online travel agencies

Marriott. Hilton. IHG. Wyndham. Choice. For years these chains have publicized the advantages of working with them: advanced loyalty programs that promise to bring consistent customers, low fees, tough negotiations with OTAs, and preferred financing options. Not so fast.

Are the brands’ claims actually true? While many owners have fallen…

A lot gets said about OTA’s and most of it is negative coming from the hotel world. I get it on one hand as I was the one having to explain to owners each month why our commission expense was constantly on the increase. However, on the other hand I…

Have you ever wondered why we all hear so much complaining and downright all-around annoyance being expressed from hotels about the on-line travel agents? You would naturally think that because there is so much protest being made that hotels would simply not use the service and opt for something else? Right? Well – not so fast as hotels are…

It’s nothing new to hear about hotels or owners who have said “good bye” to brands and have gone on their own as an independent hotel. This is the story of one such hotel and a look at their results. I am also going to highlight the typical costs associated with…

With two large shortcomings I can’t see why the average person who has a basic understanding of how the travel world works would ever use an online travel agency.

In making this statement it occurs to me that—obviously—most people don’t know the basics. If they did know the two things I’m going…

I know we all hear the battle cries every day in our industry, but what’s really going on with hotel brands, franchisers, the online travel agents and their war over commissions and fees? In this piece, I am going to expose an angle that I think needs some light. It gets back to a fundamental understanding of how our…