Alba Navarro

📰 Google introduced a non-linear guest journey model in 2015, highlighting the "messy middle" where decisions are made across various digital touchpoints. Hotels risk losing to OTAs without adapting to modern strategies, including AI. OTAs may increase hotels' CPCs and dilute ROI. Effective digital marketing requires investing 2-4% of booked revenue, with an emphasis on brand awareness and conversion activities. First-party data is essential, as third-party cookies phase out. Outdated booking engines lead to lost opportunities, while a modern engine offers dynamic pricing and AI-driven personalization. Hotels that don't maintain rate parity with OTAs spend an additional €3,000 per 10,000 clicks. Post-booking engagement can reduce cancellations and upsell services. The right tech stack, including CRM and AI tools, underpins successful strategies. Video content on social media platforms can enhance brand awareness. Emerging trends include voice search optimization, sustainable travel marketing, and enhanced personalization.

📍 In 2024, the hotel industry recognized the necessity for operational and tech improvements. Fragmented hotel systems result in missed revenue and guest dissatisfaction. Google's Gemini AI emphasizes the need for contextually relevant content. Websites must be optimized for mobile, accessibility, and user-friendly navigation. A mid-sized hotel group increased direct bookings by 15% through integrated systems. AI adoption is essential, predicted to double within two years. Inter-departmental alignment and real-time data trackings are crucial for growth. Hotels are advised to adopt digital transformation to stay competitive.

💾 Direct bookings in hotels have increased by 2% since 2019, now representing 21% of total bookings, while OTA shares have stabilized at 36%. The h2c Direct Booking Acceleration Study 2024 highlights the industry's struggle with tech fragmentation, causing poor user experiences and missed opportunities for direct bookings. To combat this, hotels are advised to focus on integration, clean data, optimized booking engines, align team goals, and leverage AI. AI adoption in IBEs is expected to double in two years, particularly in personalized booking features. Incremental updates and cross-departmental alignment are key for improving direct booking strategies.

📦 In the hospitality industry, the fragmentation of technology stacks, particularly data silos within Central Reservation System (CRS), Property Management System (PMS), and Customer Relationship Management (CRM) tools, hampers personalized guest experiences. Quality APIs can bridge these systems, yet real-time responsiveness and integration remain challenges. Native system integration can resolve this by ensuring immediate data updates, resulting in improved guest services and management insights. Hoteliers are advised to seek robust, well-documented APIs with strong support, scalability, and security, including GDPR compliance. The future of hospitality hinges on seamless, integrated technologies for real-time personalization and enhanced guest satisfaction.

🛌 A study by h2c suggests outdated technology and a lack of personalization in hotels' tech stacks lead to potential revenue loss from direct bookings. Hotels overly dependent on OTAs see reduced profit margins. Modernizing tech, personalized guest experiences, and a balanced use of OTAs are recommended. The study emphasizes the importance of an integrated tech stack, including a responsive and intuitive booking engine, CRM, and real-time analytics for driving direct bookings and guest loyalty.