1 · Get found
Show your direct rate on Google and metasearch
We manage Google Hotel Ads and metasearch on Tripadvisor, Trivago and Kayak, and cover searches for your hotel's name. Guests see your direct rate beside the OTAs.
Nebula for boutique hotels
More direct bookings on your own website, with less commission paid
We move bookings from Booking.com and Expedia to your own website. Metasearch, a faster booking engine, your hotel's story and guest email all work toward direct bookings: stays guests book with you, with no OTA commission.
More direct bookings Less OTA commission More repeat guests
Nebula dashboardChecked last night
OTA commission
Cloudbeds shows 62% of last month's room nights came through Booking.com and Expedia.
$10,900paid in OTA commissionRaise metasearch bids
Illustrative example, not a real client. Each change runs only after you approve it.
OTAs charge a commission on every stay and keep the guest relationship. We report each direct booking and the commission it saved you.
What you get
What changes when guests book direct
Lower commission, your rate where guests compare, a booking engine that converts and guests who come back.
Keep more of every booking
Each stay booked on your own website saves the OTA commission. We show the commission saved every month, worked out from your own bookings and contract rates.
Your direct rate where guests compare
Guests check Google, Tripadvisor and Trivago before they book. We show your direct rate next to the OTAs on metasearch, so guests can book with you as they compare.
More website visits become reservations
We test your booking engine on a phone, cut steps from checkout and add packages and clear room details, so more visitors finish their booking with you.
First-time guests come back direct
A guest who books direct gives you their email. We build pre-arrival, post-stay and seasonal emails that bring them back without an OTA in the middle.
Problems we fix
Why guests still book through OTAs
These three problems push guests to the OTAs. Each fix is tracked in direct bookings.
61%
of bookings at independent properties worldwide came through OTAs in 2024
OTAs take a large share of your bookings
For many independents, Booking.com and Expedia bring in most reservations, and each one carries a commission. That money leaves every month, and the OTA keeps the guest relationship.
Source: Cloudbeds, State of Independent Lodging Report 2025 (opens in a new tab)
$516
average value per booking on hotel websites, against $312 through OTAs, in SiteMinder's 2026 report
Direct bookings are worth more but harder to win
Guests who book on a hotel's own website spend more per booking on average. Without metasearch, hotel name search coverage and a fast booking engine, many of those guests still book through an OTA.
Source: PhocusWire, reporting SiteMinder Hotel Booking Trends (2025 data) (opens in a new tab)
Guests leave your booking engine at checkout
Slow pages, too many steps and surprise fees on a phone send guests back to the OTA app. Many hotels cannot see how many guests start a booking and leave before paying.
How we help
How a guest ends up booking with you
One team runs metasearch, content, your booking engine and reporting, using the PMS you already have.
2 · Get chosen
Tell the story only your hotel has
Photos, room pages, neighborhood guides and social posts show what makes your property different. Guests who know your story have a reason to book with you direct.
3 · Get booked
Make booking on your site quick and easy
We test your booking engine on mobile, remove extra steps, add packages and member rates, and follow up with guests who leave before paying. More visitors finish the booking on your site.
4 · Know what is working
See direct share and commission saved
Our software reads your PMS and channel manager every night. You see direct share, commission saved, value per booking by channel and repeat guests, with every change we made.
Key moments
When we push hardest for direct
Shoulder dates, peak weekends, checkouts and new rooms each call for a different move. We plan each one ahead.
- 1
When
Shoulder season dates
When occupancy softens, we send offers to past guests and raise metasearch bids on the dates you need to fill, before you discount on OTAs.
- 2
When
Peak weekends and events
On high-demand dates, we cut spend where you would sell out anyway and make your direct rate the easiest one to book.
- 3
When
A guest checks out
A thank-you email and review request goes out, followed by a return offer timed to the season they stayed.
- 4
When
New rooms or restaurant
New photos, pages, social posts and a guest email tell past guests and locals what changed.
What is included
Every piece of your direct booking plan
Your plan is scoped to your market. These are the pieces most independent and boutique hotel owners use.
Google Hotel Ads and metasearch
Campaigns on Google, Tripadvisor, Trivago and Kayak with your direct rate shown and bids set by booking value.
Hotel name search coverage
Paid and organic coverage for searches of your hotel's name, so guests who saw you on an OTA can book with you.
Booking engine conversion work
Mobile checkout testing, fewer steps, clearer room photos and rates, and follow-up on abandoned bookings where your engine allows it.
Rate parity checks
Regular checks of your direct rate against Booking.com and Expedia, with any gap flagged so you can act before guests see a lower OTA price.
Brand story and room pages
Writing, photos and page design that show your rooms, your neighborhood and the stay only your hotel offers.
Guest email program
Pre-arrival, post-stay and seasonal emails to guests who opted in, built in your email tool to bring past guests back direct.
Google profile and reviews
An accurate Google Business Profile and replies to reviews on Google and Tripadvisor in your hotel's voice.
Monthly channel mix review
Direct share, commission saved and value per booking by channel, reviewed with your named US account lead each month.
Reporting
Direct share and commission saved, monthly
Your dashboard reads Cloudbeds or Mews every night and matches each job to the ad, listing or call that started it. Your account lead walks you through it every month.
Direct bookings and OTA commission, last 30 days
Today, 6:10amDirect bookings, 30 days186+23% vs. start
Commission saved$9,850+$3,200 vs. start
Direct share41%+10 points
OTA commission64% of room nights came through Booking.com and Expedia, and commission paid was $11,800
$11,800Raise metasearch bidsRate parity gapBooking.com showed a rate $18 below your direct rate on 9 of the last 30 nights
9 nightsReview parityMobile checkout drop-off412 guests started a booking on a phone and left at the payment step
$7,400Fix checkoutDirect booking share
Share of room revenue booked on your own website and phone, against Booking.com, Expedia and other OTAs.
Commission saved
OTA commission avoided on bookings that came direct, worked out from your own rates and contracts.
Value per booking by channel
Average booking value on direct, OTA and other channels, read from your PMS.
Booking engine conversion
Share of website visitors who finish a booking, on mobile and desktop.
Repeat guest bookings
Bookings from past guests, and how many came direct through your emails.
Works with the systems you already use. We confirm each connection during your audit.
CloudbedsMewsOperaSiteMinderGoogle AdsGoogle Business ProfileGoogle Analytics 4Meta (Facebook and Instagram) adsKlaviyoHubSpot
Recommended
Where independent hotels usually begin
Start with what you need most. Add more when the numbers say it is worth it.
Managed programs Run for you by your account lead
Advertising management
Google Hotel Ads, metasearch and hotel name search, bid by the value of direct bookings.
Store performance
Booking engine conversion, abandoned booking follow-up and repeat-guest email.
Creative and social
Photos, stories and social posts that give guests a reason to book with you.
Profit and reporting
Direct share, commission saved and value per booking by channel, from your PMS.
Goal packages Bundled around one result
Get a website that sells
A fast hotel website and booking engine that turns more visitors into direct reservations.
Get found
Show up with your direct rate on Google, metasearch and AI assistants when guests compare.
Keep customers coming back
Guest email and reviews that bring past guests back to book direct.
Free, no obligation
A free audit of your direct bookings
We review where your shop loses booked jobs today and send you a written plan, ranked by what each fix is worth.
- Your direct rate on Google and metasearch against the OTAs
- Searches for your hotel's name and who wins them
- Booking engine steps, speed and errors on a phone
- Room pages, photos and the story your website tells
- Google profile, reviews and replies against nearby boutique hotels
- How AI assistants describe your hotel, neighborhood and style
1. Send the formAbout two minutes.
2. We reviewYour marketing and your top three competitors.
3. Get your planWritten audit within 3 business days.
Get your free audit
We confirm within one business day. No obligation.
Compliance
Your contracts and guest data
Moving guests to direct booking touches your OTA contracts and guest data. We handle both with care.
- We read your OTA contract terms, including any rate parity clauses, before we change how direct rates display.
- Marketing emails and texts go only to guests who agreed to receive them, with an easy way to opt out.
- Guest data stays in your PMS and email tool, in accounts you own.
Questions
Boutique hotel marketing, plainly answered
Cost, contracts, ownership and timing, answered plainly.
All questionsWhat drives the cost of boutique hotel marketing?
The scope of work sets the cost. The main drivers are room count, how many properties you run, how competitive your market is, which channels you want managed and how much ad spend we handle. Your free audit comes with a written quote if you want one.
Is there a contract, and how do I cancel?
There is no long contract. Service is month-to-month with no setup fee. To cancel, tell your account lead. You keep your website, profiles, ad accounts, guest lists and all content we created.
Who owns the website, accounts and guest data?
You do. Your website, domain, ad accounts, analytics, Google Business Profile, guest email list and all content stay in your name. If you leave, they stay with you.
Is my ad budget separate from your fee?
Yes. Your ad and metasearch budget is paid straight to Google, Tripadvisor, Meta and other platforms from your own accounts. Our fee is billed separately and shown on its own line, so you always see both.
How soon will direct bookings grow?
Booking engine fixes and metasearch can move bookings within the first few weeks. Guest email builds as your list grows. Search rankings and a steady shift in direct share usually take 3 to 6 months.
How much of my time will this take?
Very little. Plan on a kickoff call of about an hour, quick approvals by email or text, and a 30-minute monthly review. We may ask for photos or details when you add rooms or packages.
Do I have to replace my PMS or booking engine?
No. We work with the PMS, channel manager and booking engine you already run, such as Cloudbeds, Mews, Opera or SiteMinder. If your booking engine is blocking direct bookings, we show you the evidence and you decide what to do.
Can I offer a lower rate on my own website than on the OTAs?
It depends on your OTA contracts and where you operate. We read the terms with you before changing anything. Many hotels give direct guests more value through member rates, packages or perks on their own site. For contract questions, check with your attorney.
Also in hospitality
Other hospitality we serve
Keep more of every stay you sell
Ask for a free audit of your hotel's marketing. You get a written list of the top fixes and a review call, with no obligation.