October 13, 2026 · 6 min read
Direct bookings: how a small hotel stops giving away commission
Why your hotel needs a website with its own booking engine, how much you save compared with OTA commissions and what makes guests book direct.
Platforms like Booking or Expedia bring guests, but they charge for it: usually between 15% and 20% of every booking. For a boutique hotel with €200 rooms, that's €30–40 leaving with every night sold.
How much you really save
| Scenario | Nights per year | Commission at 17% |
|---|---|---|
| 12-room hotel, 60% occupancy, €160/night | ≈ 2,600 nights | ≈ €70,700 |
| If just 20% switch to direct booking | ≈ 520 nights | ≈ €14,100 saved |
It's not about leaving the OTAs, but about making sure guests who already know you (returning guests, people who found you on Google or Instagram) book on your site, not someone else's.
What your site needs for guests to book direct
- A date search visible from the first second, on mobile too.
- A clear total price: nights, tourist tax and breakfast, with no surprises at the end.
- A reason to book direct: better price, late check-out, a welcome drink. Something the OTA can't offer.
- Large photos of every room and its real capacity.
- Visible reviews and a score that builds trust.
- Secure payment by card, Apple Pay or Google Pay.
Speed and mobile: where bookings get lost
More than half of accommodation searches start on a phone. If your site loads slowly or the calendar is awkward with a finger, guests go back to the OTA app, where everything is easy. Your site has to be just as easy.
Several languages
In tourist destinations, English is essential and German or French help. A well-built multilingual site also ranks you on Google in those languages.
Have a look at our Casa Alba demo: date search, price calculation with tourist tax and booking in a few steps, perfect on mobile.
