Online Travel Agencies (OTA) are well known for bringing a large volume of customers to hotels. They do help hotels to fill the empty rooms by exposing them to various section of travelers that are otherwise not easily reachable.
OTAs partner with hotels with a condition of rate parity. It means that one, hotels need to maintain the same rate across all the online distribution channels and two, they cannot advertise lower rates than OTAs. Although it seems like a disadvantage but hotels can use this scenario to benefit themselves with a few tips provided here.
Offer appealing room package
According to OTA agreement, the hotels are restricted to publicly display lower rates of rooms due to rate parity. But to entice prospective guests you can provide attractive add-ons such as free wi-fi, tickets to an event nearby or a free parking pass. This adds more value to the offer you make as compared to the discounted prices of OTAs.
Provide lower rates to a limited audience
Rate parity limits you from advertising discounted rates on your website or anywhere on the internet. But you are free to offer a lower rate to the guests who are following you on Facebook, the Twitter followers, guests who have signed up for the newsletter and those who call you directly for reservations.
Have a Smart Web Design and Smooth Booking Process
When guests visit your website, it is a great opportunity to capture their attention and prevent them from turning to an OTA. The web design should be very simple, just display most important information like the rates and availability of rooms, along with features and a few high-quality images. Also with a smooth and quick booking process, you can definitely convince potential guests to reserve rooms at your hotel website.
Use Channel Manager
A channel manager is a software that allows you to easily manage and synchronize hotel room inventory and prices across several OTAs through a single platform. Therefore, it eases your pain to log into several OTA accounts and change the rates and inventory.
Conclusion
With some effective tips, you can increase encourage potentials guests to make direct reservations and at the same time avoid any conflict with the OTAs.
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