OTA guest conversion strategy for hotels: The ultimate guide

Let’s be honest: most properties rely on OTAs to fill rooms. Third-party platforms like Booking.com and Expedia deliver visibility you can’t ignore. But from the moment an online travel agency (OTA) booker walks through your door, you have a prime opportunity for real connection. They’ve already experienced your property and your warm hospitality. Now it’s time to make sure their next booking comes directly through your website, commission-free.

Third-party platforms like Booking.com and Expedia deliver visibility you can’t ignore. But from the moment an online travel agency (OTA) booker walks through your door, you have a prime opportunity for real connection. They’ve already experienced your property and your warm hospitality. Now it’s time to make sure their next booking comes directly through your website, commission-free.

The challenge? Globally, over 68% of travelers are choosing OTAs over traditional channels, and on average, 21% of database records contain a masked email, meaning these external platforms keep control of the guest relationship.

However, you have the power to flip that script. Online travel agency guests can become future direct bookers through an effective conversion strategy that includes smart front-desk training, automated post-stay email journeys, and irresistible incentives.

Read on to learn how to take back share from the online travel agencies – reclaiming revenue, building real loyalty, and mastering the art of direct bookings, one converted guest at a time.

Why converting OTA guests is more critical than ever

A hefty chunk of your revenue walks out the door before you’ve even welcomed your guest, with OTAs charging up to 30% commission on each booking. And while those third-party platforms deliver brand exposure and room nights, the cost of acquisition keeps climbing.

So, what exactly is an OTA guest? Simply put, it's anyone who books their stay through an online travel platform like Booking.com, Expedia, or Hotels.com instead of directly through your website or reservation line. These guests represent a significant portion of most properties’ business – and every one of them is an opportunity to reclaim that commission on future bookings.

Here's what happens when you successfully convert them into direct bookers:

• You own the relationship – No more masked emails or restricted access to your own guests. You control the communication, the data, and the follow-up – which means you can customize experiences, recognize preferences, and build the kind of loyalty that keeps guests coming back.
• Repeat guests spend more – They spend 22.4% more than non-regulars and stay 28% longer on average. That's not just incremental revenue; that's meaningful profit.
• Long-term ROI compounds – Every guest you convert reduces your dependency on third-party channels. Over time, that means lower acquisition costs, higher margins, and a more predictable revenue stream.

There’s no denying third-party channels are great for discovery. But once a guest has discovered you, continuing to let them book through those platforms means you’re paying a commission every single time for a relationship you’ve already built. The smarter move is transforming that first stay into the beginning of a direct relationship that pays dividends for years to come.

Train reservation and front-desk teams to identify OTA guests

Your guest-facing staff is your frontline for conversion. But before your team can turn a third-party booker into a direct booker, they need to know who they're talking to, and how to start the right conversation.

Flag OTA bookings in your system

The first step is spotting them. Most modern PMS and CRM platforms let you tag or flag third-party reservations automatically based on the booking source. For example:

• In your PMS: Set up booking source codes that identify Booking.com, Expedia, or other external channels at a glance.
• In your CRM: Use segmentation rules to create a special tag that triggers specific follow-up workflows.

Equip your team with the right approach

Once the system flags the booking, your staff needs to recognize it as a conversion opportunity – not just another check-in. But here’s the key: this isn’t about scripts or sales pitches. It’s about genuine hospitality with purpose. Train your team to:

• Start with warmth: Acknowledge the guest sincerely and thank them for choosing your property.
• Weave in value naturally: Mention direct booking benefits during conversation – like member rates, flexible cancellation, or exclusive perks. When these mentions feel helpful rather than promotional, they plant the seed for future bookings without making guests feel “sold to.”
• Collect emails ethically: Since OTAs mask guest contact information, your team needs to gather it directly. Be transparent about why you're asking (“We'd love to send you exclusive offers”), obtain explicit consent for marketing emails, and offer clear value in return. Always stay compliant with external travel site terms and privacy regulations.
• Leverage identity resolution: Chances are, some guests’ real email addresses are already hiding in your systems – from past bookings or Wi-Fi sign-ins. Revinate Marketing’s identity resolution technology helps surface and merge those duplicates, with properties successfully converting roughly 12% of masked profiles into verified, contactable leads.

A simple, authentic moment – “Next time you stay with us, booking directly on our site gets you free breakfast and our best rate guarantee” – will always go a lot further than a robotic pitch.

Design post-stay email and text sequences

Your guest just checked out. Now the real work begins. And the good news is, most of it can run on autopilot.

The key is building segmented email and text sequences that feel personal, not generic. Start by going beyond a simple third-party label in your CRM. Layer in additional filters like room type, visit type, or season of travel. According to Revinate's 2025 Hospitality Benchmark Report, properties that apply enough filters to create microsegments under 5,000 contacts see a 5x increase in conversion rate compared to broader audiences.

Map out a strategic 3-touch sequence

Once your segments are built, design a post-stay journey that nurtures the relationship without overwhelming the guest.

Touch 1: Thank you & feedback (48 hours post-checkout)

Send a warm thank-you message and invite feedback through a short survey.

Touch 2: Direct booking benefits reminder (7–10 days post-stay)

Now that they've had time to reflect on their stay, remind them of what they'll get by booking directly next time: better rates, flexible cancellation, exclusive perks, or loyalty rewards.

Touch 3: Exclusive offer for future stays (30–45 days post-stay)

Close the loop with a special “returning guest reward” they can only access by booking directly. Make it compelling – 15% off, complimentary breakfast, a room upgrade, or early check-in.

Use the guest’s name, reference their recent stay, and tailor offers based on their preferences. The more it feels like a one-to-one conversation, the more likely they are to convert.

Real results: How properties win back OTA guests

You don’t have to take our word for it. Properties using targeted winback strategies are seeing increased repeat direct bookings and serious ROI.

Triumph Hotels leveraged segmented campaigns and automated workflows to reduce external booking channels’ share by up to 20% across their portfolio, generating $17.2M in lifetime revenue. One Broadway Week promotion alone drove 933 reservations and $765K in direct bookings.

TPG Hotels & Resorts used segmentation and personalized messaging to create automated winback campaigns that generated $18K in direct revenue, proving that tailored outreach beats mass marketing every time.

The iNUA Collection, Ireland's largest regional hotel group, nearly tripled their guest email database while increasing direct revenue from 13% to 20% – driving €5.6M in just two years by building relationships through GDPR-compliant, personalized communication.

When you combine smart segmentation, automation, and genuine personalization, travel-site guests don't just convert – they become loyal, repeat direct bookers.

Create direct booking incentives across all channels

Converting guests doesn't happen with one email or one front-desk conversation. It requires a consistent, multi-channel approach that reinforces your direct booking message at every possible touchpoint.

Make your message impossible to miss

Your direct booking incentives should show up everywhere your guests interact with your brand.

• Email campaigns: Feature your best direct rates and exclusive perks prominently in post-stay sequences and promotional emails.
• Website banners: Use eye-catching messaging like “Book Direct & Save” on your homepage.
• Property Wi-Fi splash pages: Greet guest log-ins with a “Book direct for our best rate” message.
• In-room collateral: Leave tent cards or welcome notes that highlight direct booking perks for their next stay.
• Call scripts: Train reservation agents to mention direct benefits when guests call to inquire or book.

What incentives actually work?

The most effective direct booking offers provide clear, tangible value.

• Loyalty rate codes
• Room upgrades
• Early check-in / late check-outs
• Dining or spa credits
• Free parking
• Complimentary breakfast
• Exclusive partner perks
• Best rate guarantees

Whatever incentives you choose, keep your messaging and brand voice consistent across every channel. When guests see the same offer reinforced everywhere, it builds trust and reinforces that booking direct is always the smarter choice.

Measure success and incremental revenue

To fully understand the impact of your conversion strategy, you need to track the right metrics and connect them to long-term profitability.

Track the metrics that matter

• % of OTA guests who rebook direct: This is your defining metric. It tells you exactly how many travel-site bookers you're successfully converting.
• Email open and click-to-book rates: High engagement signals that your messaging resonates.
• Incremental revenue from converted OTA guests: Calculate the total booking value generated from guests who originally came through online platforms but returned via your direct channel.
• Lifetime value (LTV) comparison: Direct guests typically stay longer, spend more, and cost less to acquire over time than travel-platform bookers.

Use attribution tracking and campaign tagging

Use unique promo codes and tracking links in your email campaigns. This helps you see exactly which messages and channels are driving bookings – so you know where to focus your time and budget.

Connect metrics to profitability

Every direct booking you win back isn’t just about avoiding commission fees, it’s an investment in long-term value. Each guest who rebooks directly strengthens your database, costs less to bring back next time, and gives you more opportunities to build brand loyalty. Over time, those wins add up to sustainable, high-margin growth that intermediary channels simply can’t match.

Graduate from OTA dependency

Converting guests into direct bookers isn't just smart marketing, it's essential for your long-term profitability. With the right training, automation, and incentives in place, you can reclaim revenue, strengthen guest relationships, and reduce your reliance on third-party platforms for good.

Ready to take the next step? Complete the OTA Winback track in our Direct Booking Mastery Certification program and get the tools, templates, and strategies you need to turn every travel-site booked stay into a future direct booking opportunity.

Key Takeaways

• OTAs take up to 30% of every booking – converting those guests to direct bookers protects your margins and builds long-term revenue.
• Train your guest-facing staff to spot OTA customers, collect their emails the right way, and naturally mention the perks of booking direct.
• Set up automated post-stay emails that thank guests, remind them why direct booking is better, and give them an exclusive offer they can't resist.
• Keep your direct booking message consistent everywhere: your website, emails, Wi-Fi login page, and even the card on their nightstand.
• Track what's working by measuring conversion rates, revenue from converted guests, and lifetime value – that's how you prove real ROI.

About Revinate

Revinate is a direct booking platform that leads the hospitality industry in driving direct revenue and increased profitability.

Our products and our people combine to give hoteliers the superpowers they need to crush their goals. With Revinate, hoteliers shift share away from OTAs and drive tangible results across an individual property or a portfolio. Our industry-leading, AI-powered customer data platform collects, unifies, and synthesizes data to give hoteliers a foundational advantage.

Hoteliers gain critical intelligence — guest lifetime spend, stay preferences, ancillary revenue, and more. With Revinate's Rich Guest Profiles™ data, hoteliers don't need to guess who their most profitable guests are or struggle to drive conversions across email, voice, messaging, and digital channels.

Revinate's direct booking platform and omnichannel communication technology powers 950+ million Rich Guest Profiles across 12,500+ hotels to drive over $17.2 billion in direct revenue.

Media Team
Media team | Revinate
+1 415 671 4703
Revinate, Inc.