Stop Telling Guests “Direct is Cheaper” – You’re Sounding Lost.
Here’s the truth👇
Booking direct isn’t always cheaper.
There will always be a cheaper option on an OTA — it just might not be with you.
This image says it all: Same price, different trust factor.
Guests don’t book via OTAs because they’re hunting the lowest price — they book because they trust the platform. That’s the real currency.
TRUST.
And many STR operators are losing the game because they’re offering early check-in, a $10 Starbucks voucher, or a 10% discount…
All while sounding desperate and still failing to convert.
It’s time to stop discounting.
It’s time to stop begging.
It’s time to build a brand people trust.
Instead of saying:
“Book direct and save!”
Try this:
“We don’t offer discounts — 89% of our guests book direct because they trust us.”
You see, OTAs didn’t win by being the cheapest.
They won by marketing trust.
Now imagine if YOU did that — but yours was actually real?
This isn’t a price battle.
It’s a trust battle.
Start treating trust as a strategy, not a side effect.