How hoteliers can use Special Offers to drive more direct bookings

Deals, deals, deals. That’s what travelers look for whenever they book a trip. When we asked travelers what influences them, from consideration to booking, 56% said deals and discounts make a guidance site useful.

That’s why we created Special Offers.

Business Advantage subscribers can post up to three deals or promotions simultaneously for their property as part of their subscription. Special Offers occupy prime listing real estate, giving you a space to promote your hotel direct deals ahead of any additional OTA offers. They appear on each of Tripadvisor’s domains, localized in all languages, on your property’s listing page and in location search results — so travelers won’t miss your deal no matter how they’re searching for properties like yours.

Here’s how hoteliers around the world use Special Offers to capture guest attention and drive more direct bookings:

Close the gap during the off-season

It’s not always easy to fill rooms in the off season, weekdays, or other quiet times for your property. (They don’t call it the off season for nothing!) Just one example: Cold winters don’t usually bring a lot of travelers to Sofia, Bulgaria, but Hotel Manager Zhivko Zhelyazkov has increased direct bookings for his two properties by 150% using Tripadvisor.

“January and February are difficult months, and we are very focused on driving more direct reservations during that period. I’ve driven [more] interest in my properties with Special Offers.”— Hotel Manager

Discounted room rates, upgrades, loyalty points, or a special rate for travelers willing to brave the off season can be just what you need to get more direct bookings during quieter periods.

Get creative with your deals

While travelers love a good deal, they’re also willing to splurge on accommodations more than any other in-destination category while they travel. In fact, when we surveyed travelers on how they spend, one-third told us they typically book accommodations at over $200 a night. Up to 53% of travelers would spend more than $200 a night for a special occasion, up 20% from a typical booking.*

One multi-property luxury hotel group based in Dubai uses Special Offers to add that extra “pick me” element without necessarily discounting their room rates. While that’s an option within Special Offers, it’s not the only type of deal you can post. With Special Offers, you can run up to three deals simultaneously in different categories, from offering a food and beverage credit to free parking or offering an additional night free for guests staying a week or more.

“One of the best things we have noticed is when we use Special Offers, we’re seeing travelers interested in exploring our property, and we’re getting some conversions as well. It’s helping us in multiple ways for multiple properties.”
— Hotel Executive

Each deal option is designed to help hoteliers drive direct bookings. By using Special Offers and other Business Advantage features, this group saw a 32% lift in visits to hotel detail pages on Tripadvisor in 2022, compared to 2021. They’ve also doubled direct referrals to their website. Business Advantage has become such a critical part of this hotel group’s online strategy that they’ve made it mandatory for every property in their portfolio.

Showcase the best of your hotel

Standing out in crowded markets during high season is another way Special Offers can help your property. Revenue Manager Fabio Altobelli uses Business Advantage to showcase the charm and historic character of his property, Hotel Barocco, in Rome. In a highly competitive market like this one, especially in the city center, Special Offers can be what influences travelers to stop scrolling and book directly with the hotel instead.

“Activating Business Advantage has increased our visibility and direct revenue month over month. It’s a great opportunity to showcase our hotel, [promote] special offers, and make sure travelers can book with us directly.”— Revenue Manager

Since using Business Advantage, Hotel Barocco has seen more global traffic to their website, with Tripadvisor representing 12% of all global website traffic. They’ve also increased global bookings, with Tripadvisor representing 10% of all general revenue. Unlike general search or even through social media, website traffic from Tripadvisor brings more qualified visitors — travelers who are ready and willing to book. Special Offers captures their attention and guides them to book directly with you.

How to set up Special Offers for your property

Business Advantage subscribers can activate a new Special Offer through the Management Center. Once you know what kind of deal you’d like to offer:

*Source: Economic Portrait of the Traveler, 2023