The Strategy Most Vacation Rental Hosts Are Missing
You’re spending money on your listing photos, perfecting your property descriptions, and competing for visibility on Airbnb and Booking.com. But here’s the reality: you’re building your business on rented land. Those platforms can change their algorithms, increase their fees, or even shut down bookings overnight—and you’re left scrambling.
What if there was a way to use those platforms to get your first booking, then convert those guests into your own repeat customers? That’s exactly what the most successful hosts are doing, and it all comes down to one simple action: picking up the phone.
Why OTAs Should Be Your Starting Point, Not Your End Goal
Here’s the mindset shift that changes everything: stop fighting against Airbnb and Booking.com. Instead, use them as your customer acquisition channel. Yes, you’ll pay that 15-18% commission—but only once. After that first booking, the guest becomes yours.
The key is converting OTA guests into direct booking customers before they leave your property. And the most effective way to do this isn’t through automated emails or text messages. It’s through an actual phone conversation.
The Mid-Stay Customer Care Call
On the day after check-in, make a simple phone call to every guest. Don’t position it as a sales call—frame it as a customer care check-in. Most hosts avoid this because they think it’s intrusive, but guests consistently respond with surprise and appreciation that someone actually cares about their experience.
Start with the basics: “I’m just calling to make sure everything is okay with the property and it’s meeting your expectations.” If they’re happy, that’s your opening. If there’s a problem, you’ve just caught it early enough to fix it and turn a potential bad review into a glowing one.
The Three Questions That Drive Direct Bookings
Once you’ve confirmed everything is going well, ask these three critical questions:
“What brings you to the area?” This tells you if they’re a leisure traveler or a business guest. Business travelers and contractors are your highest-value targets for repeat bookings.
“Are you likely to return, and when might that be?” If they say yes, book them right there on the phone at a rate lower than what they’d find on Airbnb or Booking.com. You’ve just converted an OTA customer into a direct booking.
“Do you know anyone else who might need similar accommodation?” This is the question most hosts never ask, and it’s the most powerful one. Contractors work with other contractors. Business travelers have colleagues. One guest can turn into five bookings through referrals alone.
Making It Scalable
The beauty of this system is that it becomes easier over time. In the beginning, you’re calling every new guest because they’re all coming from OTAs. But as you build your base of repeat customers, you’re calling less frequently—maybe once a quarter just to check in and maintain the relationship.
Track your contacts using a simple CRM system. When someone says they’ll think about rebooking, set a follow-up date. When they refer someone, log it and follow through with a quote immediately. The hospitality industry is built on relationships, and relationships require consistent follow-through.
Focus on Quality Over Volume
One of the biggest mistakes hosts make is chasing property count without considering the quality of those properties or the relationships with owners. The most sustainable vacation rental businesses aren’t always the biggest—they’re the ones with the highest margins, the best guest relationships, and the most control over their operations.
If you’re managing properties for other owners, be selective about who you work with. Drop the difficult clients. Keep the ones who share your values and operational approach. Build a portfolio you actually enjoy managing, not one that feels like you’ve traded your freedom for a different kind of job.
The Bottom Line
Converting OTA bookings to direct bookings isn’t about fancy marketing funnels or expensive ad campaigns. It’s about picking up the phone, having real conversations with your guests, and asking for what you want—their business and their referrals.
The hosts who master this simple strategy consistently report 50% or more of their revenue coming from direct bookings. That’s not just lower commission fees—it’s business stability, customer loyalty, and the ability to weather any changes the OTA platforms throw your way.
Ready to take control of your direct booking revenue? CraftedStays gives you the professional website and booking tools you need to convert those phone conversations into seamless direct reservations. Build your brand, own your guest relationships, and start keeping more of what you earn. Get started with CraftedStays today.