Work

The OTA Trap To Direct Dominance

How we freed a luxury retreat from commission dependency and built a direct-booking ecosystem that generated $320k in additional revenue while cutting OTA reliance from 80% to 15%.

HospitalityDirect BookingExperience Design
The Situation

The OTA Trap

The Problem

This luxury wellness center was full, but they weren’t profitable. They relied heavily on third-party platforms (Booking.com, Airbnb) to find guests, losing 18-20% of every booking to commissions—approximately $60k/year in pure overhead.

The Friction

Their old website was static and boring; it didn’t convey the “vibe,” forcing users to book on OTA platforms instead. Weekdays (Mon-Thu) sat empty while weekends were full, destroying margin potential.

The Risks

  • Bleeding ~$60k/year in OTA commission fees
  • Weekday occupancy collapse killing profit margins
  • Growth capped by platform algorithms and fees
Our Approach

A “Direct-First” Ecosystem

We built a Digital Experience Platform that made booking direct better than booking via a third party. We turned their website into their #1 salesperson.

Atmospheric Infrastructure

Designed a “Video-First” website using drone footage and ambient soundscapes. Users don’t just read about the peace; they feel it instantly through immersive visuals.

The “Package” Engine

Built a custom booking flow that sells Experiences (3-Day Detox, Yoga Week), not just rooms. OTAs can’t sell complex packages; we engineered a system that could.

Weekday Optimization

Automated email marketing sequences that push “Mid-Week Escape” offers to past guests, filling the empty Monday-Thursday slots with high-margin bookings.

Dynamic Pricing Rules

Integrated smart logic that automatically adjusts pricing based on demand. If Tuesday is empty, the price drops and alerts the email list—filling the room instantly.

Impact

The Wealth Shift

95%

Occupancy Rate

Consistent fullness, even mid-week

$320k

Revenue YoY

Growth driven by packages & direct sales

0%

Commission Fees

On direct bookings (saved ~18%)

85%

Direct Bookings

Shifted away from OTA platforms

“We were paying Booking.com enough to hire two full-time staff members. Alsoma cut the cord. Now, our website brings in the guests, and we keep 100% of the money. We are fully booked months in advance, and the bank account finally reflects the hard work.”

— Director, The Sanctuary Retreat

Strategy

The Alsoma Stack

The Outcome

The reliance on third-party apps collapsed. Direct bookings surged from 20% to 85%. By reclaiming the commission fees and filling weekday slots with package deals, the business saw a $320k Revenue Increase Year-over-Year. The retreat now operates at 95% occupancy year-round, not just on weekends.

What Made This Different

Most agencies would have built a website. We engineered a revenue engine—turning guests from transactional to recurring through experience design and behavioral psychology.

  • Atmospheric Immersion: Heavy video backgrounds that mimic meditative breathing rhythms
  • Retreat Booking Logic: Custom flows that sell outcomes, not rooms
  • Zen Nurture Sequences: CRM automation with calming content for trust-building
  • Smart Pricing: Dynamic rates that adapt to demand and fill dead slots

Your OTAs are drowning your margins.

We build direct-booking ecosystems that reclaim your revenue and create recurring guest relationships. Let’s cut the cord.