How Jodhpur hotels and homestays can get more direct bookings and pay less OTA commission

In this article9 sections

Quick answer

Keep your OTA listings for discovery, but make booking direct just as easy. Put your own website and rates next to the OTAs on Google with free booking links (through a booking engine or channel manager connected to Google), keep your Google Business Profile complete, give guests a fast mobile booking page with a WhatsApp option, and invite every past guest to book direct next time. Check your OTA contract before offering lower rates on your own site.

Many guests find a Jodhpur haveli or homestay on an online travel agency (OTA), then search the property's name on Google before they book. That second search is your chance. If your own website shows up with a clear rate and a working booking button, a share of those guests will book direct, and you keep the commission.

This guide is for hotels, heritage havelis, guest houses and homestays in Jodhpur, from the old city around Mehrangarh to properties on the Jaisalmer and Osian roads.

How much does an OTA booking really cost you?

Booking.com explains in its partner help on commission that commission is a set percentage of the total booking amount, including the room rate and extra fees such as cleaning or no-show charges. The exact percentage depends on your country, property type and agreement, and it is higher if you join marketing programmes such as Preferred Partner or Visibility Booster.

Open your last three monthly commission invoices from every OTA and add them up. That number is what better direct booking can save, and it tells you how much effort the steps below are worth.

Do you have to match OTA rates on your own website?

It depends on your contract. In October 2022, the Competition Commission of India fined MakeMyTrip-Goibibo ₹223.48 crore and OYO ₹168.88 crore, according to CCI press release 51/2022-23. The CCI directed MakeMyTrip-Goibibo to remove price and room availability parity obligations with respect to other OTAs, and exclusivity conditions.

That order was about parity across OTAs. It does not automatically mean every contract lets you show a lower public rate on your own website. Read your current agreements, and if you are unsure, offer direct guests added value instead of a lower price: free breakfast, early check-in when available, an airport or station pickup, or a heritage walk.

Step 1: get your own rates next to the OTAs on Google

Google's Hotel Center help on free booking links says your booking site can appear across Google when people search for hotels, showing your site or hotel name with the room rate, and that there is no cost for clicks on free booking links.

To appear there, Google asks hotel owners to share prices through a connectivity partner: a booking engine, channel manager, central reservation system or property management system already integrated with Google. Direct integration with Google is currently unavailable, according to the same page. So:

• If you already use a channel manager or booking engine, ask them to send your rates and availability to Google.
• If you do not, choose one that is on Google's partner list, so your website booking page, OTA inventory and Google rates stay in sync.

Step 2: make your Google Business Profile do the selling

Your Business Profile is often the first thing guests see after searching your name. Google has a dedicated Business Profile guide for hotels that covers hotel amenities, attributes, highlights, class rating, prices and booking links.

• Fill in every amenity that is true: parking, Wi-Fi, breakfast, pool, rooftop restaurant, airport shuttle.
• Upload real, recent photos of rooms, bathrooms, the rooftop view and the entrance lane, especially if your haveli is in a narrow old-city street that is hard to find.
• Reply to every review, good or bad, in a calm and specific way.
• Make sure your website link goes to your own site, not an OTA page.

Our Google Business Profile optimization guide and the Jodhpur-specific post on getting more customers from Google Maps go deeper.

Step 3: build a booking page that works on a phone

Most travellers check rooms on their phone. Your website needs:

• Room types with real photos, size, bed type and what is included.
• A clear rate or a "check availability" calendar from your booking engine, not "call for price".
• A visible WhatsApp button for guests who prefer to ask first, and a phone number that is answered.
• Directions from Jodhpur airport, Jodhpur railway station and the main bus stands.
• Your cancellation policy, check-in times and house rules in plain language.
• Fast loading on mobile data, because a slow page sends guests back to the OTA app.

Adding hotel structured data helps search engines read your details. See our structured data guide for small business websites.

Step 4: turn OTA guests into direct guests next time

You cannot use an OTA booking to spam a guest, but a guest who stayed with you is your guest. While they are on property:

• Ask for their WhatsApp number at check-in for stay updates, and ask permission before sending offers later.
• Leave a small card in the room with your website and a direct-booking benefit for their next stay.
• After checkout, send one thank-you message with a link to leave a Google review.

For messaging at scale with opt-ins and templates, read our guide to the WhatsApp Business Platform.

A 30-day direct booking plan for Jodhpur properties

• Week 1: Add up your OTA commission for the last three months. Read your OTA contracts for rate parity terms.
• Week 2: Complete your Google Business Profile, upload fresh photos and reply to all reviews.
• Week 3: Fix your website booking page on mobile and connect your booking engine or channel manager to Google free booking links.
• Week 4: Start the in-stay and post-stay routine, and track how many bookings come direct each week.

Get help with your hotel's direct bookings

We are a Jodhpur team that builds booking-ready websites and runs local search for hotels and homestays. See how we work with hotels, cafés and hospitality businesses, our website design in Jodhpur page and our local SEO and Google Business Profile service. Start with a free audit, message us on WhatsApp at +91 77376 08231, or contact us.

Frequently asked questions

Should Jodhpur hotels stop using OTAs?

No. OTAs bring visibility, especially from international and first-time visitors. The aim is to keep them for discovery while making direct booking easier, so more guests who already know your name book with you.

Are Google free booking links really free?

Google's Hotel Center help says there is no cost for clicks on free booking links. You usually need a booking engine or channel manager connected to Google, and that software may have its own fee.

Can I offer a lower price on my own website than on OTAs?

Check your OTA contracts first. The CCI's 2022 order directed MakeMyTrip-Goibibo to drop parity obligations with respect to other OTAs, but your own agreements may still have terms about your website. Added perks for direct guests are a safe alternative.

Do homestays need a website, or is Instagram enough?

Instagram helps people discover you, but it cannot take a booking with dates and payment. A simple website with a booking engine and WhatsApp button gives guests a direct way to book.

How do I know if direct bookings are growing?

Track the booking source for every reservation in your channel manager or a simple sheet: OTA, website, walk-in, WhatsApp or phone. Compare the direct share month by month.