Booking.com (BKNG) is the best executor in online travel. While Airbnb owns "Home Shares," Booking owns "Hotels," specifically in Europe.
The thesis is Efficiency. Booking spends billions on Google Ads, but they convert that traffic better than anyone else. They are a "Performance Marketing Machine" that extracts a toll (15-20% commission) on global travel.
Product Deep Dive: The Connected Trip
1. Booking.com
- The Product: The world's largest hotel engine.
- The Moat: European Fragmentation. In the US, big chains (Marriott/Hilton) dominate. In Europe, small boutique hotels dominate. These small hotels need Booking.com to find customers. Booking has the inventory no one else has.
- Genius Loyalty Program: Instant discounts for tiered members. Simple and effective.
2. Agoda & Priceline
- The Assets: Agoda dominates Asia. Priceline serves the US discount market.
- The Strategy: Geographic diversification.
3. The "Connected Trip" (Fintech)
- The Vision: Booking your Flight + Hotel + Taxi + Tickets in one cart.
- Merchant Model: Booking is handling more payments directly (Merchant of Record), allowing them to bundle these items and capture more share of wallet.
The Business Model
- Agency vs. Merchant: Historically an "Agency" (pay at hotel). Moving to "Merchant" (pay now). This improves cash flow and allows for bundling.
- Margins: 30%+ Operating Margins. One of the most profitable companies in tech.
- Buybacks: A "Cannibal" stock. They aggressively eat their own shares.
Risks
- Google: Google Travel is the top-of-funnel gatekeeper. If Google prioritizes its own hotel finder over Booking links, CAC rises.
- AI Search: If users start asking ChatGPT "Plan a trip to Italy," the manual search engine model could be disrupted.
- Regulation: Europe's DMA (Digital Markets Act) targets "Gatekeepers." Booking is under scrutiny.
Conclusion
Booking is a "Quality Compounder." It grows with global GDP and travel, protected by a massive supply moat in Europe and Asia.