Direct booking websites for vacation rentals
Don't depend on just the platforms. Start with your own direct booking website.
Airbnb and Vrbo fees take a cut of every stay, and platform rules decide what you can ask of your guests. I design, build and SEO-optimize a custom site for vacation rental owners and property managers, so guests can find you on Google and book with you.
WentDirect is an independent third party and is not endorsed by or associated with Airbnb, Inc. or its affiliates, or with Vrbo.
Built by Cole Stark
10 years building, SEO-optimizing and advertising websites
Website
Most hosts start hereFrom$2,000
- Custom built, priced like a template
- Connected to your booking software
- Built for Google and AI search
- First draft one week after your assets and access are in
Full SEO
One-time total per website, not monthly
From$1,500
Why hosts go direct
What the platforms cost you
Most owners and managers I talk to want to rely less on the listing sites over time. A website is the first move, and it helps with four things at once.
Fees on every stay
As of November 2026, the single host fee on Airbnb is 15.5% for most hosts and the Vrbo commission is 12%. A booking on your own site pays card processing, about 3%.
Read the fee guideRules you do not set
The platform decides what you can ask at checkout, which house rules count and when a rental agreement is allowed. Your own site runs on your terms.
See what changed in 2026A listing is not a brand
On a platform you look like every other listing. Your own site shows guests who you are, and it is the first thing an owner checks before hiring a manager.
Websites for property managersHard to find on your own
Guests search Google and ask AI tools about your area, then land on someone else. A site built for search puts your place in front of them.
How the SEO worksSee what the platforms take from your bookings
Enter your nightly rate, booked nights and number of properties. The calculator shows the platform's cut, and what the same bookings would keep on a custom direct booking website.
Platform fee on each booking
$0
Platform fees per year
$0
A direct booking keeps, after card processing
$0
The same booking on the platform keeps $0.
Extra kept per year if those bookings came direct
$0
Estimates only. This compares a booking that starts on your own site with one that starts on a platform. WentDirect is an independent third party and is not endorsed by or associated with Airbnb, Inc. or its affiliates, or with Vrbo.
How it works
Three steps to your short-term rental direct booking website
- 1
Tell me about your rental
One short call about your property, your booking software and what the site has to do. You get one flat quote back.
- 2
I build it around you
Your photos, story, rates and live calendar in a custom design. The first draft is ready one week after your assets and access are in.
- 3
Launch and get found
The site goes live on your domain, built from day one to show up on Google and in AI search answers.
What you get
A custom direct booking website, built to be found
Custom built, priced like a template. You work with the person who designs the site, writes the pages and does the SEO.
- A custom design, not a template with your name on it
- Live rates and availability from your booking software
- Guests book and pay you on your own site
- Pages written to rank for searches in your area
- Clear, structured content that AI search tools can read and cite
- Fast and easy to use on a phone
- You can edit your own text, photos and blog posts
- Your listings stay live, and nothing here breaks platform rules
- You own the site once it is built
- Flat pricing with one quote before work starts
- One person from the first call to launch day
Proof
Real sites, not mockups
Serenity Lodge is a one-cabin direct booking site in Hocking Hills, Ohio. It went live on October 27, 2026. A second site, for a multi-property operator who also co-hosts, is close to launch.
Both are new, so there are no booking numbers to show yet. I will add them when they exist. Until then, judge the work itself.
Read the Serenity Lodge case study
Cole Stark
10 years building, SEO-optimizing and advertising websites
Pricing
Flat pricing. No tiers to decode.
Two public starting prices and one quote before any work starts. If you want Google Ads as well, we can talk about it on the call.
Website
Most hosts start hereFrom$2,000
A custom direct booking website for your property or portfolio, connected to your booking software.
- Custom design, built around your property
- Connected to your booking software and calendar
- Built for Google and AI search from the first page
- You can edit your own text and photos
- First draft one week after your assets and access are in
WentDirect is an independent third party and is not endorsed by or associated with Airbnb, Inc. or its affiliates, or with Vrbo.
Full SEO
From$1,500
one-time total per website
Keyword strategy, content and on-page work so guests find your site on Google and in AI search. Not a monthly fee.
- Keyword strategy for your area and property type
- Content written for guests and for search
- Titles, headings and internal links fixed across the site
- Reporting you can read
WentDirect is an independent third party and is not endorsed by or associated with Airbnb, Inc. or its affiliates, or with Vrbo.
Questions
Direct booking website FAQs
What is a direct booking website?
A direct booking website is your own site where guests check availability, book and pay you without going through a listing platform. Some hosts call it a book direct site, a direct book website or an STR direct booking website. You pay card processing instead of a platform commission, and you set the terms.
How much does a direct booking website cost?
A direct booking website starts at $2,000 for the website alone. Full SEO starts at $1,500 as a one-time total per website, not a monthly fee. If you also want Google Ads, we can talk about it on the call. You get one flat quote before any work starts. See pricing for what each includes.
How long does a website take to build?
The first draft of your website is ready one week after I have all your assets and access. That means photos, the points you want made, your domain and a login or invite to your booking software. Feedback and launch follow from there, at the pace you reply.
Does the website work with my booking software?
Yes, the website connects to the booking software you already use, so rates, availability and reservations stay in sync. I build on tools such as Hospitable and OwnerRez. If you use something else, tell me on the call and I will check what it supports before I quote.
Will my own website break the rules of the platforms I list on?
No, having your own website does not break platform rules, and your listings stay live. I never set up anything that moves a platform guest off the platform. Your site wins new guests from Google, AI search, ads, social media and people who have booked direct with you before.
Do I own the website?
Yes, you own the website. Once it is built it is yours, not rented from me on a monthly plan. That is one of the differences between a done-for-you build and a website builder, where the site lasts only as long as the subscription does.
Can I edit the website myself?
Yes, you can edit the website yourself. You can change your text, photos and blog posts without touching code, and I handle the bigger changes for you.
Do you build websites for property managers and co-hosts?
Yes, property managers and co-hosts are a core part of who I build for, short-term and long-term. Their websites do two jobs: take bookings from guests and win new owner clients. See property management website design.
Book a call
Tell me about your rental. Get one flat price back.
No packages to decode and no surprise add-ons. You talk to me from the first message to launch day.
Book a callWentDirect is an independent third party and is not endorsed by or associated with Airbnb, Inc. or its affiliates, or with Vrbo.
Why WentDirect
- Custom design, never a template
- Built for Google and AI search
- Works with your booking software
- One expert, start to finish
- Websites from $2,000, SEO from $1,500