Notes from the independent house.
A working journal for independent hoteliers, written by people who have stood at the desk, set the rates, and balanced the books. Read, share, argue with us.
Results for “Rate parity”.
UCP for hotels: the Universal Commerce Protocol and the future of online booking
Google and the biggest names in travel have written a shared language that lets AI assistants book a hotel room inside a conversation. It is called UCP. Here is what it is, who keeps the guest, and what independent hotels should do before it reaches Europe.
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MCP for hotels: how AI assistants will find, sell and help run your property
ChatGPT, Claude and Google can now read live hotel prices, and some can take a booking. The standard behind it is called MCP. Here is what it is, what it changes for a small hotel's visibility and daily work, and what to do about it now.
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OTA terms explained: a plain-language glossary for independent hotels
Commissionable rate, net rate, merchant model, narrow parity. The words in your OTA contract, explained in plain language, with what each one means for your money.
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Booking.com Genius and Preferred Partner: what they really cost a small hotel
Genius and Preferred Partner are sold as growth tools. Both are also a price. Here is what each one costs an independent hotel, how to test whether it pays, and what to decide before 2027.
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The real cost of an OTA booking: commission is only the first line
Most hoteliers know their commission rate. Few know their effective rate. Here are the other lines on every OTA booking, and how to work out what a room really costs you to sell in 2027.
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How much commission does Expedia take? The 2026 guide for independent hotels
Expedia's headline commission is only the start. Here is what a booking really costs once you add the payment model, the visibility tools and the card fees, and how to pay less in 2027.
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Rate parity is gone in Europe. How to price your direct rate for 2027
Booking.com can no longer make you match its price on your own website. Most small hotels still do. Here is what the law allows, what the algorithm might not, and how to set a direct rate for 2027 that pays.
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How much commission does Booking.com take, and how to pay less
The headline rate is only part of the bill. Here is what you actually pay, what you can change, and what you cannot.
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OTA Commission Rates: What Booking.com, Expedia and Airbnb Really Charge
A plain-English breakdown of what the big booking sites really take, the fees they do not advertise, and how much a year of OTA bookings actually costs you.
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Twelve ways to get more direct bookings at a small hotel
Ordered by return on effort, not by how impressive they sound. Most of these cost nothing and several take an afternoon.
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The Second Tab: Why Guests Find You on Booking.com and Book Somewhere Else
Most guests who book you directly found you on an OTA first. Here is what that second tab is worth, and why, after the EU killed rate parity, independent hotels can finally win it.
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