Direct Booking of Hotels: Experience Ecological and Financial Benefits Without Using a Mediator

In the digital age, online hotel booking platforms have emerged as market leaders, offering a convenient and streamlined solution for travellers seeking accommodation. These platforms, such as Booking.com, Expedia.com, Hotels.com, and Airbnb, have revolutionised the hospitality industry by providing a platform where hotels adapted to travellers' criteria – from the number of rooms to equipment, distance from the city centre, and price – are listed alongside countless customer reviews.

The founders of Booking.com, Geert-Jan Bruinsma, Sicco and Alec Behrens, Marijn Muyser, and Bas Lemmens, established Bookings Online, which later merged into Booking.com. Expedia.com was founded by Rich Barton and Lloyd Frink, while Hotels.com was originally founded as Hotel Reservations Network, though no founders are listed here. Airbnb, a similar platform, was founded by Brian Chesky, Joe Gebbia, and Nathan Blecharczyk.

While these platforms offer numerous benefits, they also pose challenges for the hospitality industry. Historically, online booking platforms have imposed parity clauses, restricting hoteliers from offering different prices on their own sites. This practice has been a point of contention, as it limits the flexibility of hoteliers to compete on price.

Booking.com, for instance, charges a higher commission (10%) for hotel chains or groups compared to independent hoteliers (25%). This disparity has raised concerns about fairness in the industry. Furthermore, these platforms are accused of tax evasion, similar to the GAFAM, and are said to pay proportionally fewer taxes than independent hotels.

However, contacting a hotel directly can offer advantages. By doing so, travellers can reduce their digital impact, minimising searches in search algorithms and data collection. Direct contact with a hotel can also remunerate a local actor and potentially lead to negotiating a more advantageous rate or including breakfast in the deal.

Moreover, bypassing online booking platforms and contacting hoteliers directly can help reduce the use of data centres associated with these platforms. This is an ecological and economic consideration, as the operation of these data centres consumes vast amounts of energy and resources.

The goal of these platforms, however, remains to keep users and make them return. As such, the question posed is: Do you use online booking platforms? Could you do without them? While they offer convenience and a wealth of information at your fingertips, there are also benefits to be gained from contacting hotels directly.

In conclusion, online hotel booking platforms have undeniably transformed the hospitality industry. They offer a wealth of information and convenience for travellers, but they also pose challenges for hoteliers. As digital technology continues to evolve, it will be interesting to see how the relationship between online booking platforms and the hospitality industry develops in the future.

Direct Booking of Hotels: Experience Ecological and Financial Benefits Without Using a Mediator