Comparison of Booking.com offers and direct booking offers in selected Prague hotels

Bc. Kristína Jančeková

Bachelor's thesis

Anotácia:

JANČEKOVÁ, Kristína. Comparison of Booking.com offers and direct booking offers in selected Prague hotels. [Bachelor thesis] University College Prague – College of International Relations and Institute of Hospitality Management and Economics, Ltd. Prague: 2025. 82 pages. This Bachelor thesis aims to compare the competitiveness of Booking.com and direct booking offers in 120 randomly selected hotels in Prague, divided into 40 hotels in the 3-star category, 40 in the 4-star category, and 40 in the 5-star category. Second, it aims to assess the booking behavior of leisure travelers and identify key factors that influence their decision to book directly. Given the popularity of Booking.com, particularly among leisure travelers, the thesis focuses on this segment and on the capital of the Czech Republic, Prague, an attractive leisure destination. The thesis is divided into three main parts: theoretical, analytical, and outputs and findings. The theoretical part introduces hotel distribution-related issues and provides insights into the current discussion on hotel distribution. To achieve thesis aims, two research questions were defined: 1. What prices and incentives do Prague hotels currently offer to motivate leisure travelers to book directly instead of through Booking.com? and 2. What factors can convince leisure travelers to book directly on a hotel’s website instead of through Booking.com based on their hotel booking behavior? The analytical part follows a mixed-methods approach and is divided into three stages, each employing a different research method and offering unique findings from different perspectives. A survey addresses the second research question, while desk research compares prices and incentives to answer the first. The research is further enriched by an interview with the Sales Director of a well-established hotel chain operating a diverse portfolio of three- to five-star hotels in Prague, providing practical insights into the relationship between hotels and OTAs, especially Booking.com. The outputs and findings offer hoteliers ideas for direct booking incentives and ways to distinguish their direct offers from those on Booking.com, as well as recommendations for travelers on where to book hotel in Prague.

Abstract:

JANČEKOVÁ, Kristína. Comparison of Booking.com offers and direct booking offers in selected Prague hotels. [Bachelor thesis] University College Prague – College of International Relations and Institute of Hospitality Management and Economics, Ltd. Prague: 2025. 82 pages. This Bachelor thesis aims to compare the competitiveness of Booking.com and direct booking offers in 120 randomly selected hotels in Prague, divided into 40 hotels in the 3-star category, 40 in the 4-star category, and 40 in the 5-star category. Second, it aims to assess the booking behavior of leisure travelers and identify key factors that influence their decision to book directly. Given the popularity of Booking.com, particularly among leisure travelers, the thesis focuses on this segment and on the capital of the Czech Republic, Prague, an attractive leisure destination. The thesis is divided into three main parts: theoretical, analytical, and outputs and findings. The theoretical part introduces hotel distribution-related issues and provides insights into the current discussion on hotel distribution. To achieve thesis aims, two research questions were defined: 1. What prices and incentives do Prague hotels currently offer to motivate leisure travelers to book directly instead of through Booking.com? and 2. What factors can convince leisure travelers to book directly on a hotel’s website instead of through Booking.com based on their hotel booking behavior? The analytical part follows a mixed-methods approach and is divided into three stages, each employing a different research method and offering unique findings from different perspectives. A survey addresses the second research question, while desk research compares prices and incentives to answer the first. The research is further enriched by an interview with the Sales Director of a well-established hotel chain operating a diverse portfolio of three- to five-star hotels in Prague, providing practical insights into the relationship between hotels and OTAs, especially Booking.com. The outputs and findings offer hoteliers ideas for direct booking incentives and ways to distinguish their direct offers from those on Booking.com, as well as recommendations for travelers on where to book hotel in Prague.

Keywords

Booking.com, direct booking incentives, booking behavior, hotel distribution channels, online travel agency, Prague

Jazyk práce: English

Datum vytvoření / odevzdání či podání práce: 24. 4. 2025

Obhajoba závěrečné práce

• Obhajoba proběhla 3. 6. 2025
• Vedúci: Ing. Darina Svobodová
• Oponent: Mgr. Dana Kolářová, Ph.D.

University College Prague – University of International Relations and Institute of Hospitality Management and Economics, Ltd.

Bachelor programme / odbor:
Hospitality Management, Tourism and Marketing / Hospitality Management