Direct Booking Portal

New initiative to book directly at the hotel

October 2020 - During the corona crisis, it also became clear to consumers that hotel reservation websites are not free. In fact, the sky-high commissions charged to hotels ultimately come out of the consumer's pocket. These kinds of websites have long been unable to count on the sympathy of entrepreneurs, and consumers are also beginning to see this.

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Platform economy

It seemed like such a nice idea, bringing supply and demand together online on a user-friendly website. But the reality is different. Smart algorithms are used to entice consumers to make purchases, with profit maximization as the goal. The entrepreneur on the other hand sees his margins getting thinner and loses contact with the customer. A number of these intermediaries are in a bad light; after years of earning billions of euros, they are now suddenly applying for government support because of the corona crisis. Something that led to widespread indignation. This has to change, as both hotels and consumers now agree.

Book directly with the hotel

This week the website www.hoteliers.com was launched, a new initiative to book hotels in an honest way. Consumers can view and compare prices and availability of hotels and then click through to the hotel's own website to book directly. Hotels have the option to share the commission saved in this way or give it back to the consumer. This website is an initiative of Hoteliers.com, which is celebrating its 15th anniversary with a re-launch of the website it started with.

The hotel's own website

The hotel's own website is on the rise; in many cases, the ease of booking rivals that of the booking sites. There is also often more information to be found, about current safety measures and special arrangements that hotels only offer through their own website. What better place to book a hotel room than on the hotel's own website? We offer the same room at a lower price, but because we don't have to pay a high commission fee, we have more money left over and the guest is better off. A classic win-win situation. Hopefully this will herald the end of the commission era," says Hendrik Jan Jenner, Revenue Manager at Luxury Suites in Amsterdam.

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