How to switch to direct bookings without losing guests
You don't have to leave Booking.com or Airbnb. The goal is for the platforms to bring new guests, and for those guests to come back directly next time, without commission.
A lower price on your own website is now allowed
In May 2024 the European Commission designated Booking.com as a gatekeeper under the Digital Markets Act. Since 14 November 2024, Booking.com may not stop accommodation providers from offering different prices elsewhere, including on their own website (Hospitality ON). Booking.com can still show guests a lower price than yours at its own expense.
Six steps
- A website where booking is as easy as on Booking.com. A calendar with prices, card payment and an email confirmation. If guests have to send an enquiry and wait for a reply, they'll go back to Booking.com.
- A reason to book direct. A lower price, free late check-out or a bottle of local wine on arrival, stated clearly at the top of the page.
- Returning guests. After the stay, send a thank-you and a code for the next stay, but only to guests who agreed to be contacted.
- A card in the apartment. A QR code linking to your website with an offer for next time.
- Your Google profile. A Business Profile with a link to your website, photos and reviews, because many guests search for the property by name.
- Measuring. Track what share of bookings comes direct and how much you've saved.
What to watch out for
Don't move a guest from a booking already made on a platform to paying outside it, as that breaks the platforms' rules. Before sending promotional messages, check that you have the guest's consent, as GDPR requires.
What it's worth
If your platforms turn over €60,000 and one in four bookings moves to direct, you save €2,250 a year at 15% commission. For a small apartment turning over €14,400 it's €540, which is often not enough to pay for a website of its own. Work out your own figures in the savings calculator, and a free demo will show what your website could look like.