OTA dependency:
80% down to 46%.
Hospitality · Boutique Hotel Group · Bali
Client details under NDA
+285%
Direct Revenue
3.8×
ROAS on Google Ads
-40%
OTA Dependency
$47K
Annual Commission Saved
The Challenge
80% of bookings were coming through OTAs. Every reservation cost them 18-25% in commission.
This boutique hotel group operates three properties across Bali. Like most independent hotels, they had become dependent on Online Travel Agencies — Booking.com, Agoda, and Expedia accounted for 80% of all reservations.
The math was brutal. On a $200/night room, they were paying $36-50 per booking in OTA commissions. Across three properties and thousands of bookings per year, that added up to over $76,000 in annual commission fees.
Their own website was an afterthought — outdated design, no booking engine integration, invisible on Google. Direct bookings accounted for just 8% of total revenue. They had no Google Ads presence, no local SEO strategy, and their Google Business Profiles were incomplete and inconsistent.
They needed a strategy to shift the balance — not to eliminate OTAs (they still drive awareness), but to build a direct booking channel that could compete.
The Commission Problem
Our Approach
A four-pronged strategy to capture, convert, and compound direct bookings.
We didn't try to "beat" OTAs — we built a direct channel that gave guests a reason to book directly. Better experience, same price, faster confirmation.
Local SEO Overhaul
Audited and optimized 3 Google Business Profiles across properties. Fixed NAP inconsistencies, added structured data, optimized for "boutique hotel Bali" and location-specific terms. Built out photo galleries, Q&A, and posting cadence.
Google Ads — Direct Booking Intent
Launched Search campaigns targeting brand name defense, competitor conquesting, and high-intent queries like "book hotel [location] direct." Built dedicated campaigns for each property with ad extensions showing rate parity messaging.
Direct Booking Landing Pages
Designed and built conversion-optimized landing pages for each property with real-time rate parity, urgency triggers, and a streamlined 3-step booking flow. Mobile-first, sub-2s load times, integrated with their PMS.
Review Generation & Citations
Implemented an automated post-stay review request sequence. Built and cleaned citations across 40+ travel directories. Within 90 days, Google review volume increased 3× and average rating moved from 4.2 to 4.6 stars.
The Results
From invisible on Google to outranking OTAs for their own brand name.
+285%
Direct Revenue
3.8×
ROAS on Google Ads
-40%
OTA Dependency
$47K
Annual Commission Saved
Booking Channel Split
Annual Revenue Breakdown
"We went from invisible on Google to ranking above Booking.com for our own brand name."
General Manager
Boutique Hotel Group, Bali
Your Turn
Ready to stop paying OTAs for your own guests?
We'll audit your current channel mix and show you exactly where direct booking revenue is hiding.
