Direct bookings leads way for independent hotels in UK, says RoomRaccoon

Hoteliers saw direct bookings take 60% of market, up 48% from previous period

Hotel management software for independent hotels, RoomRaccoon, has announced the release of its Europe Booking Channel Trends Report for 2024. 

The report analysed over 3.9 million reservations to reveal the distribution channels that brought the most bookings to independent hotels in key tourism markets across Europe. 

According to RoomRaccoon, independent hotels in the UK saw a substantial year-on-year increase in direct bookings, capturing an impressive 60% market share, up from 48% in the previous period. 

This shift highlights that travellers are increasingly opting for direct bookings to secure better rates and more personalised guest journey.

The findings are based on data collected from over 2,000 RoomRaccoon users across the BENELUX region, the DACH region, Spain, Portugal, Italy, and the UK. 

It compares reservation data from June 2022 to May 2023 with data from June 2023 to May 2024.

“Direct bookings are a significant force in Europe, however the influence of OTAs keeps growing each year,” says Tymen van Dyl, CEO and founder of RoomRaccoon. 

“To stay competitive, independent hotels must continue to invest in direct channels - like booking engines, optimised websites, metasearch, secure payment options, and conversion-focused technology - to reduce reliance on OTA bookings that come with costly commission.” 

In the past year, RoomRaccoon has launched new solutions to boost conversion rates on hoteliers' booking engines and has strengthened its connectivity partnership with Google Hotels, ensuring users only pay for completed stays. 

As a result, the metasearch channel now ranks fifth in Europe and fourth in the UK.

Commenting on Google Hotel Ads ranking, Tymen added: “Hotels in the UK are increasingly including Google Hotel Ads in their channel mix. 

"This addition allows hotels to compete head-to-head with OTAs by giving visibility to attractive direct booking rates, and driving traffic straight to their website. 

"RoomRaccoon’s hotel partners operate on a cost-effective pay-per-stay model and pay less commission per booking than OTAs.”

RoomRaccoon’s top five hotel booking channels in the UK, based on the total number of reservations generated via RoomRaccoon’s platform were direct, Booking.com, Expedia, Google Hotel Ads, and Airbnb.