Is there a Revenue Tug-of-War in your Hotel?

I'm sure you've experienced this at some point in your career;
If not, you've heard about it.
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Your marketing team rolls out a stunning direct-booking campaign.
The campaign is well planned.
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It includes a targeted email, a landing page, even an influencer visit, and a special offer.
This offer is available on all your direct channels and can only be booked on your website.

Two days later?
Your revenue manager launches an OTA flash sale at a lower rate.

Now, the guest sees both.
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Guess which one they clicked and booked?
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From the outside, it looks like the classic fight: Direct vs. OTA.​
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Hoteliers love a good Direct vs OTA duke-it-out discussion.
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But that’s not the real battle.

The real battle is inside the hotel walls.​
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Two teams are working toward the same goal - revenue.
But without a unified plan.
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​Before we go further…​
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This isn’t about blaming revenue or marketing.
Both are doing their jobs well.
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It’s not about going “anti-OTA” either.
OTAs are valuable partners that bring reach and fill rooms.
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It’s not about ignoring tech - better systems can help, but they can’t replace a shared plan.
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And if you already have a fully integrated commercial team with shared KPIs and timing, you’re ahead of most.
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What this is about is uncovering the hidden friction that’s costing you both direct and OTA revenue.
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How it Often Shows Up

• A direct offer is undercut by OTA pricing.
• A loyalty email was sent the same week that rates dropped on Expedia.
• Guests call your hotel to book, but the hotel staff tells them that the best rate is on an OTA.
• Website traffic and mentions in AI search tools are climbing, but conversions are still happening on Booking.com.
• Your database has “dead” OTA-masked emails. Those temporary emails disappear after checkout, so you can’t remarket to those guests directly via email.
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Leadership Asks Two Tough Questions

And in the executive and revenue meetings, you're hearing these questions.

Question #1 directed at Marketing
​Why is our direct channel not growing?​
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Question #2: directed at Revenue Management
​Why are OTA commissions so high?
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​Each question is valid on its own, but asking it in the same meeting raises a flag.
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There's a connection here they don't see.
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What No One is Saying

This isn’t a channel problem.
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It’s a coordination problem.

Here's the part that stings a little.
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A Few Common (and Costly) Beliefs:

• “OTAs bring reach, why fight it?”
  True. They’re not the enemy; they're a valuable partner.
  But making them both your safety net and your main driver creates a strategy tug-of-war.
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• “Direct is more expensive than OTAs when you factor in ads.”
  Not true. Direct channel acquisition costs average 5% (source: Hospitalitynet.org)
  Long-term, direct-booking guests tend to return. Repeat guests cost you even less to acquire.
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• “Tech is our problem.”
  Only partly. No PMS, CRS, or channel manager can fix misaligned priorities.

So… What Now?

You won’t fix this by picking a favorite channel.
You won’t fix it by buying more tech.

You fix it when your revenue and marketing strategies are aligned and work together.
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​Picture your team now in a tug of war, only your competitor is on the other end. 💪​
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When you achieve this, every channel performs better.

No friction. No doubt.
All confidence.

That’s what alignment feels like.
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And the alternative?
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It may be the world you are living in right now,
where your teams compete for the same booking and no one really wins.

Let’s change that.
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You can win in direct and win in OTA.
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In the next Revenue Strategy Room: “Win-Win with the OTAs” we’ll explore ways to sync your revenue and marketing strategies so every channel performs better.
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Avoid the tug-of-war and discover several ways to increase your profit and build a revenue-generating machine.
Because when your team rows in the same direction, both direct and OTA wins get bigger.
​Join here​
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​P.S. A review from the last Revenue Strategy Room attendee
​"This was one of the most valuable learning sessions I’ve joined lately.
Can’t wait for the next one!" - L. Sahilices