Hotel Group Direct Booking Website in Miami: Cost Versus OTA Commissions

The verdict in three sentences

A 5-hotel group that leaves 15 to 22% commission to OTAs quietly funds the equivalent of several websites every year. A multi-property website in three languages with an integrated booking engine costs USD 60,000 to 150,000, plus USD 150 to 400 per hotel per month for the engine subscription. Moving direct bookings from 12% to 30% is worth about USD 400,000 in commissions saved per year, provided the website is run as a sales channel and not as a brochure.

What your distribution channels really cost

The headline commission is only part of the cost. Visibility programs (Preferred, Genius, Expedia Accelerator) add 3 to 5 points, and wholesalers work on discounted net rates. The direct website has a cost too, but it remains three to four times lower.

Check your contracts: even when rate parity applies, perks reserved for direct guests (free breakfast, upgrade, late checkout, parking) remain an effective lever.

The budget for a multi-property website in 2026

The website must present the group and each hotel with rooms, offers and reviews, in English, Spanish and Portuguese for Latin American travellers. The booking engine (D-Edge, SiteMinder, Cloudbeds, SynXis) must be visually integrated into the site, connected to the channel manager and to card payments through Stripe or Adyen, with Apple Pay and Google Pay.

Also plan 1 to 2% of room revenue for direct marketing (brand search ads, Hotel Ads, email): without that budget, the site stays invisible against OTAs bidding on your own name.

The path from 12% to 30% direct bookings

The gain does not arrive in one season. Groups that succeed combine a fast mobile engine (booking in under 3 minutes), a best-rate guarantee, a simple loyalty program and reactivation of past guests.

Base calculation: USD 17 million room revenue, 18 points of share moved from OTAs to direct, 18% average commission avoided, minus 5% direct acquisition cost.

Mini case study

Daniel, chief commercial officer of a group of 5 boutique hotels in Miami Beach, Fort Lauderdale and Key West (USD 17 million room revenue), launches a USD 110,000 project with an engine at USD 300 per hotel per month, i.e. USD 18,000 a year. Each point of share won back from OTAs is worth USD 170,000 of bookings and about USD 22,000 of net savings (18% commission avoided minus 5% direct cost).

At 20% direct share by the end of year one, savings reach about USD 180,000, which covers the project and the subscription within the first 12 months. At 30% in year 3, the group keeps USD 400,000 a year.

FAQ

One website per hotel or one group website?

A group website with a complete section per hotel is almost always more profitable: one CMS, one maintenance contract, and an engine that suggests the sister property when the first is sold out. Expect 20 to 30% savings versus 5 separate sites.

Can we show lower rates than Booking?

It depends on your contracts. When parity applies, member perks and packages (room plus dinner, airport transfer) add 5 to 10% of extra value without breaking the displayed rate.

Which booking engine should we choose?

For a 5-hotel group, what matters is compatibility with your PMS and channel manager, multi-currency payment and a fast mobile funnel. Subscriptions range from USD 150 to 400 per hotel per month depending on modules.

How long does the launch take?

Allow 4 to 6 months, including 6 to 8 weeks for photo and video production and translations. Launching before October captures bookings for the Florida high season.

Is the Spanish version essential?

For Latin American and Hispanic US travellers, it clearly improves conversion. It adds USD 2,500 to 7,000 per language with localized offers.

Let's scope your project. Tell us your number of hotels, your direct booking share and your current engine, and we will price the website, the integration and the commission savings path. Detailed quote within 48 h. WhatsApp +221 77 596 93 33.