Hospitality Daily is brought to you with support from Shiji Group
Today, we’re learning from Chris Bowling, Head of Digital and Consumer Marketing at BWH Hotels Great Britain.
The Big Idea: Direct bookings are not just about saving on OTA commissions; they are crucial for elevating the guest experience, which can lead to stronger loyalty and profitability.
Why This Matters:
OTAs can drive volume but often at the cost of high commissions and limited guest interaction, which can dilute your unique value proposition. It runs the risk of making your hotel a commodity.
When guests book directly, you can gather valuable information about them, enabling helpful pre-stay communications and personalized offers they’ll appreciate - and which drive ancillary revenue.
Want more? Listen to Chris talk more about this today on the Hospitality Daily Podcast (available on Spotify or Apple Podcasts)
Try This Today: Audit your website for clarity and ease of use. Ensure your booking process is seamless.
Think Ahead: AI will evolve and increase in its capabilities, so prepare your hospitality business by gathering and structuring guest data now. Consider what a loyalty program could do for you. Evaluate the long-term benefits of building your organization’s digital marketing capabilities.
Scroll down for more resources to help you with this…
A MESSAGE FROM SHIJI GROUP
Watch Now: The Future of Hotel Tech - Integration, AI, and Guest Experience
Just like you aim to deliver seamless guest experiences, your technology stack should work effortlessly behind the scenes. But are your systems working together as efficiently as they could?
Learn from industry experts from Pro-Invest Group, Pertlink, and Shiji Group as they reveal:
Why the “ultimate tech stack” looks different for every hotel
How to balance AI innovation with practical implementation
What successful hotels are doing to measure the effectiveness of technology
Whether you're evaluating your current systems or planning future technology investments, this candid discussion will help you navigate the evolving landscape of hotel technology.
If you enjoyed today’s story, you may also find these helpful:
A MESSAGE FROM JOSIAH
Discover How AI is Being Used in Hospitality Today
AI has quickly become one of the most transformative forces in our world. But what does that mean for you and your work in hospitality?
To answer that question, I’m gathering input from professionals across the hospitality industry and would really appreciate your participation. In exchange, I’ll send you an exclusive summary of what I find in the study. These insights will enable you to compare your experiences with others in hospitality and uncover practical ways to use AI in your work and business in 2025.
If you found today’s email helpful, please forward this email to a friend or colleague who might also enjoy it:
Click here to forward this email.
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A few final things:
If you have any thoughts, ideas, questions, or suggestions for Hospitality Daily, please reply to this email. I’d love to hear from you!
If you have something that would benefit the hospitality professionals who read, listen to, and watch Hospitality Daily, let’s work together to help you help more people.
Thank you for reading.
-Josiah
