In a growing trend, the big hotel chains are telling customers to skip the booking sites like Booking.com, Expedia and the rest and book directly with the chain, in return for lower rates or increased amenities. Hyatt this week joined the trend, which booking industry leaders say is pushing the clock back 20 years.
Among the biggies now pushing for direct booking and offering something in return are Hilton and Starwood, which offer 10% discounts and free WiFi to their loyalty members who book direct; Hyatt and Marriott also have offers. From the hotel chain point of view, the discounts and freebies cost them less than the 15% they typically pay to booking agencies.
And, they hope, they will cement loyalties to their particular group of brands; all the majors now have brands covering most of the spectrum from budget to ultra-luxury and make all of them available through a single booking system. That’s the theme behind Hilton’s “Stop Clicking Around” ad theme.
However, to really make a dent in the online agency totals, they’ll have to recruit a whole lot more loyalty members; fewer than 1 in 4 travelers belong to a program. And meanwhile, some of the booking sites, especially Booking.com, have loyal followings of their own who make them the go-to place for their hotel needs.
More details from Japan Today. Photo: Hyatt Regency Makkah
I still don’t know if it’s any cheaper booking direct. For instance, on Hyatt site , It’s 10% off is off standard rates. I often see higher % discounts on booking.com for Hyatt hotels.