Accommodations depend on OTAs like Reserving.com, Agoda, and Expedia to remain seen and fill rooms. However whereas these platforms drive bookings, they will additionally trigger unintended income loss — not as a result of the platforms are flawed, however due to avoidable errors in how accommodations handle them.
From hidden low cost stacking to missed map pins, these widespread missteps can quietly erode your revenue margins, harm your rankings, and result in visitor dissatisfaction.
Listed here are 5 missed on-line journey agent (OTA) errors — and easy methods to repair them.
1. Stacking Too Many Promotions With out Realizing the Affect
Promotions can increase visibility and drive bookings — however when you’re not cautious, you can be giving freely 60–80% in reductions with out even figuring out it.
Right here’s what occurs:
- You run a cell charge or nation low cost.
- The OTA provides a member low cost on prime.
- Then it applies a seasonal marketing campaign or portfolio deal.
Every OTA stacks reductions otherwise, and plenty of of those stack routinely.
To make issues worse, some reductions aren’t even seen in your extranet. These “hidden reductions” — present as much as the visitor however to not you, making it laborious to trace the true closing charge.
Why it’s an issue:
You lose management over your pricing, injury charge parity, and harm your ADR — all whereas considering you’re working only one promo.
How you can repair it:
- Use your channel supervisor (like STAAH) to set a constant BAR (Finest Out there Price) throughout all OTAs as your pricing basis.
- Make sure the similar promotions are utilized throughout all channels. This helps with constant monitoring, eliminates confusion, and provides higher visibility of ultimate costs.
- Use instruments just like the STAAH OCC Components to shortly detect and rectify charge parity points throughout all platforms.
- Handle promotions straight by way of STAAH relatively than particular person OTAs, so every thing is seen and trackable in a single place.
- Verify how every OTA applies reductions on prime of your BAR charge and pay attention to hidden promotions that will not seem in your extranet.
- At all times do a check reserving from the visitor aspect to see the ultimate public-facing charge. It’s the one solution to affirm what visitors are literally seeing — and paying.
2. Poor OTA Content material — Dangerous Images, Weak Descriptions, Lacking Facilities, and Fallacious Map Pin
Friends store with their eyes. In case your OTA itemizing has poor-quality images, imprecise descriptions, or lacking particulars — you’re silently dropping bookings and rating.
Widespread points we see:
- Low-quality, outdated, or unprofessional images
- Restricted or incorrect images (e.g., a twin room ought to present twin beds)
- Unclear or lacking amenity and facility data
- Incorrect map pin (sure, some accommodations actually present the flawed location)
- Generic descriptions that don’t promote the expertise
Why it’s an issue:
- Weak visuals and incomplete listings result in decrease conversion charges — and OTAs will push you down in search outcomes because of this.
- OTA search filters depend on your amenity knowledge. For those who don’t record Wi-Fi, parking, breakfast, or pool accurately — you received’t present up when visitors filter for these options.
- Fallacious or lacking data results in visitor confusion, unmet expectations, and in the end, damaging opinions.
How you can repair it:
- Rent an expert photographer. It’s one of many highest-ROI investments a resort could make. Nice images increase belief and conversion — and also you solely have to do it as soon as.
- Use detailed, benefit-driven descriptions. As an alternative of “Room with A/C,” say “Vivid, ethereal room with personal balcony, blackout curtains, and quick Wi-Fi.”
- Leverage instruments in STAAH’s superior channel supervisor to handle images, content material, and facilities throughout main OTAs like Reserving.com, Expedia, and Agoda.
- Audit your OTA listings recurrently to make sure all content material — facilities, amenities, descriptions, insurance policies — is full and correct.
- Double-check your map pin location on each OTA — particularly in case your property is tough to seek out.
3. Sluggish Response to Visitor Messages and Critiques
OTAs monitor how briskly you reply to reserving inquiries, visitor messages, and opinions. Lengthy delays harm not simply the visitor expertise, but in addition your OTA rating and visibility.
Why it’s an issue:
- Sluggish response instances sign poor service and may push your itemizing decrease in OTA search outcomes.
- Ignoring or delaying evaluation responses gives the look of neglect and reduces belief from future visitors.
- Even an amazing keep may end up in a damaging evaluation if post-stay communication is missing.
How you can repair it:
- Set inside response time targets (ideally underneath 24 hours) for each messages and opinions.
- Use STAAH’s ReviewMinder to monitor, handle, and reply to opinions throughout a number of platforms, multi functional place. This makes it simpler to remain on prime of your on-line fame with out switching between a number of tabs.
- Personalise your evaluation responses utilizing STAAH’s AI instrument, as an alternative of counting on generic templates. STAAH’s ReviewMinder AI is freed from cost for all subscribers to the service.
- Use pre-written templates or AI for quicker response and preserve a pleasant, constant model tone.
Quick, considerate responses present that you just care — and that builds visitor confidence and long-term fame.
4. Leaking B2B Charges into B2C Channels
Probably the most pricey however missed errors is importing company or wholesale (B2B) charges into public OTA channels. The end result? Deeply discounted charges present up on metasearch or OTA listings — typically undercutting your individual worth.
Why it’s an issue:
It damages charge parity, cannibalizes B2C and direct bookings, and confuses potential visitors who see completely different costs on completely different platforms.
How you can repair it:
- At all times segregate B2B charges from public-facing charge plans.
- Solely provide these discounted charges by way of correct B2B platforms, equivalent to vetted bedbanks, wholesalers, or B2B OTAs like Hotelbeds or WebBeds.
- Think about using dynamic static charges, which stop ADR and RevPAR from being cannibalized.
- Keep away from importing B2B charges into channels that additionally distribute to retail OTAs until you may have full management over the place these charges seem.
- Use STAAH to assign and management charge visibility by channel, holding your pricing construction clear and intentional.
This lets you proceed providing strategic B2B partnerships — with out risking worth leakage into consumer-facing platforms.
5. Enhance Fee And not using a Clear Technique
Visibility instruments like Reserving.com’s Visibility Booster or Agoda’s Progress Categorical can improve publicity — however provided that used accurately. Turning them on and not using a technique typically results in excessive prices, low ROI, and in some circumstances, paying extra for demand you already had.
Why it’s an issue:
Growing fee with out fixing elementary points like poor content material, gradual responses, or charge inconsistencies magnifies the issue as an alternative of fixing it.
How you can repair it:
Earlier than you activate any visibility instruments or conform to a better fee charge, be certain your foundations are strong:
- Pricing technique is clear (understanding low cost stacking, charge parity in place)
- Content material is full and constant throughout OTAs
- Distribution is correct (proper room sorts, stock synced, map pin verified)
- Message response and evaluation dealing with are immediate {and professional}
Solely after these fundamentals are fastened must you contemplate growing fee — and even then, it needs to be aligned to a particular aim (e.g., off-peak durations, new property launch).
Remaining Ideas: Use the Proper Instruments to Keep away from These Pricey Errors
Managing OTA distribution isn’t nearly being listed — it’s about being strategic. These 5 errors can quietly eat away at your income, even when occupancy appears robust.
The excellent news? With a wise technique and a strong channel supervisor like STAAH, you may take again management:
- Management all of your on-line charges in a single place
- Handle content material throughout OTAs constantly
- Reply to visitor opinions quicker
- Stop worth leakage
- Use visibility instruments correctly — with knowledge to again you
The end result? Larger visibility, higher conversion, and stronger income — with out the necessity to develop your group.
Creator: Chieh-Chi (Jacky) Huang
Jacky Huang is the founding father of GetGuest, an internet income administration service serving to small and medium-sized accommodations develop by way of dynamic pricing and OTA optimization. As a resort proprietor in Thailand, Jacky developed his personal framework by way of hands-on experimentation. At this time, he companions with impartial accommodations throughout the nation to ship measurable outcomes and drive long-term progress.
