For hoteliers today, increasing bookings is not just about filling rooms; it is about building long-term revenue for your property by attracting the right guests, while reducing dependency on costly intermediaries, such as online travel agencies (OTAs). With rising OTA commissions and growing competition, many hotels, particularly independent and boutique properties, are struggling to differentiate themselves from one another.
You don’t have to reduce prices to drive more bookings. Instead, focus on smarter distribution, better guest experience, and tools that make your hotel more visible and easier to book. That’s where Reserveport comes in with a powerful channel manager and booking engine that helps hotels maximize both direct and third-party bookings.
Here we show you proven ways to increase hotel bookings, and you can use technology to turn your website into your most profitable sales channel.
Why Increasing Bookings Matters
It may be tempting to compete by lowering room rates on online travel agencies. However, hoteliers have learned the hard way that discounts don’t create demand. Moreover, the hotel that wins in lowering rates loses. Instead, they erode your brand value and train guests to expect bargain prices.
The more innovative approach is to:
- Add value instead of discounting (for instance: complimentary breakfast, spa credits, early check-in).
- Be more visible online across OTAs, Google, and meta-search platforms.
- Make direct booking easy and attractive with perks and seamless technology.
At Reserveport, we have seen that when hotels combine visibility with guest-first incentives, they achieve sustainable occupancy without compromising profitability.
9 Proven Ways to Increase Hotel Bookings
1. Boost Your Visibility with a Channel Manager
Most travelers begin their booking journey on OTA sites like Booking.com, Expedia, and Airbnb. You need to be present on these platforms to ensure maximum visibility for your business, where travelers are already searching. However, managing multiple listings manually often leads to errors or double bookings. A channel manager like Reserveport automatically updates your rates and availability across all connected channels in real time, so you never have to worry about overselling a room. For instance, if a guest books your deluxe suite on Expedia, the channel manager instantly removes that room from Booking.com and your website during the booked period. This will save you hours of manual work and ensure accuracy, which in turn boosts guest trust and your property’s reputation.
2. Drive More Direct Bookings with a Smart Booking Engine
Online travel agencies (OTAs) can be a great way to boost your hotel's visibility, but they come with a major drawback: commissions. These fees can reach up to 20% per booking, greatly reducing your profits. That's why direct bookings are so important. Since they are commission-free, every dollar goes directly to you, and you maintain control of the guest relationship from the first interaction.
Using a booking engine like Reserveport, you can accept direct bookings directly from your website or through social media links. Guests can view your live availability and book instantly without needing to visit a separate site. For example, a traveler who finds your hotel on Google can make a reservation right away.
3. The Value of Value-Added Offers
Instead of competing on price, which can lead to a race to the bottom and harm your profitability, focus on offering unique value-added incentives. This approach makes guests feel like they're getting more for their money, often more effective than just offering a discount.
For example, rather than lowering your room rate by $20, you could provide a free welcome cocktail. This feels like a premium perk for the guest, but it costs you much less. Similarly, complimentary early check-in or late check-out is a highly appealing benefit for travelers, especially those with long flights. These small gestures not only set your hotel apart from competitors but also promote more direct bookings by showing guests that booking with you delivers greater value.
4. Use Social Media to Your Advantage
Social media platforms like Instagram, Facebook, and TikTok are more than just places to get likes; they are powerful storytelling tools that can greatly increase your hotel’s visibility. Use them to showcase your rooms, share positive guest reviews, and promote seasonal deals to a wide audience. For example, you might post a "Weekend Getaway Special" on Instagram that includes a direct booking link.
5. Email Retargeting Campaigns
Many potential guests begin the booking process but never complete it. Perhaps they got distracted, or maybe they wanted to compare different options. This is where email retargeting becomes a powerful tool. Instead of relying on general newsletters, hotels can use automation to re-engage these high-intent travelers and convert them into paying guests.
For example, if a guest selects a room on your website but abandons the booking, an automated email can be sent within 24 hours. A gentle nudge like, "Still thinking about your stay? Your room is waiting" can be highly effective. The strategy can be extended with a series of emails throughout the guest's journey: pre-stay emails offering upsell opportunities, such as airport transfers or dinner reservations, and post-stay emails inviting reviews or promoting your loyalty program.
Unlike one-size-fits-all promotions, these automated campaigns are timely and feel personal, which significantly increases conversion rates and builds stronger guest relationships. By leveraging data from booking engines like Reserveport, you can easily segment your audience and trigger these messages, ensuring your hotel stays top-of-mind until the booking is confirmed.
6. Influencer Marketing and User-Generated Content (UGC)
Today's travelers prefer recommendations from real people over brand advertising, making influencer marketing and user-generated content powerful tools for hotels. Unlike traditional ads, influencers - mainly micro and nano-influencers with smaller audiences (approximately 10K to 75K followers) but highly engaged can authentically showcase your property.
For example, a travel blogger might share a short video of their weekend getaway at your hotel, highlighting the rooftop views or a unique dining experience. Their followers, often sharing similar interests, are much more likely to consider booking after seeing that content. Similarly, encouraging past guests to post their own photos or stories on platforms like Instagram or TikTok using a branded hashtag not only builds credibility but also increases your hotel’s reach at little to no cost.
To get the best results, provide influencers and guests with unique experiences to share, such as a behind-the-scenes kitchen tour or a curated city guide. Use trackable links or promo codes to measure the return on investment for each campaign easily. A steady stream of influencer content and user-generated content will help position your property as trustworthy and memorable, driving direct bookings from new audiences you might not reach through online travel agencies alone.
7. Optimize Your Hotel Website
Your hotel’s website is often the first impression a potential guest has, and it needs to build trust. A slow, outdated site with poor-quality photos can cause travelers to leave immediately. To increase your direct bookings, ensure your site features high-quality images, clear room descriptions, and a prominent "Book Now" button on every page.
Search engine optimization (SEO) is also essential. By targeting specific keywords, you can help your hotel appear in search results. For example, if you’re a boutique hotel near a national park, optimizing for a phrase like “boutique hotel near Nairobi National Park” can attract more leisure travelers. Likewise, if your property is near a conference center, using a keyword like “business hotel near KICC” can draw in more corporate guests. With a direct booking engine such as Reserveport integrated, visitors can easily book a room without leaving your site.
8. Tap into Local Partnerships
Travelers today seek more than just a place to sleep; they want memorable experiences. By partnering with local businesses, you can create unique packages that add significant value and attract more guests. For instance, a seaside hotel could collaborate with a nearby dive center to offer a "Stay + Scuba Adventure" package. Alternatively, a boutique hotel in the city might partner with a local art gallery to give guests complimentary passes and private tours. These partnerships not only provide guests with distinctive, curated experiences but also help your hotel stand out from the competition on OTAs, where listings often look alike. Additionally, these collaborations can foster cross-promotion, with your local partners recommending your hotel to their customers.
9. Use Data to Adjust Rates & Offers
Successful hotels don’t rely on guesswork when setting rates; they use data. By monitoring booking patterns and demand, you can adjust your pricing to maximize both occupancy and revenue. For example, if your reports indicate higher demand on weekends, you might slightly raise your rates on those days while offering discounts during the week to attract more guests. Tools like Reserveport’s channel manager and booking engine simplify this process, providing real-time insights into which booking channels are most effective and which promotions perform best. This ensures you never underprice your rooms during peak seasons or miss opportunities to attract guests during slower periods. Over time, making data-driven decisions will give you a strong competitive edge.
Boosting your hotel's bookings is about making more intelligent choices. The key is to increase visibility, provide genuine value, and make it easy for guests to book with confidence. With tools like Reserveport’s channel manager and booking engine, you can expand your reach across major online travel agencies and attract more direct bookings through a seamless website experience.