How your channel manager can increase revenue by up to 40%

Does your distribution strategy feel a bit like juggling tennis balls? This month’s blog is designed to help you get the most from your channel management.

Hotels aim to drive as much direct booking as possible – but need to work closely with their channel managers to maximise online visibility and bookings from OTAs. Your channel manager is therefore vital to your success.

One of our customers, Lyzzick Hall, demonstrated this succinctly in a case study, explaining how while their traditional customer base was more likely to be made up of older, repeat guests, they became able to attract a far more diverse customer base, and easily fill gaps, with the online visibility gained from the combination of Rezcontrol and SiteMinder.

Maximising opportunities via strategic channel management also gives hotels valuable time back to focus on your guests – as you won’t have to manually manage your channels – often saving resources to reinvest in your property, while generating more revenue through increased bookings.

Get results through better channel management strategy

A fully integrated channel manager, such as SiteMinder, also enables you to reap the benefits of fully automating rate and revenue management with distribution, while also maximising direct bookings via your booking engine – for more on the Rezcontrol booking engine, click here.

Having the right distribution strategy:

• Makes sure you are seen where you need to be, whether it’s Booking.com, Expedia, AirBnB – or on a more localised channel. Your bookings will surge with connections to over 450 distribution channels, including on the GDS.
• Puts everything in one place, saving time and effort with a single place to manage your distribution, reservations and payments.
• Says goodbye to double bookings, as with instant updates between SiteMinder, your distribution channels and PMS, your available inventory will always be up to date.
• Provides pricing channel insights – as you can leverage powerful insights to ensure your rooms are priced competitively and showcased on your best performing channels.

Dynamic updates to OTA listings

Channel management software applies a much more dynamic approach to updating distribution channels than you can ever do manually, connecting to your OTA listings and third-party platforms. Using this real-time connection, your channel manager keeps track of your property listings, tracks your reservations from one central location and updates your property’s availability across all platforms for you as online bookings are confirmed.

Many channel managers also track trends, which enables you to base distribution decisions on the most useful channels for your hotel.

Track trends to inform your distribution strategy

Specifically, SiteMinder’s channel manager goes beyond simple distribution by tracking market trends in real time. This gives you clear insights into the most valuable channels for your property, based on your location, seasonality, local events, and visitor patterns, while also helping you understand how best to reach your target market.

For example, a recent “Cultivating Luxury” market trends report by PoB Hotels suggests that the UK’s domestic travel scene is set to be dominated by gastronomy-inspired getaways, noting an uptick in travel plans among affluent individuals, with over half aiming for “three or more” leisurely escapes within the UK, a significant leap from the previous year.

These guests are keen to ‘make memories’, take sustainability into account, seek out health and wellbeing destinations, and/or combine business and leisure travel – all considerations for the smart hotelier to include when planning their channel management strategy.

Additionally, a notable 27% of this demographic is looking forward to extended stays of “three or more nights” on their UK adventures, indicating a deeper exploration of local charms​​. If your hotel fits this particular bill, then armed with this knowledge, you are better able to target this demographic with relevant offers to encourage them to extend their stay.

“57% of travellers are travelling more; 70% might use social media for travel planning, and 50% are warming to the idea of AI-generated recommendations” – Changing Traveller Report 2025 

57% of travellers are travelling more; 91% will travel at least the same amount; 70% might use social media for travel planning, and 50% are warming to the idea of AI-generated recommendations. This is all vital information from SiteMinder’s ‘Changing Traveller’ report for hoteliers when planning their distribution strategy, which also shows that Germany is a key source of visitors to the UK.

Moreover, travellers are increasingly characterised by the time they spend online, which has now exceeded six-and-a-half hours a day globally – with obvious connotations for hotels when considering their guests’ methods of travel planning. 

SiteMinder’s latest top 5 tips for better channel management

The obvious benefits of a channel manager are of course to save time and reduce error by automating rates across channels. But there are so many other ways in which you can optimise your distribution strategy for higher returns. With so much to take into account, we spoke with Dan Freeman, Global Strategy Manager with SiteMinder, our key strategic distribution API partner, to uncover their latest hints and tips to ensure you get the most from your distribution strategy.

Access your inventory in real time

• Why it matters: Manual updates are the silent killer of time and accuracy in hotel operations. Automating rate and availability updates across all channels not only prevents overbookings – it frees your team to focus on what really matters: the guest experience.
• What the expert says: “The concept of automating availability across all your channels can cause consternation among hoteliers,” said Dan. “Some worry they’ll lose control, or find too many bookings being sold via the most expensive channels. However, the process is incredibly flexible and sophisticated now, so you can set parameters to close off specific channels for defined periods to maximise direct booking potential and avoid over-booking.”

Match your mix to to your market – use segmentation for conversion

• Why it matters: Different traveller types book through different channels. Younger guests, especially, are most likely to use OTAs, while others may choose specific routes reflecting their own interests or the type of holiday they are looking for – see SiteMinder’s article on distribution best practice.
• What the expert says: “Understanding who your guests are, and how they book, is foundational,” said Dan. “Younger travellers are almost entirely OTA-driven, while others prefer direct or niche channels. So, matching your mix to your market is where strategy becomes conversion.”

Reach your guests where they are – diversify across global and niche channels

• Why it matters: In today’s fast-changing and volatile times, with the UK hospitality sector contracting overall, it is even more important to spread your risk and capture demand across both regions and traveller types – for more detail, see more from the article on distribution best practice.
• What the expert says: “Hotels that depend on one or two OTAs are exposed to risk,” said Dan. “By diversifying into regional and niche platforms, you’re not just chasing bookings – you’re building resilience and reaching guests where they already are.”

Integrate with your PMS for pricing and rate management intelligence

• Why it matters: Integrating your channel manager with your PMS provides the best of all worlds, maximising the impact of dynamic pricing; streamlining workflows, and ensuring up-to-date availability – see SiteMinder’s advice on hotel inventory management.
• What the expert says: “True channel management isn’t just about distribution, it’s about integration,” said Dan. “When your systems talk to each other, you can respond to demand in real time and price with confidence, not guesswork.”

Monitor channel performance regularly

• Why it matters: Proper monitoring will let you see which OTAs are performing best, so you can adapt and optimise your strategy for best results. See some handy advice on how to best monitor your OTAs.
• What the expert says: “Not all channels are created equal,” concluded Dan. “By reviewing performance data consistently, hoteliers can double down on what works, cut what doesn’t, and uncover opportunities they didn’t even know existed.”

Not a customer? Call us on +44 (0)330 223 1456 or email sales@rezcontrol.com – you can also book a demo or contact us via the website.