Direct bookings for your holiday rental: how to rely less on the platforms
Direct bookings save you Airbnb and Booking.com commission. How to get them with your own website, keep guests coming back and stop dates clashing.
If you have a holiday apartment or a country house, almost all your bookings probably come through Airbnb or Booking.com. They help people find you, but every booking carries commission, they set the rules and the guest is, in a way, the platform's. Your own website with direct bookings does not replace the platforms: it complements them and gives you room to breathe.
Why have direct bookings
- Returning guests: people who stayed with you can book directly next time.
- Referrals: better to send people who were recommended to you to your website than to a platform showing them other properties.
- Less commission on those bookings.
- Your image: your own website looks professional and gives you space to tell what makes your place special.
- Less dependence: if a platform changes its rules or algorithm, you do not lose everything.
The big problem: the calendar
If you list on several sites, a booking on one has to block those dates on the others. That is why doing it by hand is the perfect recipe for a double booking.
The usual solution is syncing calendars using calendar links (iCal) that Airbnb and Booking.com let you export and import. That way, your website reads the dates booked on the platforms and the platforms read the dates booked on your website.
An honest warning: this sync is not instant. Calendars update every so often (usually every few hours). That is what makes it possible without paying for monthly management software; if you have many properties and high turnover, a paid channel manager may be worth it.
What your website needs for direct bookings
- Good, real photos of every space.
- What the place offers: beds, kitchen, wifi, parking, pets…
- Location and what is nearby.
- House rules, check-in and check-out times.
- Visible availability and simple booking, with no account needed.
- Tourist licence number, where local rules require it in advertising.
- FAQs, ideally in the languages your guests speak.
How to get more direct bookings
- At the end of each stay, invite guests to book directly next time.
- Also put your website on your Google profile and social media.
- Then include the website in the welcome material you leave in the property.
- Offer something of your own to direct bookers (a welcome bottle, late check-out), as long as the terms of the platforms you use allow it.
What direct bookings through your website cost
At Nueva Página, a holiday rental website with direct bookings and a calendar synced with Airbnb and Booking.com costs €899 + VAT where applicable, as a one-off payment, initial setup included. Everything on the website for holiday rentals page.
How to tell whether direct bookings pay off
At the end of each season, count the nights that came through your website. Then work out what they would have cost in platform commission. That figure is what the website has saved you. Also note how many of those guests were returning or recommended: they respond best.
If almost nobody uses your website to book, check the basics: that the website appears on your Business Profile, that booking is simple on a phone and that guests know it exists. On the other hand, keep the calendars properly connected; Airbnb explains in its help centre how to sync your calendar with other websites. And if you worry about clashing dates, see how to avoid double bookings. Every direct booking is a guest who is a little more yours.
Frequently asked questions
Do I have to leave Airbnb or Booking.com?
No. The usual approach is to stay on the platforms and add direct bookings.
Could two people book the same dates?
The risk exists in the window between syncs. You reduce it by blocking near dates in advance or checking last-minute bookings.
Can I take payment on my website?
You can integrate payment, although many owners prefer to confirm the booking and take payment by bank transfer or on arrival.
Is the Airbnb and Booking.com setup included?
Yes. With the Nueva Página holiday rental website I connect the calendar in your accounts, without you touching anything technical. See website for holiday rentals.