Hotel Booking Boosting Tips:
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Upgrade your loyalty program. Many major hotel brands have been successful recently in improving direct bookings by providing loyalty incentives for members. Discounted stays. Free meals. Preferred rooms. Smart technology features. A bottle of wine waiting upon arrival. It’s all about creating loyal customers who will keep coming back and providing a steady revenue stream. And believe it or not, this might mean extending some of your loyalty perks to repeat OTA customers.
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Update your OTA listings. New high-resolution photos and detailed amenity descriptions can make a significant difference in attracting customers on a third-party site filled with competitors. Including information about on-site dining establishments, spas or other available services can encourage customers to visit your site to make reservations, boosting incremental revenue.
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Follow the urgency lead. OTAs are famous for gaining impulse bookings with “one room left” and “limited space available” claims. During high-demand periods, make sure your customers are aware of limited space.
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Don’t shun your OTA customers. It’s one thing to have a loyalty program. It’s another thing to make your OTA customers feel less welcome or less valued because they didn’t book direct. Given a fantastic guest experience, an OTA customer can be an incredibly valuable brand advocate. You may get a five-star review, a social media tag or even a recommendation to a friend.
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Ask for reviews everywhere. One great review can lead to multiple bookings. Make sure you’re encouraging satisfied guests to post reviews on your site, on OTAs and on Google reviews. On some platforms, improving your rating may improve the placement of your listing and, thus, the likelihood of consideration.
It’s important to remember that one of the primary benefits of OTAs is the ability to search and book everything in one place—hotels, flights, rental cars and more. Rather than fighting OTAs and risking losing bundled sales, it may be a smart business decision to embrace these sites as partners. They’re likely not going away any time soon.
Interested in performing hospitality market research to better understand customers and increase loyalty? Contact Trone Research + Consulting at 336.812.2002.
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