In today’s hospitality world, delivering a seamless direct booking experience is essential. While many hotels and short-stay properties have relied heavily on OTAs, the industry is shifting toward models where property owners maintain more control and guests enjoy genuine, commission-free rates. A key piece of this puzzle is selecting the right Property Management System (PMS) or channel manager—one that supports direct bookings through your own website.
But this choice doesn’t just benefit individual properties. It also opens the door for larger platforms—like BRE Alliance—that aim to aggregate these direct deals into a single, consumer-friendly channel. Let’s look at several PMS providers that empower direct bookings, and explore how BRE Alliance could potentially partner with these solutions to broaden its network and deepen its functionality.
1. Cloudbeds
What They Offer: Cloudbeds integrates inventory management, a booking engine, and marketing tools into one comprehensive platform. Known for its user-friendly interface and strong channel management capabilities, Cloudbeds makes it simpler for hotels and short-stay properties to control availability, pricing, and inventory.
Direct Booking Highlights:
- Built-in booking engine for your property’s own website.
- Rate parity tools and access to global metasearch channels.
- Marketing features that help properties encourage guests to book directly.
Potential Partnership Angle:
For BRE Alliance, Cloudbeds’ established ecosystem could be a strategic partnership opportunity. By partnering, BRE could attract properties already benefiting from Cloudbeds’ direct booking tools. Integrations might allow BRE to seamlessly incorporate rates, availability, and room details from Cloudbeds-managed properties, offering them an additional distribution channel without OTA costs.
2. Guesty
What They Offer: Originally focused on short-term rentals, Guesty has evolved into a versatile platform that supports direct bookings through a customizable website builder. It also automates pricing, messaging, and workflows, making it attractive for both small hotels and property managers overseeing multiple units.
Direct Booking Highlights:
- A customizable booking website connected directly to your inventory.
- Pricing automation and guest communication features to enhance the user experience.
- Integrated payment solutions.
Potential Partnership Angle:
A partnership with Guesty would allow BRE Alliance to bring on portfolios of short-stay rentals and boutique hotels that already rely on direct bookings. Through this relationship, properties using Guesty’s website builder could funnel their direct rates into BRE Alliance’s aggregated platform. This would expand BRE’s property base and give Guesty-managed properties a new audience of commission-conscious travelers.
3. SiteMinder
What They Offer: While more of a channel manager and booking engine provider than a traditional PMS, SiteMinder integrates smoothly with various PMS solutions. It emphasizes rate parity and a commission-free booking engine for property websites.
Direct Booking Highlights:
- Commission-free booking engine easily embedded into a hotel’s site.
- Rate intelligence and parity tools.
- Strong network of distribution partnerships.
Potential Partnership Angle:
Partnering with SiteMinder could help BRE Alliance integrate properties that want to maintain their current PMS but need a user-friendly booking engine. Properties using SiteMinder’s booking tools could easily list their commission-free deals on BRE Alliance, extending their reach to travelers who prefer direct channels.
4. Hostaway
What They Offer: Tailored for short-stay rentals, Hostaway combines channel management with a direct booking website builder. It focuses on automation and scalability, catering to property managers who handle multiple units.
Direct Booking Highlights:
- Customizable booking websites for direct reservations.
- Integrations with major vacation rental channels and seamless payment options.
- Automated guest messaging and workflows.
Potential Partnership Angle:
For BRE Alliance, Hostaway represents an opportunity to attract short-term rental managers who have already established direct booking capabilities. By syncing Hostaway’s direct booking websites with BRE’s platform, both small-scale B&Bs and larger rental portfolios gain access to a broader consumer base—one specifically seeking commission-free deals.
5. ThinkReservations
What They Offer: ThinkReservations focuses on inns, lodges, and B&Bs, providing a straightforward PMS with a strong booking engine and personal support. Its emphasis on smaller, independent properties aligns with the direct booking ethos.
Direct Booking Highlights:
- Easy-to-use, real-time booking engine for property websites.
- Integrated payment processing and reporting tools.
- Great customer support to ensure smooth setup and operations.
Potential Partnership Angle:
By partnering with ThinkReservations, BRE Alliance could tap into a community of boutique accommodations that pride themselves on authenticity and personal guest relationships. Connecting these properties’ direct rates to BRE’s platform would amplify their visibility while keeping costs low and marketing efforts concentrated in one place.
What Do These Partnerships Mean for BRE Alliance?
By integrating with or partnering with these PMS and booking engine providers, BRE Alliance could:
- Attract Established Direct-Booking Properties: Hotels and short-stay managers already using these PMS solutions have a head start. They’ve invested in direct booking strategies, making them ideal early adopters of BRE’s commission-free aggregation model.
- Ensure Consistent Data & Availability: PMS integrations ensure that rates, availability, and room descriptions flow seamlessly into BRE Alliance. Guests see accurate, real-time information, while properties avoid double bookings or outdated listings.
- Create a Stronger Value Proposition: For properties, a partnership with BRE Alliance represents one more avenue to showcase their direct deals to a traveler audience consciously seeking commission-free bookings. For travelers, it means a more extensive selection of properties they can trust for genuine pricing.
