Booking.com News

As a global leader in online accommodations and travel services, Booking.com continues to shape the digital travel experience through innovation, platform evolution, and strategic partnerships. PhocusWire delivers the latest Booking.com news to keep industry professionals informed on how this travel giant is adapting to shifting market dynamics and consumer expectations.

Key Booking.com updates, partnerships, and market trends

Follow developments in Booking.com’s core technology, loyalty strategies, and supplier relationships, along with its expansion into flights, experiences, and payments. Our reporting covers how the brand is responding to competitive pressures, regulatory environments, and the increasing demand for seamless, personalized travel.

STARTUP STAGE: Gomingo wants to bring down commission rates for accommodation providers
Interview / Distribution
STARTUP STAGE: Gomingo wants to bring down commission rates for accommodation providers
By Linda Fox | April 11, 2019
Gomingo aims to bring down commission rates for hotels and other accommodation providers by offering 0% commission to hotels that sign up initially with a promise that they will only reach a maximum of... Read More
Booking.com speaks out on its private accommodation ambitions
News / Online
Booking.com speaks out on its private accommodation ambitions
By Jill Menze | April 9, 2019
Amid its ongoing rivalry with Airbnb, Booking.com explains how it hopes to differentiate its alternative accommodations product. Read More
Middle East series part 1 overview
News / Online
Middle East, part 1: How a young, digital-savvy population is impacting travel
By Mitra Sorrells | April 8, 2019
In part one in our series on the Middle East, we look at how the region's young and connected consumers are changing the travel landscape. Read More
booking-a-b-testing
News / Online
When right goes wrong for travelers in A/B website testing
By Linda Fox | March 29, 2019
A/B testing has become a big part of what online travel agencies do to introduce new functionality and improve the user experience. But it has its problems. Read More
Google hotel search vacation rentals
News / Distribution
Google pushes further into private accommodations, rolls out vacation rentals search worldwide
By Mitra Sorrells | March 26, 2019
Google is adding vacation rental listings from the likes of Expedia Group and TripAdvisor to its Hotel Search platform. Read More
Rate parity issues continue to challenge hotels in key markets
News / Distribution
Rate parity issues continue to challenge hotels in key markets
By Linda Fox | March 25, 2019
OTA Insight's Annual Hotel Parity Review shows independent hotels and local chains are more likely to suffer losses from rate parity issues. Read More
Accommodation providers want brand "hijacking" on Google to be made illegal
News / Online
Accommodation providers want brand "hijacking" on Google to be made illegal
By Linda Fox | March 19, 2019
The Bed and Breakfast Association is supporting a petition to make bidding by OTAs on a B&B or hotel’s name on search engines illegal. Read More
Online travel agency giants spent $10.6B on marketing in 2018 (but look closer)
News / Online
Online travel agency giants spent $10.6B on marketing in 2018 (but look closer)
By Kevin May | March 14, 2019
The $10 billion-plus level of combined marketing between the pair masks a dramatic slowing down of activity compared to previous annual increases. Read More
My Method Booking brand marketing
News / Online
My Method... Booking.com's marketing director on its new brand advertising strategy
By Mitra Sorrells | March 14, 2019
Booking.com's U.S. regional marketing director breaks down the thinking behind the OTA's new brand advertising campaign. Read More
Airbnb-HotelTonight - a deal at the right time for both
News / Online
Airbnb-HotelTonight - a deal at the right time for both
By Kevin May | March 11, 2019
Three experts covering the accommodation sector share their reaction to the deal by Airbnb to buy online travel agency HotelTonight. Read More
Booking.com pivots BookingSuite into a hotel tech app store
News / Technology
Booking.com pivots BookingSuite into a hotel tech app store
By Kevin May | March 6, 2019
The BookingSuite App Store is a collection of currently 45 different services provided by software companies in the industry that cover a range of tools to help hoteliers with their day-to-day... Read More
Booking Holdings breaks down private accommodation revenues for first time, now at 20% of total
News / Distribution
Booking Holdings breaks down private accommodation revenues for first time, now at 20% of total
By Mitra Sorrells | February 27, 2019
As part of its fourth quarter and full-year 2018 financial report, Booking Holdings is disclosing details on Booking.com's alternative accommodations business, which now accounts for 20% of the... Read More
booking be a booker
News / Online
Booking.com highlights its breadth of accommodations in new U.S. ad campaign
By Mitra Sorrells | February 26, 2019
Booking.com is launching a new brand marketing campaign that encourages U.S. consumers to stop dreaming and start booking. Read More
Distributed ledger technology can bring rate parity to hotel distribution
Opinion / Technology
Distributed ledger technology can bring rate parity to hotel distribution
By Nadim El Manawy - Arise Travel | February 15, 2019
We ask if distribution technology in use today has been designed with goals that are out of alignment with hotelier’s best interests Read More
hilton-q4-2018-direct-channels
News / Distribution
Hilton maintains focus on direct relationships as growth outstrips agency channel
By Linda Fox | February 14, 2019
Hilton boosted its loyalty program by 14 million members in 2018 and continues to focus on direct relationships. Read More
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