If you’d like more international guests discovering your property – and not only through word of mouth or local sites – you need to show up where they search. For millions of travellers, especially from Asia, that place is Agoda.
Agoda and NightsBridge work together to make that visibility easy for small and medium accommodation businesses, without adding a mountain of admin.
Who is Agoda and why do guests love it?
Agoda started in 2005 and has grown into one of the world’s leading online travel platforms. It lists more than 4.2 million hotels, homes and unique stays in over 200 markets. The platform is part of Booking Holdings, the group behind Booking.com, Priceline, KAYAK, Rentalcars.com and OpenTable.
From a traveller’s point of view, Agoda is attractive because it:
- Offers an all‑in‑one app where they can book hotels, homes, flights and activities.
- Works in 39 languages, backed by 24/7 support in multiple time zones.
- Shows millions of verified guest reviews so they can book with confidence.
It’s especially strong in Asia–Pacific, with offices across 20 markets from Thailand and Indonesia to Japan, China and India. That’s important if you’re in South Africa or another long‑haul destination and want to reach guests who don’t start their search on local sites.
Why Agoda is worth paying attention to.
Global travel into South Africa and similar destinations is picking up again, and a growing slice of that comes from Asia. Recent statistics show arrivals from China and Japan rising well above the average growth rate.
Those travellers often discover and book places to stay through platforms they already know and trust. Agoda is one of those. Listing your property there means you’re part of the shortlist they see when they plan:
- An extended holiday that includes South Africa as one stop on a longer trip.
- A once‑in‑a‑lifetime safari or coastal visit.
- A work‑and‑travel mix, where they spend a week working remotely and exploring on either side.
Agoda also has strong coverage in Europe, the United States and other key long‑haul markets, so it’s not only about Asia. Your listing can appear in front of guests browsing from Italy, France, the UK, Germany, the US and more.
How Agoda helps your property.
You don’t have to be a large hotel to benefit from Agoda. Guesthouses, B&Bs, small hotels and self‑catering units also gain from:
More eyes on your listing.
Agoda’s search tools and filters help travellers find exactly what they’re looking for – whether that’s a family‑friendly guesthouse, a central city apartment or a quiet coastal stay. If you’re on the platform, you’re part of those results.
The trust factor.
Agoda surfaces verified reviews and ratings, which makes guests more comfortable booking properties they haven’t heard of before. That matters a lot for independent and smaller businesses.
Repeat and loyalty guests.
Agoda runs its own VIP membership tiers and loyalty programme. When someone books through Agoda and has a good stay at your place, the platform can bring them back again with targeted offers and emails. You get the benefit of repeat business without running your own complex loyalty system.
Support when your guests need it.
Agoda’s multi‑lingual customer service team is there around the clock to help travellers before and during their stay. That extra layer of support can make international guests feel more at ease about booking somewhere new.
What this means for your calendar and revenue
For many properties, Agoda is not about replacing direct bookings or existing channels. It’s about adding another stream of guests that would be hard to reach on your own.
That can help you:
- Smooth out low‑season or mid‑week dips with international bookings.
- Strengthen peak periods with guests who book further in advance.
- Attract travellers who stay longer and spend more while they are with you.
Instead of relying only on one or two markets, you’re giving your property a chance to appear in front of people from all over the world, at different times of the year.
Where Agoda and NightsBridge fit together.
We chose to partner with Agoda because we’ve seen it work for properties like yours. As NightsBridge, we focus on helping you manage your online business in one place. Agoda focuses on bringing more travellers to your door. That’s where Agoda and NightsBridge make a strong combination.
If you’re already on NightsBridge, there’s an added benefit: you don’t have to juggle another calendar manually. Once you’ve created your Agoda account and received your Agoda Hotel ID, you can send that to our connectivity team. We then map your property so that:
- Your rates and availability come from NightsBridge.
- Your Agoda bookings flow back into your NightsBridge calendar.
You still decide on your pricing, policies and allocation. We simply remove the hassle of logging into yet another platform every day to keep things in sync.
If you’re not a NightsBridge client, Agoda is still a powerful channel on its own. You can sign up directly and manage your listing through their extranet or app.
Is Agoda right for your property?
If you’d like a clearer picture of how Agoda fits alongside your website, other OTAs and direct bookings, have a look at our channel management basics for accommodation guide.
Only you can decide which channels make sense for your business, but Agoda is worth serious consideration if:
- You’d like more international guests, especially from Asia and other long‑haul markets.
- Your calendar has gaps in places you’d love to fill, even if local demand is quiet.
- You want to appear on a platform that many frequent travellers already know and trust.
For some properties already full with repeat guests and direct bookings at the rates they’re happy with, it might not add much right now. For many others, though, Agoda is a way to grow without having to become a global marketing expert overnight.
Why we’re comfortable recommending Agoda.
We don’t add a logo to our partner page lightly. When we recommend a partner publicly, it’s because:
- They understand independent accommodation businesses.
- They offer clear terms and reliable payments.
- Their technology connects cleanly with ours so we don’t create extra work for you.
Agoda ticks those boxes. It brings serious global demand, strong tech and solid support to the table. We bring our knowledge of your property and our booking technology. Between Agoda and NightsBridge, you get a practical, proven way to reach more guests online.
Want to know more?
If you’d like to explore Agoda further, you can read more on agoda.com or sign up and start listing your property.
If you’re a NightsBridge client and want to connect your new or existing Agoda listing, just reach out to our connectivity team with your Agoda Hotel ID and we’ll help you join the dots.
You focus on running a great property. Agoda and NightsBridge help more people around the world find it.