Are you used to booking your accommodation on a platform like Airbnb, Booking or Abritel? Perfect. But did you know that you can often pay much less by booking outside of these platforms?
How to bypass Airbnb
Like many people, you may be wondering how to bypass Airbnb, how to avoid Abritel service fees and pay the best price for your rental. By booking directly with the owners, you save on average 15% on the price of your stay. Yes, as you can imagine, the platforms are not free and the rental companies pass on the amount of commissions they charge. And if this is not the case, you will have to pay a “service fee”.
Avoid service fees
The trick is simple to pay less. Locate the name of the accommodation in the ad and type it into your favorite search engine. If the owner of the accommodation has a website, you can contact them directly or book directly on their site. If he does not have a website, he can have a Google MyBusiness listing which will be displayed with the first results and which will indicate at least his contact details. As simple as that! It doesn't work every time, but it's worth a try to save 15% on a stay of €1000 or more. Do the math, it’s pretty well paid per minute!
Directo: A browser extension for direct booking through platforms
Are you familiar with Directo? Whether you're a renter or a traveler, if you want to connect directly with your target audience, it's a simple and foolproof solution. How does it work? Very simple. You install the extension in your browser, search for accommodation on your favorite platform as usual, and if you see a yellow logo with a D on the ad, it means you can go directly to the rental website. It's free for travelers, and less than one dollar per month for renters.
How do I install the Directo extension?
The easiest way is to go through the Directo website which offers a download button for the extension. It's available for Chrome, and for Safari on mobile IOS.
On Booking.com , the Jaden Kreyol cottage in Guadeloupe offers a better price by booking directly.
Guadeloupe : book accommodation directly with hosts
The vacation rental in Lamentin called Jaden Kréyol chose to set up a website with a booking engine. This allows us to offer Internet users an experience identical to a platform in the sense that they have availability and prices in real time as on a platform, secure payment, but at a price that is much more attractive for travelers, and more competitive for the rental company. It is also a contribution to greater purchasing power! So I don't know what you think, but I prefer to treat myself to a few good little Creole restaurants or activities during my vacation rather than paying commissions to a multinational, don't you?
By the way, note that a good portion of the commissions we pay to Airbnb (American) ends up in the coffers of our dear friends Google and Facebook (American). Did you know that Booking.com alone pays $6.5 billion each year in keyword purchases for "sponsored links" campaigns, in other words, advertising? You've probably noticed that, whatever accommodation you search for in the world on your search engine, the first results are always ads from the platforms, Booking.com at the top. This explains why.
Why do some Airbnb listings not include a guest service fee?
It doesn't depend on the traveler, but rather on the host. Airbnb distinguishes between two statuses for hosts: individuals and professionals. Professionals are owners who have declared furnished rental status, whether professional or not, which is actually a tax regime. Or, they can be a management company that manages multiple properties.
For private rentals, Airbnb charges fees of 3% to the owner, and 15% to the tenant. When the owner has Pro status, Airbnb shifts the guest service fee to them, which is then called a commission. The traveler no longer has to pay service fees, but you can imagine that the owners pass this commission on to their rental price. It therefore doesn't change much for the traveler who will simply see a clearer total price displayed.
How to avoid Airbnb fees?