Guests often visit a hotel's own website before booking, then book through a travel agent anyway. Usually the reason is not price. It is friction: something on the hotel's website made booking harder than it needed to be.
Here are the hotel website mistakes that most often push guests to booking sites, and how to fix them.
Mistake 1: rates hidden behind clicks
Guests want to see prices for their dates immediately. If they have to navigate several pages, they give up.
Fix: put a date search on the homepage that shows rates straight away.
Mistake 2: unclear cancellation terms
Guests hesitate when they cannot see what happens if plans change. A link to a page of legal terms is not enough; they want one clear sentence.
Fix: show cancellation terms in one line next to each rate.
Mistake 3: no reason to book direct
If the direct price and terms are identical to the travel site, guests take the familiar route.
Fix: state a clear benefit to booking direct, such as flexibility, breakfast or a better rate.
Mistake 4: slow or clunky booking engine
A booking engine that takes ten steps on a phone loses guests at every step.
Fix: test it on a phone and remove unnecessary steps.
Mistake 5: key information missing
Parking, breakfast, check-in times and pet policies are buried or missing. The common questions are listed in direct booking questions that send guests to the OTAs.
Fix: answer practical questions clearly on room and policy pages.
Mistake 6: no answers out of hours
Guests planning at night cannot get answers until morning.
Fix: answer common questions instantly. SpideyChat for hotels does this from your website at any hour. Setup is in the installation guide and training guide.
Mistake 7: ignoring non-resident visitors
Spa and restaurant visitors cannot find booking information because the site is built only for overnight guests, a gap covered in spa and restaurant enquiries from non-resident guests.
Fix: separate, clear pages for spa and dining.
Mistake 8: photos without information
Beautiful photos with no room details leave guests guessing about size, beds and views.
Fix: add clear room descriptions to every photo gallery.
Mistake 9: no mobile check
Most guests browse on phones, but many hotel sites are tested only on desktop.
Fix: review every key page on a phone.
Mistake 10: hidden extra charges
Resort fees, parking charges and breakfast supplements that appear only at the final step make guests feel tricked, and many abandon the booking.
Fix: show the full price, including unavoidable charges, from the start.
Mistake 11: no way to ask a question
Guests with a question before booking find only a phone number for office hours.
Fix: offer a way to ask at any hour, with answers from your own information.
Mistake 12: forgetting returning guests
Guests who stayed before and want to book again find no recognition, no loyalty benefit and no easy way to request their favourite room.
Fix: make it easy for returning guests to book direct, and give them a reason to.
Learning from other industries
Gyms make many of the same mistakes, as seen in gym website mistakes that lose new members. For a wider view of winning bookings back, see how hotels win direct bookings back from OTAs.