Every booking through Airbnb or Booking.com costs you a commission, often around 15% once fees are added up. A guest who books directly with you costs nothing, and they come back. You won't replace the platforms, and you shouldn't. But turning even one in five stays into a direct booking adds up fast.
Here are practical ways to get more direct bookings for a holiday apartment or a small group of units, without breaking platform rules.
1. Treat every platform guest as a future direct guest
Platforms bring you the first stay. The second one can be yours.
- Give an excellent stay first. A happy guest is the only kind who books direct.
- At checkout, leave a printed card in the apartment with your WhatsApp number or Instagram for "next time".
- Follow each platform's rules: don't send outside contact details through platform messages, and don't ask guests to cancel a platform booking to rebook with you.
2. Make WhatsApp your booking desk
Most direct guests in Egypt and the Gulf book through WhatsApp.
- Use WhatsApp Business with a profile photo, address, hours and a catalogue of your units.
- Save quick replies for prices, availability, check-in instructions and payment details.
- Answer fast. Speed wins direct bookings more than price does.
3. Have one link that shows your units
You don't need a big website. You need one page with photos, a short description per unit, the area, and a WhatsApp button. Instagram highlights or a simple landing page work well. Put that link everywhere: your Instagram bio, your Google Maps listing if you have a physical reception, and the card in the apartment.
4. Share your empty nights as offers
Gaps between stays are the easiest nights to sell direct. An empty Tuesday between two bookings rarely sells on the platforms, but it sells to a past guest or a local family for a fair price.
ETB lists your empty nights to fill on the overview, and copies a ready-made offer for each gap that you can paste into WhatsApp, Instagram stories or Facebook groups.
5. Build a repeat-guest list
- Keep the phone number and name of every direct guest. Ask permission to send offers.
- Send a short message before holidays and long weekends, when demand peaks and guests plan ahead.
- Offer something small to returning guests: late check-out, a free airport pickup, or a modest discount compared with the platform price.
6. Work with local partners
Driving schools, hospitals, universities, companies with visiting staff and wedding venues all need short stays. A simple agreement ("our rate for your guests") brings steady direct bookings, often mid-week.
7. Never lose a direct booking to a double booking
The fastest way to lose a direct guest is to tell them, the day before, that the apartment was also booked on Airbnb. Every direct booking must close the platforms immediately.
In ETB, adding a direct booking closes those dates on every connected platform, and the guest's name, phone and payment status (paid, deposit or pay at the property) are saved with it.
8. Track where bookings come from
Look at your revenue by source each month. If direct bookings grow from 10% to 25%, the commission you save is real money. ETB shows revenue per unit per month, by currency, so you can see the change.
Frequently asked questions
Is it allowed to take guests off Airbnb or Booking.com?
Platforms don't allow you to move a booking off the platform, or to share contact details through their messaging. A guest who finds you on their own for a future stay is a different matter. Always read your platform's current terms.
What should I charge direct guests?
Many hosts charge slightly less than the platform price. They still earn more, because there is no commission.
How do I take payment for direct bookings?
Bank transfer, mobile wallets or cash on arrival are common. Take a deposit for longer stays, and record what is paid and what is left to collect.
Keep direct and platform bookings on one calendar: start free with ETB.