The abandonment rate throughout the booking process is one of the main obstacles to driving direct sales for hotels. The abandonment rate during the booking process is a major obstacle to direct hotel sales. When a guest doesn’t complete a reservation, the hotel loses revenue and a chance to build guest loyalty.
There are many causes, but some are common: long or confusing booking processes and limited payment flexibility. Most of all, today’s digital traveler compares prices across channels and often postpones the purchase. On top of that, online intermediaries like OTAs and metasearch engines dominate organic and paid visibility. They continue using aggressive pricing tactics even now.
On the other hand, it’s important to highlight that the vast majority of hotel searches are not done in “booking mode.” Instead, they are part of a longer research process that can last days or even weeks. This process often includes multiple websites and channels before a final decision is made.
Capturing the traveler’s attention in the early stages of the process is essential to influence their decision-making journey. Reminding them that prices change, availability is limited, or there’s a special offer becomes key to driving direct bookings.
Price Watch
At 123Compare.me, we’ve developed Price Watch—a tool specially designed for those critical moments in the booking journey. It activates when a traveler shows intent to book but hasn’t yet made a final decision.
How does it do it?
Price Watch integrates with the booking engine and accesses real-time availability and rate data.
The process begins when the traveler searches on the hotel’s website. If they don’t complete the booking, Price Watch intervenes and offers the traveler the option to leave their email address. They can receive alerts about the same stay–dates, rates, and room type–in real time.
Image 1. Contact Pop-Up.
Communication with the guest is done through pop-ups, customized to match the property’s branding. This ensures a consistent experience that’s fully aligned with the hotel’s image.
Image 2. Example of a Personalized Price Watch Alert.
Why Price Watch?
Price Watch allows hotels to recapture users who abandon the booking process, turning initial interest into real conversion opportunities.
With a fully automated solution and no added workload, the hotel lowers abandonment and boosts direct bookings by up to 3%. Each alert is a chance to capture the traveler’s email, generating up to 300 new contacts per year. By keeping guests informed, cancellations drop and occupancy increases during peak demand.
