How to Map the Hotel Customer Journey and Increase Bookings
A practical guide to mapping all six stages of the hotel guest journey, from inspiration to post-stay loyalty, with tactics to increase direct bookings at each step.
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AI terms for independent hoteliers: what actually happens when a guest books through AI
A practical guide for independent hoteliers explaining AI booking discovery, hallucination risks, GEO, and how connectivity to AI platforms determines whether bookings land direct or via OTAs.
By Femke Nollet, Content Specialist, Lighthouse
Travel Powered by Booking.com Supported €691 Billion in Economic Activity Across Europe in 2025
Oxford Economics research finds Booking.com-facilitated travel supported €691B in economic activity, 4.7M jobs, and €175B in wages across Europe in 2025.
A hotel sells one price. The web returns a dozen.
Rate leakage through wholesale chains costs hotels an estimated 6% of annual revenue, while the GDS preserves rate integrity by delivering prices only to named, contracted counterparties.
By Markus Busch, Editor/Publisher, hospitality.today
Where hotel decisions form in 2026
Hotel distribution budgets still follow the old search funnel, but traveler decisions now form upstream via creator content, AI tools, and word of mouth before reaching any surface the stack was built to intercept.
By Markus Busch, Editor/Publisher, hospitality.today
PwC's US Consumer Poll on Summer Spending - Memorial Day is summer’s first signal
PwC survey shows 71% of Americans will spend same or more on summer travel, with Memorial Day travelers averaging $898 and AI adoption rising among younger travelers.
Hotel OTAs: Their Business Model Explained [With Complete List]
The comprehensive guide covers OTA business models, commission structures, and strategic advice for hotels to balance OTA distribution with direct booking initiatives.
By Emma Näpänkangas, M.Sc. Student in Hospitality Management, EHL
The hotel ranking game has a new playing field
Google's March 2026 core update now rewards original content over templated listings, giving hotels an advantage over OTAs in AI-powered travel discovery.
By Markus Busch, Editor/Publisher, hospitality.today
The Hotel Industry Has Been Waiting for AI to Save It From the OTAs.
Argues that AI will strengthen rather than disrupt OTAs like Expedia, as these platforms already control the massive datasets and connectivity that power AI recommendations.
By Andrew Paul, Managing Director, Americas Great Resorts
Hotels Lose Up to 2% of OTA Revenue Monthly. RobosizeME’s New Automation Addresses That Leakage
RobosizeME's automation replaces 30-minute daily manual processes per OTA with continuous monitoring to recover lost revenue.
RobosizeME Unveils Its Automation Center, Bringing Performance Tracking and ROI Forecasting to Hotel Groups
The platform tracks automation performance and forecasts ROI, with OTA VCC reconciliation alone potentially costing properties 1-2% of OTA revenue annually when untracked.
Agentic Hospitality’s TravelOS MCP + ChatGPT App is Putting Brands, Not Intermediaries, at the Center of AI Bookings
The company's ChatGPT app connects directly to hotel PMS systems, eliminating intermediaries and enabling hotels to own AI booking conversations from start to finish.
Lake.com is Home to 75,000 Waterfront Vacation Rentals, Doubling Inventory in 90 Days
The waterfront-focused platform doubled its inventory to 75,000 properties in 90 days by positioning itself for AI-driven travel search and charging no guest booking fees.
TikTok Has Entered the Chat: Metasearch
TikTok is beta-testing hotel metasearch cards that appear in user feeds, redirecting to OTAs like Expedia and Booking.com for reservations.
By Sienna Crawford, Senior Marketing Manager, Cogwheel Marketing & Analytics
Reclaim 68 Hours a Month per Property on Booking.com Reservations and Credit Card Reconciliation
Automation eliminates 68 hours monthly per property by connecting Booking.com, Opera PMS, and payment systems for automatic reconciliation.
By Linda Girrbach, Co-Founder & Head of Hospitality Consulting, RobosizeME
SiteMinder Opens Hotel Distribution to the AI Era
SiteMinder expands Demand Plus and Channels Plus to connect 53,000 hotels with AI platforms like ChatGPT, partnering with DirectBooker as inaugural AI demand partner.
Booking.com warns customers after reservation data breach
The incident exposed booking details, personal contact information, and guest notes but did not compromise payment data.
The Silent Build of the Agentic Web and the Coming Shift in Travel Distribution
The author argues that AI infrastructure like MCP is rapidly building the foundation for agent-driven travel booking, positioning early adopters for advantage when consumer adoption accelerates.
By George Roukas, President, GAIPAN
North America Leads Global Sports Sponsorship Spend by Hotels in 2025
GlobalData research shows North American hotels spent $303.11 million on sports sponsorships in 2025, with Airbnb leading individual brand spend.