StackBridge Labs

Direct booking or OTA? How hotels and resorts can depend less on commissions

How online travel platform commissions work, what a direct booking website needs, and a practical way to shift guests towards booking with you.

By the StackBridge Labs team · Published · Last reviewed · 2 min read

We build and sell some of the software and services mentioned in our guides, and we say so where it applies.

Third-party booking platforms (OTAs) send hotels real demand, and most properties will keep using them. The aim of a direct booking strategy is not to leave them. It is to make sure a growing share of guests book with you, because those bookings do not carry a platform commission.

How OTA commission works

A platform typically takes a percentage of each booking it brings you. The rate varies by platform, region and contract, so check your own agreements. The key point is that the cost scales with success: the more rooms you sell through a platform, the more you pay.

What a direct booking website needs

  • Live availability, so guests see only rooms that are really free
  • Online payment by UPI and cards, so booking is finished in one visit
  • Channel sync with the platforms you use, so a booking anywhere blocks the same dates everywhere and you avoid double bookings
  • Seasonal and weekend pricing you can change without a developer
  • Instant confirmation by email, and ideally WhatsApp
  • Mobile-first design, because most guests will book from a phone

Ways to move guests to book direct

  1. Make your own site the easiest place to book. Fast, clear photos, visible prices, one-tap booking.
  2. Offer a reason: a small discount code, a free breakfast, or flexible dates for direct guests.
  3. Capture repeat guests. Ask for contact details at check-in and message them before their next season.
  4. Answer questions on WhatsApp. Many guests choose the property that replies first. See WhatsApp automation.
  5. Keep your Google Business Profile accurate, with a booking link to your own site.

Where SBL Stay Bookings fits

SBL Stay Bookings is built for exactly this: direct room booking, real-time availability, seasonal pricing, coupon codes, Airbnb and Booking.com sync, online payments, automated booking emails, GST and tax management and a reporting dashboard. It starts at ₹34,999 with free first-year maintenance.

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