Trend continues for direct hotel bookings
With more hotels guaranteeing equal or better prices to travelers who book with them directly, online travel agency Web sites like Expedia and Travelocity no longer have a near-monopoly on the best prices.
“It used to be that you would book through an online agency because of the savings, which for one night could have been upward of $30,” Lorraine Sileo, an analyst at PhoCusWright, told Online Travel.
The cheaper rates often came with stricter cancellation policies, however, and requirements for full payment when booking. Travelers accepted those conditions because the savings were significant.
“That was yesteryear,” Ms Sileo said.
During the travel slump after the Sept. 11 attacks, hotels were eager to work with discount and travel agency sites to fill rooms. But now that the economy is stronger, the hotel companies have been working to cut out the middleman.
If a customer who reserves with Hilton finds a lower rate for the same place at another Web site in the next 24 hours, for example, Hilton will match the rate and throw in either a $50 American Express gift check or a $50 discount.
Marriott and Starwood Hotels also offer rate guarantees.
Another incentive for direct booking is that major hotel chains have largely stopped offering loyalty program rewards to guests who reserve rooms at negotiated discounts from the online travel agencies.
Report by David Wilkening
David
Vegas’s Billion-Dollar Secrets – What They Don’t Want Tourists to Know
Visit Florida’s New CEO Bryan Griffin Shares His Vision for State Tourism with Graham
Chicago’s Tourism Renaissance: Graham Interviews Kristin Reynolds of Choose Chicago
Graham Talks with Cassandra McCauley of MMGY NextFactor About the Latest Industry Research
Destination International’s Andreas Weissenborn: Research, Advocacy, and Destination Impact
Graham and Don Welsh Discuss the Success of Destinations International’s Annual Conference
Graham and CEO Andre Kiwitz on Ventura Travel’s UK Move and Recruitment for the Role
Brett Laiken and Graham Discuss Florida’s Tourism Momentum and Global Appeal
Graham and Elliot Ferguson on Positioning DC as a Cultural and Inclusive Global Destination
Graham Talks to Fraser Last About His England-to-Ireland Trek for Mental Health Awareness
Kathy Nelson Tells Graham About the Honour of Hosting the World Cup and Kansas City’s Future
Graham McKenzie on Sir Richie Richardson’s Dual Passion for Golf and His Homeland, Antigua
ADS PRO 
France prepares for a massive strike across all transports on September 18
Turkish tourism stalls due to soaring prices for accommodation and food
CCS Insight: eSIMs ready to take the travel world by storm
Germany new European Entry/Exit System limited to a single airport on October 12, 2025
Airlines suspend Madagascar services following unrest and army revolt