Direct Booking Marketing vs. OTAs
Where Should Boutique Hospitality Properties Focus Their Marketing?
TL;DR:
OTAs give you exposure, but they take a cut.
Direct bookings = higher revenue & stronger guest relationships.
Brosy Studio helps you lower your marketing costs & boost your ROI.
Millions of travelers search OTAs daily, giving your property built-in visibility.
we recommend being on OTAs.
Why? Because OTAs (Online Travel Agencies like Airbnb, Booking.com, and Vrbo) still play a huge role in vacation rental and boutique hotel bookings.
Here’s the proof:
43% of U.S. vacation rental bookings happen through Airbnb. Airbnb is an especially popular booking platform among younger travelers and last-minute bookers.
21% of U.S. vacation rental bookings come through Vrbo. VRBO is a go-to for families and groups looking for longer stays.
32% of short-term rental properties globally are listed on Booking.com—a powerhouse in Europe, with growing traction in the U.S.
-RentalScaleUpAKA, People still use OTAs A lot.
So the question isn’t whether to be on OTAs, but rather how to balance your OTA exposure with a strong direct booking marketing strategy. Our focus from here on out in this blog is to review the whole landscape and bring to light how you can avoid unnecessary revenue to commissions or missing opportunities to build guest loyalty.
Our Take On OTAs:
For most boutique hospitality brands, being on an OTA is still worth it, even if only for the free exposure.
We have worked with clients to add a little nudge on their OTA listings to encourage guests to book direct:
“Most guests book direct with us for a reduced rate. Search [Brand Name] to see more reviews & book for the best price at [website URL].”
LOL @ this AI creation of an “OTTA” OTA listing. This crazy thing aside, we often see that a clean and streamlined OTA listing is worth the exposure. Show up in your location on their search platforms definitely can add value.
This way, you stay on OTAs but increase your chances of guests booking direct.
If you already have direct booking channels (a website, or booking platform) we definitely recommend not promoting your OTA listings (Airbnb, VRBO) on your direct booking channels. If you’re going to spend time and money marketing your brand, send people straight to your direct site.
We Also Recommend offering Direct Booking
When a guest books direct through your website, you keep 100% of the revenue — no OTA commissions, no middleman. You also have control over that relationship — from pricing to perks to cancellations — which can be helpful for a lot of reasons.
Our Take On direct booking:
We’ve seen a lot of success for boutique hotels and vacation rentals who use OTAs for exposure but drive most of their revenue through direct bookings.
Our recommended approach is a balance of both:
Use OTAs to get discovered — but make your website the ultimate destination for direct bookings.
Optimize your website to build guest trust with clear pricing, seamless booking, and guest reviews.
Leverage paid ads & social media to target travelers before they land on OTAs.
Encourage repeat guests with email marketing and special perks for direct bookers.
how Brosy Studio can help:
At Brosy Studio, we specialize in both OTA listing optimization and direct booking optimization that helps boutique hospitality brands lower their OTA reliance and boost their revenue. If you’re ready to shift more bookings direct, we can help you:
Optimize Your Website to convert more visitors into guests
Run Paid Ads & SEO Strategies to attract travelers before they hit OTAs
Craft Authentic Branding & Social Media to build engagement & loyalty
Lower Your CAC & Increase ROI through data-backed marketing
Let’s grow your direct bookings together.
