When hoteliers think about hotel paid search advertising, most immediately focus on Google. While Google Ads remains a core part of any digital marketing strategy, relying on a single search engine limits reach, visibility, and incremental revenue.
NB: This is an article from Userguest, one of our Expert Partners
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Adding Microsoft Advertising (Bing Ads) to your hotel’s channel mix can unlock high-intent traffic, lower cost-per-click, and incremental direct bookings – often with less competition than Google.
If your goal is to increase direct bookings and reduce dependency on OTAs, Bing should not be overlooked.
What Is Microsoft Advertising (Bing Ads) and Why Does It Matter for Hotels?
Microsoft Advertising (formerly Bing Ads) allows hotels to show paid search ads across the Microsoft Search Network, including Bing, Yahoo, and partner sites. Because Bing is the default search engine on Windows devices and Microsoft Edge, it captures a significant share of desktop-based searches – particularly in corporate and office environments.
For hotels, this means visibility in front of users actively searching for terms such as:
- “Boutique hotel in Barcelona”
- “Luxury hotel near Hyde Park”
- “Family-friendly resort in Algarve”
These are not browsing users. They are high-intent travellers close to booking. Capturing that demand directly can significantly improve your return on ad spend (ROAS).
Lower Competition, Lower CPCs, Higher Efficiency
One of the main advantages of Bing Ads for hotels is lower competition. Many independent hotels and even agencies concentrate their budgets solely on Google, leaving Microsoft’s network underutilised.
Because fewer advertisers compete aggressively on Bing:
- Cost-per-click (CPC) is often lower
- Brand terms are cheaper to protect
- Impression share is easier to win
- Return on ad spend can outperform expectations
For independent hotels trying to compete against global chains and OTAs, this creates an opportunity to gain visibility without dramatically increasing budget.
Access to a High-Value Audience
The Bing audience profile is particularly attractive for hotels targeting premium or corporate travellers. Research consistently shows that Microsoft’s search users skew slightly older and report higher average household incomes compared to other search audiences.
