In 75% of hotel rate searches, at least one OTA displays a lower price than the hotel’s own website — a stark finding from the H1 World Parity Monitor – 2025 By: 123Compare.me.
Chronicling You can also find out more about the following: first six months of 2025 — the H1 World Parity monitor looked at parity on a per-search basis — discovering OTAs undercut the hotel’s own website in 33% Compare and contrast.
Third parties were beaten by the hotel direct channel. 45% Parity was maintained for all cases while maintaining parity in just 22% It is possible to find occasions. But when all available offers for the same room are taken into account — an average of more than 20 per search — the picture shifts dramatically: in Three out of every four searchesAt least one OTA displays a rate lower than that of the official website.
Mapping rate integrity across leading global destinations and shedding light on the behaviors putting the direct channel under pressure — the biannual World Parity Monitor interestingly concluded that the share of searches where OTAs publish lower rates has remained stable compared to 2024. In January and April of this year, 35% cases were undercut. By June, this figure dropped to 28% — the lowest value so far this year.
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Mobiles amplify the rate parity issue — OTAs undercut the official site in 38% of searches, versus 31% on desktop. Mobile devices are more vulnerable for hotels due to faster decisions, exclusive discounts and optimized user experience.
Roberto Gobo is the Director of Digital Strategy and Technology for Valamar. He says that these disparities are often caused by operational blindspots. The hotel is not in control of the payment flow, which leads to disparity. When the OTA is handling the transaction, the hotel has no visibility of the final price. Gobo notes that many OTAs — particularly resellers — exploit loosely managed distribution networks to apply unauthorized discounts.
Beyond these operational challenges, the broader concern lies in how these disparities affect the hotel’s ability to compete — often without them realizing it. Jordi serra, CEO of 123Compare.me explains how the World Parity Monitor is an important tool. “This report gives hoteliers a clearer understanding of how — and when — their rate integrity is being compromised. Not only is it important to know that disparities are present, but also to identify the patterns. Which channels, which booking windows, and what guest segments most suffer from this? This insight allows hotels to regain control, defend the direct channel and make better distribution decisions.
Despite the overall pressure, the direct channel proves stronger in certain segments — especially bookings made well in advance, longer stays, and family trips. The booking window gets wider, and the direct channel becomes more competitive. It reaches its peak performance when booked between 6 to 9 months ahead.
The WPM mid-year report sends a clear and unmistakable message: active parity management in a fragmented market is essential for hotel profitability. Contributing to observations and analysis on rate behaviour include Sonia Molina, Business Unit Director at HotelsDot, Claudia Rodríguez, Business Unit Director at Sekuenz and Joe Pettigrew, Chief Commercial Officer at L+R Hotels. 123Compare shared its key recommendations, including:
- Automated price monitoring across distribution channels.
- Examine carefully all commercial agreements and give priority to those intermediaries who can support a direct, sustainable strategy.
- Bookings made on the official website will receive a stronger direct value proposition that includes exclusive benefits, increased flexibility and additional services.
