The smartest hotels do not treat this as a binary choice. They use OTAs strategically while steadily strengthening the direct channel that protects margin, brand experience, and guest ownership.
OTAs can support reach and discovery. Direct booking protects margin, relationship ownership, and repeat revenue. The best model knows what each channel is for.
Hotels often over-rotate into one side of the debate. The stronger model uses both channels intentionally while improving the economics of the overall booking mix.
