Direct Hotel Booking and Travel Advisors Can Coexist. Here’s How.

For the past 20 years, “industry experts” have been predicting the demise of the travel advisor.  

Hotel chains began encouraging and incentivizing the traveler to book direct, yet advisors have defied expectations by showcasing the value of the services they provide.  

A pandemic reinforced the worth of the advisor, as many travelers were burned by alternative distribution channels and restrictive hotel policies. Hoteliers made decisions that stacked the deck against the advisor with traveler incentives to book direct. Recently, hoteliers have had an about-face, especially those focused on luxury.  

Today, travelers have more choice than ever with AI and booking apps. Yet they keep coming back for an advisor’s expertise. Direct bookings aren’t a threat to an advisor, but instead an opportunity to strengthen client relationships and win new ones through better service and value. 

Personalization – the Advisor Way 

Hotels are all about hyper-personalization these days, using their loyalty program data points to deliver rates, offers and experiences based on what it shows about buying behavior. Direct bookings are prized because they reveal a tremendous amount about guest preferences.  

Advisors who engage their clients can gain better knowledge of their travel preferences (which may differ when traveling for business vs. leisure), in addition to room types, on-property food & beverage and experience offerings. An advisor most often can access discounted rates for their clients using their consortium’s program.  

This is a win-win all the way around. The advisor can book a non-published discounted rate, the hotel partner receives the booking via their preferred booking channel, and the guest is recognized for their preferences as part of the loyalty program. Advisors earn their commissions and faster too. Instead of losing the booking, the advisor is a valuable partner in the booking. 

The Advisor-Hotel-Consortium Partnership 

Strong relationships are incredibly important between agencies/advisors and hotel partners. Hotels and advisors should share the same objective: to elevate the guest experience and grow repeat business.  

Travel advisors have a lot to manage but taking time to maintain relationships with the top hotels they book, and at the chain level, can make a tremendous difference. This is the difference between advisors who can deliver on requests such as early check-in/late check-out, VIP treatment and room upgrades, and those who just book a reservation. 

Membership in a consortium is an extremely valuable asset to an advisor, opening access to preferred hotel partnerships that include exclusive rate offers and value-added amenities such as complimentary breakfast, free parking, and VIP guest recognition – perks unavailable to the consumer without additional cost. Consortia such as TRAVELSAVERS also provide advisors with dedicated 24/7 support, robust hotel partnerships and commission tracking.  

The Irreplaceable Human Bond 

Travel advisors provide the human connection that no booking channel can replicate. Advisors have extensive destination knowledge, personalized trip planning and let’s not forget how skilled they are in trip disruption management. Their recommendations are curated and trusted.  

When the unexpected happens – such as a flight cancellation, weather disruption or special request – having a professional advocating on your behalf makes all the difference. Good hotel partners know and understand this. 

Clients Need Savvy Advisors 

There shouldn’t have to be a choice between booking direct and booking with an advisor. Today’s travelers expect flexibility and advisors who understand their expectations are best positioned to be indispensable. Viewing direct bookings as another service touchpoint rather than a lost opportunity allows advisors to strengthen hotel partnerships, utilize consortium benefits and deliver on their already excellent service levels.  

Hotel partners who try to side-step advisors and play games with commissions: you have already lost the customer.