Your direct booking website for
short term rental success
Launch a direct booking website that cuts OTA commissions. Own the guest relationship from first click to checkout.
Get more from your direct bookings
Increase your direct revenue
Build a pricing strategy that cuts OTA fees entirely
Create rate strategies, run dynamic pricing, and push your direct booking channel ahead of commission-heavy OTAs, so more of every stay goes to you.
Every direct booking from every source
Whether you’re designing a new website, connecting a booking engine to an existing one, or booking a walk-in guest, find support for every type of direct reservation.
Create custom experiences
Enjoy the flexibility that comes from direct reservations with tools that allow you to override pre-set business rules and offer customized quotes and promotions.
maximum reservations, maximum reliability
The direct booking journey, covered in full
A direct booking website that converts
- AI-powered SEO optimization to drive discoverability
- Import reviews from major OTAs to boost credibility
- Customizable templates built for short term rentals
- Localization and translations
- AI-powered SEO optimization to drive discoverability
- Import reviews from major OTAs to boost credibility
- Customizable templates built for short term rentals
- Localization and translations
- End-to-end website creation by professionals
- Full design services customized to your needs
- Continuous updates, management, and troubleshooting
- Connect to any website with Booking Engine API
- Customize to match your brand
- Add filters and sorting for easy property search
- Accept payments and offer upsells and extras
- Easily accept walk-in and phone reservations
- Draft quotes and rental agreements
- Sync bookings in real-time to OTA listings
- Adjust cancelation policies, fees, and more
- List directly on Google Vacation Rentals from Guesty and keep 100% of booking revenue
- Your inventory syncs automatically every 2–3 days, keeping availability and rates current
- Guest messages and reservations flow back into Guesty just like your OTA channels
- New direct bookings automatically appear on Google when you connect your Booking Engine
The power of direct reservations
"Guesty gives us the highest quality website and direct booking engine in the industry. "
"Chaletô has been able to increase its brand presence pretty significantly with Guesty. "
Guesty is trusted by property managers across the globe to manage 500K+ listings
Frequently asked questions
Here is what some of our customers needed to know
What are direct bookings?
A direct booking website is a property-branded site where guests can browse listings, check availability, and complete a reservation without going through Airbnb, Vrbo, or any other OTA. Because the booking happens on your site, you keep the 15–20% commission those platforms would otherwise charge, and you own the guest relationship — their contact details, booking history, and the ability to market to them directly for future stays.
Why should I accept direct bookings?
Every OTA charges a commission, typically 15-20% per booking. A direct booking cuts that fee entirely. For property managers running 5 or more short-term rentals, that difference compounds fast across a full calendar year.
Why do I need to use a PMS to manage direct reservations?
Without a vacation rental software, a direct booking on your website doesn't automatically block the same dates on Airbnb or Vrbo. That's how double bookings happen. Guesty® keeps every calendar in sync. The moment a direct booking lands, your OTA listings update in real time
How does the booking engine work?
The Guesty Booking Engine powers the checkout experience on your website. It shows real-time availability and rates for your listings; applies your pricing rules, fees, and policies; confirms reservations instantly; and syncs automatically with your Guesty calendar and operations.
Can I use Guesty’s booking engine on my own custom website?
Yes. Guesty’s booking engine can be embedded into Guesty Website Builder sites, custom-built websites, and partner or regional sites. This allows you to accept direct reservations while maintaining a consistent backend in Guesty.
Are phone, email, or WhatsApp bookings considered direct reservations?
Yes. Bookings made via phone, email, walk-in, Whatsapp, or corporate and repeat guest agreements are all considered direct reservations when entered manually into Guesty, as long as they did not originate from an OTA.
How much does a direct booking website cost?
The cost depends on your setup. A dedicated direct booking website through a platform like Guesty runs as part of your property management subscription — far less than the 15–20% commission you'd pay Airbnb or Vrbo on every booking. Most property managers recoup the platform cost within the first one or two direct bookings per month.
How do I get traffic to my direct booking website?
The most effective channels are Google Vacation Rentals, which lists your properties in Google Search and Maps at no commission cost; repeat guests you direct away from OTAs after their first stay; and social media or email campaigns to past guests. A direct booking website only pays off if guests can find it — connecting to Google Vacation Rentals is the fastest way to get commission-free search traffic without building an audience from scratch.
What's the difference between a direct booking website and a booking engine?
A direct booking website is the front-facing site travelers visit and browse — it shows your property listings, photos, pricing, and availability. A booking engine is the checkout system embedded in that site that processes the reservation and payment. You need both: the website attracts and convinces the guest, the booking engine closes the transaction. Guesty provides both, along with a booking engine API if you already have your own website.