The stay is the hotel’s strongest channel
Why on-property moments matter more than clicks, funnels, or loyalty mechanics
Hotels invest heavily in digital marketing, loyalty programs, and booking technology to compete with OTAs for demand. Yet many overlook the moment where they hold the strongest advantage: the guest’s stay itself. While OTAs dominate discovery and transaction efficiency, hotels control the lived experience on property, including the personal interactions that shape trust and preference. When activated intentionally, this on-property moment can influence future booking behavior more effectively than any digital optimization effort.
Key takeaways
- OTAs win discovery, hotels own experience: Online platforms control visibility and conversion speed, but hotels control the environment where emotional loyalty is formed.
- Direct booking is often lost to friction, not price: Guests frequently choose OTAs because hotel booking journeys feel complex, slow, or impersonal.
- The front desk is an underused conversion channel: Check-in and in-stay interactions offer a rare opportunity to influence future booking decisions in real time.
- Recognition builds preference: Acknowledging repeat guests and their history signals value and creates a sense of relationship beyond transactions.
- Human ownership outperforms systems alone: Personal accountability and follow-through can reshape behavior more effectively than loyalty points or UX improvements.
- Behavior changes during the stay, not after checkout: The moment of truth for future booking choices happens while the guest is still on property.
- Direct booking strategy must include people, not just platforms: Technology enables efficiency, but staff enable trust, memory, and intent to return directly.
Source: WiT
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