13. How Much Are You Really Paying the OTAs?

In this episode of the Behind Every Booking podcast, Radka shares a deeply personal and eye-opening story from her early days at the InterContinental Prague—and uses it to highlight one of the biggest challenges in hospitality today: overdependence on OTAs.Radka witnessed what happens when a hotel vanishes from a major booking platform. Two decades later, she’s helping hoteliers avoid the same trap—and protect their profits.You’ll learn:Why OTA commissions often exceed 25%—even when you think you're paying lessHow virtual credit cards and hidden fees quietly eat away at your marginsWhy guests who book via OTAs aren’t your guests—and how to change thatWhat direct booking incentives really work todayThe simple steps every hotelier can take to shift bookings from OTAs to their own website. “Every OTA booking is a missed chance to build a relationship with your guest.”Whether you're new to revenue strategy or looking to finally break free from OTA dependency, this episode is packed with actionable advice.Want to know how much money you’re really losing to OTAs? Comment on the episode and Radka will send you her Rate Plan Profitability Template—free.http://behindeverybooking.com/Free Resource:Radka's Inevitable Hotel Success Community ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://radkatelyckova.com/#free⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Stay connected: instagram ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/radkatelyckova/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠LinkedIN ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/radkatelyckova/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Facebook ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.facebook.com/radkatelyckova.hotelrevenuestrategist⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Youtube ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.youtube.com/@HotelSuccessWithRadka/shorts⁠