It seems that travelers believe that booking direct with owners is a risk, but in reality it can save you some serious money!
Booking your dream beach vacation directly with owners or property management companies (not to be confused with VRBO, Airbnb, etc.) can save you money on unnecessary mark-ups on booking fees that many popular online “big box” agencies charge. If you think about it, when is the last time you heard about a problem with booking directly with owners or the property management company?
Typically the owners, like myself, want your booking and vacation experience to be smooth and enjoyable. I, as the owner of a vacation home want to be sure your stay is fabulous as I can’t risk a negative review.
If you still don’t believe me , just look at the price comparisons I did using my own vacation home with two popular online “big box” booking sites compared to my property manager’s site. So which price do you want to pay for the same house, same time period, and same guarantees?
To be honest, I can’t even explain some of the fees and mark-ups the “big box” online companies charge. I set my nightly rates with our property management company where there are NO MARK-UPS or booking fees.
Do the research people! As you can see, booking direct is the best way to save yourself some serious money! #BOOKDIRECT
How Do You Book Direct:
This would naturally be your next question. 🙂
1. Book with the owner or property manager directly. For example, if you want to rent my beachfront property in Galveston, you can do that here. Here are some great tips you can use for you future dream vacation:
- If you find my home on VRBO or the other major booking sites, you will see it is managed by a property manager or the owners themselves.
- Google the property manager’s name
- Find my home on their site and #BOOKDIRECT
- AND SAVE A TON OF MONEY!
2. Search Google or Facebook by either the name of the home, location or address that you see on the “big box”online vacation rental sites to see if the property has a website or Facebook page.
Many times, the owners list their names and pictures on their listing sites such as VRBO. Try to find them on Facebook. Reach out to them through private messaging and see if there are options to book direct.
Also note that if the owner is taking the time to keep their social media and website pages updated, it’s a good sign they truly care about their guests and their vacation experience.
Be sure to check out the past guest reviews on these sites too. That should give you some additional confidence in booking directly.
Good Luck and I hope you will consider being our guests soon.