OTAs, direct bookings, channel managers, hotel software. It is a lot to work out on your own. We help Indian hoteliers understand how it all fits together, and then choose what actually makes sense for their property.
Pick the one that sounds like you. We will point you to what is worth reading first.
You have rooms to sell but no online presence. Start by understanding what an OTA actually is and which ones suit your property.
Start with the basics →You are on the OTAs and the phone is still not ringing. Usually this is a listing quality, ranking, or rate problem.
Fix your listings →Bookings are coming, but a large slice of every booking leaves as commission. See exactly how exposed you are.
Check your dependency →Updating rates in five extranets every morning, and still getting overbookings. This is what a channel manager solves.
Understand the software →Learn each one for free in our guides, or ask us to handle it for you. Both routes are here, and neither is hidden behind a form.
MakeMyTrip, Goibibo, Booking.com, Agoda, Airbnb. Each one suits a different kind of property and guest. The first decision is not how to list, it is where listing is worth your time.
Every direct booking is a booking with no commission attached. That needs a booking engine on your own site, a Google presence, and rates that do not undercut you elsewhere.
PMS, channel manager, booking engine, RMS, POS. Most small hotels are sold more than they need. We explain what each one does before you spend anything.
ADR, RevPAR, occupancy, rate plans, and the reports that tell you whether a busy month was actually a profitable one.
GST, TDS and TCS on OTA payments, Form C for foreign guests, plus the day-to-day operations that keep reviews high and refunds low.
No signup and no email required. Work out the maths yourself before you commit to a channel, a discount, or a piece of software.
See exactly what reaches your account in ₹ from an OTA booking, after commission, GST, TDS, and TCS.
Most PopularFind out how much of your revenue leaves as commission, and how exposed you are to one channel.
Eye OpenerWork out the occupancy and room rate you need just to cover your monthly running costs.
PlanningSee what a hotel-funded OTA discount really costs you once the settlement lands.
Before You DiscountEverything above is free to learn and free to use. When you would rather not do it yourself, this is where we step in.
Listed and ranking on MakeMyTrip, Goibibo, Booking.com, and Agoda, with photos, content, and rate plans done properly the first time.
Homestays, villas, and service apartments listed on Airbnb, Booking.com, and Agoda with pricing suited to your property type.
A booking engine on your own site so guests can reserve with you directly, with no commission on the booking.
A properly optimised profile so you appear on Google Maps and local search, with free booking links pointing to you.
Fast, mobile-first websites built for Indian hotels, designed to turn visitors into bookings rather than just look good.
Tell us about your property and we will tell you honestly what is worth doing, including when the answer is nothing yet.
No long contracts, and no pressure to buy something you do not need.
Most hotel owners in India did not sign up to become digital marketers. They run a property. But getting that property online now means understanding OTAs, commissions, rate parity, channel managers, and half a dozen software categories that all sound the same.
We started OnlineHotelier to be the person a hotelier can ask. Sometimes that means a guide you read at midnight. Sometimes it means a calculator that settles an argument about discounts. And sometimes it means handing the whole thing to us. All three are the same job: helping you find your way.
For most Indian hotels, MakeMyTrip and Goibibo bring the highest domestic volume, while Booking.com and Agoda matter more for international and metro travellers. The right starting point depends on your location, property type, and guest mix. Compare the options here.
If you are live on more than two OTAs, a channel manager usually pays for itself by preventing overbookings and saving you from updating rates in each extranet separately. Below two channels, manual updates are often still manageable. Read the full explanation.
Indian OTA commissions typically run between 15 and 25 percent of the booking value, before GST, TDS, and TCS adjustments. What actually reaches your account is lower than the headline rate. Calculate your exact payout in ₹.
You need both. OTAs give you visibility and fill rooms you would not otherwise sell. Direct bookings carry no commission and let you own the guest relationship. Most healthy hotels use OTAs for reach while building direct bookings alongside. See how to balance the two.