Our independent hotels are a really great outlier, as the majority of our hotels do not use OTA, and are 100% direct. What *are* & *should be* direct bookings get siphoned into different ecosystems, whether a legit bait and switch, or just being swallowed by the black hole of Google.
Our metasearch has done wonders, but it’s funny to think we are 100% direct at these properties, and we’re still battling for the bookings already coming to us. We note that often our guests don’t even realize they’re not on the actual website of the hotel, and are constantly surprised they didn’t book on the hotel website. So as everyone is battling against OTAs to bring back direct bookings, we’ve a peculiar problem that a tiny segment of our industry experiences. Couple that to being independent hotels, and we get lost in the shuffle. I want a direct line of conversation to Google about serious issues that they will consider, vs being told what’s happening and what’s on the road map, etc etc.
I’ve an opportunity for a casual breakfast at Google HQ, and am somewhat worried it is just a 3rd party digital travel partner hocking new tools or wares, as that isn’t my best use of time, although due diligence is a thing. That sort of presentation is less interesting than understanding ways boutique, independent high value proposition hotels could have an opportunity to shine, as the purveyors of what underpin the entirety of what travel is meant to be about: genuine, personalized, authentic, neighborhood experiences.
To think tech can constantly exploit our segment is disappointing, especially as we don’t have the bargaining power, the marketing budgets, or the margins to compete with OTAs or big box brands. It would be lovely if the cream would be allowed to rise to the top, bolstering Google’s entire notion of servicing searchers with that same authentic and genuine travel experience that makes people loyal, creates empathy and enhances life and health, and keeps people coming back to book travel again and again. It just seems to me that it would be wise to collectively recognize independents as their own segment that is actually accessible to consumers, possibly with a side dollop of educating them. Our marketing budgets don’t reach travelers like Google does.