HotelREZ marks 20-year anniversary with new study of hotel booking channel trends
Independent Accommodation Insights Report unveils top booking channels and how the landscape has changed over the last decade
From its inception in 2004, HotelREZ has become one of the world's leading and fastest growing hotel representation companies. Today, founder and CEO Mark Lewis oversees a company helping over 2,500 hotels and serviced accommodation providers in 100 countries to reduce their cost of sale, and maximise incremental booking value and ROI.
The company saw 52% revenue growth in 2023 (versus 2022) with a 20% increase in its portfolio, including new hotels in Australia, South Africa and the UAE. To celebrate its 20 year anniversary, HotelREZ unveiled a new Independent Accommodation Insights Report, analysing hotel booking trends.
"The last 20 years has brought huge change to how properties such as hotels and aparthotels find and secure their sales," said Lewis.
"When HotelREZ was established, hotel websites were just getting started and social media was in its infancy. Today, direct booking accounts for around a third of all bookings. Despite the evolution of the digital landscape, the GDS when managed via the right partner is the dominant booking channel for our clients, straddling both leisure and corporate business.
"GDS is often – incorrectly – regarded as a relic of travel, but it has been experiencing consistent growth in the last 10 years, up 51.2% in a decade driven by HotelREZ's chain-level partnerships with TMCs, consortia and global agencies, and an explosion of third-party self-booking tools powered by the GDS."
In addition to strong growth in the GDS, HotelREZ's report found that direct bookings are also growing – up 22.5% year-on-year and a massive 80.2% against 2019, with the shift towards mobile bookings especially noteworthy, doubling from 15% of direct bookings in 2019 to 32% in 2023.
Said Lewis: "Hotels have realised that a website and booking engine aren't enough to drive direct business. A multifaceted approach is needed, incorporating market-leading optimisation in addition to tools such as widgets and Google campaigns, and a strong commercial understanding."
The company used the pandemic to develop new products, including a content tool that powers all channels, and expanded its Web Services portfolio with new digital advertising and metasearch solutions, website design, and a number of tools and widgets for its booking engine to boost conversion rates. HotelREZ also recently announced a renewal of its decade-long partnership with Sabre, providing customers with renowned best-in-class technology.
HotelREZ provides representation, web services, booking engines, revenue and sales consultancy, and marketing services to independent accommodation providers worldwide. It also powers Elegant Hotel Collection, a curated collection of inspired, unique and elegant hotels launched as a fresh alternative to legacy brands.
Find out more at hotelrez.com
Download the report here
