---
title: "How to increase direct bookings and depend less on Booking and Airbnb"
url: https://hostdomination.com/en/how-to-increase-direct-bookings-and-depend-less-on-booking-and-airbnb/
date: 2026-08-27
modified: 2026-08-27
lang: en
author: "Marco Livio"
description: "Booking.com, Airbnb, and other OTAs are extremely useful tools for gaining visibility and reaching new travelers. For many accommodation facilities, they represent one of the main channels for acquiring bookings...."
categories:
  - "Host, B&B, Hotel"
image: https://hostdomination.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/Come-aumentare-le-prenotazioni-dirette-e-dipendere-meno-da-Booking-e-Airbnb-1-1024x576.webp
word_count: 2273
---

# How to increase direct bookings and depend less on Booking and Airbnb

Booking.com, Airbnb, and other OTAs are extremely useful tools for gaining visibility and reaching new travelers. For many accommodation facilities, they represent one of the main channels for acquiring bookings.

The problem arises when **they become the only way for guests to book**.

Commissions, less control over the relationship with the customer and a strong dependence on the algorithms of the platforms can progressively reduce the margins of the structure.

For this reason, more and more owners of holiday homes, B&Bs, tourist apartments and small hotels are trying to increase **direct bookings**.

The goal should not necessarily be to abandon Booking or Airbnb.

The most effective strategy is to turn OTAs into an acquisition channel and build a system that allows guests to **book directly from your website**.

Let's see how to do it.

## What are direct bookings?

A direct booking is when the guest books a property without using an intermediary such as Booking.com, Airbnb, Expedia, or other OTAs.

The reservation can be made through:

- the official website of the structure;

- a booking engine;

- telephone;

- email;

- WhatsApp;

- social networks;

- customers who have already stayed in the structure.

The most interesting and scalable channel is generally the **website with an integrated booking engine**.

In this way, the guest can check availability, choose the dates, indicate the number of people and possibly pay directly online.

## Why increase direct bookings

Increasing the number of direct bookings allows you to have more control over your business first of all.

### Reduce OTA fees

One of the most obvious advantages concerns the commissions.

When a booking arrives through an intermediary platform, a portion of the amount is normally retained in the form of a commission or distribution cost.

With a direct booking, however, the property can keep a larger percentage of the value of the reservation.

This does not necessarily mean eliminating all costs completely.

However, the following may be present:

- payment gateway fees;

- booking engine costs;

- website costs;

- advertising investments.

The difference is that these costs can be more easily controlled and optimized.

### Create a direct relationship with the guest

When the guest books directly, the property can handle much of the communication themselves.

This allows you to build a closer relationship with the customer and can facilitate:

- special requests;

- upselling;

- additional services;

- offers for future stays;

- loyalty.

A satisfied guest who has already stayed at the property should be incentivized, whenever possible, to book directly the next time.

### Have more control over your brand

On OTAs, all properties are presented within the same environment.

On your website, however, you can completely decide:

- photographs;

- texts;

- content arrangement;

- offers;

- services;

- conditions;

- booking methods.

The site therefore becomes not only a showcase, but a real **proprietary commercial channel**.

## Don't delete Booking and Airbnb: use them strategically

One of the most common mistakes is thinking that increasing direct bookings necessarily means abandoning Booking.com or Airbnb.

This is not the case.

OTAs can continue to play a fundamental function: **bringing in new customers who do not yet know the structure**.

A traveler could find an apartment on Booking for the first time, stay there and then search for the name of the property on Google.

At that moment the official website becomes fundamental.

The ideal strategy can therefore be:

**OTA → new customer → positive experience → direct relationship → future booking from the official website.**

In this way, Booking and Airbnb become acquisition tools instead of being the only sales channel available.

## 1. Create a professional website for your property

The first element needed to get direct bookings is a website.

But simply having a site is not enough.

A site dedicated to an accommodation facility should allow the user to immediately find some fundamental information:

- where the structure is located;

- which rooms or apartments are available;

- photographs;

- prices;

- services;

- reviews;

- cancellation policies;

- contact methods;

- availability.

Above all, it must be obvious **how to book**.

The "Book" or "Check availability" button should be easily accessible from both desktop and smartphone.

## 2. Install a booking engine on the site

If you really want to increase direct bookings, one of the most important tools is the **booking engine**.

A booking engine allows the guest to carry out operations such as:

- select check-in and check-out;

- indicate the number of guests;

- check availability;

- consult the price;

- enter your data;

- send the request or pay online.

In practice, it allows you to transform a normal website into a real booking system.

For those who use WordPress, there are several plugins that allow you to integrate a booking engine directly into the site.

The ideal solution should also allow synchronization with OTA calendars.

## 3. Sync Airbnb, Booking, and website via iCal

One of the biggest concerns for hosts starting to accept direct bookings is double bookings.

If a night is booked on the official website, it must also be blocked on the other platforms.

For relatively simple structures, you can use **iCal** synchronization.

The system allows different calendars to exchange information on busy dates.

For example:

**Booking.com → site calendar**

**Airbnb → site calendar**

and at the same time:

**official website → Airbnb / Booking**

This allows new bookings to automatically block dates on other channels.

However, it's important to remember that iCal isn't always an instant sync.

For more complex tasks or tasks with many units, it may be preferable to use a **channel manager**.

## 4. Offer a direct booker benefit

Why would a customer book on your website instead of using Booking or Airbnb?

There must be a clear answer.

The price does not necessarily have to be much lower.

You can offer other benefits, such as:

- best available rate;

- free late check-out;

- early check-in;

- parking included;

- welcome bottle;

- more flexible cancellation;

- small discount;

- Free extra service.

A simple phrase like:

**"Book from the official website to get the best conditions available"**

It can already help communicate the direct booking benefit.

## 5. Get your site found on Google

The site must be easily identifiable especially by those who already know the name of the structure.

Try Googling:

**Property name + city**

The official website should be clearly recognizable.

It is also helpful to work on SEO by creating pages and content related to the destination.

For example, a vacation rental in Fiumicino might publish guides such as:

- where to sleep near Fiumicino airport;

- how to reach Rome from the airport;

- best restaurants in Fiumicino;

- what to see in Fiumicino;

- beaches near Rome;

- parking near Fiumicino airport.

This content can intercept potential guests before they even start searching for a property on OTAs.

## 6. Curate your Google profile

For many local businesses, Google is one of the most important channels.

A well-curated Google listing allows users to find:

- position;

- photographs;

- reviews;

- website;

- telephone;

- directions.

Whenever possible, take the user from the Google tab directly to the official website.

In this way, a person who searches for the name of the property can go from Google to the booking without necessarily opening an OTA.

## 7. Turn current guests into future customers

One of the most powerful tools for getting direct bookings is the database of guests who have already stayed at the property.

Those who have already had a positive experience are far ahead in the decision-making process than a completely new customer.

You can then remind guests that for future stays they can check availability directly from the site.

The message can be inserted, for example:

- in the post-stay email;

- in the thank you message;

- in a card in the structure;

- on the Wi-Fi welcome page;

- in communications subsequent to the stay.

The goal is simple:

**the first booking can come from Booking, the second should have the possibility to arrive directly.**

## 8. Use email and WhatsApp

Email and WhatsApp can become extremely effective tools for turning requests into bookings.

A potential guest may contact you directly asking:

"Do you have availability from 15 to 18 August?"

Instead of managing everything manually, you can send the direct link to the booking page.

For example:

**"Yes, we have availability. You can check the price and book directly here."**

This reduces the exchange of messages and allows the customer to complete the booking independently.

## 9. Use social media to drive traffic to your site

Instagram, Facebook and TikTok can be used not only to show beautiful photographs of the structure.

They can become real acquisition channels.

Each profile should contain a prominent link to the website or booking page.

You can post content about:

- structure;

- rooms;

- swimming pool;

- terrace;

- area;

- restaurants;

- attractions;

- events;

- local experiences.

This way you build an audience that can later turn into direct bookings.

## 10. Create offers dedicated to direct bookings

Another effective method is to create promotions that can only be used on the official website.

For example:

**DIRECT10**

10% discount on bookings made from the site.

Or:

**LONGSTAY**

discount for stays of at least seven nights.

Discount codes are also especially useful for guests who have already stayed at the property.

## 11. Make online payment simple

Each additional step during booking can reduce conversion.

If possible, allow guests to pay or leave a deposit directly during the booking process.

The most widely used systems normally allow payments by card and other digital methods.

An ideal process should be:

**Dates → guests → price → → payment → confirmation.**

The simpler the process, the lower the risk of the customer abandoning the booking.

## 12. Show reviews and signs of trust

One of the great advantages of OTAs is trust.

The user knows Booking and Airbnb and knows that thousands of people use these platforms on a daily basis.

An independent site must therefore compensate for this difference through reliability signals.

You can show:

- guest reviews;

- average rating;

- real photographs;

- address;

- contacts;

- cancellation policies;

- secure payments;

- Booking conditions.

The visitor must immediately understand that he is booking on **the official website of the facility**.

## 13. Optimize the site for smartphones

A large portion of travel searches are done from mobile devices.

The booking process must therefore be simple even from a smartphone.

Check above all:

- site speed;

- size of the buttons;

- legibility;

- calendar;

- form fields;

- checkout page.

A booking engine that is perfect on desktop but difficult to use on smartphones can cause a significant amount of bookings to be lost.

## 14. Measure where bookings come from

You can't improve what you don't measure.

You should know at least how many bookings come from:

- Booking;

- Airbnb;

- website;

- Google;

- social media;

- regular customers;

- phone or WhatsApp.

Let's say a property receives 100 bookings in a year:

- 60 Booking;

- 25 Airbnb;

- 10 site;

- 5 other channels.

The goal could be to progressively bring direct bookings from 10% to 20%, then to 30%.

You don't need to completely change your deployment model in a matter of weeks.

Disintermediation is generally a gradual process.

## Direct bookings and OTAs can coexist

The most balanced strategy is therefore not to see Booking and Airbnb as enemies.

They are distribution channels.

The real risk is to depend completely on a single intermediary.

A more robust system could consist of:

**Booking + Airbnb + official website + Google + regular customers + social media.**

If one of the channels loses visibility, increases commissions or changes its conditions, the structure still has alternatives.

## Where to start

For those starting from scratch, the path can be very simple.

### Step 1

Create a professional official website.

### Step 2

Integrate a booking engine.

### Step 3

Sync your calendars with Airbnb and Booking.

### Step 4

Allow payments or direct booking requests.

### Step 5

Optimize your site for Google.

### Step 6

Incentivize old customers to book directly.

### Step 7

Progressively measure the percentage of direct bookings.

You don't need to get 100% of your bookings from your own site.

Progressively shifting a part of bookings from OTAs to the direct channel can also have a major impact on the profitability of the property.

## Conclusion

Booking.com and Airbnb remain very powerful tools for gaining visibility, especially when a property is new or still little known.

But relying completely on OTAs means building your business on platforms belonging to other companies.

A website, a booking engine and a direct acquisition strategy, on the other hand, allow you to progressively build a **proprietary sales channel**.

The most effective strategy is not necessarily to choose between Booking, Airbnb and direct bookings.

It is using each channel for what it does best.

OTAs can bring you new customers.

Your site should turn them into direct customers over time.

---

## FAQ

### How to increase direct bookings for a vacation rental?

You can increase direct bookings by creating an official website with a booking engine, working on SEO, using Google and social networks and incentivizing regular guests to book directly.

### Do you need a booking engine to receive direct bookings?

It is not mandatory, but it is strongly recommended. A booking engine allows guests to check availability and prices and complete the booking independently from the site.

### Can I sync my site with Airbnb and Booking?

Yes. Many booking systems allow you to synchronize calendars through iCal. For structures with more complex needs, a channel manager can be used.

### Is it worth deleting Booking and Airbnb?

Not necessarily. OTAs can be great tools for acquiring new customers. A more balanced strategy is to use them in conjunction with your official website.

### How do you convince a guest to book directly?

You can offer direct booking benefits, such as affordable rates, more flexible policies, late check-out, additional services, or discount codes.

### What is the main benefit of direct bookings?

The main benefit is having more control over the customer relationship, business strategy, and booking acquisition costs.