Global Online Travel Agents

◀ Using channels smartly
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Global Online Travel Agents (OTAs)

Learn more about three of the global OTAs NightsBridge connects you - Booking.com, Airbnb, and Expedia.

Some channels (like Booking.com) also let us update your photos, descriptions, and content directly, so you don’t need to manage separate extranets yourself. We’ll guide you through the most important options to consider for your property.

Booking.com

The world’s largest OTA, with millions of listings and daily bookings across 227 countries.

Why join? It delivers steady bookings year‑round, especially international travellers searching for trusted accommodation.

👉 Best for: Consistent volumes and maximum reach.

Guests love Booking.com

Benefit	Description
Wide choice of properties	When guests search for accommodation, Booking.com offers the most options. The search and filtering features help guests find what they're looking for quickly. Booking.com is available in 43 different languages worldwide.
Rates are competitive	The rates on Booking.com are considered to be highly competitive. There are no hidden fees, its clear what you'll pay.
Payment options	Booking.com offers guests a choice of payment methods, which encourages them to book.
Mobile App	Everything you can do on their website, you can do in the mobile app. It’s easy to share links to properties you love and want to book.
Loyalty programmes	Guests can join free loyalty programmes which give them even better prices, freebies and perks.
Support for guests	The platform sorts out guest questions or issues really quickly which builds respect among travellers. This is why guests love to book on Booking.com.

How do properties benefit from the connection to Booking.com?

Benefit	Description
NightsBridge has Premier Preferred Partner status on Booking.com	This recognises the advanced systems we provide, and our wide range of products and services. It recognises our experience and expertise in supporting your property on Booking.com, to optimise your performance on the platform. Only the top 10-15% of partners achieve this status each year.
Volume of bookings	Booking.com delivers a large percentage of bookings to the NightsBridge client base.
Visibility of your property	Booking.com usually appears first in online searches for accommodation, giving you more exposure online. This often leads to guests visiting your website, to get more information about your property, and receive a better rate if they book directly with you.
Automatic updates	Your rates and availability on NightsBridge update immediately on Booking.com
NightsBridge support	Our support teams and tutorials give you tools to deal with Booking.com functions.
Payment options	You can offer your guests different payment options on Booking.com We highly recommend a credit card payment option, to simplify the management of bookings and availability.
Connecting to your listing	NightsBridge can connect to existing profiles, or create a new Hotel ID if there isn't one for your property.
Useful insights	You'll have access to great analytics to stay on top of the trends and competitor rankings in your area.
Opportunities to promote	Booking.com will offer you a range of opportunities to promote your property and improve your ranking score. You'll be able to choose which promotions work best for your property.

Learn more about connecting with booking.com:

Airbnb

Airbnb lists over 7 million properties in 220+ countries. It’s popular with leisure guests and younger travellers who want unique stays.

👉 Best for: Reaching millennials, families, and travellers looking for “something different.”

Why guests love Airbnb

Benefit	Description
Wide choice of properties	Guests have the choice of entire properties, private rooms, hotel rooms and shared spaces. Airbnb specialises in unique stays that you won't find anywhere else.
Rates are competitive	The rates on Airbnb are considered to be highly competitive. There are no hidden fees, its clear what guests pay.
Payment options	Airbnb offers guests a choice of payment methods which include: Apple Pay Google Pay PayPal Card payments (Visa, MasterCard, Amex, JCB, and debit cards All of these option make payments easy for guests and encourages them to book.
Mobile App	Just about everything you can do on their website, you can do in the mobile app. Its easy to share links to properties guests love and want to book.
Support for guests & hosts	A dedicated support team is available to all Hosts, guests, and nonprofit partners for issues and questions related to Airbnb reservations. Every booking comes with AirCover for guests and AirCover for hosts. Serious issues Hosts can't resolve are resolved by Airbnb Customer Service.
Community	Airbnb prides itself in creating a community where hosts can offer rooms in their houses, or entire units that can be booked by guests. They also take verification seriously to ensure the integrity of their community.

How do properties benefit from the connection to Airbnb?

Benefit	Description
Volume of bookings	Airbnb delivers a large percentage of bookings to the NightsBridge client base.
Visibility of your property	Airbnb provides its users with accommodation options based on their location search. This presents your property to potential bookers without them having to specifically search for your property.
Automatic updates	Your rates and availability on NightsBridge update immediately on Airbnb.
NightsBridge support	Our support team and tutorials give you multiple tools get the best out of Airbnb.
Booking payments	Connecting NightsBridge to Airbnb does not change how you receive your payout. Airbnb still processes this directly.
Connect to your Host account easily	Once you have set NightsBridge as your channel manager for Airbnb, a NightsBridge Ninja will take care of the rest for you.
Listing creation	NightsBridge can assist with creating listings on Airbnb, from your room types on NightsBridge
Useful insights	You can track your hosting progress by opting into Airbnb’s professional hosting tools.
Opportunities to promote	Airbnb provides the chance to market and promotion your listings to increase your chances of getting booked.

Learn more about connecting with Airbnb:

Expedia

Part of the Expedia Group (Hotels.com, Orbitz, Travelocity, Vrbo). Listing once on Expedia puts you in front of millions of travellers worldwide across 200+ sites.

👉 Best for: International markets, package travellers, families, long‑haul guests.

Learn more about connecting with Expedia:

Good to know:
When a guest cancels or changes on any linked channel, your NightsBridge calendar updates instantly. You’ll get an email alert, so you don’t need to lift a finger.

Now you have more understanding of the bigger, global booking channels work!

Next, we'll focus on the best booking channels available within the local South African, and African markets.

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