How guest houses and B&Bs can get more direct bookings

Booking sites are good at finding you new guests, and most small guest houses need them. The problem is paying commission on guests who already knew you: people who found you on Google, stayed before, or were recommended by a friend, then booked through Booking.com out of habit. Here’s how to win more of those bookings back.

1. Know what it costs you

Booking.com typically charges UK properties around 15% or more per booking. On an £80 room, that’s about £12 a night. Thirty booking-site nights a month at that rate is around £4,300 a year. Not all of that can be saved, but even a third of it is real money.

2. Make booking direct easy

If your own website can’t show availability or take a booking, guests go back to the booking site. Add a clear “Check availability” or “Book direct” button on every page, linked to a booking system. Many systems used by small guest houses keep your rooms in step with Booking.com and Airbnb automatically, so you can’t double-book.

3. Give guests a reason to book with you

Many booking-site agreements limit charging less on your own website, so check yours before changing prices. Extras are the usual way round it, and small ones work:

• A bottle of wine or prosecco in the room (about £5–£8)
• Late checkout or early check-in when the room’s free
• First pick of the rooms, or an upgrade when one’s empty
• Free parking, if you have it
• An early breakfast or packed lunch for contractors (about £3–£4)
• Free laundry once a week for long stays
• A “welcome back” offer emailed to past guests

Each still costs less than the commission, so you keep more, and the guest gets something they’ll remember.

4. Show your reviews on your own site

Guests often check your website after finding you elsewhere. If your rating isn’t there, they go back to where it is. Put your score and a few recent, dated reviews on your home page, next to the booking button.

5. Be found for why people stay

People rarely search for a guest house by name. They search for a reason: work nearby, a hospital visit, a show, a family event, a walking weekend. A useful page for each of your main types of guest, with real details such as weekly rates, parking, breakfast times and routes, helps the right people find you. Keep each one genuinely useful; Google discourages lots of near-identical “B&B near…” pages.

6. Tidy your Google listing

Your Google Business Profile often shows a nightly price fed by booking sites. Make sure it links to your own website, shows your photos and gets replies to reviews. See the 30-minute tidy-up.