Should you stay on Booking.com or move to direct bookings?
Leaving a platform that brings half your stays overnight is risky. But letting it take the guests who would have found you anyway means paying commission on customers you already had. The goal is to move that second group to direct, step by step.
Platform or direct: what changes
| Booking.com, Airbnb… | Direct bookings (website + Google profile) | |
|---|---|---|
| Cost | Commission on each stay, per your contract | Flat subscription to a booking tool, whatever the number of stays |
| New guests | Yes: the platform’s international audience | Depends on your visibility (Google, tourist office, social media) |
| Contact with guests | Goes through the platform | Direct: email, phone, loyalty possible |
| Prices and terms | Platform rules and your contract | You set everything: price, deposit, cancellation |
| Reviews | On the platform | Google reviews, visible on Maps |
| Payment | Handled by the platform per the contract | Depends on your tool: deposit, pay on arrival, transfer |
Free tool, no sign-up
ROI calculator
What commissions cost you, and how much direct bookings can save, with your own figures.
What does the platform really cost you? The method
- In your extranet, note the revenue from stays booked through the platform over the last 12 months and the total commission billed.
- Estimate the share of those guests who would have found you anyway: regulars, searches for your name, recommendations.
- Multiply: commission × that share = what you pay for guests you would have had directly.
- Compare with the yearly cost of a direct booking tool.
The commission rate depends on your contract and country: use yours, not the one in an example. The ROI calculator runs the numbers with your figures.
When the platform stays essential
- You are opening and nobody knows you yet
- Most of your guests are from abroad and book in the app
- You are in a very touristy area where travellers compare on the platform
- You want to fill quiet dates at the last minute
In these cases, keep the platform and look after your reviews there (see replying to Booking.com reviews). Direct bookings come on top.
How to grow direct bookings, step by step
- A complete Google profile: photos, description, link to your website and booking page. Many travellers type your name after seeing you on a platform.
- A website that takes bookings: real-time availability, clear prices, readable cancellation terms (see building a B&B website).
- A calendar synced with your platforms, so the same night is never sold twice.
- Recent Google reviews: ask at every check-out.
- Bringing regulars back: an email before the season to those who agreed to hear from you.
On lower direct prices and rate parity clauses, read the dedicated section of the B&B website guide: rules differ between hotels and other accommodation, and your contract matters.
The right balance for your type of accommodation
| Accommodation | Role of the platform | What direct bookings add |
|---|---|---|
| Independent hotel | Discovery, international guests, last minute | Business travellers, regulars, groups (hotel booking software) |
| B&B | Getting known in the first seasons | Recommendations, returning guests, longer stays (B&B booking software) |
| Holiday let | Filling weeks outside school holidays | Families who come back every year |
What Voxtya does for accommodation owners
Voxtya’s Bookings service takes direct bookings on your website and Google profile, with no commission, for €29 a month (€49 with the Website). Airbnb and Booking calendars sync via iCal to avoid double bookings. Google reviews are collected after each stay with the Review collection service. Voxtya does not replace a platform for discovery: it helps you keep direct what can be direct.
This guide for your trade
Go further
Sources
The rules quoted in this guide come from these official pages, checked on October 30, 2026.