The methods used by the larger hotel-booking portals provide displeasure with consumers and Hoteliers. According to a study by the centre for European economic research (ZEW) Hotels in lower positions in the search results when you specify, for example, on the Website lower prices. “Not every positioning and recommendation in the case of large booking portals like Booking.com and Expedia is therefore in the interest of the users”, – stated in the study.
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Similarly, the consumer protectors: “in the end, Hoteliers are forced to make the best offer on the pages of the booking portals,” explained Felix Methmann, tourism expert at the verbraucherzentrale Bundesverband. “As a result, there is no fair competition, and that is not good for consumers. Only at the appropriate competitive prices come about for the customer.”
The hotel industry and the study in their critique confirmed. The chief Executive of the industry Association, IHA, Markus Luthe, complained that the rankings of the booking portals to be “non-transparent and legally questionable to say the least. In the common interest of the Hoteliers and the user we need here is urgent need for more clarity, transparency and reliability.”
Often a better price with the Hotel directly,
study to suggest that Luthes assessment that the portals, the Ranking is so optimized, that they achieved a maximum profit, but not to the consumer that for him actually, the best search result is displayed. “The guest should be clearly pointed out, if the Hotel placement other criteria as the Star rating, the guest rating, the room price or the distance is subjected to a desired destination,” called Luthe.
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according to The study, rankings of the items have a decisive influence on which Hotels are posted on Internet portals and what not. The scientists evaluated search results on Booking.com and Expedia and meta-search site Kayak in the period between July 2016 and January 2017 for 250 cities in different countries. They compared the prices of the rooms offers more than 18,000 Hotels. They also found out that every fourth offer on the hotel’s website was cheaper than a booking portal.
“It would be desirable if booking portals would provide consumers with better information about how they calculate your “Recommended”, or “Our Top tips” referred to rank lists”, called ZEW researchers and Co-author of the study, Reinhold Kesler. “Consumers could then decide to what extent you want the recommendations to actually follow.”
Inscrutable algorithm
It is not the first Time that the hotel portals are under attack. Already in 2016, had found out the research centre, “Correctiv”, Hotels in the leaderboard in HRS and Hotel.de up can buy. “I can buy myself from the midfield to the top,” says a Hotelier, the “WDR” . By the “high booster” would not have passed the Hotel on place 31, but ends up right in the front. The Problem: For consumers, the tactic is not apparent.
Commission for better placement As HRS and co. the Hotel Rankings to manipulate
Expedia said on request, the Hotels, the sections on the Websites of the best, were those who fulfilled the expectations of the customer, for example, with respect to the positive reviews and the prices. Such Hotels would be booked most likely and came in the sort order. In addition, customers could sort it with the settings of the search results according to your Wishes, for example by price, number of stars, or audited reviews.
Similar to Booking.com commented: are The Rankings based on an automated algorithm that is constructed from customer feedback. Accommodations were booked, showed that they were well received by customers. “Customers tend not to book accommodation with higher prices”.
According to data provided by the German hotel Association (IHA) has grown, the market share of the booking portals in the past few years. Every fourth overnight stay in the hotel in Germany (25.2 per cent) was reserved most recent Figures indicate that in 2016 via online portals. It Booking.com the HRS Group, and Expedia dominated. Traditional Booking channels such as telephone or Fax be lost, however, important.
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tib/DPA
