Global Hospitality Industry Review - First Half of 2026
Analysis of H1 2026 hotel distribution trends finds OTA commissions at 15-25% vs. 5-12% for direct, while AI and metasearch are reshaping how guests discover and book hotels.
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You own the resort. You don't own its guests.
A resort operator opinion arguing that OTAs, wholesalers, luxury travel advisors, and now AI platforms each capture a piece of the guest relationship, leaving hoteliers with only the stay itself to build loyalty from.
By Markus Busch, Editor/Publisher, hospitality.today
Why Direct Booking Strategy Fails When Hotels Don't Control Demand
The article argues that direct booking programs fail because hotels optimize for conversion while ignoring upstream demand control, leaving discovery and customer access in the hands of OTAs and paid platforms.
By Andrew Paul, Managing Director, Americas Great Resorts
How a Luxury Hotel Group Helped Drive Domestic Demand and Direct Bookings During Market Uncertainty
Lexis Hotel Group used Amadeus iHotelier Suite to shift to a direct-first strategy in 2025, recovering $502K via cart abandonment tools and achieving 37% total revenue growth amid reduced inbound travel.