Why Book Direct

Increasingly online listing sites such as Homeaway and Owners Direct and holiday letting agencies are charging guests booking fees, adding an additional 8% or more to the cost of your holiday. It’s a win-win situation for them and a lose-lose one for guests.

They are also making it more and more difficult for the potential guests to communicate with owners. This ensures travellers can’t be bypassed before they make a payment through the booking websites (payment is not released to the owner until the day of your arrival).  Who knows the accommodation and local area best?  How can you ask for information such as car hire details when they block website details and how can you ask questions to make sure it’s the right accommodation and the right destination for you when you don't have direct communication.

So, how do you avoid steep online fees when booking your holiday? Just book direct. Save money and get a personal booking service

Finding holiday properties that take direct bookings:

There are a few ways to do this. Here are some suggestions:

• Be a detective! Look for the name of any property that takes your fancy on one of the OTA sites. Many owners have dropped hints in their listings about their own websites. Then google the property name to find the direct website.
• On some OTA sites you can still communicate in advance of booking. Make an enquiry rather than going directly to ‘Book it Now’. Ask owners if they are willing to book with you privately, rates may be cheaper when booking direct.

Peace of Mind

If it worries you that you are not booking with one of the “big names” you can always give a property owner a ring to have a chat about their property. If they have plenty of information on their website and maybe other listing sites, then this, supported by a phone conversation, should reassure you that they are genuine.