Direct Booking Websites

[Ryan O'Connor]

Howdy BP!  We are looking to diversify a bit and not solely rely on the major OTA's for bookings(Airbnb, vrbo, etc).  We currently utilize Hostaway PMS and have built a direct booking site through that platform, but haven't used it up to this point.  Looking for recommendations on best practices for driving traffic to site to book and just general advice.  Any help is greatly appreciated!

Ryan

[Lisa Graesser]

I highly recommend that you list your property on Houfy.com, it is free for hosts and guests. It is a great platform to accept bookings, receive payments via Stipe or square or if you prefer you can accept payment with any platform you choose, such as venmo, zelle, PayPal or check....your choice.  You can upload your rental agreement and guest will sign when making the reservation. I have had great success with booking repeat guests from  other platforms that charge a booking fee.. 

To promote your listing, whether on Houfy or another platform, social media posts on local FB groups is a great way to get exposure to your listing.