For a limited time, the American Society of Travel Advisors (ASTA) is publicly posting its Hotel Watch List, which identifies properties that have been reported for not paying travel advisor commissions.
ASTA previously announced the launch of its Report a Hotel tool, which is available exclusively for ASTA members. ASTA has made the list public through March 13 in an effort to help the organization reach its 2026 goal of recovering $100,000 in hotel commissions. Thus far, ASTA has recovered $15,000 in lost commissions.
If a hotel does not want to be publicly identified for poor commission practices, the solution is straightforward: Resolve the issue and pay what is owed.
Our Analysis: More Pressure on Bad Actors and More Advisor Engagement Can Help Move the Needle.
Despite being the main way most advisors earn money from their work, commissions are not a given. From non-commissionable fares in cruising to hotels that simply do not pay advisors their portion of a hotel booking, it’s the nature of the business that advisors have to track commissions — and learn the hard way which suppliers to avoid — just to get paid what they are owed.
But ASTA hopes it doesn’t have to be this way anymore. By publicly pressuring the worst offenders, the organization hopes to strengthen supplier accountability and recover more lost commissions — but advisor engagement is key.
Fast Facts: There Are 14 Hotels on the Hotel Watch List.
- ASTA’s Hotel Watch List names properties reported by ASTA members that have not paid a commission 45 days or more following completion of the client’s hotel stay.
- ASTA notifies hotels in writing of the advisor complaint and then provides an opportunity to resolve the commission issue through ASTA’s dispute resolution process.
- If a hotel tenders payment to the advisor within 30 days, it is not added to the Watch List.
- As of publishing this story, there are 14 hotels on the list, including Coco Reef Bermuda; Hotel Manzoni in Milan; The Captain Cook Hotel in Anchorage; and The High Line Hotel in New York.
What They Are Saying: Commissions Earned Are Commissions Owed.
“Commissions earned are commissions owed, period,” said Zane Kerby, president and CEO of ASTA. “Our members should not have to chase money they are contractually due. By making the Watch List public, we are increasing pressure where pressure is warranted and reinforcing a simple standard across the industry: Pay advisors on time. If a hotel does not want to be publicly identified for poor commission practices, the solution is straightforward: Resolve the issue and pay what is owed.”
“Transparency drives better behavior,” said Peter Lobasso, senior vice president and general counsel of ASTA. “When commission issues go unreported, patterns of behavior among some hoteliers are allowed to persist. Publishing the Watch List sends a clear message that timely commission payment is not optional. It is fundamental to healthy advisor–supplier relationships.”
