Carly Spicer

Most hotel marketing budgets are structured to subsidise OTA growth without realising it. This piece explores how channel architecture, not channel choice, determines direct booking margin in 2026 — and the four points where most hospitality brands quietly leak revenue.

In 2026, hotel marketing budgets can no longer be reactive or siloed. This guide explores how hospitality brands should allocate spend across SEO, paid media, social, email and direct booking strategy to reduce OTA dependency and increase long-term revenue.

In hospitality, marketing cannot exist in silos. This editorial explores how SEO, paid media, social, email and brand design must work together to increase visibility, strengthen positioning and drive meaningful bookings for hotels and luxury hospitality brands.