ON-DEMAND WEBINAR
Reclaiming the Guest Journey from OTAs
Original air date: Nov 24, 2025
Online travel agencies (OTAs) remain a powerful driver of bookings, but their dominance often limits the ability for hoteliers to own the guest relationship.
Reclaiming the guest journey requires a strategic mix of targeted marketing, personalized experiences, and technology that empowers operators to engage travelers at every stage of the booking process.
Who is this webinar for?
This webinar is for hotel owners, boutique hotel operators, hospitality marketers, and revenue managers looking to increase hotel direct bookings and reduce OTA commission costs.
If your property wants to improve guest loyalty, booking engine performance, and direct booking strategies, this session shares practical insights to help hospitality businesses stay competitive.
Key takeaways
Social media is reshaping hotel discovery and booking behavior: Travelers are increasingly discovering hotels on Instagram, TikTok, through influencer recommendations, and via user-generated content rather than relying solely on traditional search engines.
Guest loyalty is built through personalized service and direct engagement: The webinar highlights how personalized communication, memorable guest experiences, and thoughtful follow-up strategies can turn OTA guests into repeat direct bookers. Speakers discuss how hospitality businesses can use loyalty programs, guest messaging, and value-added experiences to improve retention and increase repeat stays.
AI and hotel technology are transforming direct booking strategies: The panel shares practical ways hotels can adapt their marketing, websites, and booking systems to stay competitive and improve direct booking performance.
Watch the webinar
Frequently asked questions
Our webinar answers some of the most common questions about your guests' journeys.
How can I increase direct hotel bookings?
Hotels can increase direct bookings by improving their website experience, optimizing their hotel booking engine, investing in SEO and social media marketing, offering personalized guest experiences, and creating value-added incentives that encourage travelers to book directly instead of through OTAs.
How can I leverage social media for hotel marketing?
Hotels can use social media to showcase authentic guest experiences, highlight amenities and local activities, share user-generated content, and build trust with travelers. Platforms like Instagram and TikTok are increasingly influencing booking decisions, especially among younger travelers.
How do hotel loyalty programs work?
Hotel loyalty programs reward repeat guests with perks such as discounts, upgrades, exclusive offers, or added experiences. The webinar also discusses how smaller independent hotels can create loyalty through personalized service, direct communication, and guest recognition even without large-scale brand programs.
How do booking engines improve direct reservations for hotels?
A strong hotel booking engine creates a faster, smoother reservation experience that helps convert website visitors into direct guests. The webinar highlights the importance of user-friendly booking flows, mobile optimization, automated follow-up tools, and upsell opportunities to improve conversion rates and increase revenue.
Chapters
0:00
3:12
11:20
21:03
26:55
36:00
42:32
Introduction
What pressures are shaping hospitality in 2025?
How to attract travelers in this changing market?
Moving travelers from awareness to engagement
How to effectively price rooms in uncertain times?
What is the role of AI in the industry moving forward?
What does a full-funnel strategy look like?
Ready to get started?
Your guests are discovering, researching, and booking travel in entirely new ways. With the right technology, marketing strategy, and guest experience, your property can build stronger direct relationships, reduce OTA reliance, and drive more repeat bookings. ResNexus helps hospitality
businesses streamline reservations, marketing, guest communication, OTA integrations, and direct booking strategies—all from one easy-to-use platform.