What are direct bookings?
June 2026
What can you expect from 2025? It’s sure to be a big year for the holiday rental industry. We take a look at events to watch out for, trends to keep on top of, and everything you need to know to keep your business at its best during the year ahead.
Differences between direct and indirect bookings
When a customer makes a direct booking, they reserve a stay at your holiday rental by contacting you, either through your website, over the phone, or via email. This is in contrast to indirect bookings, which are made through websites for holiday rentals, like Airbnb and Booking.com.
The difference between direct and indirect bookings isn’t just semantics. In fact, there are a couple of very important reasons why direct bookings are so valuable to holiday rental landlords:
Saving money
One of the best benefits is that you don’t pay a commission on direct bookings. Whenever a guest books through a holiday rental platform, you’ll lose some of their fees to a commission. The commission is as low as 3% on some sites, but it can be 15% or more on others. Regardless, it soon adds up and cuts into your profits.
Collecting data
You’ll have access to your customer’s contact information when they book with you directly. Most holiday rental platforms hide guests’ email addresses and phone numbers. With direct bookings, you can stay in contact with your guests, which has the potential to increase repeat customers.
Creating a holiday rental website
The first step in getting more direct bookings is to create a website through which guests can book. Your own website should be a solid reflection of your holiday rental brand. You won’t be limited by the constraints of a holiday rental platform, which has its own particular format to follow. This allows you the freedom to create a website containing detailed information about your rental, with as many photos and videos as you like.
You’ll be more likely to get direct bookings if you have a really good website, the kind that makes guests dream of what’s waiting for them if they rent your house for the holidays. Here are some things to consider adding the following:
- An “about us” page with a short bio explaining your passion for your property.
- Post a photo gallery, perhaps with some videos.
- Create a guide to local attractions.
- Make a list of cross-selling and upselling promotions you offer, such as guided tours, spa treatments, cookery classes, and so on.
- Add verified reviews from former guests.
- Maintain a blog and regularly post new articles.
- Have a dedicated booking page.
Safe, easy direct bookings for guests
Think about why guests tend to book through holiday rental platforms. There are three things to consider:
- They can look at multiple properties easily.
- The booking process is simple.
- They can trust that they are not being scammed.
Well, your website can’t help with the first of those, but you can certainly work on the second and third. A simple booking process and secure payment options go a long way to reassuring guests and encouraging them to make direct bookings.
To encourage people to rent your holiday home, consider implementing some kind of easy-to-use booking form. Many guests don’t want to go through the rigmarole of sending emails back and forth to rent a holiday apartment. The fewer steps involved, the more likely guests are to complete the booking. Offer a few secure payment methods, such as PayPal, cards, and bank transfers.
To maximise direct bookings, your site should be clear and professional. Using safe, trusted payment providers like PayPal and Wise is an excellent choice. If your website seems in any way dodgy or unprofessional, guests may see it as a red flag and avoid booking with you.
List your property on Google
Wondering how to increase direct bookings? Google may well be the answer. Many travellers use search engines for holiday homes rather than platforms like Airbnb. When they click on the link from your business’ Google profile, it’ll take them straight to your website, where they can make a direct booking.
There are two areas where you can list your property on Google: Google Vacation Rentals and Google My Business. The first one is specifically designed for holiday rental searches. Guests can filter their searches by amenities and services, so you should fill out your profile, ticking the appropriate boxes for everything that your property offers.
Google My Business is, as the name suggests, for all kinds of businesses. With a GMB profile, your property will appear on Google Maps, so it’s an extremely handy tool if you want to increase direct bookings.
Remember, guests can leave reviews on your Google profiles, which will have a strong impact on whether other travellers book with you. Be sure to encourage departing guests to write a review, and it’s important to respond quickly to all reviews you receive. Be gracious when replying to positive reviews and apologetic for negative ones.
Advertise your holiday home on social media
Another excellent strategy to increase direct bookings for holiday apartments and homes is to use social media. You can set up links from your social media accounts straight to your website or even your booking page.
Each social media network has its own particular user base, and the best marketing strategies will vary from one platform to the next. For example, Facebook is still a good choice if you’re looking for slightly older guests, while TikTok is the best option for hosts who want to attract Generation Z.
Maintain profiles for your property on a number of different social media sites. Update regularly with photos and stories, and be sure to interact with people who comment.
Reward your loyal customers
Repeat customers are often the best customers. You don’t need to chase them down — they already know about your property, they like it, and they’re happy to return.
What’s more, repeat customers are more likely to make direct bookings, which is great news for you. To encourage them, consider running some kind of loyalty programme. The easiest way to do this is to offer a discount for returning customers. It doesn’t have to be huge. A small reduction in prices is often enough to keep happy guests coming back year after year.
Use email marketing
An email newsletter can be a powerful tool for directing customers to your website, and it can encourage more direct bookings. You’ll have to handle it well, though. Your emails should never come across as a sales pitch, and they shouldn’t be too frequent, or people will view them as spam. Instead, send thoughtful, interesting emails to your mailing list once a month or so.
Your emails may direct readers to your new blog posts instead of straight to your booking page. However, once they’re on your website, it should be easy enough for them to make a direct booking.