A direct booking is a booking a guest completes directly with the property, without an intermediary portal — by phone, e-mail or via the booking engine on the hotel's own website. The booking engine is the booking module that displays live availability and rates and accepts online bookings commission-free. Every direct booking saves the OTA commission of typically 12–25% — and the guest relationship belongs to the property, not the portal.
How much commission do you pay per year — and what does shifting bookings to direct achieve?
Simplified calculation excluding booking-engine costs (typically a flat fee or 1–4% — almost always far below OTA commission) and excluding the added value of owning your guest data.
| Criterion | What to look for |
|---|---|
| Live inventory | Connection to your channel manager/PMS — the same availability as on the portals, no double-selling. |
| Mobile booking flow | Few steps, no forced registration, common payment methods — every abandonment is a lost booking. |
| Direct-booker benefits | Best available rate, flexible cancellation or extras (late check-out, welcome drink) — make the reasons to book direct visible (see rate parity). |
| Pricing model | A flat fee beats a commission model as soon as direct volume grows. |
No — portals bring reach and new guests your own marketing cannot match (billboard effect: many guests discover the property on the portal and then book direct). The goal is a healthy mix, not zero OTA.
In Germany and Austria the major portals' best-price clauses have been prohibited or banned by law — properties may offer cheaper rates directly. Details and country comparison in the rate parity entry.
Depending on the provider roughly €20–100 per month as a flat fee, or 1–4% commission per direct booking — in both cases far less than the portals' 12–25%.