Technology in Hospitality Industry: Prospects and Challenges

Ironically, the affiliate is the only party that comes out ahead in these bookings. The guest and hotel are left searching for original reservations, cancellation clauses, advance deposits, etc., only to realize that the booking was never originally booked with the hotel.

As a hotelier, you must realize that your hands are NOT tied. To control the booking environment, you have to read the fine print in the OTA and wholesale agreements. This is where you will find the terms and conditions that allow the third party you are working with to deliver your inventory to hundreds of their affiliates. You can negotiate that flow by determining at what level you are willing to allow those affiliates to use your inventory. If a third party represents your hotel outside of an affiliate agreement, you can send a “cease and desist” letter to stop them from booking your hotel.

Regardless of how the guest gets to your Front Desk, you are ultimately responsible for a frictionless booking journey. It is your responsibility to go online and search for your hotel as a guest would identify the many doors that they potentially can walk through to book. Review all of these sites for accuracy, ensuring that your pictures and content are current and accurately represent your hotel. If you do not recognize a booking path via a site you did not authorize, you will need to reach out to the third party. In the interim, make sure that your Front Desk is aware of all booking paths so they can assist guests arriving with different confirmation numbers. First impressions remain king, and yours may not always be your online presence, so make sure the smile at the Front Desk is well equipped to serve all paths to your hotel.