By Sean McCracken
In the News
HDC: Hoteliers, OTAs battle in distribution debate
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NASHVILLE, Tennessee—The conversation that concluded the first day at the Hotel Data Conference was always civil, but there was a tinge of feistiness when the topic turned to the topic of online travel agencies.
Panelists participated in mock-debate style during the “Red, white and brew debate: Dissecting distribution decisions and dilemmas” session, and the two hoteliers on stage— Bharat Patel, chairman and CEO of Sun Development & Management Corporation; and Doug Browne, president of Peabody Hotels & Resorts—were asked to specify their distribution booking mix and cost. Both executives hedged on exact figures, but agreed their companies paid too much to the OTAs.
