From the user's point of view, Booking.com is a horrible cluttered web site with 1990'ish approaches to design, usability and online marketing. I don't trust them at all.
Well, Booking.com (or any other similar site) offers hosts the reach they may otherwise miss.
It is also good if there are many such sites hosts could use as it would then presumably make situation more favorable for them. This is also why I mentioned Booking.com at all, as I do not see and I do not want to see the world in black/white (airbnb/hotel).
Having competition also (usually) helps to keep things more honest.
> From the user's point of view, Booking.com is a horrible cluttered web site with 1990'ish approaches to design, usability and online marketing.
I actually do not mind their design approach.
It is actually quite usable, even better as airbnb as they show the total amount upfront for the search period and not just the pay for a night in what, to be honest, I have no interest in. There are many other small differences that make Booking.com interface more usable for me.
Of course it comes down to personal preferences and this is only my personal opinion.
They deserve competition desperately, either improve or die. The only reason why it's still in existence is they were first, any many people are used to them. But as with all internet technologies, this will change over time.
The customers only check the sites the have seen commercials for and think is reputable. Its in the end a web of trust and the consumer does not trust randoms
Booking.com have a "lowest price guarantee" for online bookings (and from personal experience, do actually honour it), so it's the hosts that bear the costs if Booking.com's commission is higher than other booking portals or agents. Presumably they generate enough bookings for the hosts to find being on there worthwhile though.
Strange because they A/B test literally everything. The site looks the way it does because it sells better that way. You could actually say the same for Amazon then.