Vacation Rental Direct Booking: What Your Own Website Needs

Why book guests directly at all?

Every stay booked through a listing site pays its fee. A guest who comes back, or finds you by name, can book on your own site instead - and you keep the relationship, their email, and more of the money.

What does a direct booking site need?

• A calendar that's always right: synced with Airbnb and VRBO so a night booked there is taken on your site too.
• Rates that change: by season, weekend or night, with cleaning fees.
• Taxes: the lodging taxes your area charges, added to each stay.
• A rental agreement guests read and agree to before they book.
• Payment by card, into your own account.

Will guests trust a site that isn't a listing?

They will if it looks cared for: real photos, the reviews guests have left you, clear house rules, and a person to write to. Linking to your listings' reviews helps, too.

How do you get guests to book direct?

Start with the guests you already have: a card in the house with your site's address, a QR code on the fridge, and a note after each stay. Returning guests are the easiest direct bookings there are.

See one working

Half Dome Hideaway, a cabin near Yosemite, has a site of its own - its photos, guests' reviews, things to do nearby and its calendar. Vacation rental sites come with the same pieces, booking and payment included.

See what your website is missing

Give us your website's address and we'll rebuild its home page, free, with a short report on what it's missing.