What does Book Direct mean? How do I do it? And why is it so important to me?

Friday, 4 March 2022

What does Book Direct Mean? How do I do it? And why is it so important to me?

The term ‘book direct’ has burst on the scene and if you’re not in the accommodation industry, or are an experienced traveller, you’re probably wondering what does book direct mean? How do I do it? And why is it so important to me?

What does book direct mean?

‘Book direct’ means booking your accommodation directly with the owner.

Sounds easy, right?

Well, an issue arises because the accommodation market is flooded with OTA’s (Online Travel Agencies) who act as a go between, broker or intermediary to get our accommodation directly in front of you, but this means there’s a FEE.

VRBO, Airbnb, Booking.com, etc. are all OTA’s. They don’t own or operate the accommodation they are selling. They act as a go between to get our accommodation to your screen.

The fees and commission rates are charged to both you and us for using their sites and can be between 15%-30%.

Imagine that…you may be paying 30% more via an OTA than if you book direct! That’s £300 on a £1000 booking.

To book direct means to skip the go between (the OTA) and the extra fees and go straight to the owner.

How do I do it?

It may take time but you’ve got this! Especially if it’s going to save you £££££.

This is where a site like ListDirect can help you. There are lots of accommodation providers just waiting to hear from you and it is also where we at The Victorian Barn Estate list our holiday homes as well as our own website.

ListDirect are also on Facebook and ListDirect offer a free availability request service.

Consider where you might like to go and your dates. The Victorian Barn is in Dorset.
Explore the area online. Using sites like Visit Dorset for ideas.

You can still use an OTA for searches, if you find a place you like on an OTA, research the accommodation online using the property name or owners name. More often than not you will find the owners own website.
Then Book Direct by calling, emailing or booking on the owners website! It’s that simple! Remember, this isn’t about asking for a discount, this is about not paying extra for your holiday!

Why is it important to me?

You get to communicate with the owner themselves. You can ask us anything. It’s our place and we know the answer. If you call the OTA, the only help they can provide is reading through the same website description you can find. Go ahead, ask us what the temperature of the pool is? or which rooms would be best to add a cot? How many miles is it to the coast? What activities are there to do in the area?
Don’t limit your search. There are so many accommodation owners who don’t list on the OTA’s and will choose to use ListDirect or other book direct sites. You may be missing out on the most amazing holiday homes and cottages.
You’re going to pay extra for your holiday if you don’t book direct. Either a service fee is added onto our price, or we have to raise our rates in order to pay the astronomical commission rates to list on certain OTA’s. When you book direct, it’s not that you’re getting a discount, it’s that you’re paying for the accommodation itself, without the extra charges.
Strip away the confusion, and get to the basics. With no intermediary, you know who your contact point is, and we’re local. If your schedule changes, or you have a special request, it’s not getting lost in a sea of apps and emails.
You get better customer service. We can’t tell you how many times people have asked about different dates, or a different property, and we cannot send them the correct details because of a closed communication system with an OTA. We can’t send you our email. We can’t send you our phone number. You can’t send us either. So, we’re left in this awkward communication and we have other properties you’d love…but no way of showing them to you. It’s frustrating for both you and us.
You’re in touch with Verified Owners. On ListDirect we are verified owners which means our ID has been checked to ensure we are true owners and not fraudulent scammers who take your money for a fake holiday.

So do not delay get in touch today for your next holiday in the UK.

Our ListDirect Listings:

What does Book Direct mean? How do I do it? And why is it so important to me?

What does Book Direct Mean? How do I do it? And why is it so important to me?

The term ‘book direct’ has burst on the scene and if you’re not in the accommodation industry, or are an experienced traveller, you’re probably wondering what does book direct mean? How do I do it? And why is it so important to me?

What does book direct mean?

‘Book direct’ means booking your accommodation directly with the owner.

Sounds easy, right?

Well, an issue arises because the accommodation market is flooded with OTA’s (Online Travel Agencies) who act as a go between, broker or intermediary to get our accommodation directly in front of you, but this means there’s a FEE.

VRBO, Airbnb, Booking.com, etc. are all OTA’s. They don’t own or operate the accommodation they are selling. They act as a go between to get our accommodation to your screen.

The fees and commission rates are charged to both you and us for using their sites and can be between 15%-30%.

Imagine that…you may be paying 30% more via an OTA than if you book direct! That’s £300 on a £1000 booking.

To book direct means to skip the go between (the OTA) and the extra fees and go straight to the owner.

How do I do it?

It may take time but you’ve got this! Especially if it’s going to save you £££££.

This is where a site like ListDirect can help you. There are lots of accommodation providers just waiting to hear from you and it is also where we at The Victorian Barn Estate list our holiday homes as well as our own website.

ListDirect are also on Facebook and ListDirect offer a free availability request service.

Consider where you might like to go and your dates. The Victorian Barn is in Dorset.

Explore the area online. Using sites like Visit Dorset for ideas.

You can still use an OTA for searches, if you find a place you like on an OTA, research the accommodation online using the property name or owners name. More often than not you will find the owners own website.

Then Book Direct by calling, emailing or booking on the owners website! It’s that simple! Remember, this isn’t about asking for a discount, this is about not paying extra for your holiday!

Why is it important to me?

Don’t limit your search. There are so many accommodation owners who don’t list on the OTA’s and will choose to use ListDirect or other book direct sites. You may be missing out on the most amazing holiday homes and cottages.

Strip away the confusion, and get to the basics. With no intermediary, you know who your contact point is, and we’re local. If your schedule changes, or you have a special request, it’s not getting lost in a sea of apps and emails.

You’re in touch with Verified Owners. On ListDirect we are verified owners which means our ID has been checked to ensure we are true owners and not fraudulent scammers who take your money for a fake holiday.

So do not delay get in touch today for your next holiday in the UK.

Our ListDirect Listings:

Lodge (sleeps 4):

Stable (sleeps 4):

Hollywood (sleeps 4):

Ashwood (sleeps 4):

Maplewood (sleeps 4):

Beatrice (sleeps 10):

Helena (sleeps 8):

Victoria Albert (sleeps 16):

Jasmine (sleeps 7):

Byre (sleeps 4):

Leopold (sleeps 8):

Plumtree (sleeps 6):

Granary (sleeps 5):

Hayloft (sleeps 4):