What Are Direct Hotel Bookings and How to Increase Them?

At least 700 million guests will make a hotel booking online this year. That’s huge — and that number is expected to surpass 1 billion before the end of the decade.

There are three main methods guests use to book hotels:

• Offline – Phone, direct mail, and walk-ins. These were popular historically but booking has become much more digital.
• Indirect – Online travel agencies (OTAs), global distribution systems (GDS), and metasearch engines. These reach wide audiences but charge commissions, increasing customer acquisition costs.
• Direct – Bookings made through a hotel’s own website, app, social media, email, or messaging channels. Direct bookings avoid third-party commissions and can improve margins.

This guide explains what direct hotel bookings are, why they matter (especially for small and independent hotels), and practical strategies to increase them.

What Are Direct Hotel Bookings?

A direct booking is a reservation confirmed directly with the hotel, without travel intermediaries. Direct bookings are typically made through:

• The hotel’s official website
• The hotel’s mobile app
• Email or direct messaging (social media, chat, messaging apps)
• Phone (when handled directly by the property)

By cutting out the middleman, hotels can engage directly with guests and reduce distribution costs.

Key statistics:

• On average, about 27% of hotel bookings are made directly through the property (this includes large chains).
• For independent hotels, research indicates more than 56% of bookings come from direct channels.

Why Are Direct Bookings Important for Small Hotels?

Direct bookings provide several advantages:

• Commission savings: Avoiding third-party commissions reduces distribution expenses. While hotels must invest in their own channels (website, booking engine, marketing), the overall cost savings are significant.
• Better guest relations: Direct communication enables personalization, improved service, and stronger brand loyalty.
• Increased revenue: Having guest contact details allows targeted offers, upsells, and campaigns to drive repeat visits and higher per-guest spend.

Top Booking Channels in the Hotel Business

Understanding where guests find your hotel will help you design a better direct-booking strategy.

OTA (Online Travel Agencies)

OTAs like Priceline, Expedia, Booking.com, and Orbitz reach large audiences. While you may have limited control over how your property appears, you can optimize listings with strong images, accurate amenities, and competitive pricing. Align with OTAs that match your target guests and balance reach with cost.

Global Distribution Systems (GDS)

GDS platforms (Amadeus, Worldspan, Sabre, Travelport) connect hotels to travel agents and corporate channels. They provide real-time pricing and availability worldwide. Use smart pricing strategies to remain competitive while offsetting GDS fees.

Social Media

Social platforms contribute to direct bookings (about 6% of global direct bookings). Features like Facebook’s call-to-action buttons can link users directly to your booking engine. Social media builds engagement and loyalty and is particularly effective for mobile users.

Metasearch Engines

Metasearch sites such as Tripadvisor, Trivago, and Google Hotels operate on pay-per-click or commission models. To compete effectively, synchronize rates between your metasearch campaigns and your website, and optimize cost-per-click to balance cost and visibility.

Mobile Apps

Mobile apps drive convenience and engagement. There was a 123% year-over-year surge in travel app downloads in May 2021, highlighting their growing importance. Apps enable push notifications, offline access, and richer functionality than mobile websites.

How to Increase Direct Hotel Bookings

Use a combination of technical, marketing, and service improvements to convert more guests directly.

1. Keep OTA Listings High Quality

Ensure your OTA listings are complete and compelling. Use high-quality photos, accurate descriptions, detailed amenity lists, and competitive pricing to attract guests and complement your direct channels.

2. Offer Better Deals for Direct Bookings

Create a clear value proposition for booking direct — exclusive discounts, added perks (free breakfast, room upgrades, flexible cancellation), or special packages. Align OTA rates and perks so direct bookings feel notably better.

3. Boost Your Social Media

Use stories, videos, and interactive content to build emotional connections. Promote direct-booking benefits and link social posts to your booking engine to streamline the conversion path.

4. Integrate a Booking Engine into Your Website

Provide a fast, seamless, and mobile-friendly booking engine. Reduce friction in the booking flow so moments of intent convert into confirmed reservations.

5. Let Customers Compare Rates Transparently

Offer a rate comparison tool that shows guests how direct booking compares with other channels. Transparency builds trust and helps justify booking directly.

6. Invest in Hotel SEO

Optimize for local and hotel-specific search terms. Focus on technical SEO (Core Web Vitals, mobile performance) and use analytics tools (e.g., Google’s Destination Insights, Hotel Insights) to refine local search strategies.

7. Prioritize Mobile-Friendliness

Ensure responsive design and excellent performance on mobile devices. With the rise of mobile-first browsing, a smooth mobile experience is essential for capturing direct bookings.

8. Communicate Directly with Guests

Implement chat, messaging, or chatbot solutions to answer questions in real time. Personalized, prompt communication increases bookings and guest satisfaction.

Let HelloShift Help You Increase Direct Bookings

For independent hotel brands, direct bookings boost profitability and guest satisfaction. While improving direct channels requires investment, the return on increased direct sales and loyalty is substantial.

HelloShift helps properties enhance guest communication and streamline operations to drive more direct bookings. Key ways HelloShift supports hotels:

• Guest messaging and website chat to engage guests during the booking process and throughout their stay
• Automated reservation reminders, special offer notifications, and post-stay follow-ups
• Contactless check-in and digital guidebooks accessible via guests’ mobile devices
• Staff collaboration tools and a Housekeeping app for real-time visibility into room status across buildings, floors, shifts, and departments

Stop losing revenue to missed calls and voicemails. HelloShift AI answers when staff is busy, guests enjoy mobile check-in and digital guidebooks, and your team coordinates seamlessly with real-time room status updates.

See why properties using HelloShift report 30% fewer guest complaints and 2x faster issue resolution. Book a personalized demo or start your free trial.