The short answer
You cut your Booking.com commission by slowly moving guests who would book you anyway onto your own channel, and you keep Booking.com running for new guests while you do it. That means a clear way to ask or book on your own website, a deposit step, a fixed up Google Maps listing, a message to every past guest asking them to come back direct, and a reply to every enquiry within minutes. This is how you reduce OTA commission (an OTA is an online travel agent site such as Booking.com) without losing the guests those sites bring you.
Start with the number: work out what Booking.com costs you in a year with the free commission calculator. Then give guests a reason to book direct that is not a lower price, such as breakfast, a late checkout or an airport pickup, and set your own target share of direct bookings for the next 90 days. Contract terms differ between sites, so read yours first. Our guide to hotel marketing covers how new guests find you in the first place.
Step 1: Work out what Booking.com really costs you
Most owners feel the bill every month but never add it up. Do it once, on paper, before you change anything.
- Take your Booking.com statements for the last 12 months.
- Add up the commission you paid on every booking. That is your yearly cost.
- Mark the bookings that came from guests who had stayed with you before, or who were sent by a friend. You paid commission on guests who might have booked direct. That is the part you can cut first.
The OTA commission calculator does the adding up when you put in your own yearly bookings and the commission shown on your own statements. Do not guess the rate. It differs between properties and contracts.
How do I stop paying Booking.com so much?
You rarely win by arguing about the rate. You win by making fewer of your bookings come through Booking.com in the first place. Every guest who books direct next time is a booking with no commission on it. The rest of this guide is about making that happen, one step at a time.
Do I have to leave Booking.com to get direct bookings?
No, and please do not switch it off first. For most guest houses, hotels and lodges, Booking.com is how a stranger in the US, UK or Europe finds you before they have ever heard your name. Switch it off before your own channel works and your rooms sit empty while you wait. Keep it for new guests. Build your own channel beside it. Move the share over slowly, and only as fast as your own bookings can replace it.
Six moves that win direct bookings
How can I get guests to book on my own website instead of Booking.com?
Guests book on Booking.com because it is easy and they trust it. Your own channel has to feel just as easy and just as safe. These six moves do that.
- A clear way to ask or book. Put one obvious button on every page: a booking form or an enquiry form, plus a WhatsApp link. Ask only for dates, number of guests and country. Show real photos of your actual rooms. A hotel website or, for camps and lodges, a safari lodge website built around that button does more than a pretty page with no way to book.
- A deposit step. A booking is only a booking once money has moved. Ask for a part payment, by card for guests abroad and by mobile money for guests in the region, and state the cancellation terms in plain words before they pay, including what happens to the deposit if they cancel.
- Google Maps, claimed and fixed. Many guests search your name or your town and tap the map. Claim the listing, check the phone number, the photos and the opening details, and add your booking link. Our guide to setting up your Google Business Profile walks you through it.
- Ask every guest to come back direct. Use your own messages: a note before arrival, a thank you on the day they leave, and a message a few months later. Say clearly that next time they can write to you, or book on your site, and tell them what they get for doing so.
- A reason to book direct that is not a lower price. A price cut teaches guests to wait for one and eats the margin you are trying to save. Offer something that costs you little and the guest values: breakfast, a late checkout, a welcome drink, or a pickup from the airport or the bus park. Check your contract first, because some sites limit how you can promote offers elsewhere.
- Reply to every enquiry within minutes. A guest who writes at night from London will usually write to two or three places. The first clear, friendly answer often wins. A WhatsApp booking system and a simple follow up routine make this possible even when you are busy.
How do I get direct bookings for my guest house?
A guest house wins on things Booking.com cannot show well: the owner who answers on WhatsApp, a map that shows exactly where you are, honest photos, a ride from the airport and a good breakfast. Put those on your own channel first. Then use the table below to avoid the mistakes owners make most often.
| What many owners try | What works better | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|
| Switch off Booking.com to save the commission | Keep it for new guests while your own channel grows | New guests keep arriving while the direct share rises |
| Put a "book direct, cheaper" banner on the site and wait | Offer breakfast, a late checkout or a pickup | You keep your margin and guests do not learn to wait for a discount |
| A website with only a phone number | A clear enquiry or booking form, a WhatsApp button and a deposit step | Guests can act in one minute, and a deposit makes the booking real |
| Answer messages when you have time | Reply within minutes, every time | The first good reply often wins the booking |
| Say nothing to past guests | Message them before, after and months later, inviting them back direct | Guests who already like you are your cheapest bookings |
Your 90 day plan
What should I do in the next 90 days if most of my guests come from Booking.com?
Work in three blocks. You set the target, not us. Pick a share of direct bookings that fits your business, write it down, and check it every month. Do not borrow another owner's number, and do not trust anyone who promises you one.
Days 1 to 14: get the facts.
- Work out your yearly Booking.com cost with the calculator.
- Read your contract and note what it lets you offer and say elsewhere.
- Count last year's bookings by source: Booking.com, other sites, walk in, phone, WhatsApp, returning guests.
- Write down your target share of direct bookings for day 90.
- Claim your Google Maps listing and correct everything on it.
Days 15 to 45: build the way in.
- Add the enquiry or booking form, the WhatsApp button and the deposit step.
- Choose your reason to book direct and put it on the page, in your messages and at the front desk.
- Agree who replies, on which phone, and how fast. Write three ready answers for the questions guests ask most.
Days 46 to 90: use it and measure it.
- Message every guest who stayed in the last year and invite them back direct.
- Ask every new guest at check in how they found you, and write it down.
- Each month, compare the direct share with your target and fix the weakest step. Our guide on what your marketing earns back shows how to tell what each source of bookings is really worth.
Expect this to take months, not days. Your busy season matters too: when many rooms fill whatever you do, you have less time to build, so start in the quieter weeks before it.
Read your contract, and know the limits
Booking.com and other sites each have their own terms, and they differ by property, country and agreement. Some limit what you can offer or say about other booking routes. Read your own contract, ask the site if something is unclear, and do not rely on what another owner told you. If you are unsure, get someone you trust to read it with you.
There are honest trade-offs too:
- Some guests only trust the big sites. A first time visitor from abroad may never book direct. That is fine. Aim for repeat guests, referrals and people who find you on Google.
- A deposit can scare off a few guests. Clear, fair cancellation terms in plain words reduce this.
- A slow reply wastes everything else. If nobody can answer messages within minutes, fix that before you spend on anything.
- You may not need outside help at all. If your Booking.com bill is small, or most of your guests already come back or walk in, the free steps above may be enough.
Is nobody booking you at all, from any source? That is a different problem. Start with why nobody is booking your lodge or guest house.
Where we fit
If you want help doing this properly, the Safari Growth Program is one way to get it done. It is for owners of safari and tour companies and of lodges, camps and hotels in Uganda, Kenya, Tanzania, Rwanda and Botswana. It works in three phases:
- Fill the funnel (get enough of the right people asking): your website, search, Google Business Profile, and Meta and Google ads.
- Close it: a reservations and sales process, plus training, because enquiries mean nothing if your team cannot turn them into bookings.
- Keep the guest: support during and after the trip, reviews, repeat guests and referrals.
Our guarantee: "your first new inquiries within 14 days of going live, or we work free until they arrive". We give a fixed quote before work starts, and you own the code and data. We are a US-based company with remote teams around the world, including a team in Kampala, and a US team member joins client video calls. We built landing pages and a direct booking form for Lorato Lodges and Camping in Chobe, Botswana. See the full offer on the direct booking system page.
Start with the free commission calculator either way. A very small guest house may be better off doing the steps above alone first. If you are not sure, send us your details and we will tell you honestly.
Frequently asked questions
How do I stop paying Booking.com so much?
Work out your real yearly cost, then move guests who would book you anyway to your own channel: returning guests, referrals and people who find you on Google. Keep Booking.com for new guests. Read your contract first, because terms differ.
Do I have to leave Booking.com to get direct bookings?
No. Most owners keep it for new guests while they build their own website, WhatsApp, Google Maps listing and repeat guest messages. Switching it off first can leave your rooms empty.
What should I offer so guests book direct if I do not want to lower my price?
Offer something that costs you little and the guest values: breakfast, a late checkout, a welcome drink or an airport pickup. Check your contract first, as some limit how you can promote offers.
How long until I see more direct bookings?
It depends on your location, season and how fast you reply, so we cannot promise a number. Set your own target share, track the source of every booking, and review it monthly over 90 days.
What does it cost to get help with direct bookings?
It depends on the business: whether you need a new website, a booking form, a deposit step or ads. We give a fixed quote before work starts. Send your business name, country, what you sell and where enquiries come from today, and we will quote or show you a demo. The free steps in this guide cost only your time.