Direct bookings: how to rely less on Airbnb and Booking.com

Direct bookings are every host's dream, whether you rent out a villa, a gîte or a guest house: a traveller who finds you, contacts you and books without going through a platform. Airbnb and Booking.com remain useful to get noticed, but they take a commission on every stay and put you in direct competition with hundreds of other listings. Here is how to win more direct bookings for your vacation rental, step by step, without dropping the platforms overnight.

The real cost of platforms

Booking platforms offer huge visibility. In exchange, they take a commission on every booking, paid by you, by the guest, or by both. The exact rate depends on the platform and your settings: check the terms of your accounts to know yours.

Beyond the money, there is a less visible cost:

• You do not own the relationship. The guest is the platform's customer before being yours.
• You are compared all the time. Your listing appears next to dozens of others, often sorted by price.
• You depend on rules you do not set. A change in algorithm or terms can make your bookings drop.

The goal is not to leave the platforms, but to stop depending on them. Every direct booking is one commission less and a guest who can come back.

Building your own audience

To receive direct bookings, travellers need to know you before they start searching for accommodation. That is the whole point: to exist outside the platforms.

Social media is now the best place to do it. Travellers discover their future destinations there weeks before booking. A place that appears in their feed and makes them dream becomes a destination in its own right. People no longer just book accommodation: they come to experience your place.

Video as your shop window

To build that audience, nothing beats video. A photo shows a bedroom, a film makes people feel a stay: coffee on the terrace, a swim at sunset, the calm of the garden.

The example of Riad O'Zeen in Marrakech shows it well. After its film was shared on social media, the riad totalled more than 108,400 views and received a sharp rise in private messages asking to book direct, without going through the usual intermediaries.

A good rental film follows a few rules:

• Show the experience, not just the rooms.
• Highlight what makes you unique: a view, a hot tub, a large garden, a rare capacity for groups.
• Stay true to reality, so guests are not disappointed on arrival.
• Say clearly how to book: your website, your phone or your messaging app.

Your booking website

An audience that discovers you on social media must be able to book easily. You need a clear landing point: a simple website with your availability, rates, photos, film and a way to contact you or pay.

It does not have to be complex. What matters is that it is fast, readable on a phone and reassuring: clear cancellation terms, an identifiable contact, guest reviews if you have them. The video on the home page should load quickly, with a cover image shown instantly and a light looping version.

Commission free partners

Between the big platforms and your own website, there is a third way: partners who connect you directly with travellers, with no commission on the booking.

One of them is Logement Atypique, the directory of unique places to stay in France: treehouses, lighthouses, barges, castles. Your property is shown to travellers who are looking for exactly that kind of exceptional place. They contact you directly, and the booking is made with you. AchMedia Real Estate works with Logement Atypique to help the films of the properties we shoot travel further.

Reply fast and build loyalty

A direct booking is often won or lost in the first few hours. A traveller who writes and gets no answer books elsewhere. Organise yourself to reply quickly, even briefly, and always offer a next step: a quote, a booking link, a call.

Think also of those who have already stayed. A happy guest who booked direct can come back, and recommend your place to friends and family. Keep in touch, with their consent, and let them know about your availability and news.

Mistakes to avoid

• Cutting off the platforms abruptly before building your own audience.
• Posting videos with no link to book. A convinced traveller must know what to do next.
• Charging more direct than on the platforms. A guest who compares will feel penalised.
• Neglecting the low season. A film can also make people want to come off season.

Steps to move to direct bookings

1. Create a website with the film, rates and an up to date calendar.
2. Open social media accounts and post regularly.
3. Collect guests' contact details, with their consent.
4. Offer an advantage to those who book direct: a rate, a service, a small attention.
5. Keep the platforms at first, so you do not lose visibility.
6. Measure the share of direct bookings every month.

The transition happens gradually, without breaking with the platforms.

Which rentals benefit most

Places with a strong identity: villas with a view, group gîtes, guest houses with character, riads, treehouses or chalets. The more singular your place, the easier it is to make it known outside the platforms. A luxury villa has its own codes too: read our guide to luxury real estate marketing for the expectations of high end guests.

Frequently asked questions

Can you really do without Airbnb and Booking.com?

For most hosts, the realistic goal is not to drop them completely but to depend on them less. Platforms remain useful to fill some dates. Direct bookings come on top, then take a growing share over time.

How do you take a direct booking payment safely?

Use a traceable payment method and clear written terms: dates, price, deposit, cancellation policy. A booking website with secure online payment makes everything simpler. If in doubt about your obligations, check with your local authority or a professional.

Is video enough to generate direct bookings?

Video captures attention and makes people want to come. But it must be linked to a simple way to book and a fast reply to enquiries. It is the whole chain, from the film to the reply, that turns a view into a booking.

What should you do in the low season?

Adapt the message. A film can show your place in autumn or winter, highlight a fireplace, a spa or themed stays. The low season then becomes another way to experience your place, not an empty period.

Do you film rentals outside France?

Yes. Our crew films in France, Morocco and Thailand, from group gîtes in the Vosges to riads in Marrakech.

What about your rental?

Villa, group gîte, guest house, riad or chalet: every place can reduce its dependence on platforms. See how we support owners who rent on our rent your property page, watch our films, and let's talk about your calendar in a 20 minute call.