Articles tagged “direct booking”

Direct bookings have been harder for smaller hotels and mom-and-pop tour operators to get than for the big guys. Still, tech providers, such as Sojern, Xola, and Destinia, aim to democratize online marketing tools.

InterContinental Hotels Group has frequently been contrarian over the years when it comes to travel distribution. The chain recognizes that not all guests are brand loyal, and that it is wise to maintain healthy relationships with online travel agencies and metasearch engines.

As the saying goes, keep your friends close and your rivals closer. Or in this case, that rival might turn out to be a friend, after all, once you've become the world's biggest hotel company.

A recent Today Show segment touting Costco Travel is riling ASTA, as are Four Seasons ads on Facebook promising perks for direct bookings. Travel advisors are irked as well, but are finding ways to hold their own.

We're pretty sure Hilton chief Chris Nassetta would disagree.

Arguments can be made for a number of sides, but the truth is there's no true winner or loser here, if we're being totally honest.

Two years in, it appears that consumers didn't just sign up for the loyalty programs to get a discount. Or even if they did, they've also come to realize the additional benefits of booking direct.

Hotel industry to consumers: You should still stop clicking around, (obviously!), but you should also expect a lot more from us when you (1) book direct with us, (2) join our loyalty programs, and (3) stay in our hotels.

Overall guest satisfaction with hotels in North America is at an all-time high. Still, that doesn't mean the hotel industry should be congratulating itself; there's still work to be done.

We still think there's a pretty good chance that we'll see Expedia-branded hotels in the near future if not sooner.