How to start a direct booking website for your vacation rental

Check what you already pay for

If you manage your listings with a tool like Hostaway, Guesty, OwnerRez, Lodgify or Hospitable, look in its settings before buying anything else. Many of them include a direct booking website that reads the same calendar as your Airbnb and Vrbo listings, so a direct booking blocks those dates everywhere and you can’t get double-booked. It’s usually the cheapest and fastest way to start.

If you’re starting from scratch, you need three things

1. Your own domain, like yourplace.com, so the site and your emails look like a real business.
2. A booking calendar that syncs with Airbnb and Vrbo. Most platforms export and import calendar links, which is the minimum. Direct API connections update faster.
3. A way to take payment, hold a security deposit and get a signed rental agreement. On Airbnb those are handled for you; on your own site they’re yours to set up.

Getting guests to the site is the real work

• Use your own photos and write about the neighborhood the way you’d describe it to a friend. Copying the Airbnb listing word for word makes the site look like a scam.
• Past guests are your best source. Follow each platform’s rules on contacting guests, and make it easy for people who loved the stay to come back.
• Give people a reason to book direct, like a lower total price than the platform shows once its fees are added.
• Make sure the site loads fast on a phone and shows the total price clearly before anyone enters a card.

The step people skip

Check your city’s short-term rental rules and taxes. In many places Airbnb collects and pays occupancy taxes for you. On your own bookings, that’s your job, and some cities require a permit number on every listing, including your own website.