Among all OTAs, Booking.com is the undisputed leader in online travel, with over 29 million listings and 1.2 million bookings managed daily. But that's not all:

• According to Statista, 76% of travelers who booked accommodation online in 2023 used Booking.com.
• The HOTREC association (Hotels, Restaurants, and Cafés in Europe) estimates that Booking.com handles around 70% of hotel bookings in Italy.

Italy also has the highest number of listings on Booking.com, and this dominance has recently led the Italian Antitrust Authority to launch an investigation into a "suspected abuse of dominant market position."

Essentially, through its many rules imposed on properties, Booking.com is believed to restrict competition. To make matters worse for hoteliers, commission fees range between 15% and 23% per booking, which can eat into thousands of euros in revenue every month.

Despite these challenges, many hoteliers find it difficult to move away from Booking.com due to the massive visibility the platform provides—essential for attracting new guests.

The solution to reducing commission costs while maintaining visibility is smart disintermediation—capturing guests who book via Booking.com and converting them into direct customers.

But how can this be done?

In this article, we will explore key strategies for reducing dependence on Booking.com and how to enhance direct bookings using Smartpaying, our platform designed for selling extra services and managing payments.

5 essential strategies to reduce reliance on Booking.com

Disintermediation strategies may vary, but they all focus on establishing direct contact with guests, improving their experience, and building long-term loyalty. To achieve this, follow these key steps:

1. Create an outstanding website

Creating an outstanding website is crucial. It must be intuitive, accessible on all devices (responsive), visually appealing, and rich in useful content. Additionally, it should be SEO-optimized to rank high in search engine results. Other essential features include an integrated booking engine, a secure payment system compliant with the latest security standards, a blog with regular updates about your property and the local area, sections dedicated to special offers, and the ability for guests to subscribe to a newsletter.

2. Choose a seamless booking engine

Choosing a seamless booking engine is essential for encouraging direct reservations. The booking engine must be secure, versatile, and fully integrated into your website to ensure a fast and smooth user experience.

3. Implement email marketing software

Implementing email marketing software is another key step. Effective guest communication should include a mix of regular newsletters to keep guests engaged, personalized emails with special offers and promotions, and post-stay communications to encourage repeat bookings.

4. Provide fast and high-quality responses

Providing fast and high-quality responses is equally important. A well-managed email communication system with quick and personalized responses can significantly increase direct bookings. Organizing a structured system to track inquiries and assigning a dedicated team member to handle guest communication enhances efficiency and improves conversion rates.

5. Offer extra services and experiences

Guaranteeing an attractive offering of extra services and experiences can further support disintermediation. Offering value-added services not only personalizes the guest experience but also diversifies your pricing strategy by creating thematic packages or offering exclusive discounts for guests who book services or experiences directly. This approach provides additional motivation for direct bookings while enhancing the perceived value compared to OTA offerings.

If you want to explore this topic further and get practical ideas, you can read our article on complementary services that you can introduce at your hotel today.

Reducing reliance on Booking.com without penalties

The key to reducing reliance on Booking.com is establishing effective and direct communication with guests—but how can you do this with those who book through Booking.com?

This OTA closely monitors pricing and ensures that the rates listed on its platform are the most competitive compared to other booking channels. Beyond pricing, Booking.com enforces strict rules to control direct communication between hoteliers and guests, penalizing properties that send messages that do not comply with its guidelines.

To build a direct relationship with guests while staying within Booking.com’s policies, the best approach is to set up an automated communication system that adheres to the platform's regulations.

This is where Smartconnect comes in. It allows you to take advantage of the communication spaces not controlled by Booking.com. Through the platform, you can send automated messages to your guests—both after they book and after their stay—sharing information about your property and offering a discount code to encourage future direct bookings.

How to send discount codes to customers who book through Booking.com with Smartconnect

Using this Smartconnect feature is simple:

• Access the Automations section, where you manage all customer communications
• Review the automatic message suggested by Smartconnect to be sent after the booking and the automated email with the discount code scheduled for after check-out
• Continue leveraging Smartconnect’s automated messages and offers throughout the guest’s stay to build loyalty and stimulate more direct bookings.

Smartconnect is designed for hotels, resorts, agritourisms, and property managers who want to:

• Reduce dependence on OTAs and lower commission costs;
• Increase direct bookings and run targeted email marketing campaigns to maintain high occupancy rates even during low-demand periods;
• Sell ancillary services and experiences more effectively to boost revenue per guest;
• Enhance the overall guest experience through personalized communication that fosters satisfaction and loyalty.

What do you need to reduce reliance on Booking.com with Smartconnect?

Currently, Smartconnect’s automated messaging feature is available to customers using the following property management systems (PMS), booking engines, and channel managers:

• Ciaobooking
• Krossbooking
• 5 stelle
• Slope
• Octorate
• Zak
• Wubook
• Inreception
• Scidoo
• Beddy
• Passepartout
• Xenion
• Simplebooking
• Smoobu
• Roomcloud
• Ermeshotel
• Iperbooking

When is the best time to start reducing reliance on Booking.com?

There is no single best time to implement a disintermediation strategy. This is an ongoing effort that should be maintained year-round using a combination of tools tailored to your property and guest base.

However, to make the most of your disintermediation strategy, it’s essential to start well before peak season. This allows you to capture as many OTA bookings as possible during high-demand periods and gives you the opportunity to build strong, loyal relationships with your guests through consistent, targeted communication year-round.

Smartconnect is just one of the software tools included in the Smartness platform.

Smartness is the all-in-one platform for managing hotels, B&Bs, apartments, and vacation rentals, designed to be your operational partner. It doesn’t just provide data or streamline your work. It automates the key activities that drive your growth.

From revenue management to marketing, upselling, cross-selling, and guest communication, Smartness helps you achieve all your growth goals with ease.

Want to see how it works?