In July, hotel rooms booked through brand.com websites
exceeded all other booking channels for the first time, according to the latest
Hotel Industry Performance Overview by hotel analytics company Kalibri Labs. In
July, brand.com sites claimed 26.1 percent of all room nights booked, followed
by property-direct sites at 24.1 percent. Kalibri also tracks bookings in the voice, online travel agency, global
distribution system, wholesale and group channels.
The report also showed that the percentage of guests who are loyalty
program members increased 6 percent year over year in July to 53.9 percent of
all room nights booked at hotels that have active loyalty programs. Booking
costs per room night increased 1.6 percent in July but decreased year over year
for the period from January through July. "The shift away from
property-direct bookings has created a virtual 'horse race' between brand.com
and OTA, both vying for demand-share growth," said Kalibri Labs co-founder
and CEO Cindy Estis Green. "Brands continue to double down on their
loyalty programs to maintain the relationship with their customers, with an eye
toward keeping booking costs in check."