Many guest houses run only through Booking.com and Airbnb. It's convenient — the platform brings guests and handles payments. But every reservation carries a 15–18% commission, the guest is "theirs" not yours, and the rules change without asking you. This article compares "platforms only" with "platforms + your own site".
Platforms only — pros and cons
Pros: instant visibility to millions of users, brand trust, built-in payments and protection, an easy start.
Cons:
- Commission 15–18% on every reservation — for a house with €30,000/year revenue that is €4,500–5,400.
- The guest is on the platform — you don't have their email, you can't invite them directly next time.
- Dependence — a change in the rules, the ranking algorithm or the review policy hits you without warning.
- Price competition — hundreds of similar listings on one screen, paid ones on top.
What your own site gives you
- Direct bookings with no commission — the whole amount stays with you.
- Returning guests — you have their emails, you send an offer for next season.
- Low season — on the platforms you drop down the list; on the site you run packages and stay visible.
- Extra services — transfer, breakfast, event hosting — hard to sell through an OTA.
- Local SEO — "guest house in [village/area]" brings people searching for exactly your area.
- Control of the narrative — your photos, your story, your terms.
The cost of the direct channel
- A site with a calendar and a form/bookings: one-off — see guest house website pricing
- iCal sync with Booking and Airbnb: free — see how it works
- Google Business Profile: free
- A little advertising on local queries: optional, €30–100/month
At €30,000/year revenue and a 16% average commission, shifting just 20% of reservations to direct saves ~€1,000/year — usually more than the yearly cost of maintaining the site.
The hybrid approach
- The platforms bring new guests — you stay on them.
- The site takes the returning ones, the long stays and the low season.
- A card in the room with a QR to the site: "Next time, book direct and get [bonus]".
- A post-stay email with a discount code for a direct booking.
- Rate parity — don't undercut the platform price; give added value for a direct booking.
Summary
Don't abandon Booking and Airbnb — they acquire new guests. But your own site brings back the relationship with the guest, removes the commission from repeat bookings and works in the low season. For most guest houses it pays for itself in under a year.
Get in touch for a site with a calendar and direct bookings.
