Direct Booking ROI Calculator
Direct booking ROI calculator that turns website visitors, conversion rate and monthly marketing costs into direct bookings, cost per booking and ROAS to compare against OTA commission. Free, no sign-up, runs in your browser.
Investment & Traffic
Include Google Ads, Website hosting, and Booking Engine fees.
Industry average is 0.5% - 2%
Est. Bookings
15.0
Revenue Generated
$5250
Cost Per Booking
$33
Good value
ROAS
10.5x
Return on Spend
The Verdict
You are making a profit of $4750 on your direct channel.
Direct booking ROI: what this tool is estimating
This calculator turns traffic and conversion rate into an estimated number of bookings, then compares that revenue against your monthly direct channel costs (ads, website, booking engine, and similar fixed or semi-fixed spend). The goal is not a perfect accounting model—it’s a fast way to pressure-test whether your direct strategy is trending in the right direction.
Use it for planning and monthly reviews: if your conversion rate improves, the same traffic becomes more profitable. If your cost per booking creeps above typical OTA commission levels, your “direct” channel may be more expensive than it looks.
Inputs that matter most
- Conversion rate: small gains (e.g., 1.2% → 1.6%) often beat increasing ad spend.
- Average booking value: use net room revenue if you want a conservative view.
- Monthly visitors: use sessions from analytics for consistency.
Operational next steps
If ROAS is weak, prioritize: (1) site speed and booking UX, (2) rate parity / value-add offers, (3) remarketing and email capture, then (4) scaling traffic. Improving conversion first usually reduces cost per booking more reliably than adding more clicks.
What is direct booking ROI?
Direct booking ROI is a measure of how much booking revenue a hotel generates from its own website and booking engine for every dollar spent on direct marketing and technology. This calculator estimates direct bookings from monthly visitors and conversion rate, then reports revenue, cost per booking and ROAS (return on ad spend). Hoteliers care because cost per direct booking is the number to hold against OTA commission when deciding where to invest.
Formula
Bookings = Visitors × Conversion % · Revenue = Bookings × Avg. booking value · Cost per booking = Monthly costs ÷ Bookings · ROAS = Revenue ÷ Monthly costs
The verdict line subtracts monthly costs from revenue. That figure is revenue left after direct channel costs, not hotel profit, because room operating costs are not included.
Worked example: 1,000 visitors at 1.5% conversion
- Bookings: 1,000 visitors × 1.5% = 15 direct bookings a month.
- Revenue: 15 bookings × $350 average booking value = $5,250.
- Cost per booking: $500 monthly costs ÷ 15 bookings = $33.33.
- ROAS: $5,250 ÷ $500 = 10.5x.
- Benchmark: a 15% commission on a $350 booking would be $52.50, so each direct booking costs about $19 less than that OTA equivalent.
At the default inputs the direct channel returns $4,750 above its $500 monthly cost, and cost per booking sits well under typical commission levels.
How to read your result
- Cost per booking is the key comparison. If it is below what an OTA would charge on the same booking value, the direct channel is acquiring guests more cheaply.
- The tool flags ROAS under 5x as a warning. Treat that as a rule of thumb, not a standard; the right threshold depends on your margins and length of stay.
- Conversion rate has an outsized effect: moving from 1.5% to 2.0% at 1,000 visitors lifts bookings from 15 to 20 and cuts cost per booking from $33.33 to $25.00 with no extra spend.
- Some guests would have booked direct anyway, so the result credits your spend with more bookings than it strictly caused. Read it as an upper bound.
Frequently asked questions
What is a good website conversion rate for a hotel?
Hotel booking engines are commonly described as converting around 0.5–2% of website visitors, which is the range shown beside the input. Rates vary with traffic source, season and how many steps the booking flow has.
What is the difference between ROI and ROAS?
ROAS is revenue divided by spend, so 10.5x means $10.50 of bookings per $1 spent. ROI usually means profit divided by spend, which requires deducting operating costs that this calculator does not model.
Which costs belong in monthly direct costs?
Include everything you pay to win direct bookings: Google Ads and metasearch spend, booking engine fees, website hosting and maintenance, and any agency retainer. Leaving costs out makes cost per booking look lower than it is.
How do I compare cost per direct booking with OTA commission?
Multiply your average booking value by your OTA commission rate to get the commission per booking, then compare it with cost per booking. For example, 15% of $350 is $52.50.