By Nicole from Hosting Guests

As a vacation rental owner, you want to attract bookings and provide your guests with an experience they’ll love. A personal website plays a crucial role in achieving this. It not only gives you more control over your income but also strengthens the bond with your guests. It allows you to tell your unique story and personalize the guest experience from the very first interaction. This creates a better Customer Experience, something that platforms like Airbnb and Booking.com often limit.

Table of Contents

1. Commission Costs on Airbnb
2. Commission Costs on Booking.com
3. No Commission Costs with Your Own Website
4. How to Use Airbnb and Booking.com Smartly
5. Your Profit as a Host
6. Example Calculation: What Does a Website Save You?

1. Commission costs on Airbnb

When renting through Airbnb, hosts typically pay a 15% commission under the Host-Only model (mandatory in the Netherlands and Belgium since 2020). Airbnb introduced this method to create transparency for guests. For example:

• Rental price per night: €100
• Host service fee: 15% (€15)
• Net income: €85

Additional costs, such as transaction fees or local taxes, may also apply depending on your location.

2. Commission costs on Booking.com

Booking.com charges an average commission of 12% for hosts in the Netherlands. Here’s a simple breakdown:

• Rental price per night: €100
• Host service fee: 12% (€12)
• Net income: €88

While straightforward, costs can increase if you participate in marketing programs like Genius or Visibility Booster.

3. No commission costs with your own website

Having your own website means complete control over your income. Guests book directly with you, with no intermediary platforms. This allows you to:

• Keep 100% of the rental price.
• Offer lower prices to guests, making you more competitive compared to Airbnb or Booking.com.
• Generate additional income through extras like breakfast or tours.

All you need is a well-designed website with a reliable booking module and a synchronized calendar.

4. How to use Airbnb and Booking.com smartly

Platforms like Airbnb and Booking.com remain valuable tools for visibility, especially for new hosts. Here’s how to use them to your advantage:

• Stay visible on Airbnb and Booking.com: They’re great for reaching a wide audience.
• Synchronize OTA calendars with your website: Prevent double bookings by syncing your Airbnb and Booking.com calendars with your own website.
• Encourage direct bookings: About half of Airbnb and Booking.com users check if you have your own website. Direct bookings are often cheaper for them, so make your contact details and exclusive offers easily accessible on your site.

5. Your profit as a host

With a personal website, you can:

• Earn up to 15% more per booking, as you don’t pay commission fees.
• Take control of your communication and guest experience.
• Strengthen your brand, showcasing your unique story and style.
• Enhance guest loyalty through direct contact and personalized offers.

6. Example calculation: What does a website save you?

Based on the following assumptions:

• Occupancy rate: 54.32% per year.
• Average price per night: €150.
• Number of days per year: 365.

Formula for each scenario:

1. Nights booked: Occupancy rate × Number of days per year.
   • Result: 198.27 nights per year.
2. Via Airbnb:
   • Income: Nights × Price per night × (1 – 0.15).
   • Result: €25,279.17.
3. Via Booking.com:
   • Income: Nights × Price per night × (1 – 0.12).
   • Result: €26,171.38.
4. Via your own website:
   • Income: Nights × Price per night.
   • Result: €29,740.20.

Investment in your own website:

A professional website for your vacation rental might cost €950. Based on the above numbers:

• Extra earnings via your website compared to Airbnb: €4,461.03 per year.
• Extra earnings via your website compared to Booking.com: €3,568.82 per year.

Payback period:

• You’d recoup your €950 investment in under 3 months simply by saving on commission fees.

Platforms like Airbnb and Booking.com are helpful for generating visibility, but a personal website offers higher earnings, better guest relationships, and greater control in the long run. It’s well worth investing in a professional website and leveraging the strengths of both worlds.

Want to learn more about setting up a professional website for your vacation rental? Contact us today!