The Honest Truth About Direct Bookings

There's no question that "how to get direct bookings" is the #1 most talked about topic in the short term rental industry.

Why this is the case:

• It's new

• Exciting

• Sustainable

• Uber profitable

The truth?

I think rental operators are #OverIt. Sick of:

• Renting attention from OTAs

• Not knowing when the next booking will come

• Not owning demand and the customer relationship

If 2026 is your year to join the direct bookings race, you need a starting line.

That's what I'm going to talk about today.

Let's dive in...

First, the goal of direct bookings should NOT be to eliminate OTAs all together

OTAs are still a good marketing channel.

Instead, the goal should be to supplement income by getting bookings yourself.

From there, if you choose to go fully independent, that's up to you.

Start by supplementing, then build from there. You won't fill up the calendar with direct bookings from day one.

There are two ways to supplement bookings. That's what I'm going to explain next.

Two best ways to supplement bookings

There are two main levers you can push when getting direct bookings:

• ADR

• Occupancy Rate

If you don’t get paid what you deserve on OTAs, my favorite is always to increase ADR. But both options are good.

Let me explain each lever using simple napkin math. I'm going to imagine I want to surpass 6-figures with my rental.

#1: Increase Heads in Beds

• Rev from OTAs: $65K

• ADR from OTAs: $400

• LoS: 1.8

• Occupancy Rate: ~44%

Right now, I'm making $65K from being on OTAs. My goal is $100K+. Here's how I would get there:

• Needed Rev: $45K

• ADR: $400

• LoS: 1.8

• Occupancy Rate: 68%

Reservations Needed Direct: 63

• That’s 1.2 Reservations / week

• 5.2 per month

There's millions of people in most markets. All of which can be targeted.

Think 5 are looking for a getaway each month?

I think so.

#2: Increase Average Daily Rate

• Rev from OTAs: $65K

• ADR from OTAs: $400

• LoS: 1.8

• Occupancy Rate: ~44%

If you feel like you're not charging as much as you want, this is for you.

Direct bookings lets you charge what you deserve. Let's talk about how to make $100K+ by increasing the rate.

• Needed Rev: $45K

• ADR: $650

• LoS: 1.8

• Occupancy Rate: 23%

Reservations Needed Direct: 38

• That’s .78 reservations per week

• ~3 per month

Pick whatever lever works best for you. They both work.

Let's Recap

All in all, direct bookings should supplement the operation you have going already. There are two ways to do that:

• Increase Heads in Beds

• Increase ADR

Not sure where direct bookings come from?

Register for my newest training: 4 Ways To Get Bookings From The Internet.

This training is a Boston Marathon special (my favorite day of the year).

But that'll only make sense if you join →

As always, free. If you can't join the sessions, still sign up. There will be a recording sent to you.

That's all for today. I'll see you in the next article.

P.S. Speaking of the Boston Marathon, I ran half of it the other day to see what was going on. All 15 miles we’re packed with people training. I didn’t have a single moment alone. There were random aid stations, pop up 5Ks and people drinking beer on the sidewalks cheering on future racers.

Yet, there are still two weekends until the race.

If you didn’t know how big of a deal this is, now you know.

Hotel Operators…

Dear hotel operator…

If you didn’t get as many bookings as you want - or deserve - in 2025, this is for you →

→ Learn more

Note: Boutique hotels, nature hotels, glamping, RV parks and campgrounds also qualify. Read to learn more →

Links you might like:

1. Airbnb Superhost (Saturday Night Live)

2. How To Make Your First $1,000 From Social Media (YouTube)

3. Edit listing photos with AI (The Lodge Social)

4. Last Year, You Paid OTAs Somewhere Between $40,000 and $200,000 in Commissions. This Newsletter Shows You How to Stop (Modern Hospitality Playbook)