Stop Losing 15-25% of Every Booking to OTA Commissions
Frontdesko's embeddable booking engine turns your hotel website into a direct booking machine. Convert visitors into guests without paying Booking.com or Expedia a single dollar in commissions. Embed in 10 minutes, start accepting direct bookings today.
Trusted by hotels worldwide
The Direct Booking Problem Hotels Face Today
OTAs control your revenue, your guest relationships, and your margins
15-25% OTA Commissions
Every booking through Booking.com, Expedia, or other OTAs costs you 15-25% in commissions. On a $150/night room, you lose $22-$37 per night to intermediaries. Over a year, that adds up to tens of thousands of dollars leaving your business.
No Direct Booking Capability
Your hotel website attracts visitors, but without a booking engine, they leave to book on OTAs -- where you pay commissions. Every visitor who cannot book directly on your site is a lost opportunity and a guaranteed commission payment.
Losing Guests to OTAs
OTAs own the guest relationship. They control the email, the reviews, and the remarketing. When guests book through OTAs, you lose the ability to build loyalty, send personalized offers, and drive repeat direct bookings.
See How Much You Save with Direct Bookings
OTA Bookings
commission on every booking
- • $150/night room = $22-$37 lost per night
- • $18,000-$30,000/year for 100 bookings/month
- • OTA owns the guest data
- • No direct guest relationship
- • Rate parity restrictions
Frontdesko Direct Bookings
free for up to 5 rooms
- • Free PMS for up to 5 rooms
- • From $42/month for 10-30 rooms
- • You own all guest data
- • Build direct relationships
- • Set your own rates freely
A Booking Engine Built to Maximize Direct Revenue
Every feature designed to convert website visitors into direct guests
Embeddable Widget
Add the booking engine to your website with a single line of code. Works with WordPress, Wix, Squarespace, and any custom site. No developer needed -- just copy, paste, and start accepting bookings in minutes.
Mobile-Responsive Design
Over 60% of hotel bookings start on mobile. The widget adapts flawlessly to any screen size with touch-friendly date pickers, streamlined checkout, and fast-loading pages that minimize abandonment on every device.
Real-Time Availability
Room availability syncs instantly with your PMS. Guests always see accurate inventory, preventing overbookings and double-bookings. When a room is booked on any channel, availability updates across all platforms immediately.
Secure Payment Processing
PCI-compliant payment gateway processes credit cards securely. Support for major cards, digital wallets, and bank transfers. Guests book with confidence knowing their payment data is encrypted and protected.
Rate Comparison Display
Show guests that booking directly offers the best rate. A built-in price comparison widget displays your direct rate alongside OTA prices, giving visitors a compelling reason to complete the booking on your site instead.
Promo Codes & Special Offers
Create discount codes for returning guests, seasonal promotions, and exclusive direct-booking perks. Drive direct bookings with incentives that reward guests for skipping the OTA and booking with you directly.
Why Hotels Are Shifting to Direct Bookings
Own your guest relationships and keep more of every dollar earned
The Cost of OTA Dependence
A 30-room hotel paying 20% OTA commissions on $200,000 annual revenue loses $40,000 per year to intermediaries who add no value to the guest stay.
OTAs keep guest emails and control remarketing. Your repeat guests still book through the OTA, and you pay commission every single time.
OTAs often require rate parity, preventing you from offering better direct prices. A booking engine with rate comparison gives guests a reason to book direct anyway.
The Direct Booking Advantage
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Keep 100% of revenue
Zero commissions on direct bookings. Every dollar goes to your hotel.
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Own your guest data
Capture emails, preferences, and stay history for personalized marketing and loyalty.
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Offer exclusive direct perks
Promo codes, early check-in, room upgrades -- incentives only direct guests receive.
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Multi-language for global reach
Serve international guests in their preferred language and currency without friction.
Frequently Asked Questions
Everything you need to know about Frontdesko's booking engine
What is a hotel booking engine?
A hotel booking engine is a software widget embedded on your website that lets guests check room availability, view rates, and complete reservations directly -- without going through OTAs. Frontdesko's booking engine is free to start and takes under 10 minutes to embed on any website.
How does a booking engine reduce OTA commissions?
OTAs charge 15-25% per booking. A booking engine on your website lets guests book directly at zero commission. Shifting just 30% of OTA bookings to direct saves a typical hotel $5,000-$15,000 per year. The built-in rate comparison widget shows guests your direct rate is the best deal.
How do I embed the booking engine on my website?
After creating your free account and configuring rooms and rates, you receive a single line of embed code. Paste it into your website -- works with WordPress, Wix, Squarespace, and custom sites. No developer or technical expertise required.
How much does Frontdesko's booking engine cost?
The booking engine is included with paid plans. The free tier covers up to 5 rooms (PMS only). From $42/month for 10-30 rooms, you get PMS + Channel Manager + Booking Engine. No setup fees, no contracts.
Is the booking engine mobile-friendly?
Yes. The widget is fully responsive across smartphones, tablets, and desktops. With 60%+ of hotel searches happening on mobile, the booking engine features touch-friendly controls and streamlined checkout that minimizes abandonment.
Does it support multiple languages and currencies?
Yes. The booking engine auto-detects the guest's browser language and displays content accordingly. You can configure multiple languages and currencies to serve international guests, removing barriers that cause booking abandonment.
Ready to Take Back Your Revenue from OTAs?
Join hotels worldwide using Frontdesko's booking engine to drive direct bookings and eliminate OTA commissions. Embed in 10 minutes, start saving today.
Related Features & Guides
Explore more tools to maximize your hotel's revenue
Channel Manager
Distribute your rooms across 50+ OTAs from a single dashboard. Real-time sync prevents overbookings while maximizing your reach.
Learn More →Revenue Management
Optimize your pricing with dynamic rate management. Automatically adjust rates based on demand, seasonality, and occupancy.
Learn More →Increase Direct Bookings Guide
Proven strategies to shift bookings from OTAs to your direct channels and keep more revenue.
Learn More →