The independent hotelier’s quick guide to major OTAs

This guide breaks down today’s OTA ecosystem. Who owns what, where they dominate, and how to think about them in 2025. More importantly, we’ll give you the clarity you need to make smarter choices about which partners to work with, and how to stay in control of your pricing and inventory, no matter your size.

What is an OTA?

Lighthouse defines OTAs in our industry glossary as: Reservation systems supported by websites on which guests can find and reserve rooms (and travel). The key benefit they offer customers is the ability to quickly compare travel options based on certain criteria. 

When you list with an OTA, you’re handing over a portion of your inventory in exchange for visibility, and paying a commission when they deliver a booking. On the surface, that seems like a fair trade. But as OTAs have grown more powerful over the past 25 years, so has the sophistication of how they shape search results, control rankings, and influence booking behavior.

Many hotels still rely on OTAs as a primary source of demand. And for independents without massive marketing budgets or loyalty programs, they often play an even bigger role. The trick is making sure you stay in control of your rates, your availability, and your strategy.

The major OTA players and their subsidiaries

As it stands in 2025, the 2 largest players are the large OTA conglomerates Expedia Group and Booking Holdings, the two combining for over 40% of global share. 

Despite the dominance of these 2 behemoths, there are still many other smaller, independent Online Travel Agents, that we will introduce you to as well. Below is a list of the most important players worldwide in 2025.

Expedia Group

Subsidiaries include: Hotels.com, Travelocity.com, wotif, orbitz, Egencia, trivago, VRBO

Expedia Group, established in 1996 as a division of Microsoft, is a prominent American online travel company headquartered in Seattle, Washington. 

The company operates a diverse portfolio of travel brands, offering services such as hotel bookings, flight reservations, car rentals, and vacation packages. Expedia's platforms provide access to over 3 million lodging properties and flights on more than 500 airlines worldwide.

Expedia has high brand recognition in the North American market due to high-visibility marketing campaigns, and their acquisition of popular, recognizable brands such as Hotels.com, Travelocity, and Orbitz which became household names during the early 2000’s in part due to successful viral marketing and clever marketing.

Hoteliers who partner with Expedia manage rates and inventory, reputation management and monitor performance analytics using Expedia Partner Central.

Key Facts:

• With Expedia’s acquisition of a majority share of Trivago in 2012, the company expanded its presence to include a meta-search offering

• By acquiring HomeAway (and by extension VRBO) in 2015 Expedia Group expanded their offerings to include Short-Term rentals

Booking Holdings

Subsidiaries include: Priceline, Agoda, Kayak, OpenTable

Booking Holdings, founded in 1997, is a leading provider of online travel and related services. 

Headquartered in Norwalk, Connecticut, the company operates in over 220 countries and territories through primary consumer-facing brands: Booking.com, Priceline, Agoda and KAYAK. In 2024, Booking Holdings reported gross travel bookings of $166 billion, a 10% year-over-year increase, and facilitated 1.1 billion room nights, up 9% from the previous year. 

The company employs over 24,000 people globally and offers more than 29 million reported listings on Booking.com. As of February 2025, Booking Holdings' market capitalization stood at approximately $165.69 billion. 

Booking holdings is the global leader from a booking volume perspective,  thanks to its utilization of tools such as AI-powered travel assistants, and its incorporation of short term rental properties into its customer search results.

Like other Online Travel Agents, Booking.com has branched out to other ancillary streams outside of lodging, such as OpenTable - a restaurant reservation booking platform.

AirBnB

Subsidiaries include: HotelTonight

Airbnb, founded in 2008 is a global online marketplace for short-term homestays and experiences. The platform connects travelers with hosts offering unique accommodations, ranging from private rooms to entire homes, across more than 220 countries and regions. In 2019, Airbnb expanded into the traditional hotel sector by acquiring HotelTonight, a platform specializing in last-minute hotel bookings, thereby broadening its accommodation offerings beyond private residences. 

As of early 2025, Airbnb boasts over 5 million hosts and 7.7+ million active listings.

Trip.com Group

Subsidiaries include: Ctrip, Trip.com

Trip.com Group, founded in 1999, is a leading Chinese online travel agency offering services such as hotel reservations, transportation ticketing, packaged tours, and corporate travel management. 

Operating under brands like Ctrip, Qunar, Trip.com, and Skyscanner, the company provides access to over 1.7 million global accommodation offerings and partnerships with more than 600 airlines. In 2023, Trip.com Group reported revenues of approximately $6.3 billion and net income of $1.4 billion. 

Serving as a prominent alternative to Western competitors like Expedia Group and Booking Holdings, Trip.com Group leverages its strong presence in the Chinese market and expanding global operations to cater to a diverse clientele worldwide.

Despegar

Subsidiaries include: Decolar, Bestday.com

Despegar, founded in 1999, is a leading online travel agency in Latin America, operating under the brands Despegar and Decolar (in Brazil). 

The company offers a comprehensive range of travel services, including airline tickets, hotel bookings, car rentals, and vacation packages, catering to both leisure and corporate travelers. In 2023, Despegar reported annual revenues of approximately $706 million. 

The company has expanded its presence through strategic acquisitions, such as the purchase of Best Day and HotelDo in Mexico in October 2020. Despegar serves as a regional alternative to major global players like Expedia Group and Booking Holdings, focusing on the unique needs of the Latin American market. 

HRS Group

Subsidiaries include: Destination Solutions

HRS Group, established in 1972, is a global technology company specializing in business travel solutions. 

Headquartered in Cologne, Germany, HRS operates in over 30 countries with a workforce of approximately 1,500 employees. The company offers a comprehensive hotel booking portal featuring over 400,000 hotels in 190 countries, serving both business and leisure travelers. 

HRS has been a pioneer in the industry, launching the first online hotel booking portal in 1995 and the first mobile app for hotel bookings in 2009. The company focuses on simplifying business travel by providing end-to-end solutions, including strategic procurement, booking, and payment processes, catering to more than 3,000 enterprises worldwide. 

HotelBeds

Subsidiaries include: Bedsonline, Tourico

Hotelbeds, established in 2001, is a leading travel technology company headquartered in Palma, Mallorca, Spain. Specializing in business-to-business (B2B) services, Hotelbeds operates as a bedbank, offering an extensive portfolio of over 250,000 hotels across 185 countries. 

The company processes approximately 46 million room nights annually, catering to a global network of over 60,000 travel distributors, including tour operators, travel agencies, airlines, and loyalty programs. 

Hotelbeds focuses on wholesale agreements, negotiating preferential rates and room allocations with hotels, which are then distributed to its partners through advanced technology platforms. 

In 2017, Hotelbeds expanded its market presence by acquiring competitors GTA and Tourico Holidays. In February 2025, the company announced plans for an initial public offering (IPO) in Spain, aiming to raise up to €725 million to strengthen its financial position and accelerate growth.

Final thoughts

Running an independent hotel means making tough tradeoffs. Between time and return, simplicity and control. OTAs remain a vital channel for most, but they shouldn’t run your business. You should.

Whether you're just getting listed or fine-tuning your distribution strategy, the right tools can help you stay visible without losing margin or sleep.

Lighthouse makes your job simpler. With our Channel Manager, you can keep your listings in sync. With Pricing Manager, you stay competitive without hours of manual work. 

You’ve worked hard to build your property. We’re here to help more guests find it.