Owner / assetThis year

Job brief

Shift mix off OTAs toward brand.com

How and who for the hotel job—verified when attested.

When commission is a surprise every month, I want a mix path that holds occupancy so I am not buying 'direct' with empty rooms.

Usable on this screen

Scoped brief

Measure contribution after commission. Sequence parity, member rate, metasearch, and a booking path that is actually fast. Move a few points, hold occupancy, then move again. A CRS and a brand.com surface are tools. A distribution lead owns the risk. Darkening OTAs to look brave is not a strategy.

Outcome: A 12–18 month mix path with occupancy risk on each step, contribution measured after commission, and no darkening of OTAs as theater.
Catalog budget band: $16–40k plus media. A worksheet range, not a quote.
Catalog timeline: Two to four quarters to a first 5–10 points. Not a promise.

Step 1
See net contribution, not share
Rebuild last year's rooms revenue after commission and after media. Direct that loses occupancy is not a win. Name the mix target as a band, not a slogan.
Step 2
Fix the path before you buy the media
If brand.com takes two minutes on a phone, metasearch is a donation. Member rate must be real. Parity fights should be chosen, not constant.
Step 3
Move mix in steps with a hold
A 3–5 point move, occupancy within an agreed band, then another. Publish the occupancy risk of each step before you take it.
Step 4
Keep OTAs as a valve, not an identity
You will still need them on a cancellation week. Oakridge will say so. Plan the valve.

Provider shortlist

People
Oakridge Distribution
OTA mix & brand.com
Catalog score 8.4. A post-job shape, not a verification. Stable id oakridge.
Software· demo
Wayfind Direct
Brand.com booking path
Catalog score 7.8. A post-job shape, not a verification. Stable id wayfind-direct.
Software· demo
HarborStack CRS
Central reservation system
Catalog score 7.9. A post-job shape, not a verification. Stable id harborstack-crs.
Agent
Ratewatch Agent
Competitive rate watch
Catalog score 8.1. A post-job shape, not a verification. Stable id ratewatch.

Download markdown Full who list Record a result

Leave a record

The next hotel starts from what you leave

Harbor by Signalry stays hotels only. A description, a claim, and a reported result each leave a stable id behind. Nothing here is a price, a customer, or a verification.

Buyer
Describe your job
No account. Harbor by Signalry opens the closest catalog brief, when not to buy, and a shortlist. A weak sentence stays on the catalog.
Open a brief
Supplier
Join as a supplier
Company, jobs served, regions, and a hotel reference. The packet is queued as unverified pending. The form cannot mark it verified.
Start a claim
Hotel
Record a result
A metric, before and after, and the dates. It is shown as reported until a person checks the evidence. Verified Outcome is not insurance.
Record a result

AdviceMix without occupancy held is just a smaller hotel.

VerifiedGlasswater: +9 points direct; occupancy ±2; OTAs stayed as a valve.

Name a verified-outcome price Sit a 30-minute pilotHow ranking works

Situation

What is actually on fire

OTA mix looks like a channel problem and is a contribution problem. Darkening an OTA is not a path.

Approaches

Two or three paths — with the give

Contribution-after-commission math + brand.com path

When. You can name ADR floor and cost of a direct booking

You give. Some OTA volume stays on purpose

50% direct slogan

When. You want a slide

You give. You will teach a BAR you cannot defend

Hold and split last 90 days by contribution

When. You cannot yet say which OTA is cheap occupancy

You give. A week in the ledger

Who to involve

· Owner
· GM
· Revenue / reservations
· Brand.com owner

First 7 days

YAML-shaped: day / theme / tasks / owner / risk / exit. Advice until a case is verified.

day: 1
Write the fail in one sentence
- · Write the fail in one sentence. Job: Shift mix off OTAs toward brand.com.
owner:
Owner / asset manager
risk:
The exit is not written down
exit:
A note the next shift can open
day: 2
Pull the last 7 days of the live number
- · Pull the last 7 days of the live number. If it is missing, that absence is the finding.
owner:
Owner / asset manager
risk:
The exit is not written down
exit:
A note the next shift can open
day: 3
Name who owns the workaround today (desk,
- · Name who owns the workaround today (desk, HK, night audit, owner).
owner:
Owner / asset manager
risk:
The exit is not written down
exit:
A note the next shift can open
day: 4
Walk one peak hour
- · Walk one peak hour. Write what the system claims vs what the floor did.
owner:
Owner / asset manager
risk:
The exit is not written down
exit:
A note the next shift can open
day: 5
Ask vendors the worksheet questions
- · Ask vendors the worksheet questions. Discard anyone who cannot answer with a caveat.
owner:
Owner / asset manager
risk:
The exit is not written down
exit:
A note the next shift can open
day: 6
Pick one approach
- · Pick one approach. Write when-not-to-buy on the same page.
owner:
Owner / asset manager
risk:
The exit is not written down
exit:
A note the next shift can open
day: 7
Run the smallest test that would change Mo
- · Run the smallest test that would change Monday. No annual contract yet.
owner:
Owner / asset manager
risk:
The exit is not written down
exit:
A note the next shift can open

Decision worksheet

Questions, red flags, bands

Take this to a vendor call. Budget bands are Advice — a Harbor shape, not a quote.

Ask the vendor

1. Who types the status / number — a person, or your product?
2. What would have happened anyway in 90 days without you?
3. Show a property of this size and stack. Demo-labeled categories do not count as proof.
4. What can your agent never do (folio post, mark clean, change a rate)?
5. What is the kill-switch if guest comments move?

Red flags

· Counting logins as direct demand.
· A 30-point mix target in one year.
· A booking engine the CRS double-writes.

When not to buy. A ‘50% direct’ slogan with no contribution-after-commission math. Darkening an OTA is not a mix path.

Do it in-house

Time and a named owner. No vendor. Use the 7-day plan first.

$16–40k plus media

Typical Harbor band for this job — advice, not a quote.

Full program

People + system + 90-day proof. Only if the 7-day plan already failed.

Vendor checklist

Score the call. Keep it on this browser.

Weighted questions — yes/no, scale, or text. Must-pass ids persist on this browser. Pass threshold 70. A no on a must-pass is a walk-away — not a maybe.

Keys

Brand

Stack shape — not a partnership

property context · weight 2 · must pass
Can they name your key count and whether you are independent, soft-brand, or major — without a discovery theater?
property context · weight 2 · must pass
Do they treat your PMS as a shape (Opera-class / Mews-class / Cloudbeds-class) — not a fake partnership slide?
control · weight 3 · must pass
Who types the status / number — a person, or your product?
vendor · weight 2
What would have happened anyway in 90 days without you?
vendor · weight 2
Show a property of this size and stack. Demo-labeled categories do not count as proof.
vendor · weight 2
What can your agent never do (folio post, mark clean, change a rate)?
vendor · weight 2
What is the kill-switch if guest comments move?

Does not clear

0 / 100

must_pass: shift-mix-off-otas-ctx-rooms, shift-mix-off-otas-ctx-stack, shift-mix-off-otas-q1

A must-pass failed. Walk away.

How

The brief

Step 1
See net contribution, not share
Rebuild last year's rooms revenue after commission and after media. Direct that loses occupancy is not a win. Name the mix target as a band, not a slogan.
Step 2
Fix the path before you buy the media
If brand.com takes two minutes on a phone, metasearch is a donation. Member rate must be real. Parity fights should be chosen, not constant.
Step 3
Move mix in steps with a hold
A 3–5 point move, occupancy within an agreed band, then another. Publish the occupancy risk of each step before you take it.
Step 4
Keep OTAs as a valve, not an identity
You will still need them on a cancellation week. Oakridge will say so. Plan the valve.

Tradeoffs

Slow mix, hold occupancy
You get. A cleaner contribution line
You give. A year of patience
Darken an OTA
You get. A story
You give. A hole you may fill at a worse rate later
Media first, path later
You get. Traffic
You give. A bounce and a cynical owner

Choice	You get	You give
Slow mix, hold occupancy	A cleaner contribution line	A year of patience
Darken an OTA	A story	A hole you may fill at a worse rate later
Media first, path later	Traffic	A bounce and a cynical owner

Pitfalls

· Counting logins as direct demand.
· A 30-point mix target in one year.
· A booking engine the CRS double-writes.

Success criteria

· Contribution after commission, monthly.
· Occupancy inside the agreed band on each step.
· Booking path time on mobile published.

Who

Ranked for this job

Rank is post-job score, then listed order. Not for sale. Software marked demo is an archetype.

Agencies & contractors

#1People

Oakridge Distribution

Channel strategy for hotels that are 70–85% OTA and want a path that does not tank occupancy.

$16–30k, 12–16 weeks

8.4

Post-job

21 reviews

Name a verified price Record an outcome Claim this listing

Systems

#1Software· demo

Wayfind Direct

Demo-labeled direct booking site and metasearch feed for independents — not a brand engine.

Demo · $400–1,200 / month + media

7.8

Post-job

10 reviews

Name a verified price Record an outcome Claim this listing

#2Software· demo

HarborStack CRS

Demo-labeled CRS archetype for independent and soft-brand hotels. Not a claimed partnership.

Demo · $4–9 / room / month + booking fee options

7.9

Post-job

12 reviews

Name a verified price Record an outcome Claim this listing

AI agents

#1Agent

Ratewatch Agent

Watches a defined comp set and drafts a rate note — never silently writes the RMS.

$199–449 / month

8.1

Post-job

12 reviews

Name a verified price Record an outcome Claim this listing

Compare up to three

Fit first. Then the contract.

Default sort is fit, high to low. Unpublished SLA / term / switch cost is labeled ask — not invented. Demo software is a shape.

Sort

Oakridge Distribution
Highest fit
8.2
People
Price
$16–30k, 12–16 weeks
Impl
7–21 (advice)
SLA
Not published — ask. Do not treat a slide as verified.
Support
On-property hours
Term
Ask. Annual-only is a red flag until the 7-day test.
Switch
Ask for the freeze window and folio owner.
Verified
None on Harbor
Ratewatch Agent
7.8
Agent
Price
$199–449 / month
Impl
7–21 (advice)
SLA
Not published — ask. Do not treat a slide as verified.
Support
Ask — not published
Term
Ask. Annual-only is a red flag until the 7-day test.
Switch
Ask for the freeze window and folio owner.
Verified
None on Harbor
HarborStack CRS
7.7
Software· demo
Price
Demo · $4–9 / room / month + booking fee options
Impl
14–45 (advice)
SLA
Not published — ask. Do not treat a slide as verified.
Support
Ask — not published
Term
Ask. Annual-only is a red flag until the 7-day test.
Switch
Ask for the freeze window and folio owner.
Verified
None on Harbor

Side-by-side vendor compare. Fit is Harbor’s published score. Unpublished contract fields are labeled ask.
Vendor	Fit	Price band	Impl days	Integrations	SLA / uptime	Support hours	Contract term	Switch cost	GM rating	Last verified
Oakridge Distribution Highest fit People	8.2	$16–30k, 12–16 weeks	7–21 (advice)	OTA mix, brand.com, metasearch, parity	Not published — ask. Do not treat a slide as verified.	On-property hours	Ask. Annual-only is a red flag until the 7-day test.	Ask for the freeze window and folio owner.	8.4	None on Harbor
Ratewatch Agent Agent	7.8	$199–449 / month	7–21 (advice)	comp set, rate shop, pickup notes, RMS assist	Not published — ask. Do not treat a slide as verified.	Ask — not published	Ask. Annual-only is a red flag until the 7-day test.	Ask for the freeze window and folio owner.	8.1	None on Harbor
HarborStack CRS Software· demo	7.7	Demo · $4–9 / room / month + booking fee options	14–45 (advice)	CRS, channel manager, brand.com, group blocks	Not published — ask. Do not treat a slide as verified.	Ask — not published	Ask. Annual-only is a red flag until the 7-day test.	Ask for the freeze window and folio owner.	7.9	None on Harbor

Loading the compare table…

Compare

When to pick whom

People do the work beside the desk. Software is a system — demo-labeled when it is a category shape. Agents draft; they do not post money or mark a room clean.

Provider	Kind	Score	Fee	Pick when	Walk away when
Oakridge Distribution	People	8.4	$16–30k, 12–16 weeks	Owners tired of commission as a surprise.	Hotels already running a mature loyalty engine.
Wayfind Direct	Software· demo	7.8	Demo · $400–1,200 / month + media	Independents whose brand.com still feels like a brochure.	Flags that must use the brand engine.
HarborStack CRS	Software· demo	7.9	Demo · $4–9 / room / month + booking fee options	Hotels connecting revenue tools without two sources of truth.	Single-property hotels happy with a simple channel manager.
Ratewatch Agent	Agent	8.1	$199–449 / month	GMs who are their own revenue manager.	Hotels that want an autopilot rate robot.

Open graph

Hotels on this job

GlasswaterMiami · 310 keysLabeled estimate

Open hotels Buy / sell desk

Evidence

Peer case studies

Owner / asset

8.4

Nine points of mix, occupancy held

Glasswater · 310 keys · Miami, FL

Claim.: Nine points of mix with occupancy held.
Evidence.: Contribution after commission; occupancy ±2; mobile path time.
Caveat.: OTAs stayed. Darkening a channel was refused.

Read the case

Verified

Nearby jobs

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Scoped brief

See net contribution, not share

Fix the path before you buy the media

Move mix in steps with a hold

Keep OTAs as a valve, not an identity

Oakridge Distribution

Wayfind Direct

HarborStack CRS

Ratewatch Agent

The next hotel starts from what you leave

Describe your job

Join as a supplier

Record a result

What is actually on fire

Two or three paths — with the give

Contribution-after-commission math + brand.com path

50% direct slogan

Hold and split last 90 days by contribution

Write the fail in one sentence

Pull the last 7 days of the live number

Name who owns the workaround today (desk,

Walk one peak hour

Ask vendors the worksheet questions

Pick one approach

Run the smallest test that would change Mo

Questions, red flags, bands

Score the call. Keep it on this browser.

The brief

See net contribution, not share

Fix the path before you buy the media

Move mix in steps with a hold

Keep OTAs as a valve, not an identity

Tradeoffs

Ranked for this job

Agencies & contractors

Systems

AI agents

Fit first. Then the contract.

When to pick whom

Hotels on this job

Peer case studies

Nine points of mix, occupancy held

Nearby jobs

Fit first. Then the contract.