small hotels can win back loyal customers with book direct strategies. You do not have to be a big chain to offer something special to guest who book direct with your hotel, villa or apartment resort. It can be just a bottle of wine at the restaurant near to you. It can be a better price once they signup to your loyalty program.

Why Hotels Need to Show Travelers the Benefits of Booking Direct

The point is that hotels have to start to demonstrate that they are the suppliers and stop the perception that the best rates are available on Online Travel Agents (OTA) sites like booking.com and Expedia. The perception that OTAs offer the best deals is widespread and it is hurting suppliers in many ways.

It does not have to be so but the only people that can change this is the hotels and accommodation suppliers themselves. Take Poinsettia Villa Resort in St. Lucia for example: It is a small 7 unit villa apartment resort on a lovely hilltop garden overlook a picturesque bay. They are doing well with OTAs but guest just expect that the best deals are with agents and that is where most go to book. All fine and good to have business from distribution but it has a few drawbacks

Disadvantages of OTA Bookings

1. Commissions mount up and cut into profits
2. The customer build a loyalty with the agent and not the hotel
3. Agents can switch customers around too easily - and do promote the competition - especially those they have a higher commission with
4. Sometimes they offer alternatives that are not at all comparable to your own place, and not up to your standard of service, space ambiance or amenities. Being seen in association with lower quality product can hurt your image.

That's enough of a reason to want to build a direct booking benefit that will help travelers to book with you.

How a Small Property Presents the Benefits of Booking Direct

Take a look at Poinsettia Ocean-view Villa Resorts Benefits Page:
Even small hotels can win back loyal customers with book direct strategies. You do not have to be a big chain to offer something special to guest who book direct with your hotel, villa or apartment resort. It can be just a bottle of wine at the restaurant near to you. It can be a better price once they signup to your loyalty program. The point is that hotels have to start to demonstrate that they are the suppliers and stop the perception that the best rates are available on Online Travel agents sites like booking.com and Expedia. It does not have to be so but the only people that can change this is the hotels and accommodation suppliers themselves.

Consider Poinsettia Villa Resort in St. Lucia: It is a small 7 unit villa apartment resort on a lovely hilltop garden overlook a picturesque bay. They are doing well with OTAs but guest just expect that the best deals are with agents and that is where most go to book. All fine and good to have business from distribution but it has a few drawbacks

1. Commissions mount up and cut into profits
2. The customer build a loyalty with the agent and not the hotel
3. Agents can switch customers around too easily - and do promote the competition - especially those they have a higher commission with
4. Sometimes they offer alternatives that are not at all comparable to your own place in terms of service or amenities. That enough of a reason to want to build a direct booking benefit that will help travelers to book with you.

Take a look at how it work with this Poinsettia Ocean-view Villa Resort at: