Best way to build direct booking site? Need help

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Best way to build direct booking site? Need help

Hunter Beck
Houston, TX · Member since 2018 · 34 posts · 12 votes

Hi everyone,

I'm looking to build a direct booking site. In my research, it feels like there are two broad routes to do this.

1. Airbnb look-alikes: Houfy, Airbook.direct, OnNinth
2. Stand-alone sites with plugin: You build your own website on WordPress, Wix, Setmore, etc., and get a direct booking plug-in or widget to attach (BnBForms).

We aren’t sure if the first category looks unprofessional or untrustworthy for guests.

Question: Does a super sleek, polished website through Wix/Wordpress/Setmore convert better than the Airbnb look alikes? We assume that most folks booking will be return guests (not new bookings). We are open to building our own stand alone Website, we just want to make sure that is the best approach before investing the time, energy, effort, and money into it. The stand alone sites seem to require a lot more integration points and opportunities for failure (e.g. calendar syncing, PriceLabs connection, calendar widget, etc.). 

Any insight or guidance you can share would be super appreciated! 

Blessings,
Hunter

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Lisa Graesser
Rental Property Investor · The Villages, FL · Member since 2017 · 341 posts · 398 votes
7mo

Instead of building your own direct booking site, check out Houfy.com

It is free for host and guests, unless you want to pay for add-ons. I dont pay for any extras so can't speak of how useful the are. I have been accepting direct booking through Houfy for years now and I am very happy to have this option.

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  • Lisa Graesser
    Rental Property Investor · The Villages, FL · Member since 2017 · 341 posts · 398 votes
    7mo

    Instead of building your own direct booking site, check out Houfy.com

    It is free for host and guests, unless you want to pay for add-ons. I dont pay for any extras so can't speak of how useful the are. I have been accepting direct booking through Houfy for years now and I am very happy to have this option.

    3Reply
  • Matt Cutler
    Investor · Yarmouth, MA · Member since 2018 · 5 posts · 2 votes
    7mo

    Another option is CraftedStays (https://craftedstays.co/). It's like a SquareSpace but purpose-built for short-term rentals. You can launch a site quickly at a lower cost than building one from scratch. Their team is great as well. Easy to work with and super helpful. 

    0Reply
  • Hunter Beck
    OP
    Houston, TX · Member since 2018 · 34 posts · 12 votes
    7mo

    Incredible - Thank you @Lisa Graesser and @Matt Cutler! 

    1Reply
  • Hunter Beck
    OP
    Houston, TX · Member since 2018 · 34 posts · 12 votes
    7mo

    Curious to know of folks who have built their direct booking site and their experience with that as well! How easy was it? Was it a tech headache? 

    0Reply
  • John UnderwoodPro Member
    Investor · Greer, SC · Member since 2014 · 13k+ posts · 17k+ votes
    7mo

    I've heard multiple times that the direct booking sites of any type don't get much of any traffic that you don't personally send there. They don't advertise to bring in traffic.

    They are good to direct friends, family and returning guests to book at the direct booking site.

    1Reply
  • Andrew GlissonBusiness Member
    Property Manager · Memphis · Member since 2026 · 135 posts · 95 votes
    7mo
    We’ve avoided doing this. We hosted 12k guests in 2025 and only 2% were recurring. If you direct book, you’re generally responsible to pay the various municipal taxes and fees, which turn into a bookeeping nightmare. Let the channels collect and you avoid it…
    [email protected]832-477-1007
    LPS Short and Long Term Property Management
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  • Ryan MoyerBusiness Member
    Property Manager · Orlando Kissimmee Davenport Salt Lake City, Park City · Member since 2019 · 991 posts · 1k+ votes
    7mo

    Forget everything you know on this.

    You don't want a direct booking site that looks like Airbnb. You want a direct booking site that looks like a landing page.

    The traffic to your direct book site isn't coming from google. It's traffic you're bringing there. Treat them like a lead into a funnel.

    I talked about this a little bit here: https://www.biggerpockets.com/forums/530/topics/1276204-175k...

    Feel free to reach out if you want more info.

    Cosmic Vacations4.9172 Reviews
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  • Kate Sanchez
    Member since 2025 · 244 posts · 99 votes
    7mo

    @Hunter Beck Since you have returning guests, trust is already built. Prioritize a reliable booking engine over a complex custom site to avoid technical failures. Good luck!

    0Reply
  • Account Closed
    Investor · FL · Member since 2016 · 332 posts · 388 votes
    7mo

    I will be the outlier here as I have two direct booking sites for 10 properties in two states/three counties.  I use Ownerrez as a PMS and they host the websites and have tools to build the websites.

    You see the posts that direct booking sites are for repeat guests and people will not find you on Google.  I am data driven so I just ran a report and just the bookings that have come in since Jan 1, direct bookings account for 29.2% of the income.  None are repeat giests (Ownerrez has a report for repeat guests so it made it easy to determine this). People find you on Airbnb and VRBO and then search the picture or property name to find your direct booking site to avoid the fees. Also, it is a long game on a website. It takes time for them to take off. We are talking a couple years. So be patient.

    As for design, use a design that targets the demographic you are seeking.

    Lastly, Filing sales/occupancy taxes are not a pain and you will have to do it for VRBO bookings if you are an api integrated partner. Just filed yesterday for 5 taxing authorities for 10 properties and it took 30 minutes, including walking to the mailbox to mail one county's in because they are not online yet. Ownerrez has a report for this that makes it easy.

    0Reply
    • Trent Reeve
      Atlanta · Member since 2022 · 710 posts · 641 votes
      7mo
      Quote from @Account Closed:

      I will be the outlier here as I have two direct booking sites for 10 properties in two states/three counties.  I use Ownerrez as a PMS and they host the websites and have tools to build the websites.

      You see the posts that direct booking sites are for repeat guests and people will not find you on Google.  I am data driven so I just ran a report and just the bookings that have come in since Jan 1, direct bookings account for 29.2% of the income.  None are repeat giests (Ownerrez has a report for repeat guests so it made it easy to determine this). People find you on Airbnb and VRBO and then search the picture or property name to find your direct booking site to avoid the fees. Also, it is a long game on a website. It takes time for them to take off. We are talking a couple years. So be patient.

      As for design, use a design that targets the demographic you are seeking.

      Lastly, Filing sales/occupancy taxes are not a pain and you will have to do it for VRBO bookings if you are an api integrated partner. Just filed yesterday for 5 taxing authorities for 10 properties and it took 30 minutes, including walking to the mailbox to mail one county's in because they are not online yet. Ownerrez has a report for this that makes it easy.


       I agree that some guests are getting more savvy and will find your place on a platform and then look for it off platform. It helps if you have something like a unique property name, etc, for them to find it. But people are also hesitant to book on some site that they have no knowledge or experience with. I think i heard/read somewhere where people need to see a website 5-7 times before they are willing/confident to buy something off it. And as Chris mentioned, taxes arent really a pain, and in some areas (like many in Florida) even if you are on platform you still have to file as the platforms dont for city and state in my market. Or you can use something like Avalara who will file taxes for you.

      1Reply
  • Andrew SteffensBusiness Member
    Tampa, FL · Member since 2022 · 3k+ posts · 3k+ votes
    7mo

    Are you trying to make a direct booking site for 1 (or a few) listings or something slightly more enterprise level?  If it is just 1 I think something mentioned above like Houfy would work just fine without overthinking this.  If you are planning to scale most PMS have template sites they can plug your listings into and the integrations are already built in so it is very easy.  However, I would not go and get a PMS if you just have 1-5 listings, not worth it.

    [email protected]813-563-0877
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  • Collin HaysBusiness Member
    Property Manager · Gatlinburg, TN · Member since 2020 · 3k+ posts · 4k+ votes
    7mo

    I think having a direct website is a good thing.  ANYTHING you can do to get more bookings is worth it if it doesn't cost you much. You can have your own website up and running in a few hours, for only a few dollars a month. I think there is value in that. A few bookings a year is worth probably several thousand dollars.  You can market it to friends, family, and previous guests.  You can also link that website onto local directories for probably $10-15 per month that will increase your bookings, even modestly.

    Having said that, accepting payments isn't that big a deal. Simply use your site to direct guests back to VRBO or whatever channel you use. If they really want to book direct, accept a Venmo payment and call it good.

    [email protected]806-672-7102
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  • Hunter Beck
    OP
    Houston, TX · Member since 2018 · 34 posts · 12 votes
    7mo

    Really appreciate everyone's input! My overall goal is to get off of my channel manager to avoid the 15.5% booking fee and find a platform where I can easily build a direct booking site. Ideally, a site that looks more retail and professional than OTA-esque. But, to build the pretty one, I'm not sure which all integrations I need. 

    @Ryan Moyer - Which platform did you use to build your direct booking sites? 

    @Account Closed - Thanks for sharing! Any recommendations on sites to build a direct booking site? 

    @Kate Sanchezundefined

    0Reply
    • Collin HaysBusiness Member
      Property Manager · Gatlinburg, TN · Member since 2020 · 3k+ posts · 4k+ votes
      7mo
      Quote from @Hunter Beck:

      Really appreciate everyone's input! My overall goal is to get off of my channel manager to avoid the 15.5% booking fee and find a platform where I can easily build a direct booking site. Ideally, a site that looks more retail and professional than OTA-esque. But, to build the pretty one, I'm not sure which all integrations I need. 

      @Ryan Moyer - Which platform did you use to build your direct booking sites? 

      @Account Closed - Love the perspective. Thanks for sharing!  

      @Andrew Steffens, @Kate Sanchez - Yea, I'm pretty close to creating one in Houfy and calling it a day. Not the experience that we want to create, but I'm tempted as a stepping stone. 

      @Collin Hays - Thanks for sharing! Any recommendations on sites to build a direct booking site? 

      @Kate Sanchezundefined


       Absolutely!  VacationRentalDesk.com.  Super easy and you'll be up and running in a couple of hours.

      [email protected]806-672-7102
      SMOKY MOUNTAIN FALLS INC.51 Review
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      1Reply
    • Ryan MoyerBusiness Member
      Property Manager · Orlando Kissimmee Davenport Salt Lake City, Park City · Member since 2019 · 991 posts · 1k+ votes
      7mo
      Quote from @Hunter Beck:

      Really appreciate everyone's input! My overall goal is to get off of my channel manager to avoid the 15.5% booking fee and find a platform where I can easily build a direct booking site. Ideally, a site that looks more retail and professional than OTA-esque. But, to build the pretty one, I'm not sure which all integrations I need. 

      @Ryan Moyer - Which platform did you use to build your direct booking sites? 

      @Account Closed - Love the perspective. Thanks for sharing!  

      @Andrew Steffens, @Kate Sanchez - Yea, I'm pretty close to creating one in Houfy and calling it a day. Not the experience that we want to create, but I'm tempted as a stepping stone. 

      @Collin Hays - Thanks for sharing! Any recommendations on sites to build a direct booking site? 

      @Kate Sanchezundefined


       I built the current ones on GoHighLevel but I am in the process of re-doing them in Elementor (wordpress) just to get access to their plugin library to easily add some new features.

      I'll still host them in GoHighLevel though and all my automations will run from GHL connected through the Elementor site. Probably going to package something together so I can spin them up for other people as well but that's probably a few months off.

      Cosmic Vacations4.9172 Reviews
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    • Ian Tyndall
      Investor · VA AZ, SC · Member since 2017 · 172 posts · 172 votes
      7mo
      Quote from @Hunter Beck:

      Really appreciate everyone's input! My overall goal is to get off of my channel manager to avoid the 15.5% booking fee and find a platform where I can easily build a direct booking site. Ideally, a site that looks more retail and professional than OTA-esque. But, to build the pretty one, I'm not sure which all integrations I need. 

      @Ryan Moyer - Which platform did you use to build your direct booking sites? 

      @Account Closed - Love the perspective. Thanks for sharing!  

      @Andrew Steffens, @Kate Sanchez - Yea, I'm pretty close to creating one in Houfy and calling it a day. Not the experience that we want to create, but I'm tempted as a stepping stone. 

      @Collin Hays - Thanks for sharing! Any recommendations on sites to build a direct booking site? 

      @Kate Sanchezundefined


       I have been asking myself the same question because I have four direct bookings sites, and I have gotten some organic traffic.  I am going to try increase my social media posting of reviews and see if that drives any more traffic.

      1Reply
  • Andrew GlissonBusiness Member
    Property Manager · Memphis · Member since 2026 · 135 posts · 95 votes
    7mo

    Just remember to consider the bookkeeping and cash escrow side of direct booking. Generally on the hook to pay various municipal taxes and fees. 

    [email protected]832-477-1007
    LPS Short and Long Term Property Management
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  • Hunter Beck
    OP
    Houston, TX · Member since 2018 · 34 posts · 12 votes
    7mo

    @Collin Hays - Thank you!
    @Ryan Moyer - That's awesome. Best of luck and appreciate the insight! Why the change from Gohighlevel to Elementor? 
    @Andrew Glisson - Great call out! I currently have to pay city and county HOT taxes here in Texas. I would need to learn how to pay state HOT taxes. Hopefully it's not too difficult (fingers crossed :)). 

    0Reply
  • Hunter Beck
    OP
    Houston, TX · Member since 2018 · 34 posts · 12 votes
    7mo

    @Ian Tyndall - That's incredible! Kudos to you for managing it all! Best of luck, will be rooting you on! 

    1Reply
  • Christina B.
    Boulder, CO · Member since 2023 · 174 posts · 96 votes
    7mo

    I looked at Houfy, OwnerRez, etc. For my purposes, OwnerRez came the closest and I went ahead and ran the free trial. It's easy to set up, etc. but eventually, I ran into limitations for how I wanted the site to look and feel. I looked at other platforms such as Squarespace, Wix, etc. as they have some very nice templates to get you up and running. Ultimately I decided against those primarily because when I think of exit plans (for example, if their rates rise faster than I think is worth and I need to leave), they owned the domain, the setup, etc. I also researched reviews from users to see what headaches were involved. End of day, I was able to invest the time to create my own site via WP (and to use coders as needed for some back-end support) and pay for the direct booking plug-ins, etc. as needed. To answer some of your questions:

    1. I don't think the first category (Airbnb look alikes) look unprofessional or untrustworthy for guests. However, I don't know your target market. Mine is higher end and what I'd call "affordable luxury". It's not the 1% but our rates run $300-$1000/night and I'm deliberately capping that $1000 because I'm uncomfortable charging the $1200+ PL recommends during holidays and high season.

    2. With regard to conversion, my primary goal for the direct site is indeed returning guests and strangely, they find us because we use a very specific name / brand repeatedly in our Airbnb & VRBO listings (from the beginning). I've also had potential guests on Airbnb & VRBO ask if I had a direct site and that was awkward (at the time I didn't).

    3. Yes there's a learning curve. Yes there are tech headaches. However, I used to work in SEO in its infancy. So I'm not uncomfortable with WP sites and there is so much info, tutorials, etc. available these days (not to mention AI which I did not use but could see others doing so and well in its latest iterations). Just plan for a lot of testing and soft launches.

    4. Initially, I was worried about keeping track of all the various taxes. But in Colorado, there's an online tax submission system that's very straightforward and easy to use (and their help line is incredible if you are able to wait the long times... I just keep working while I wait).

    5. For costs (if we don't count my time which was huge), the hosting fees are around $20/month and *I* own the domain, etc. So can move to a different host, etc. So literally ONE booking paid for a year's hosting, the costs of getting it up and running (except my time), the templates, themes, plug-ins, etc. Worth it. To me.

    6. I do use Elementor as well as Motopress' Hotel Booking, certain themes, and custom fonts. Hotel Booking syncs with Pricelabs for me and my calendars across Airbnb, VRBO, and direct are all sync'd. For payment procession, I use Stripe (although just compare rates, etc. and also consider Costco's payment processor because they might have had slightly better rates).

    But yes, massive time sink upfront. I think the whole research process (including setting things up first on OwnerRez, then moving to creation of a site) took about a month to launch (with me working on other commitments as well during the work week). And I'm still learning. PM me and I'll send you the link to my site. But I think you're on the right path using simpler, faster ways to get up and running.

    I also really value not being 100% reliant on Airbnb and VRBO. Today's fiasco with VRBO is a great example of why not to have all your eggs in one basket. And also why being able to reach your guest independently of a platform- is a good idea. You can add AdWords and other online campaigns later to increase visibility (as well as provide deals to returning guests).

    1Reply
  • Hunter Beck
    OP
    Houston, TX · Member since 2018 · 34 posts · 12 votes
    7mo

    @Christina B. - Thank you!!!! All of your thinking is right in line with where my headspace is at. I know the long-term vision, but I feel I want to start small. 

    Great tip on Costco! I didn't know that. 

    You mentioned hosting fees were $20/mo. Did that include everything (domain, WP, elementor, Motopress, other plug-ins)? If not, what were other additional costs? Which plug-ins did you use other than elementor and motopress? 

    0Reply
  • Christina B.
    Boulder, CO · Member since 2023 · 174 posts · 96 votes
    7mo

    @Hunter Beck That's just for hosting. It does not include domain name (which is worth owning and renewing) or themes, plug-ins, etc. Themes/templates cost anywhere from $20 to $100+ but are easier than starting from scratch. The other plug-ins are minimal (I prefer one-off vs subscription but will do subscription if worth it). Just depends on what campaigns you want to manage (e.g. email) or making the user experience a little more smooth (e.g. photo carousels). It can be a rabbit hole but also a great learning experience. Just keep testing on different platforms so you know what the user experience is like and you'll still find ways to keep improving over time.

    0Reply
  • Derek D.
    Property Manager · Old Orchard Beach, ME · Member since 2015 · 108 posts · 11 votes
    7mo

    Hey @Hunter Beck do you currently have a PMS or no?  I didn't see anything that mentioned if you have one or not.  We use our PMS to create a fast, easy, and clean direct booking site that is mobile friendly but I wanted to ask this first.

    @Lisa Graesser mentioned Houfy.com which you should check out as I am a huge fan of distribution on as many channels as you can get on.

    If you have a PMS, then they usually offer a great option that easily connects your properties to a domain you choose, which I recommend because it is quick, clean, and simple.

    0Reply
  • Hunter Beck
    OP
    Houston, TX · Member since 2018 · 34 posts · 12 votes
    6mo

    Hi @Derek D. - I have tried a couple of PMSs but we are looking to scale back a bit from them right now. I was of the mind to have my listing on all platforms, but we've had some big tech issues with PMSs on multiple occasions and we've lost some big money because of it. I'm not against them, but right now it isn't the focus. Good idea though for getting the direct booking site built into the PMS cost! 

    0Reply
  • Ken M.
    Investor · Get yourself trained before doing something inadvisable. · Member since 2024 · 3k+ posts · 1k+ votes
    1mo
    Quote from @Hunter Beck:

    Hi everyone,

    I'm looking to build a direct booking site. In my research, it feels like there are two broad routes to do this.

    1. Airbnb look-alikes: Houfy, Airbook.direct, OnNinth
    2. Stand-alone sites with plugin: You build your own website on WordPress, Wix, Setmore, etc., and get a direct booking plug-in or widget to attach (BnBForms).

    We aren’t sure if the first category looks unprofessional or untrustworthy for guests.

    Question: Does a super sleek, polished website through Wix/Wordpress/Setmore convert better than the Airbnb look alikes? We assume that most folks booking will be return guests (not new bookings). We are open to building our own stand alone Website, we just want to make sure that is the best approach before investing the time, energy, effort, and money into it. The stand alone sites seem to require a lot more integration points and opportunities for failure (e.g. calendar syncing, PriceLabs connection, calendar widget, etc.). 

    Any insight or guidance you can share would be super appreciated! 

    Blessings,
    Hunter

    Just make sure if you spend the time developing a website and traffic, that you own the rights to that website. Last time I checked, some of them will host your website but you can't independently take it with you and you lose all of the traffic. 
    1Reply
  • Matthew Tregoning
    Property Manager · Melbourne, FL · Member since 2019 · 245 posts · 122 votes
    1mo

    I would keep it simple at first. Use the booking page your PMS already gives you, connect a clean domain, and add your best photos, reviews, and clear policies.

    A beautiful custom site does not matter much if nobody is visiting it. The real value is owning the guest list so you can bring past guests back without depending on Airbnb every time.

    0Reply
  • Collin HaysBusiness Member
    Property Manager · Gatlinburg, TN · Member since 2020 · 3k+ posts · 4k+ votes
    1mo

    No need to build your own direct booking site. There's plenty "off the shelf" that will do that for you, such as VacationRentalDesk.com.

    [email protected]806-672-7102
    SMOKY MOUNTAIN FALLS INC.51 Review
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  • Cole S.
    Technology · Vancouver, Canada · Member since 2026 · 10 posts · 5 votes
    2w

    Hi Hunter! I build direct booking websites, so that’s the perspective I’m coming from.

    I wouldn’t assume a more polished design automatically converts better. For returning guests, I’d prioritize checking dates, seeing the full price and booking easily on a phone. They already know your property, so making the next stay easy is a good starting point.

    Your concern about integrations is fair. A standalone website can use a booking engine connected to your PMS, rather than managing every connection separately. I’d check exactly how availability, pricing and reservations move between systems before choosing.

    For one property, I’d start with a simple site on your own domain, clear policies and an easy booking process. Then build traffic through social media and voluntary email signups. You can invest more in the design once you see how people use it and where bookings come from.

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