Hospitality Brands Strengthen Bookings Using HubSpot Consulting Agency Strategy

Your booking system is losing money to third-party platforms. Fast.

Every reservation through booking sites costs you 15-25% in commission. That’s real profit disappearing. And it gets worse. You’re completely stuck on these platforms. When they change fees, you just pay. You have no direct contact with guests. No way to bring them back without paying again.

Your marketing is all over the place too. Random emails. Occasional social posts. Static website. Nothing connects. You can’t measure what works.

Other hospitality brands are doing something different. They’re getting direct bookings that skip commission fees. They’re building guest relationships that generate repeat visits. They’re using smart marketing that actually converts.

Their secret? They work with HubSpot consulting agencies that understand both the technology and hospitality.

The gap between venues mastering direct bookings and those paying endless commissions grows bigger every month. Which side will you be on?

Why Hospitality Needs Specialist Help

Getting bookings is easy. Getting profitable bookings is hard. There’s a big difference.

Commissions destroy profits.
When you pay 20% per booking, you need high occupancy rates. Most venues can’t sustain that. The platforms know this. You’re trapped.

Your brand suffers.
You focus on platform rankings. Your own brand becomes secondary. Guests remember Booking.com, not you. That’s bad long-term.

You don’t own guest data.
The platforms control your customer relationships. You can’t market directly. You can’t build loyalty. You can’t personalise. Every booking starts from scratch.

Price competition hurts.
When you’re just another listing, price matters most. You compete on cost, not experience. Margins shrink.

No-shows cost more.
Platform bookings often have higher no-show rates. You paid commission on bookings that never happen. The platform keeps their cut anyway.

Common problems include:

• Too dependent on booking sites
• No direct booking plan
• Marketing scattered everywhere
• Can’t track what works
• Can’t bring past guests back
• Generic messages that don’t convert
• Stuck paying commissions forever

Regular marketing agencies don’t understand these problems. You need specialists who’ve helped hospitality shift from platform dependence to direct bookings.

What A HubSpot Consulting Agency Does

Not all help is equal. Understanding what a proper agency delivers matters a lot.

Strategy first.
Agencies start with strategy, not tactics. What’s your booking goal? Who’s your ideal guest? What makes you different? How should marketing work? Strategy drives everything.

Full implementation.
You don’t just get advice. You get complete work done. Website fixes, email campaigns, automation, social media, analytics. Everything done professionally.

Hospitality expertise.
Regular agencies don’t understand your world. Specialist agencies know booking patterns, seasons, competition, and what actually drives direct bookings.

Team of experts.
You don’t get one person. You get a team. Strategy people, designers, writers, tech specialists, data analysts. Different experts handle different parts.

Ongoing management.
Implementation is just the start. Agencies provide continuous campaign management, analysis, and improvement. Your marketing evolves based on results.

Results focus.
Agencies are measured on outcomes, not activity. They focus on increasing direct bookings and reducing platform dependency.

At Smartmates, we work as a HubSpot consulting agency for Australian hospitality brands. We’re not just tech people. We’re growth partners focused on getting you profitable direct bookings.

The difference between DIY and working with an agency is huge. You’ve got the same tools. But the expertise and results? Completely different.

Strategies That Drive Direct Bookings

Let’s get specific. What actually increases direct bookings?

• Website improvements make your site convert better. Clear messages. Great photos. Trust signals like reviews. Simple booking process. Mobile-friendly. Every part designed to convert visitors into bookers.
• Email campaigns nurture past guests and prospects. Welcome emails for new subscribers. Campaigns to bring past guests back. Seasonal deals. Last-minute offers. Personalised messages. All automated and tracked.
• Retargeting ads bring back people who didn’t book. Someone visits your site but leaves. Ads follow them around reminding them to book direct. These recover 10-20% of lost bookings.
• Review generation builds trust. Automated emails after stays request reviews on Google and TripAdvisor. More reviews improve rankings and trust, driving more direct traffic.
• Loyalty programs reward direct bookers. Points for direct bookings. Special perks for repeat guests. Exclusive offers. All tracked automatically.
• SEO and content attract free traffic. Location content. Experience guides. Local attraction info. All optimised to rank when prospects search.

How Smartmates Works With You

Understanding how an agency actually works helps set expectations.

Phase One: Strategy (2-3 weeks)

We understand your business completely. Current bookings, profitability by channel, competition, target markets, seasons, existing marketing. Deep analysis reveals opportunities.

We develop complete strategy. Direct booking goals. Target audiences. Messages. Channel plan. Campaign calendar. Everything documented.

Phase Two: Build Foundation (4-6 weeks)

We build your marketing infrastructure. Website optimisation. HubSpot setup with tracking. Email templates. Workflow automation. Integration with booking systems. Analytics.

This foundation enables everything after. Rushing causes problems later.

Phase Three: Launch Campaigns (2-4 weeks)

With infrastructure ready, we launch campaigns. Past guest emails. Prospect nurture. Retargeting ads. Social content. Blog posts. Review workflows.

We don’t launch everything at once. We phase strategically, learning from early results.

Phase Four: Ongoing Management (Continuous)

This is where real value builds. We manage campaigns actively. Monitor daily. Optimise weekly. Test constantly. Report monthly. Adjust quarterly.

Your marketing becomes a system that improves continuously.

Phase Five: Scale Success (When Ready)

When campaigns work, we scale them. Increase budgets on winners. Expand to new audiences. Launch additional locations. Your direct booking engine grows.

You’re not just getting work done. You’re getting partnership focused on your profit.

Common Mistakes To Avoid

Hospitality brands make predictable mistakes that waste money. Learning from others is cheaper.

Mistake one: No strategy.
You do random marketing hoping something works. Without strategy, you’re burning money. Clear goals and plans are essential.

Mistake two: Generic messages.
Your marketing looks like every other hotel. Nothing different. Bland doesn’t convert. Strong positioning wins bookings.

Mistake three: Ignoring past guests.
You focus only on new guests. You ignore your most valuable asset: people who’ve stayed. Past guest marketing delivers highest ROI.

Mistake four: Bad website.
Your site looks old. Loads slow. Booking is clunky. Mobile is terrible. You’re losing bookings before marketing starts.

Mistake five: Inconsistent marketing.
You email sporadically. Post randomly. Run ads occasionally. Inconsistent marketing gets inconsistent results. Systematic wins.

Mistake six: Not measuring.
You can’t tell which marketing drives bookings. You guess at ROI. You can’t improve because you don’t know what works. Tracking is mandatory.

Mistake seven: Giving up too fast.
You try something for a month, see no immediate results, quit. Marketing builds over time. Consistency compounds results.

Working with experienced agencies helps avoid these expensive mistakes.

Connecting Your Systems

Hospitality brands use multiple systems that need to work together.

• Property systems like Opera or Mews need integration with HubSpot. Booking data syncs automatically. Guest info updates. Marketing can target based on actual stays.
• Channel managers like SiteMinder connect so you see all booking sources. Understand your full mix. Make smart decisions about where to invest.
• Booking engines integrate so website reservations flow into HubSpot automatically. Trigger welcome emails. Update records. Enable accurate tracking.
• Review platforms like TripAdvisor and Google connect for easy review management. Respond quickly. Showcase positive reviews on your site. Monitor reputation centrally.
• Social media tools integrate for coordinated campaigns. Schedule posts. Monitor engagement. Run targeted ads. All tracked through HubSpot.
• Analytics platforms like Google Analytics connect providing complete tracking. Understand the full guest journey from first visit to booking.

The goal isn’t replacing everything. It’s connecting systems so data flows smoothly and you see complete marketing performance.

Some integrations work through built-in connections. Others need custom development. We assess your tools and build appropriate connections.

Why Choose Smartmates

Working with a local agency offers clear advantages.

We understand Australian hospitality.
Competition, seasons, domestic versus international travellers, regional differences. These specifics shape effective strategies.

We’re here when you need us.
When you need help, we’re available. Not waiting for overseas agencies to wake up.

We’ve transformed multiple brands.
Hotels, resorts, B&Bs, boutique properties. We understand different types and what works for each.

We’re certified HubSpot partners.
Verified expertise, ongoing training, direct HubSpot access. We know the platform deeply and stay current.

We’re transparent.
You know exactly what you’re paying and what results you’re getting. Monthly reports show direct booking growth, commission savings, and ROI clearly.

Smartmates brings hospitality expertise plus HubSpot capabilities plus local presence. That combination delivers results others can’t match.

Taking The First Step

By now you’re probably thinking either “this makes sense” or “we need this now.” Both are valid.

Change doesn’t happen overnight. It requires commitment and patience. But every journey starts with one step.

Start by calculating your commission cost.
How much did you pay platforms last year? How much this year? What percentage of bookings are direct? Understanding the problem motivates action.

Next, talk with experts who understand HubSpot and hospitality.
At Smartmates, we offer free direct booking audits. We analyse your situation, identify opportunities, and estimate potential savings.

No pressure. No obligations. Just honest assessment.

Then, if it makes sense, commit to the strategy.
Half efforts produce disappointing results. Real change requires proper investment and execution over time.

The brands winning today aren’t necessarily better properties. They’re combining great hospitality with great marketing. They’re taking control of bookings. They’re working with agencies that understand their economics.

Your Profitable Future Starts Here

Australian hospitality is competitive. Platform commissions keep rising. Margins keep shrinking. Brands that thrive will drive profitable direct bookings, build lasting guest relationships, and control their own destiny.

Working with a HubSpot consulting agency that understands hospitality transforms your booking economics. It’s not about more activity. It’s about strategic, coordinated marketing that shifts bookings from platforms to direct channels.

Smartmates has helped numerous Australian hospitality brands reduce platform dependency and increase profitability. We’ve learned what works and developed approaches that consistently deliver results.

Your competitors are either already implementing direct booking strategies or planning to. The gap between those who take control and those who stay platform-dependent widens every quarter.

Which side will you be on?

Ready to explore your potential? Reach out to Smartmates today for a free commission analysis. We’ll show you exactly how much you could save and what it involves.

Your venue deserves better profit. Your team deserves better economics. Your brand deserves to own guest relationships.

Transform your hospitality booking strategy. Transform your commission costs. Transform your profitability. The conversation that changes everything starts right here, right now.