Affiliate Disclosure

tags: [legal, affiliate, commission, disclosure]

Created: 2026-02-27 00:01:07 UTC

Last Updated: 2026-03-01 02:32 UTC

OpenPublic Networks LLC d/b/a HotelScope

Effective Date: [PLACEHOLDER — insert date before going live]

Overview

This disclosure is provided in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) guidelines under 16 C.F.R. Part 255, which require transparency when there is a material connection between a recommender and a recommended product or service.

How HotelScope Makes Money

HotelScope is a free service for travelers. We generate revenue in the following ways:

1. Agency Commissions (Primary Revenue)

When you complete a hotel booking through HotelScope, we earn a commission from the hotel or accommodation supplier. This commission is paid by the Supplier — not by you — and is built into the rate you see. The price you pay is not increased by HotelScope's commission.

Suppliers we work with may include:

Hotels and accommodation properties directly
Global Distribution Systems (GDS) such as Amadeus
Accommodation technology platforms such as liteAPI

2. Referral / Affiliate Links

The Service may display links to third-party booking platforms (such as hotel brand websites, other OTAs, or booking aggregators). When you click one of these links and complete a booking, HotelScope may receive a referral fee or affiliate commission from that third party.

These affiliate links are identified where practical (e.g., labeled as "Book on [Provider Name]" or similar). If you have questions about whether a specific link is an affiliate link, contact us.

3. No Sponsored Search Results (Currently)

HotelScope does not currently sell sponsored search rankings or paid placement in search results. Results are ranked based on algorithmic factors (relevance, availability, pricing). If we introduce paid placements in the future, we will disclose them clearly.

Does This Affect Our Recommendations?

We strive to provide you with accurate, unbiased hotel information and search results. Our goal is to surface the best options for your search criteria.

Our commercial relationships with Suppliers may influence which hotels appear on the platform (we can only show hotels available through our data sources), but we do not rank hotels based on which ones pay us the most commission.

We are transparent about:

Where pricing data comes from (data source attributions)
When you are being redirected to a third-party site to complete a booking
When alternative providers are displayed that may earn us a referral fee

Your Rights

You are under no obligation to book through HotelScope. You may book directly with the hotel at the hotel's own website, which may offer different pricing or terms.

Contact Us

For questions about our commercial relationships or this disclosure: