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We were halfway through our call when the hotelier I was chatting with said:
“There’s nothing we can do. OTAs have all the power.”
My heart sank a bit.
I hear that a lot.
I understand why it feels true.
Today's Booking Boost, I'm calling that out for what it is.
Nothing more than a pervasive 25-year-old myth.
But First, Here's How it Started
OTAs have been part of hotel life since the late ’90s.
Expedia.
Booking.com.
Easy distribution.
Quick volume.
For many independent hotels, it has become the default channel.
This almost never happens in one big decision.
It happens in small, reasonable moves:
- a soft week → open more OTA inventory
- a competitor drops rate → match to protect occupancy
- a promo performs → repeat it
- a staffing gap → “We’ll work on the other marketing channels later.”
- An owner wants pace → lean into what fills fast
Months go by. Then years.
And the commission line becomes a permanent drain.
The proof is that in 2024, research showed that OTAs accounted for 51% of global hotel and lodging bookings.
So when you look at your own hotel mix and see OTA share creeping up, your brain goes:
“Well, this is just how it is.”
"There's nothing we can do. OTAs have all the power."
The belief has become so common that hoteliers no longer question it.
It's the belief that says, “I’m stuck, and there's nothing I can do.”
And This Isn't New
Five years ago, I built a course called “How to Reduce Your OTA Commissions.”
It wasn’t a pep talk. It was practical.
Six moves hotels could use to:
- capture more first stays
- convert more second stays to direct
Some hoteliers took action. Many didn’t.
And I'm willing to bet that for those who didn't, the OTA slice of their revenue pie has only gotten bigger.
Here's the Factor that Busts the Myth
AI search is giving independent hotels a new path to discovery without needing an OTA to “introduce” them first.
For years, OTAs won because they were the easiest place for travelers to compare, trust, and book fast.
Now, travelers are starting to use AI tools that summarize options and recommend where to stay.
That recommendation is often made before the guest ever reaches an OTA results page.
Lean in, this is where you gain ground.
AI systems pull from what they can understand clearly across the web.
Your website, Google Business Profile, reviews, and content.
The hotels that explain themselves well (who they’re for, what makes them a fit, the key details guests care about) get recommended more often.
And yes, a lot of that “traffic” isn’t people browsing like it’s 2016.
In fact, I attended a webinar this week that cited roughly 50.4% of website traffic is AI bots gathering and organizing information.
So your hotel is constantly being evaluated, even when you’re not “running a campaign.”
Whether it's a bot or an actual human, you can now earn discovery directly!
That makes the “OTAs have all the power” myth shakier than ever.
However, to get booked, you've got to get found.
The opportunity for independent hotels
This is a strong moment to win back more of your bookings.
You don’t need to ditch OTAs.
You need to make it easier for guests to find and book you directly.
Start here:
- Your website: make it clear who you’re for and why you’re the right choice
- Your Google Business Profile: keep it complete and current (this is where guests check fast)
- Your reviews and social media: show real proof that staying with you is a good decision
This is where AI tools and guests pull information before they decide.
If your info is clear and consistent, you get recommended more often,
And more guests come back and book directly next time.
Step #1: Ditch the myth. You can do something.
Step #2: Pick one place to improve this month.
To help you start, here are a few Bookings Boost articles:
Or skip the DIY approach, and let me help you.
P.S. Right now, I’m working with 4 independent hotels to make their marketing get found and booked in AI search.
Book a call with me to talk about how we can help your hotel.
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