Opinion

The Growth Illusion Luxury Hotel Marketing Still Operates Under

Luxury hotel marketing has become increasingly sophisticated — better creative, more channels, smarter automation — yet growth remains fragile. Direct bookings plateau. Customer acquisition costs rise. Dependency on intermediaries deepens.

Andrew Paul
Andrew Paul
Managing Director, Americas Great Resorts
Americas Great Resorts
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Online Travel Agencies (OTA)
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Digital Marketing
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Brand Marketing
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Luxury Travel
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Andrew Paul
by Andrew Paul
3 February 2026Americas Great ResortsDigital Marketing
Americas Great Resorts
10 Ways Hotels Can Increase Direct Bookings in 2026
Opinion

10 Ways Hotels Can Increase Direct Bookings in 2026

Today’s travellers expect to move fluidly between inspiration, research, and booking. They might discover a hotel on social media, validate it using AI tools or OTAs, and then book directly when the experience feels clear, valuable, and easy.

Filipe Machaz
Filipe Machaz
GuestCentric Co-Founder & VP of North America Operations
GuestCentric Systems
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Sales & Marketing
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Digital Marketing
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Filipe Machaz
by Filipe Machaz
30 January 2026GuestCentric SystemsDigital Marketing
10 Ways Hotels Can Increase Direct Bookings in 2026
Opinion

Optimise Your Hotel Website in 8 Easy Steps - FREE Checklist

As a hotelier, you know that first impressions matter. And in 2026, your website is your virtual front desk. But is it doing enough to convert visitors into paying guests? If your website isn’t optimised for speed, ease of use, and direct bookings, ...

Savina Karaivanova
Savina Karaivanova
Marketing & Product Strategist
Userguest
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Sales & Marketing
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Search Marketing
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Digital Marketing
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Savina Karaivanova
by Savina Karaivanova
20 January 2026UserguestDigital Marketing
Userguest
Opinion

How AI-Driven Search, Connected Media, and Real-Time Intelligence Will Drive Direct Bookings in 2026

The hospitality customer journey has become more fragmented and compressed than ever before. Travelers now move fluidly between search engines, AI-powered answers, metasearch platforms, social channels, video, and review sites before making a bookin...

Dhannesh Balaji
Dhannesh Balaji
Solutions Architect
Milestone Inc.
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Search Marketing
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Digital Marketing
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Advertising
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Dhannesh Balaji
by Dhannesh Balaji
12 January 2026Milestone Inc.Digital Marketing
Milestone Inc.
Winning over OTA guests with trust and convenience in the website and CRM
Opinion

Winning over OTA guests with trust and convenience in the website and CRM

By its very name, mastery implies a consummate passion for perfecting one’s craft through a combination of keen observation and in-the-field practice. It’s a process, and when it comes to maximizing direct bookings this means you must be ever vigila...

Adam Mogelonsky
Adam Mogelonsky
Partner at Hotel Mogel Consulting Ltd.
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Sales & Marketing
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Digital Marketing
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Adam Mogelonsky
by Adam Mogelonsky
23 December 2025Digital Marketing
Winning over OTA guests with trust and convenience in the website and CRM
The 2026 Hotel Marketing Playbook: Trust-led Multichannel Growth (TMG)
Opinion

The 2026 Hotel Marketing Playbook: Trust-led Multichannel Growth (TMG)

In 2026, here’s the ultimate digital marketing playbook that I think hotels should adopt: The Trust-led Multichannel Growth (TMG) approach.

Chris Zhao
Chris Zhao
Senior Product Manager - SEM/SEO
Travel Media Group
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Sales & Marketing
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Search Marketing
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Social Media
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Chris Zhao
by Chris Zhao
1 December 2025Travel Media GroupDigital Marketing
The 2026 Hotel Marketing Playbook: Trust-led Multichannel Growth (TMG)
Performance Max (PMax) Campaigns: The Automated Future of Google Ads
Opinion

Performance Max (PMax) Campaigns: The Automated Future of Google Ads

Google’s Performance Max (PMax) campaign type offers a highly automated way to reach customers across all of Google’s channels, including Search, Display, YouTube, Gmail, Discovery, and Maps.

Kylie Chen
Kylie Chen
Director of Paid Strategy
Cogwheel Marketing & Analytics
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Sales & Marketing
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Digital Marketing
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Kylie Chen
by Kylie Chen
1 December 2025Cogwheel Marketing & AnalyticsDigital Marketing
Performance Max (PMax) Campaigns: The Automated Future of Google Ads