When you're planning a vacation, chances are you start your search on a site like Airbnb or Vrbo. These large vacation rental platforms make it easy to browse hundreds of properties, compare dates and find a place to stay. But there is another option travelers should know about: booking a vacation rental directly with the owner or property manager.
Book direct vacation rental sites give travelers another way to find and reserve a vacation home without having the entire booking relationship go through a large third party platform.
For vacation rental owners, direct bookings offer another important benefit: more control over their business and their relationship with their guests.
What Does Book Direct Mean?
A book direct vacation rental is exactly what it sounds like. Instead of finding a property on Airbnb, Vrbo or another online travel agency, you find the home through the owner's website or a dedicated vacation rental site and book directly.
The owner or property manager still handles the reservation, payments, communication and stay. The difference is that there isn't an OTA sitting between the traveler and the person responsible for the property.
That can be valuable for both sides.
Why Travelers Should Consider Booking Direct
When you find a vacation home you like on Airbnb or Vrbo, it is worth checking whether that property also has a direct booking website.
Booking directly can give you a more personal connection with the owner or manager. Instead of communicating through a large booking platform, you can often ask questions directly and get information from someone who knows the property and the area.
There can also be a difference in the fees you pay.
Airbnb and Vrbo charge service fees associated with vacation rental bookings. Airbnb's current fee structure varies by listing, with many home hosts now using a single host paid service fee, while Vrbo charges a traveler service fee based on the reservation total.
When you book direct, those particular third party platform fees are not part of the transaction. Of course, every vacation rental has its own pricing, cleaning fees, taxes and policies, so it is always smart to compare the total price rather than simply comparing the nightly rate.
Why Vacation Rental Owners Benefit From Direct Bookings
For vacation rental owners, the advantages of direct booking go beyond avoiding booking platform fees.
Owners have more control over their relationship with guests, their website, their marketing and how their property is presented. A direct booking also gives an owner the opportunity to build a relationship with a guest who may return year after year.
Airbnb and Vrbo can be valuable marketing and booking channels, particularly for reaching new travelers. But relying entirely on one third party platform means the owner is also relying on that platform's rules, fees, search results and policies.
A direct booking website gives vacation rental owners another channel.
Direct Bookings Can Help Build Repeat Guests
Imagine a family stays at your vacation home and has a great experience. They want to return the following summer.
If they remember the home but only know it through Airbnb or Vrbo, they may simply search those platforms again. If they have a direct relationship with the owner or know where to book directly, it becomes much easier to return.
That is one of the biggest advantages of building a direct booking business. Over time, today's first time guest can become tomorrow's repeat guest.
Book Direct Does Not Mean Giving Up Airbnb or Vrbo
For vacation rental owners, choosing direct bookings does not have to mean abandoning Airbnb or Vrbo.
Many successful vacation rental businesses use a combination of booking channels. Airbnb and Vrbo can help introduce a property to new travelers, while a direct booking website can help owners build their own brand and encourage repeat business.
The goal is to have options.
Why Landcombers Is Built Around Book Direct
Landcombers was created to make it easier for travelers to find vacation homes and connect directly with the people behind them.
We bring vacation rental homes together in one place while giving travelers a direct path to the owner or property manager.
For travelers, that means another way to find a vacation rental and compare options.
For vacation rental owners, it means another way to market their property, reach travelers and build a direct booking business without relying entirely on Airbnb, Vrbo or another large booking platform.
The vacation rental industry has changed dramatically over the years, but the basic idea remains simple: travelers want great places to stay, and vacation rental owners want great guests.
Book direct helps bring those two sides closer together.
Whether you're a traveler searching for your next vacation home or a vacation rental owner looking for new ways to reach guests, Landcombers is here to help make that connection.