How Hotels Can Lure 18% of Searchers Away from OTAs
Increasingly, travelers who start their hotel search on an OTA cross over and book directly with the property. This segment has grown by 3.3% as guests search for the things third-party platforms fail to deliver: control, accountability, and customer service.
Consumers want answers and assurance, but they also want to nail the logistics: price, location, availability, basic amenities. So, they divide travel planning into an OTA search, followed by a deeper follow-up on the websites of the shortlist.
For hotel marketers, these “OTA switchers” are among the highest-value targets on the internet. Your hotel sits with a handful of others in a high-consideration contest. Now, you have a clear target to win over.
Does Your Hotel Website Sell Your Experience?
These browsers just left a flat, uniform list on an OTA, and they want a sense of what your hotel is truly all about. Does your website tell a story? Is it filled with rich, sensory details?
This booking trend reinforces the longstanding truth: your website is the workhorse of your hotel’s marketing funnel. And the details that convince people to book also feed the AI engines that increasingly field research and follow up questions as people weigh complex travel decisions. Hotel marketers should carefully review website details and design, and create fresh content as seasons pass and attractions come and go.
Review Your Website with These Strategies in Mind
- Lead with identity, ditching the generic photo of a white bed in favor of the experiences that define your property. Peaceful views, local art, stylish spaces, and neighborhood spots represent reasons to choose your hotel.
- Publish neighborhood-first guides and itineraries that prove your hotel is the definitive gateway to local culture.
- Build for machine readability using a clean schema markup. When a user asks an AI search engine a highly specific question like “which boutique hotel has a quiet courtyard workspace and serves local coffee,” your website’s structured backend must provide the direct answer.
Remarketing Can Entice These Undecided Guests
When an OTA researcher lands on your site, they are likely comparing your website side-by-side with other open tabs. If they close your tab without buying, they are still narrowing down their choices. Targeted remarketing lets you serve ads with offers that re-engage them before they default back to the OTA checkout.
Work with your agency to focus your ad spend on those most likely to book. This may include users who abandoned the booking engine, or people in regional drive markets. Consider a special offer to motivate them on the spot, whether a discount, upgrade, or bonus amenity.
Make Your Booking Flow as Transparent as an OTA
OTAs win on pure, transactional speed and pay-what-you-see pricing. If your direct booking engine requires account registration, loads slowly, or hides its true costs, you are driving the guest back to the third-party platform. To win the transaction, your booking engine must match the OTA’s speed while beating them on transparency.
- Show all-in pricing from step one: Hiding local taxes and resort fees until the final confirmation page destroys trust. Display true, upfront total costs the moment a guest selects a room rate.
- Strip friction from checkout fields: Only ask for essential information. Eliminate unnecessary forms and integrate digital wallets like Apple Pay or Google Pay so guests can finalize their stay on mobile in seconds.
- Offer room guarantees: While OTAs sell generic room categories, use your direct engine to let guests choose their specific floor level, view preference, or exact room layout. Consider exclusive, direct-only options.
Steps like these can win a larger share of the warm traffic interested in a more personal hotel experience. They are looking for assurance that you offer the type of stay they’re craving: maybe a quiet and restful retreat, a suite of wellness amenities, family-friendly accommodations, or deeper connections to the region. The marketers at O’Rouke can help. Talk to us about website improvements, content plans, and campaign activations that can win more direct revenue for your hotel.