Hilton Touts Direct-Booking Gains But Sees OTA Backlash

Since the February launch of its 'Stop Clicking Around' campaign, Hilton Worldwide has seen its mobile app downloads rise, loyalty program enrollment surge and direct bookings increase 10 percent year over year. It also has seen a "couple" of online travel agencies de-preference its hotels in search results and showcase only "very basic" Hilton listings, vice president of global OTA and wholesale Stephen Fitzgerald said this week during the New York University International Hospitality Industry Investment Conference in New York.