Every hotelier has a love-hate relationship with OTAs. They fill rooms, bring visibility, and keep the lights on during slow stretches, but they also take a chunk of your revenue, steal your guest relationships, and condition travelers to book anywhere except directly with you.
NB: This is an article from Topline Revenue, one of our Expert Partners
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For many properties, OTAs have become a crutch. They are reliable, easy, and difficult to move away from. But if more than 50 percent of your bookings come from third-party channels, you are not building your business. You are building theirs.
The goal is not to eliminate OTAs entirely because that is unrealistic. Instead, the aim is to rebalance the mix so that you control your demand rather than renting it. Here is how to do it without watching your bookings drop.
Step 1 – Know What Dependence Actually Looks Like
OTA dependence is not just about the percentage of OTA bookings. It is about control.
If your pricing, visibility, and demand decisions are dictated by OTA behavior, like flash sales, promos, or loyalty programs you never signed off on, you have lost the wheel. Common red flags include:
- OTA share above forty to fifty percent year round
- OTA pricing leading your rate strategy instead of the other way around
- Direct conversion below twenty percent
- Little to no tracking of OTA versus direct booking costs
You are not in trouble just because OTAs are part of your mix. They have their place. The warning sign is when they start making the decisions for you. If you are adjusting to their behavior instead of your strategy, that is when the balance has officially tipped.
Step 2 – Diagnose Why You’re So Reliant
Hotels don’t become OTA-dependent overnight. Usually, it starts with good intentions: trying to boost exposure, fill a slow season, or recover after soft demand. But over time, the convenience becomes a trap.
Some of the most common drivers:
Poor direct booking infrastructure
A slow website or outdated booking engine does more harm than most hoteliers realize. Guests today expect instant load times, a clean path to purchase, and full mobile compatibility. If your site lags, glitches, or forces them to zoom and pinch on their phone, many will abandon the process instantly. When that happens, they retreat to the OTA that gives them a smooth and effortless experience every time.
