Why Owning Your Hotel Website Matters

This article was written by The Hotels Network. Click here to read the original article

Maintaining control of a hotel’s website is crucial for hoteliers in today’s increasingly competitive digital landscape. While partnering with agencies for web management can offer some benefits, surrendering full control of a hotel’s website can restrict flexibility, as well as direct access to valuable data, branding, and customer relationships. By retaining ownership of their online presence, hoteliers gain significant advantages in terms of direct bookings, brand consistency, and the ability to respond swiftly to emerging trends. That’s why we created the video series Own Your Hotel Website.

The series features interviews with experts from across the hospitality industry, highlighting the importance of hoteliers maintaining control over their website and direct channels. They collectively argue that a hotel’s website is more than just a marketing tool—it is a key asset for data capture, personalization, and guest engagement. Lindley Cotton, President of GCommerce Solutions, supports this view, explaining that “the hotel’s website is the epicenter of its marketing strategy. It transforms the brand and on-property experience into a digital canvas, allowing guests to connect with you at every step of their booking journey.”

Furthermore, the experts stress that by controlling their digital presence, hoteliers can quickly update content, launch targeted campaigns, and capture valuable first-party data. Maintaining ownership of the direct channel empowers hoteliers to take control of their revenue strategies, ensuring that their marketing efforts align seamlessly with their brand goals. By having full control, hoteliers can create personalized experiences, optimize the user journey, and enhance brand visibility.

A recurring theme throughout the series is that a hotel’s website is not just digital real estate; it’s the central hub for shaping guest experiences and driving loyalty. Fred Bean, Founder & CEO of HotelPORT®, underscores this by stating, “Owning your website is also about owning the customer journey and your customer data from the first click to the final check-out.” Tim Peter, Digital Strategy Expert at Tim Peter & Associates, LLC builds on this idea, adding, “Your website is your 24/7/365 salesperson and customer service representative.”

Retaining control allows hoteliers to fully own the guest journey, boost direct bookings, and secure a competitive edge in the market. Edward St. Onge, President of Flip.to, emphasizes the need for balance, reminding hoteliers, “You need to ensure that your agency and partners take a consultative approach to enhancing your strategy, rather than a dictatorial one, telling you what you can and cannot do.”

With AI becoming a dominant force in hospitality, as discussed in the series, hotels that maintain control over their website have the freedom to integrate these advanced technologies seamlessly, enhancing guest interactions and optimizing bookings. This is where our newly launched video series, Own Your Hotel’s AI Shift, comes in. Building on the discussions of control, this new series focuses on how hotels can leverage AI to stay ahead in an evolving market, providing insights from top industry experts on navigating the AI shift.

This new focus on AI continues THN’s commitment to empowering hoteliers to take full control of their digital strategies, ensuring they don’t just follow trends but lead them. To learn more about the importance of retaining control over your hotel’s website and how AI can transform your guest experience, check out the complete Own Your Hotel Website video series and check out the launch of Own Your Hotel’s AI Shift.

A Special Thank You to Our Experts

We would like to thank you the incredible experts who participated in the Own Your Hotel Website series. Your insights and expertise have not only shed light on the importance of hoteliers owning their digital presence but also provided invaluable guidance to the hospitality community.

Mercedes Blanco, Chief Partnerships Officer at The Hotels Network

Max Starkov, Hospitality & Online Travel Tech Consultant & Strategist

Lindley Cotton, President of GCommerce Solutions

Edward St.Onge, President of Flip.to

Michael J. Goldrich, CXO at The Hotels Network and Founder of Vivander Advisors

Tim Peter, Digital Strategy Expert at Tim Peter & Associates, LLC

Wilhelm K. Weber, Chief Strategy and Digital Officer at Grand Metropolitan Hotels

Stephanie Smith, CHDM, CEO of Cogwheel Marketing & Analytics

Ben Hanley and Tristan Heaword, Co-Founders of three&six

Noreen Henry, Chief Revenue Officer at Sojern

Niranka Perera, Chairman & CEO of Antyra Solutions

Adam Hamadache, Founder of DHM Agency