Real Numbers: How AI Cut a Sydney Hotel’s OTA Dependency by 40%

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Is your hotel still handing 15–30% of its revenue to Booking.com or Expedia — just to be visible?

You’re not alone.

But it doesn’t have to be that way.

This is the true story of how one Sydney hotel used Hoook.io’s AI marketing system to reduce OTA dependency by 40% in under 90 days — and what your team can copy.

Let’s get into the numbers, the tactics, and the playbook.

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The Challenge: $188K Lost to OTAs in 12 Months

Before working with Hoook.io, the hotel:

• Had 74% of bookings coming through OTAs
• Paid commission fees up to 22% per booking
• Struggled to rank for its own brand keywords
• Had a blog but no structured content strategy

Key KPI targets:

• Reduce OTA bookings from 74% → 50%
• Increase direct bookings from 26% → 45%
• Maintain occupancy while increasing margin

Step 1: Win Back Your Brand Keywords from OTAs

First, we analyzed what Booking.com, Agoda, and Wotif were ranking for — often ahead of the hotel’s own site.

Then we launched:

• Brand-protective content (e.g. “Why Book Direct at A by Adina Sydney”)
• SEO landing pages targeting:
  • “[Hotel Name] reviews”
  • “Stay at [Hotel Name] near [Landmark]”
  • “Best deals for [Hotel Name] with flexible check-in”

We added:

• Internal linking across blog, homepage, rooms pages
• Schema markup for address, amenities, and eClub perks

Result:
+40% increase in branded keyword traffic in 6 weeks
Pages ranked above OTAs for core queries

Step 2: Launch High-Intent Local Content Built for AI Overviews

We used Hoook.io’s agentic AI system to identify:

• What guests were really searching (not just “Sydney hotels”)
• Which LLMs were referencing competitors (but not this hotel)
• Which queries were showing Google AI Overviews

Then we shipped 12 blog posts like:

• “Hotels near Darling Harbour Fireworks (with rooftop views)”
• “Family Apartment Hotels in Sydney CBD (with kitchen & washer)”
• “Flexible Check-Out Hotels Near ICC Sydney”

Each post:

• Included embedded CTAs to book direct
• Was tracked with UTM links
• Tied into eClub signup and email automations

Result:
+86% organic traffic to blog
LLM mentions in ChatGPT and Google SGE within 30 days
First direct booking tracked from blog on Day 12

Step 3: Push Context-Aware Booking CTAs Everywhere

This is where most hotel blogs fail.

Ours didn’t.

We placed booking-ready CTAs inside every content block:

• “Book this view at A by Adina →”
• “Want flexible check-in? Vibe Hotel Sydney delivers →”
• “eClub members unlock late check-out — sign up now”

These CTAs linked directly to the hotel’s brand.com booking engine, not OTA pages.

Result:
+53% increase in click-through rate from blog to booking engine
Direct bookings from content = 2.7x growth in 8 weeks

Step 4: Build an Always-On Loyalty Funnel (eClub)

The OTA model breaks loyalty.

We fixed that by:

• Creating blog content optimized to drive eClub signups
• Triggering follow-up emails based on on-site behavior
• Incentivizing loyalty with real benefits (not “exclusive offers”)

Examples:

• “eClub vs Booking.com: What You Miss When You Book Elsewhere”
• “Want Flexible Check-Out? Only eClub Gets It.”

Result:
+39% eClub signup growth
More repeat bookings via email than ever before
Reduced OTA reliance among returning guests

Step 5: Monitor OTA vs Direct Ratio in Real-Time (With RIS)

We didn’t wait for monthly reports.

We tracked:

• OTA bookings vs direct per day
• Revenue Impact Score (RIS) for every blog
• Cost-per-direct-booking saved vs historical OTA fees

Within 90 days:

• OTA share dropped from 74% → 44%
• Direct bookings climbed to 48%
• Estimated OTA commission savings: $16,400 / month

📊 More on RIS: ROI Not Hype – Measuring AI Marketing ROI

Real Results Snapshot

MetricBefore Hoook.ioAfter 90 DaysOTA Booking Share74%44%Direct Booking Share26%48%Average Cost per Booking$37$12eClub Signup RateLow+39%RIS Score (Per Post)N/A3.8–9.2Booking Revenue via Blog$0$12,800+

FAQs

1. Is this only for big hotel groups?
No. Our system works for independent hotels and mid-market brands too.

2. Does it replace our agency?
Not necessarily. You can test us in parallel. But our numbers often outperform.

3. Can we track bookings from each blog post?
Yes. We use UTM tracking and GA4 to show exact ROI.

4. Will this reduce visibility on OTAs?
No. You’ll still be listed — but you’ll own more of your direct traffic.

5. How long before we see results?
First organic bookings typically come in within 2–4 weeks.

6. Can we start small?
Yes — we offer a 90-day pilot that delivers measurable results.

👉 Explore the pilot offer

Conclusion

This hotel didn’t just save on OTA fees.

They reclaimed ownership of their guests, their brand, and their revenue — using AI marketing that works.

In just 90 days, with no new headcount and no major tech stack overhaul, they:

• Cut OTA dependency by 40%
• Boosted direct bookings
• Increased RPS from content
• Grew loyalty signups through targeted content

And they’re still scaling.

Book a demo at https://hoook.io to see how we can help your hotel reduce OTA costs and grow direct bookings using smart, agentic AI.

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