direct-hotels

What is Direct Hotels?

Direct Hotels is a free, non-commission hotel directory that helps travelers discover hotels' official websites and direct booking links. We do not charge commissions, sell sponsored placement, or act as an online travel agency. Our goal is simple: make it easier to find the hotel's own website and book direct.

How Direct Hotels Works

  1. We collect hotel entities and official website links from public sources (primarily Google Places).
  2. We identify the hotel's own website and surface it as the primary booking link.
  3. We summarize hotel information using AI to help with discovery.
  4. When you click "Book Direct," you go to the hotel's own website. We do not intermediate.
  5. We do not charge hotels for inclusion, ranking, or clicks.

Important: if a property's listed website is not actually its official site (e.g. an OTA link listed on Google), we surface that source as provided and flag it. Hotels can request corrections.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Direct Hotels an OTA?
No. Direct Hotels does not process bookings, handle payments, or act as an intermediary. We are a directory that links to hotels' own websites.
Is Direct Hotels a metasearch engine?
No. We do not compare prices across booking sites. We focus on finding and surfacing the hotel's official website.
Does Direct Hotels take commissions?
No. Zero commissions, zero affiliate payouts, zero fees. The service is completely free for both travelers and hotels.
Does Direct Hotels sell placements or sponsored rankings?
No. There are no paid placements, sponsored listings, or pay-to-rank features. All hotels are treated equally.
Is Direct Hotels an affiliate site?
No. We do not use affiliate links. When you click through to a hotel website, there is no tracking cookie or referral commission.
How does Direct Hotels identify official hotel websites?
We source website URLs from Google Places data. When a hotel's Google listing points to an OTA instead of the hotel's own website, we flag it. Hotels can submit corrections.
Are hotel descriptions AI-generated?
Yes. Hotel summaries are generated from the hotel's own website content using AI. They are clearly presented as summaries, not editorial reviews. Factual data (name, address, rating, classification) comes from Google Places.
Does Direct Hotels verify every hotel?
We verify that each hotel has a website URL listed on Google Places. We do not independently verify hotel quality, pricing, or availability. Ratings and review counts come from Google.
How are hotels ranked?
Hotels are ranked by Google review rating by default. Users can sort by review count or name. There are no paid rankings, sponsored positions, or editorial bias in the default sort order.
Can hotels request corrections?
Yes. Hotels can claim their listing to update information including their official website URL, description, amenities, and contact details. This is free.
How can a hotel get listed, corrected, or removed?
Hotels are listed automatically if they have a website on Google Places. To correct or remove a listing, use our claim page or contact us at nicolas.sitternolleau@gmail.com.
Does Direct Hotels book hotels directly?
No. We do not process reservations. We help you find the hotel's own website where you can book directly with them.

Data Sources

Direct Hotels uses the following data sources:

  • Google Places: Hotel name, address, location, star classification, Google review rating, review count, and website URL.
  • Hotel websites (scraped): Amenities, room types, check-in/out times, contact information, and neighborhood context — extracted from the hotel's own website.
  • AI summaries: Hotel descriptions and style tags are generated using AI models based on the hotel's website content. These are summaries, not editorial reviews.

Ranking Policy

  • No paid ranking. No sponsored placement.
  • Default sort order is by Google review rating (highest first).
  • Users can sort by review count or alphabetically.
  • Hotels cannot buy position, priority, or visibility.
  • Having an official website (not an OTA link) does not affect ranking.
  • AI Trip Planner results are based on the user's query and available data, with no commercial bias.

For Hotels

Direct Hotels exists to support hotels, not to compete with them or take their revenue. Here's what hotel owners should know:

  • Free listing: Hotels are listed for free if they have a website on Google Places.
  • No commissions: We never charge for clicks, bookings, or visibility.
  • Claim your listing: Update your information — website URL, amenities, description, and more.
  • Request removal: Hotels can request removal by contacting nicolas.sitternolleau@gmail.com.
  • OTA detection: If your Google listing points to an OTA, we flag it so travelers know. You can submit your official URL to fix this.

Contact

Built by Nicolas Sitter. For corrections, partnerships, or questions: nicolas.sitternolleau@gmail.com