3 Major Hotels Offering Discounts for Direct Bookings

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Hyatt is the latest hotel chain to start offering exclusive discounts to guests who book reservations directly rather than going through a third party.

Such discounts are part of a growing effort by hotels to lure guests away from third-party travel booking websites such as Expedia and Priceline, the Associated Press reports. While those websites help hotels bring in guests, they also charge hotels commissions of at least 15 percent.

Hotels that can bring in guests on their own can keep that commission for themselves, creating an incentive for hotels to offer deals to guests who book directly.

Hyatt’s senior vice president for global digital, Ellen Lee, explains in a news release issued Monday:

“We want to build strong, long-term relationships with our guests and drive deeper engagement, so we are rewarding Hyatt Gold Passport members with an exclusive discount only available when you book with us.”

Hyatt is one of three hotels to announce special discounts for direct reservations in recent months.

Hyatt Hotels Corp.

As of Monday, Hyatt offers an exclusive discount of up to 10 percent — called the Hyatt Gold Passport member discount — for guests who are members of the hotel’s loyalty program and who book on Hyatt.com or on Hyatt’s mobile app.

These travelers can also benefit from the company’s best rate guarantee: “If a guest finds a qualifying lower rate published on another site within 24 hours of booking, Hyatt will match it and discount it by 20 percent for the entire stay.”

Hyatt Gold Passport membership is free. For more info, visit hyattgoldpassport.com.

Marriott International Inc.

On April 11, Marriott introduced a new exclusive discount — called Marriott Rewards Member Rates — for loyalty program members who book on Marriott.com, on Marriott’s mobile app, through call centers or through select corporate travel professionals.

All Marriott guests can also benefit from the company’s best rate guarantee: “If a guest finds a better rate within 24 hours of booking direct, Marriott matches and provides an additional 25 percent discount.”

Marriott Rewards accounts are free. For more info, visit MarriottRewards.com.

Hilton Worldwide

In February, Hilton announced an exclusive discount for loyalty program members who book directly on Hilton brand websites, on Hilton’s mobile app, through call centers, or through preferred corporate travel partners and approved travel agents.

Hilton’s loyalty program, Hilton HHonors, is free to join. For more info, visit HHonors.com.

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