Perthshire Businessman’s Tech firm in Utah deal

US tie-up will benefit hard-pressed hotels

A Perthshire entrepreneur's hospitality tech firm has signed a trans-Atlantic partnership which will help hotels win lost room sales back from third-party booking sites.

Hop Software, co-founded by Pitlochry hotelier Richard Drummond, has penned a partnership which will see its Property Management System teamed with the search expertise of leading Utah firm, Metadesk.

The partnership will enable hotels to increase direct room bookings by giving them an optimised presence on key platforms such as Google Hotel Ads, TripAdvisor and Trivago.

Global traffic challenges

Google Hotel ads, integrated into Google apps like Maps and Travel, account for between 65 and 85% of all hotel search traffic, globally, and online booking sites spend billions to maintain a dominant presence.

However, while these booking sites do facilitate room sales for hotels, they currently charge 18% for every booking generated through their platform, meaning loss of revenue for hotels in a challenging trading environment.

By integrating their cloud-based Property Management System and Booking Engine with the Metadesk GCommerce platform, Hop’s customers will benefit from Metadesk’s 20+ years of boosting client’s performance on Google Hotel ads and other metasearch platforms.

This will, in turn, enable hotels to increase the proportion of guests who book directly, thereby reducing high commission fees and over-reliance on third party sites.

Hotels will also be able to retain customer data for marketing and loyalty purposes; essential information normally withheld when customers book through an intermediary.

Drive to grow sales

“We are delighted, firstly, for our customers that Metadesk has chosen to partner with our award-winning Property Management System because the strategic link offers so much potential,” said Hop Co-Founder Richard Drummond, who also Co-owns McKays Hotel Bar and Restaurant in Pitlochry.

“If you are a hotel owner with a lot of sales coming through third party booking sites, reducing the commission fees charged can potentially save thousands of pounds per month on bookings."

He added: “Lots of our customers come to us and ask us how they can make savings and grow sales in an environment where costs are rising and margins are tighter. As a hotelier myself, I understand the pressures. This partnership enables this.

“Metadesk has a great reputation in this field, built over 25 years. The synergies between the two owner-managed companies are really strong and we are delighted with the strategic partnership.”

Increasing direct bookings

Hop, formed in 2017, drew on the first-hand experience of its Scottish hotelier founders to develop a Property Management System which streamlines all hospitality operations from Bookings and rates to revenue management.

Metadesk, based in Park City, UT, tailors advertising strategies around an individual properties’ demand and booking patterns, maximising visibility on the key platforms where guests search for rooms.

Working together, the companies believe they can help hotels and resorts boost their bottom line.

“Hop’s technology combined with Metadesk’s metasearch optimization creates a powerful framework for direct booking success,” said Chris Jackson, Principal of GCommerce.

“Hotels and resorts will see more efficient spend, stronger performance across Google Hotel Ads, and clearer insights into how metasearch contributes to real revenue. This partnership equips properties with the tools needed to compete confidently in today’s digital landscape.”