OTA's are fine for price discovery but you often get a better deal (and better service) from the hotel/brand directly. The front desk knows you booked via an OTA instead of the hotel directly.
I know anecdotes aren't data, but I've had the opposite experience.
Front Desk: "Hey, I see you booked with Expedia. You know if you booked directly with us, you'd get a better rate!"
Me: "Oh really? Thanks! Can I book tomorrow night at the same rate as tonight?"
Front Desk: "No, sorry, tomorrow night's rate is twice as the rate you have from Expedia."
Me: "Ok, I guess I'll book at Expedia for tomorrow night as well, since they have the same rate that's half of what you're offering me."
It's absurd - the flexibility to even match Expedia's rates is a slog and they act like you're asking for the world when they readily accept Expedia giving even less. Really don't understand why hotels don't bake in the flexibility to actually compete with the OTAs.
Contract from OTA (at least did when I worked) does not allow the chain/brand to undercut the OTA, in exchange for traffic. Given its mostly a duopoly (Expedia/Priceline), I guess they feel they have to give in or get cut out of business.
Reminds me of my travels in Iceland.. arrive around 10PM (it was still daylight in summer), ask if they have a room with a discount; they'd rather have a guest paying less rather than an empty room. At one place the guy configuring the room for me told his colleague he's giving me the room with the OTA rate, i.e. what they would've earned if I had booked with an OTA..
Comments
I know anecdotes aren't data, but I've had the opposite experience.
Front Desk: "Hey, I see you booked with Expedia. You know if you booked directly with us, you'd get a better rate!"
Me: "Oh really? Thanks! Can I book tomorrow night at the same rate as tonight?"
Front Desk: "No, sorry, tomorrow night's rate is twice as the rate you have from Expedia."
Me: "Ok, I guess I'll book at Expedia for tomorrow night as well, since they have the same rate that's half of what you're offering me."
I've had this happen so many times!
It's absurd - the flexibility to even match Expedia's rates is a slog and they act like you're asking for the world when they readily accept Expedia giving even less. Really don't understand why hotels don't bake in the flexibility to actually compete with the OTAs.
Contract from OTA (at least did when I worked) does not allow the chain/brand to undercut the OTA, in exchange for traffic. Given its mostly a duopoly (Expedia/Priceline), I guess they feel they have to give in or get cut out of business.
Reminds me of my travels in Iceland.. arrive around 10PM (it was still daylight in summer), ask if they have a room with a discount; they'd rather have a guest paying less rather than an empty room. At one place the guy configuring the room for me told his colleague he's giving me the room with the OTA rate, i.e. what they would've earned if I had booked with an OTA..
Me too, always cheaper on Booking.com.
When asked directly, they just tell me to book on Booking.com.
I've had this same experience multiple times with US hotel chains.