Hotels are trying to cut online booking agencies out of the hospitality game by offering guests perks to book directly from the hotels' websites, escalating the ongoing hospitality war.
The Hotel Amarano in Burbank, CA, for example, offers guests who book directly a $25 food and beverage credit to use at the hotel, or a room upgrade. A hotel management group in Hawaii gives daily $20 Starbucks gift cards to guests using direct booking.
Hotels get charged a steep 15% to 25% commission for booking through online sites like expedia.com and booking.com—and they want in on that extra cash.
Online travel agents, on the other hand, say their sites let customers compare prices and find lower rates, the LA Times reports.
“Consumers want the ability to see and compare all of their options, and they can’t do that when they book directly with a hotel,” said Stephen Shur, president of the Travel Technology Association, a coalition of online travel sites. [LAT]
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