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.
For hotels, this creates a real opportunity: more control, stronger margins, and a closer relationship with the guest — if the direct channel is designed for the way guests behave today.
Here’s 10 Ways your Hotel can increase direct bookings in 2026
1. Ensure your Hotel’s Unique Story is Visible Everywhere
Reality: AI-assisted discovery and faster decision-making is on the rise. As a result, website traffic across the industry is reportedly down 40–60%. (Source: Hotel Online).
Action: While traditional website traffic may be down, hotels can ensure visibility and direct bookings by going back to the basics: storytelling. Tell your hotel’s story in a way that is authentic and unique. Share narratives that highlight what makes your property special, such as local experiences, staff insights, guest moments — and feature them prominently on your website and content channels. Rich, distinctive storytelling helps potential guests connect with your brand and gives AI-driven search tools meaningful content to reference.
2. Compete on Value That OTAs Can’t Replicate
Reality: As of late 2025, nearly 30% of travellers now begin their hotel search on Booking.com, overtaking search engines for the first time. (Source: SiteMinder)
Action: While it’s important to be visible on OTAs, where hotels win is through incentivising direct bookings. Many travellers are willing to pay more when the value is clear. Direct channels allow hotels to present flexible policies, exclusive inclusions, or meaningful extras — advantages that intermediaries struggle to communicate well. Hotels that lead with value rather than discounts protect margins while strengthening the appeal of booking direct.
3. Personalise the Booking Experience for guests
Reality: 65% of hotel guests prefer personalized experiences facilitated by AI (Source: WiFi Talents)
Action: Guests now assume experiences will adapt to them. The opportunity for hotels isn’t complex customisation — it’s practical relevance. Showing the most relevant room types, packages, or messages based on behaviour, device, or timing reduces friction and shortens decision cycles. When guests feel understood, booking direct becomes the simplest option.
4. Make the Booking Journey Effortless from Start to Finish
Reality: 53% of mobile site visitors will abandon a page if it takes longer than 3 seconds to load. (Source: Google)
Action: In 2026, guests expect booking a hotel room to feel as easy as buying anything else online, with straightforward information, seamless payment options, and an interface that adapts to their preferred device. The opportunity lies in removing unnecessary steps, being transparent with pricing and policies, and offering familiar payment methods. A smooth booking journey doesn’t just increase conversion — it reinforces trust in the hotel brand.
5. Use Paid Media to Capture and Convert Demand
Reality: PPC (pay‑per‑click) display ads deliver an average 2:1 ROI — meaning $2 earned for every $1 spent when campaigns are optimized correctly. (Source: Influencer Marketing)
Action: Paid media remains essential, but its role has matured. Hotels benefit most when paid campaigns are designed to drive bookings — not just visits. By aligning ads with landing pages and retargeting guests who’ve already shown interest, hotels turn paid media into a reliable engine for direct revenue growth.
6. Connect Inspiration Channels Directly to Booking
Reality: Social media platforms like Instagram and TikTok are increasingly driving travel demand and bookings. In 2023, 65% of same-day hotel bookings were conducted on these platforms. (Source: Hospitality Technology.)
Action: Travel inspiration increasingly happens before a guest ever searches. Social platforms, short-form video, and creators influence where guests want to stay. Hotels that connect these discovery moments directly to their booking engine capture demand earlier — guiding guests toward direct bookings before intermediaries enter the picture.
7. Foster Instant Loyalty with Benefits for Booking Direct
Reality: 60% of customers are willing to spend more if they get immediate rewards. (Source: Level 6)
Action: Loyalty in 2026 isn’t about complexity — it’s about recognition of guests who visit your hotel website and showing them clear and immediate benefits for booking directly. Hotels that reward direct behaviour with meaningful perks strengthen repeat business and reduce reliance on third parties over time.
8. Use Trust Signals to Support the Booking Decision
Reality: Most important to consumers when booking accommodation online is an easy and secure booking and payment experience (53%), followed by video and images of rooms and the property (50%). (Source: SiteMinder)
Action: Trust signals should go beyond ratings and reviews. Clearly display secure payment options, SSL certificates, and recognizable payment providers alongside guest testimonials and property visuals. Highlighting these elements directly in the booking flow reassures guests that their payment and personal information are safe, while authentic reviews and ratings reinforce confidence in the property itself. Together, they reduce hesitation and increase direct bookings, making guests feel secure and ready to commit immediately.
9. Turn the Website into Your Primary Sales Channel
Reality: Industry forecasts suggest direct digital bookings will become the dominant distribution channel by 2030, surpassing OTAs in gross booking value as hotels invest in their digital platforms and guest engagement tools. (Source: Hotel Management)
Action: In 2026, hotels must treat their website as the heart of their sales strategy, because guests now expect the same seamless experience they get from top ecommerce sites. This means fast load times, mobile-first design, intuitive navigation, clear room and rate options, and a frictionless booking path that minimizes clicks. Seamless payments, multiple currency options, and transparent pricing build trust, while personalized recommendations, add-ons, and upsells increase perceived value. Hotels that prioritize these elements convert more visitors into direct bookers, strengthen guest confidence in the brand, and reduce dependence on OTAs as direct bookings grow toward industry dominance.
10. Connect Your Commercial Tools into One Strategy
Reality: Consolidating commercial operations can lead to a 15% increase in revenue. (Source: Deloitte)
Action: By coordinating efforts—from initial outreach to check-in, the guest stay, check-out, and post-stay interactions—hotels create a seamless journey that encourages direct bookings and maximizes revenue. While each guest has unique needs, a consistent, customer-focused strategy across departments enhances the guest experience and drives higher spend.
Looking Ahead
The fundamentals of direct bookings remain strong. What’s changed is the environment around them.
In 2026, increasing direct bookings is less about doing more — and more about doing things in a way that aligns with how guests already behave. Hotels that streamline their direct channel today capture more revenue per booking and reduce costly OTA leakage, without adding extra workload to staff. As a result, they are building stronger direct channels, deeper guest relationships, and a more resilient commercial future.
Talk to us for more instant, practical insights and explore how HyperCommerce can give you more direct bookings without adding extra work.
About GuestCentric
GuestCentric is a leading provider of cloud-based digital marketing software and services that help extraordinary hoteliers promote their brand, drive direct bookings and connect with customers on all digital platforms. GuestCentric's all-in-one platform provides hotels with the only unified solution for managing their guests' online journey: award-winning, high impact websites; an integrated, easy-to-use booking engine; social media marketing and publishing tools; a GDS chain code and a channel manager to offer rooms on Amadeus, Booking.com, Expedia, Galileo, Google, Sabre, TripAdvisor and hundreds of other channels. GuestCentric is a proud provider of solutions that maximize direct bookings to hotel groups and independent hotels from collections such as Design Hotels, Great Hotels of the World, Leading Hotels of the World, Relais & Chateaux, Small Luxury Hotels and Small Danish Hotels. GuestCentric is featured on Skift Travel Tech 250, a list of the top 250 travel tech companies shaping the modern-day travel experience.
Melissa Rodrigues
Content Manager
+35 196 157 3854
GuestCentric Systems
