1. Describe the problem:
I travel frequently and book hotels. It infuriates me that when booking through aggregators (Booking.com, Agoda, etc.), I overpay by 15-30% of the room's actual cost. These platforms charge hotels huge commissions, and that cost is already baked into the price I see. I am sure that if I booked directly, I would get the same room cheaper or, for the same price, better conditions. But finding the hotel's direct phone number, a working email, or website (especially for small local hotels) is often impossible or requires hours of manual searching.
2. How often does the problem occur?
Every time I plan a trip. This is not a one-off issue but a systemic overpayment that accumulates to hundreds or even thousands of dollars per year for an active traveler.
3. What attempts have you made to solve the problem?
- Manual search: Google, maps, social media. Often the information is outdated, there is no website, or the "direct" website price still redirects to Booking.com.
- Calling through the aggregator: Sometimes it's possible to get contacts through Booking's chat, but this is against their rules, and the hotel manager often refuses to communicate to avoid breaching the contract.
- Specialized services: They are practically non-existent. Existing solutions currently perform poorly or fail entirely at the task of automatic and accurate search specifically for direct booking contacts, bypassing intermediaries (from the online services that I found: getdirecto.com. I haven't found more than half of the hotels I need through them).
4. How much are you willing to pay for the solution?
I am willing to pay $5-10 per successful booking that saves me at least 15%. Or $20-50 for unlimited annual access to a service that provides me with a tool for independent search. The main thing is that the savings must guaranteedly exceed the cost of the service.
5. Problem author:
The author of this problem has indicated that they are ready to provide feedback to the developers and want to receive 1% equity in the startup that will build a ready-made solution. You can contact the author directly via the contacts above.