For many hoteliers, listing on online travel agents (OTAs) and other traditional hotel booking platforms has become the go-to method to increase bookings and gain visibility. These platforms promise exposure to millions of travelers, but behind that promise lie several hidden costs that can significantly impact your revenue. It’s important to understand the true financial burden these platforms can place on your business. The good news is there’s a better way—ZookStay, a hotel booking platform that charges zero commission, giving hoteliers full control over their revenue and profitability.
Traditional hotel booking platforms like MakeMyTrip, Expedia, Agoda, Booking.com, and Airbnb, while popular, often come with a hefty price tag in the form of commission fees. These platforms typically charge a commission fee between 15% and 40% per booking, depending on your agreement and the platform’s pricing structure. These fees can quickly add up, and with more bookings, the financial impact can be significant.
The most obvious hidden cost of traditional booking platforms is the commission fee. For every reservation made, the booking platform takes a percentage—leaving you with less revenue than you earned from the booking. This means that while the platform helps you get guests, it also takes a significant cut of your income. For example, if a guest books a room for ₹10,000 and the commission fee is 15%, the platform would take ₹1,500, leaving you with just ₹8,500. Over time, these commissions can really add up, especially for hotels that rely heavily on online bookings.
In many cases, hoteliers are forced to raise room rates to cover the high commission fees imposed by OTAs. These increased rates might make your hotel less competitive compared to others in the area. Guests often compare prices across different platforms and, seeing inflated prices, might decide to book elsewhere. Higher room rates could also discourage repeat business or affect your ability to fill rooms during off-peak seasons.
Traditional hotel booking platforms often impose strict rules on pricing and availability. This means you might have to follow their pricing guidelines, preventing you from offering discounts or promotions without their approval. Moreover, these platforms may also require you to give them exclusive pricing for bookings made through their site, limiting your flexibility. This lack of control can lead to a rigid pricing strategy that doesn’t align with your business’s goals.
When you list your hotel on traditional OTAs, the guest’s primary relationship is often with the platform, not with your hotel. This means that while they’re booking a room at your property, they don’t feel loyal to your brand. With no direct communication or relationship-building with the guest, it becomes difficult to encourage repeat bookings or build long-term customer loyalty. Instead, they may opt for the convenience of booking through the same platform again, rather than returning to your hotel directly.
In addition to commission fees, traditional booking platforms often charge for marketing and promotional services. If you want to stand out on an OTA, you may need to pay for premium placement or advertising options. These additional costs can quickly inflate your marketing budget. On top of that, the administrative burden of managing multiple bookings across different platforms can be time-consuming, requiring additional resources or staff to keep everything running smoothly.
ZookStay offers a simple yet powerful solution to the problems posed by traditional hotel booking platforms—a zero-commission model. This means no more hefty commission fees, no more inflated room rates, and no more loss of revenue. Let’s dive into how ZookStay’s approach helps hoteliers overcome the challenges they face with traditional booking platforms.
With ZookStay, you don’t have to worry about paying commissions for every booking. All payments made by guests go directly to your hotel, meaning you keep 100% of the revenue from each booking. This provides a much-needed boost to your profitability and allows you to focus on running your hotel, rather than worrying about how much of your earnings are being taken away.
Without the need to cover expensive commission fees, ZookStay allows you to keep your room rates lower and more competitive compared to hotels using traditional OTAs. Offering better rates is a strong selling point, especially when attracting price-sensitive guests or those looking for better deals. With lower rates, your hotel will stand out, and you’ll be more likely to increase bookings, especially during off-peak seasons when travelers are more budget-conscious.
ZookStay helps hoteliers build stronger brand loyalty by offering a free website where guests can book directly. This eliminates the need for third-party platforms, allowing hotels to engage customers with personalized emails, special offers, and loyalty programs. With direct bookings, hotels can cultivate lasting relationships with guests, encouraging repeat stays and increasing customer retention over time.
ZookStay doesn’t just save you money on commission fees—it simplifies hotel management. Instead of juggling multiple booking platforms with different rules and regulations, ZookStay offers a more streamlined, user-friendly interface. This makes managing your reservations, pricing, and promotions easier, which reduces administrative costs and saves you time.
Switching to a zero-commission hotel booking platform like ZookStay isn’t just about avoiding commission fees. It’s about gaining full control over your revenue and guest relationships. By eliminating the middleman, you can maximize your profits and offer better deals to your guests, increasing satisfaction and encouraging repeat bookings.
ZookStay empowers hoteliers to run their businesses more efficiently, without sacrificing on profitability. The flexibility and control you gain with ZookStay can help you make smarter decisions, adjust to market changes, and foster stronger relationships with your guests.
Conclusion:
Traditional hotel booking platforms may offer wide exposure, but they come with significant costs that can harm your bottom line. From high commission fees to limited pricing flexibility, these platforms often make it difficult for hoteliers to thrive. ZookStay offers a better way, with a zero-commission model that ensures you keep all of your earnings, set competitive prices, and maintain full control over your business. If you're ready to stop paying commissions and take charge of your hotel’s future, ZookStay is the platform you’ve been waiting for. Make the switch today and start maximizing your profits! Sign-Up today!
