Hotels are losing control over room pricing and inventory as fragmented B2B distribution systems weaken revenue management, reduce pricing consistency, and slow responses to market demand. Patricia Rosselló, CEO of Roibos, said hotels lose oversight once rates move through multiple intermediaries and disconnected reseller networks.

“Distribution today is super fragmented in the B2B space,” Rosselló said. “You've got multiple systems, different technologies, tons of partners, and then a whole chain of redistribution that's honestly quite hard to track.”

Rosselló said transparency failures remain the industry’s biggest operational weakness because hotels often lose visibility after rates leave direct systems.

“Even if a hotel sets clear conditions at the start, once that rate enters the B2B space, control just gets diluted, and that's where the lack of transparency becomes a real issue,” she said.

She added that “without full visibility, hotels can't really make informed decisions. They can't properly optimize, and they definitely can't protect their pricing strategy.”

Roibos said API-led distribution models are gaining traction because they support faster rate updates, more direct inventory access, and reduced reliance on layered reseller networks.

Rosselló outlined four barriers preventing wider adoption of direct contracting: relationship management costs, onboarding complexity, outdated systems, and cross-border payment challenges.

She said onboarding partners, mapping content, and updating inventory across disconnected systems can quickly become inefficient and expensive.

Cross-border payments and foreign exchange also remain difficult because “currency risk, reconciliation, different payment terms, different payment methods” add operational friction to direct relationships, Rosselló said.

Despite these challenges, Roibos said the industry is moving towards more transparent and direct distribution structures.

“What we see now is more of a transition phase where new technologies and marketplaces like Roibos are starting to break down those barriers,” Rosselló said.

When asked which inefficiency she would remove first, Rosselló pointed to transparency failures across the distribution chain.

“When you don't have visibility, you lose control, and when you lose control, you start losing market share, market consistency, and ultimately trust,” she said.

Rosselló warned hotels relying on outdated distribution systems risk weaker pricing discipline and declining competitiveness across the travel market.