Latest Kalibri Labs report shows faster growth from Brand.com than OTAs

We were mightily heartened to see the results of Kalibri Labs' latest report. Drawing on their database of 25,000 US hotels and their corresponding transaction data, Kalibri has concluded that the series of high-profile 'Book Direct' campaigns launched over the past 18 months or so have had a real impact on consumer behaviour. According to Kalibri, "there was clear evidence of faster growth in Brand.com when compared to the OTA channel."

Music to the ears of hoteliers in the US and beyond. We're beginning to see real evidence of a mindset shift from guests, as both leading brands and independent hotels seek to redress the balance after years of heavy advertising from the major OTAs. Indeed, even more welcome to many hoteliers will be the findings that, on the whole, Net ADR of Brand.com loyalty rates are higher than Net ADR of OTAs. Despite the associated costs, offering member-only rates on your site still brings in a higher return than taking those same bookings through the OTAs. Food for thought indeed for hotels who have been waiting to take the plunge. You can find the full report here, and it really is well worth a read.

Kalibri Labs at the Direct Booking Summit

We caught up with Kalibri's CEO and Co-founder Cindy Estis Green at the Direct Booking Summit in New York, where she was presenting on 'The New Dynamics of the Digital Landscape'. She told us that, compared to last year, she could feel a real sea change in how hoteliers were approaching the 'Book Direct' message. Speaking about the Summit, Cindy told us:

"I think that the education and getting people out to hear what other people are doing is crucial, because you end up living in a little bubble in your own hotel. When you come to meetings like this you realise that others are having similar kinds of problems, but you get ideas that you might not have thought of otherwise. [The event] really is triggering a lot of creativity and innovation."

After speaking about the latest disruptors in the online travel space - "I wouldn't be surprised if Uber's new CEO builds their travel functionality out" - Cindy moved on to discussing the real metrics that hotels should be measuring themselves by. Take a look at this clip from her talk below, where she talks revenue capture, optimal business mix, and getting what you pay for: