Glossary
What is a direct booking?
A direct booking is a reservation made with the property or management company itself, through its website, phone or email, rather than through an online travel agency like Airbnb, Vrbo or Booking.com. The host avoids OTA fees and owns the guest relationship.
Most vacation rentals rely on OTAs for new guests. Direct bookings matter because they are more profitable per stay and because the host keeps the guest’s contact details for the next trip.
Direct bookings vs. OTA bookings
The stay is the same. Who owns the booking is not.
Fees
OTAs charge commission or service fees, commonly from around 3% to over 15% depending on the platform and fee model. A direct booking avoids them, though you still pay for payment processing.
Guest relationship
On a direct booking, you hold the guest’s real contact details and can stay in touch with their consent.
Policies
You set cancellation, deposit and payment terms yourself instead of following the platform’s.
How hosts get more direct bookings
Most direct bookings come from:
Repeat guests who stayed before and opted in to hear from you.
A direct booking website connected to your PMS calendar.
Referrals and loyalty programs that reward booking direct.
Search, including Google and AI assistants answering travel questions.
How Yada helps
Yada turns past guests into direct bookings with offers timed to their stays and your open dates.
Frequently asked questions
Are direct bookings more profitable?
Usually, because there is no OTA commission. You still pay for your booking engine and payment processing.
Can I convert Airbnb guests to direct bookings?
Yes, once they opt in to your own channels during or after the stay. Do not ask them to book outside Airbnb in Airbnb messages.
Do I need a website to take direct bookings?
It helps. Many PMSs include a booking engine, and some hosts take direct bookings by phone or email.