Knowledge for hotel management
Hotel marketing plan for owners and directors
This is a plan for hotel marketing: what a director can decide about direct bookings, Google Hotel Ads, Booking commission, visibility and measurement. Each topic leads to one article and one service, without a separate page for each query variant.
How does a hotel increase direct bookings?
Start with availability and the offer, then check the booking flow and the sources of demand. Only with reliable measurement of bookings and cost should you decide whether to invest more in campaigns or fix conversion first.
- How to increase direct bookings: 6 checks from 84 Croatian hotels
- Booking.com commission and the cost of a direct booking
- Hotel website UX for direct bookings
When do Google Hotel Ads make sense for a hotel?
Google Hotel Ads make sense when the hotel can show an accurate price and availability, and the guest can complete the booking on the hotel's own website. Compare CPC, CPA and the commission model before you increase the budget.
- Google Hotel Ads for independent hotels
- Google Ads for hotels: brand vs non-brand campaigns
- Seasonal Google Ads budget planning for hotels
How much is the Booking commission for a hotel?
Commission is not one public figure. It is written in the hotel's contract with Booking.com. A comparison with a direct booking holds only when commission, cancellation, media and technology are added up on the same stay value.
- Booking.com commission and the cost of a direct booking
- What does a hotel booking really cost?
- Rate parity hotels: a rate parity check on one stay
Can a hotel show a lower price on its own website?
Booking.com has been a gatekeeper under the DMA since 13 May 2024. Since the end of 2024 it may not prohibit a hotel from showing a lower public price on the hotel's own channel. This is general information, not legal advice.
- Rate parity hotels: a rate parity check on one stay
- Best rate guarantee: when the OTA price is not undercutting
- Booking.com hotel lawsuit: where it stands in October 2026
How does a hotel become visible in Google and in AI answers?
You need pages that can be reached and indexed, clear information about the hotel and its offer, consistent digital profiles, and answers to specific questions from directors and guests. Appearance in AI answers is not guaranteed.
- SEO, AEO and GEO for hotels: getting into Google and ChatGPT
- Hotel digital profiles: the most common inconsistencies
- Mobile booking experience: where hotels lose bookings
How do you connect the booking engine, Phobs and GA4?
The booking engine receives the booking. The channel manager sends price and availability to the channels. If the engine is on another domain, GA4 needs cross-domain measurement and one ecommerce event per confirmed booking, without double counting.
- GA4 booking engine: what a hotel should track
- Phobs and GA4: one booking, one purchase
- Booking engine, channel manager and Phobs: who sends the rate
- GA4 events for the hotel booking funnel
How much does hotel marketing cost?
Separate the agency fee, the media budget, the initial setup and additional services. The public starting fee is 1.200 € + VAT per month for one hotel and one agreed advertising channel. Media, setup and additional services are not included.
- Hotel marketing cost: fee, media and cost per booking
- What does a hotel booking really cost?
- A hotel marketing plan for quieter months
How does remarketing work for direct bookings?
Remarketing reaches some guests again after they opened an offer or the booking. Not every return comes from an ad. The audience and the measurement have to be in place before the campaign.
Meta Ads for hotelsWhat does a hotel do when Booking is cheaper than the website?
First check whether the difference is tax, currency, number of guests or cancellation rules. Only then decide on price monitoring and what you may say to the guest in public.
- Best rate guarantee: when the OTA price is not undercutting
- Rate parity hotels: a rate parity check on one stay
- Prices and occupancy throughout the season: campaign messaging
How do you choose a hotel marketing agency?
Compare scope, public references, ownership of the accounts and total cost. Before the contract, agree the goal, the person responsible at the hotel and how results will be checked.
- How to choose a hotel marketing agency
- Hotel marketing cost: fee, media and cost per booking
- How to increase direct bookings: 6 checks from 84 Croatian hotels
From reading to a decision
Does your hotel need an external partner?
Nikton Hospitality is a digital marketing agency for independent, boutique, wellness, wine and resort hotels. Monthly management from €1,200 + VAT. The starting scope covers one hotel and one agreed advertising channel - Google Ads or Meta Ads. It includes campaign optimisation, performance monitoring through the existing measurement system, a monthly report and one monthly conversation.
Advertising budget, initial setup, additional channels and production are not included in the starting monthly fee. SEO, content and website/booking UX are scoped separately.
Find out where your hotel is losing direct bookings.
We will review campaigns, the hotel website, tracking and the booking journey, identifying the most important issues and opportunities for growth.
No generic sales presentation. The first conversation is based on your hotel's actual website, booking journey and digital setup.