Case study / Hospitality
A direct booking and front desk system for a boutique hotel group. One calendar, fewer travel site fees, and a front desk that stops guessing which room is free.
Most bookings came from travel sites that charged high fees, and the front desk kept a second calendar in Excel. We built a direct booking and front desk system. Revenue per room rose 28 percent and direct bookings reached 64 percent.
Seventy percent of bookings came through travel websites that charged about 18 percent commission. The remaining bookings arrived by phone, WhatsApp, and walk in, then landed in an Excel calendar shared by email. Double bookings were weekly. The group was paying to acquire guests it already had.
The goal was not to leave the travel sites entirely. It was to own the guest relationship, fill the direct channel, and stop losing rooms to a version of the calendar that nobody trusted.
We rebuilt availability first, because every other feature depends on it being correct. The booking engine, front desk board, housekeeping view, and payments all read from the same source. Rate rules are set once and apply everywhere.
Direct bookings now make up 64 percent of the mix, and revenue per available room is up 28 percent. The front desk works from one screen. The group still uses travel sites, but on its own terms and with a guest list it owns.
“We stopped losing bookings between the phone and the front desk. The calendar is finally one calendar.”
The group is adding a guest messaging and a returning guest rate. Both sit on the same booking system, so the team can launch without another migration.
Your version
If commissions are climbing, the direct channel is usually the cheapest fix you already own.
