A data-driven analysis of Black Friday’s impact on visibility, conversion, and revenue across THN client hotels
04, Dec 2025
Black Friday continues to be one of the most influential moments of the year for hotel direct channel performance, driving shifts in traveler behavior that extend well beyond a single weekend. As guest expectations evolve, Black Friday has become more than just a promotional event. It is now a strategic opportunity for hotels to boost visibility, capture intent and convert high-value demand.
As the 2025 Black Friday promotional period comes to an end, The Hotels Network (THN) has carried out a detailed analysis to understand exactly how this key marketing moment shaped hotel website performance. By comparing website activity and booking behavior from the two weeks leading up to and including Black Friday (November 18th to December 2nd) with the two-week period from the previous month (October 18th to November 2nd), clear patterns highlight the real impact of these seasonal campaigns.
This year’s report examined the direct channel performance of 1,982 THN clients around the world, comparing results between hotels that launched dedicated Black Friday campaigns on their website and those that did not. The differences were clear. From booking growth to conversion improvements and revenue gains, the data reveals how powerful a well-timed Black Friday strategy can be and why hotels that choose not to participate risk missing out on a surge of high-intent demand.
One of the strongest indicators of Black Friday’s influence on the direct channel is its impact on confirmed bookings.
Hotels running dedicated Black Friday campaigns achieved a 30.8% increase in direct bookings, clearly benefiting from heightened seasonal interest and well-timed messaging that encourages users through the booking process.
In contrast, hotels that did not promote Black Friday offers saw only a 2.8% increase in direct bookings, suggesting that passive participation is no longer enough to capture traveler intent during this competitive period.
Comparing results from Nov. 18th - Dec. 2nd, 2025 to Oct. 18th - Nov. 2nd, 2025
This comparison highlights a simple takeaway. Hotels that promote targeted Black Friday offers are far better positioned to convert website visitors into direct bookings.
The two weeks leading up to Black Friday revealed a strong distinction in visibility and guest engagement between hotels that launched campaigns and those that did not.
Hotels with Black Friday promotions saw a 4.6% increase in unique visitors, while non-participating hotels experienced a 4.4% decrease. This indicates that Black Friday offers not only capture attention but also attract new visitors who might not have otherwise considered the property.
Comparing results from Nov. 18th - Dec. 2nd, 2025 to Oct. 18th - Nov. 2nd, 2025
Engagement within booking engines showed an even more pronounced difference.
Hotels running campaigns on their website experienced a 16.2% increase in visitors initiating a search, compared to a 3.6% increase for non-campaign hotels.
Comparing results from Nov. 18th - Dec. 2nd, 2025 to Oct. 18th - Nov. 2nd, 2025
This takeaway signals that Black Friday creates a natural moment of intent, and hotels that participate can expect greater mid-funnel engagement and higher potential to move users further through the booking funnel.
The conversion insights this year show a clear advantage for hotels that actively promoted campaigns.
Across their websites, hotels running campaigns saw a 21.3% improvement in overall conversion rates, while non-participants only experienced a 5.9% improvement over the same period.
Comparing results from Nov. 18th - Dec. 2nd, 2025 to Oct. 18th - Nov. 2nd, 2025
The difference becomes even more striking when looking specifically at booking engine conversion.
Hotels running dedicated website campaigns achieved a 56.6% increase, demonstrating that seasonal messaging during this period is most impactful when guests are already close to making a decision.
Hotels without campaigns, in comparison, experienced a 0.6% decrease in booking engine conversion rates, reinforcing how critical it is to capitalize on this period of heightened intent.
Comparing results from Nov. 18th - Dec. 2nd, 2025 to Oct. 18th - Nov. 2nd, 2025
A common concern among hoteliers is that Black Friday discounts could reduce profitability. This year’s results show the opposite.
Hotels running Black Friday campaigns on their website achieved a 56.3% increase in average revenue per user, a significant uplift that reflects stronger purchase intent and greater interest in premium options or longer stays.
Hotels that did not participate consequently experienced an 8% decrease, indicating that without targeted offers, many hotels struggled to maintain booking value during this competitive period.
Comparing results from Nov. 18th - Dec. 2nd, 2025 to Oct. 18th - Nov. 2nd, 2025
The impact on total direct revenue was equally significant.
Campaign hotels saw a 60.5% increase in direct revenue, while non-participating hotels recorded only a 4.4% increase.
Comparing results from Nov. 18th - Dec. 2nd, 2025 to Oct. 18th - Nov. 2nd, 2025
These results confirm that targeted Black Friday offers do not erode booking value. When designed strategically, they increase both the number of direct reservations and the revenue generated from each one.
This year’s findings clearly show the strength of Black Friday as a driver of direct channel growth. Hotels that launched dedicated campaigns saw higher visibility, stronger engagement, better conversion rates and significantly greater direct revenue compared to those that did not participate.
Travelers enter the season actively searching for offers and ready to book. Hotels that respond with targeted, well-timed campaigns capture this demand, while those without promotions risk missing an important window of opportunity. As hotels look ahead, the message is simple. Black Friday is no longer just a promotional event, it’s a strategic moment that can influence direct bookings and revenue in a meaningful way. Looking ahead, hotels can use these learnings to tap into other high-intent moments throughout the year, from Valentine’s Day to Mother’s Day and beyond, ensuring they continue to capture demand and strengthen their direct channel performance.
