Direct bookings are “holding steady” for hotels, a recent report from SiteMinder revealed.
The company's annual Hotel Booking Trends report found that, in 2025, revenue share stayed within 1.5 percentage points of the previous year in 95% of surveyed markets. This was despite predictions that artificial intelligence (AI) would either have a positive or negative effect.
“Traveler search patterns are evolving, with AI and OTAs gaining research share, but direct bookings remain stable,” the report reads, citing data from over 130 million bookings across 20 markets and survey responses from 700 hoteliers.
“Hotels that continue to invest in website optimization, metasearch visibility and frictionless booking experiences continue to see deeper guest connections and higher-value bookings. The key is maintaining these fundamentals while staying alert to emerging shifts.”
Hotel websites had the highest value per booking on average ($516), thanks to travelers booking higher-value rooms, longer stays and “extras.”
By comparison, wholesalers generated $445 on average, while global distribution systems (GDSs) generated $392 and OTAs generated $312.
Expedia Group was flagged as the top revenue-driving channel across North America, coming out on top in the U.S., Canada and Mexico for the first time since 2020 and leading for the first time in the U.S. since 2021.
Trip.com saw growth in several markets, and Agoda gained popularity in the Philippines and Taiwan specifically. India’s Goibibo and MakeMyTrip grew in Thailand and Malaysia.
Asia travel demand also grew in 2025, with outbound travel from China and India exceeding pre-pandemic levels for the first time.
“Asia is reshaping global travel, with projections showing the region will account for 3.5 billion middle-class consumers by 2030—nearly two thirds of the global total,” the report reads.
Booking windows, cancellations, ADR, LOS
Additional SiteMinder data revealed that travelers were canceling less frequently, with the average rate down by 19.15%, and booking further out, averaging 32.15 days.
Length of stay in 2025 increased slightly from the year before, with 27% of bookings for two nights or more.
Room rates were up across 14 of the 20 markets that SiteMinder analyzed in the report. The global average daily rate came in at $194, with Austria reporting the highest average increase of $15.
“These findings point to a travel industry that has found a consistent rhythm after years of large-scale shifts,” said James Bishop, SiteMinder’s VP of ecosystem and strategic partnerships.
“Travelers are booking earlier, canceling less and spreading their stays more evenly throughout the year, while hotel rates continue to rise across most markets. For hotels, this creates both stability and opportunity, but only if they have the insights and tools to respond to changing demand patterns as they happen, rather than weeks or months after the fact.”