Cutting OTA Reliance for Le Torri di Porsenna: More Direct Bookings, Less Commission

Overview

Le Torri di Porsenna is an independently owned spa hotel in Tuscany. It had never run paid media and leaned on online travel agents for around 90% of its bookings. We built a direct-booking channel end to end: a new SEO-optimised website, a rebuilt booking engine, Google Ads on brand and high-intent terms, and active price-parity management across every OTA. Direct bookings rose 31% in the first month.

The Challenge

The hotel paid high commission on almost every booking and had no direct channel of its own. Four problems stood out:

• ›Around 90% of bookings came through OTAs at high commission
• ›A first-time advertiser, unsure whether paid media would pay back
• ›No price-parity discipline across OTA channels
• ›A dated website and booking engine that leaked potential direct bookings

Strategic Approach

Google Ads for Direct Bookings

We launched the hotel's first paid media: Google Ads on brand and high-intent terms. A stronger offer on the direct channel gave guests a clear reason to book direct rather than through an OTA. Tracking attributed every direct booking to its source.

A New Website and Booking Engine

We built a new SEO-optimised website at speed and redesigned the booking engine around fewer steps and clearer pricing. The old site leaked direct bookings. The new one converts more of the demand the ads create.

Price Parity and Promotions

We managed price parity across every OTA continuously and kept the hotel's own promotional calendar fresh. This protected the direct channel and the margin on each booking.

Results Achieved

In the first month, direct bookings rose 31% and OTA commission fell 20%. Over the following 90 days, direct bookings kept climbing against the prior period. Reliance on OTAs fell from around 90% to roughly 60%.