
The world economy continues to serve up dishes we would all prefer to send back. Marriott CEO Anthony Capuano told Skift recently that booking windows are now typically “sub-three weeks,” meaning under 21 days.
NB: This is an article from Cendyn
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This reflects the ongoing popularity of last-minute bookings and may indicate an even tighter window than that experienced during the post-pandemic period.
Forty percent of hotel reservations are now made within 30 days of arrival, underscoring a significant shift in traveler behavior towards shorter booking lead times. Spontaneity, mobile-first decisions, and digital expectations are fueling this trend. This shift requires hoteliers to adapt by implementing real-time inventory management and dynamic pricing strategies (among other things) to effectively capture last-minute demand and maximize revenue.
What steps should you and your team take to adapt and reduce the risk of lost revenue?
Here are five strategies to ensure your property achieves profitability, regardless of the challenges you face.
1. Reach more travelers with smarter digital advertising
What to do: Use paid search, metasearch, and Google Performance Max for Travel Goals (PMTG) to capture demand in real time, especially from last-minute bookers or travelers searching on mobile.
Example: A boutique hotel in Paris used Google PMTG to push targeted ads to users searching for “last-minute weekend stay Paris” and achieved a 34x return on ad spend (ROAS) in under 30 days.
Pro tip: Set up dynamic remarketing to retarget users who visited your site but didn’t book—especially useful for shoulder seasons.
2. Make sure your website is built to convert
What to do: Optimize your site for mobile, reduce load times, and add booking triggers like “Only 1 room left!” or “Free cancellation before arrival.”
Example: Relais Christine redesigned their site with Cendyn’s creative web services. By combining speed, personalized banners, and real-time pricing, they reduced OTA bookings by 63% in favor of direct reservations.
Pro tip: Run A/B tests on call-to-action buttons (e.g., “Book Now” vs. “Check Availability”) to see what drives more clicks and conversions.
3. Simplify channel management and inventory control
What to do: Use a centralized reservation system (CRS) to sync availability, pricing, and policies across all distribution channels in real time.