Convert Airbnb Guests to Direct Bookings the Right Way

You’ve had a great run of Airbnb guests, and now you’d like some of them to come back without a commission slice taken each time. It is possible, and you don’t need tricks. Make your place easy to remember, make your own name easy to find, and give happy guests a simple reason to rebook with you.

Airbnb has rules about taking bookings off its platform, so the plan below stays on the right side of them. The idea is to convert Airbnb guests to direct bookings by being the obvious choice next time, not by pushing them out of the app.

What you can do to convert Airbnb guests to direct bookings

You can build your own brand, run your own website and market to people who have given you permission. What you shouldn’t do is steer a guest away from Airbnb to avoid fees while they are still booking through it.

Airbnb’s terms cover this, and they change, so read the current version yourself. If you’re unsure whether a tactic is fine, leave it out. A repeat guest who finds you by choice is safe. A guest you’ve nudged into a workaround puts your listing at risk.

Make the stay worth remembering

A guest who loved a shepherd’s hut with a hot tub will remember the hut, not the listing site. Your job is to attach your name to that memory.

These small touches work well on site.

• A welcome card with your property name and one line about who you are.
• A guest book, so returning guests see their own entry and others see how many come back.
• A small branded item, such as a postcard of the view or a jar of local jam.
• A note on the fridge about your website, in the same style as your other house information.

None of this asks the guest to do anything out of the ordinary. It simply makes the next search for your place easier.

Make your name easy to find

Guests who enjoyed a stay often search for the owner’s own site afterwards. They’re hoping for a better deal, or they know the owner keeps more of the money when booking direct. This is common behaviour, and it’s the main reason a good website matters alongside a listing.

If a search for your property name shows only listing pages, you lose that guest to the same commission again. A site with a clear name, photos and a way to check dates fixes that. If you run a campsite as well, our campsite website design page covers what that site needs.

Also check that your Google Business Profile shows the same name and website. It costs nothing, and it’s often the first thing a returning guest sees.

Collect emails with consent

Email is the best way to stay in touch, but you need permission first. In the UK, marketing emails generally need clear consent and an easy way to opt out. The ICO publishes plain guidance, and a solicitor can confirm the detail for your situation.

There are a few ways to ask that feel natural.

1. In person at check-out, with a sign-up card or a QR code.
2. In the guest book, with a tick box for “send me news and offers”.
3. On your own website, when someone enquires or signs up.

Keep a record of who agreed and when. Send something worth opening, such as the dates you have free in autumn, a new hot tub or a seasonal midweek deal. Two or three emails a year is plenty.

Give them a reason to come back

People rebook when it’s easy and a little bit rewarding. A returning-guest offer doesn’t need to be a big discount.

Midweeks are usually where a glamping site has gaps, so aim offers there. A guest who’s already seen your place doesn’t need convincing, only a nudge and a clear price.

Have somewhere to send them

Once a guest is ready, they need a page that makes booking easy on a phone. At minimum it should have an availability calendar, your prices and a way to pay or enquire.

Millie the Hut’s booking page puts an availability calendar, a short enquiry form and a seasonal rate card on one page. The site brought 42 direct bookings in its first year, saving the owners over £3,000 in commission.

If your calendar covers several platforms, keep them in sync so you never double-book. Our sites can sync availability with Airbnb, Booking.com, Canopy & Stars, CoolStays and others.

Mistakes to avoid

• Pushing too early. Asking before or during booking risks your listing.
• Emailing without consent. It breaks the rules and annoys guests.
• Sending nothing. A list you never write to is just a list.
• Offering a discount so deep it hurts. Repeat guests are already cheaper to win. You rarely need to give much away.
• Sending guests to a dated site. If it’s slow or awkward on a phone, they’ll go back to the listing.

FAQs

Can I ask Airbnb guests to book direct next time?

Read Airbnb’s current terms first, because they limit taking bookings off the platform. The safe approach is to make your own brand easy to find, give a great stay and let guests choose to look you up. If a guest asks you directly about rebooking after their stay, you can point them to your website.

Is it legal to email past Airbnb guests?

In the UK you generally need a guest’s consent before sending marketing emails, and they must be able to opt out easily. Ask in person or on your own booking form, and keep a record. For the exact rules, check with the ICO’s guidance or a solicitor.

Will guests really search for me after staying?

Often, yes. Guests who enjoyed a stay commonly search for the owner’s own site afterwards, hoping for a better deal or because they know the owner keeps more of the money. If they find nothing, they go back to the listing site and you pay commission again.

What is the cheapest way to start?

Put your property name on everything in the unit, from the welcome card to the guest book, and make sure a search for that name shows a site you control. A simple one-page site with a calendar and enquiry form is enough to begin with.

Send us your website and we’ll tell you, for free, what’s stopping it getting bookings. Request your free website audit.