Direct Booking
Accept commission-free bookings through your own website
Your direct booking channel lets guests book directly with you, without paying commissions to booking sites. It's the most profitable way to fill your rooms.
Why Direct Bookings Matter
Every booking through a third-party site like Booking.com or Airbnb costs you a commission, typically 15-25% of the booking value. Direct bookings eliminate that cost entirely.
| Channel | Typical Commission | Revenue on $200 booking |
|---|---|---|
| Booking.com | 15-25% | $150-170 |
| Expedia | 15-25% | $150-170 |
| Airbnb | 3-5% (host fee) | $190-194 |
| Direct booking | 0% | $200 |
Beyond saving money, direct bookings give you:
- Direct guest relationship -- You communicate with guests from day one, not through a platform
- Guest data -- You own the contact information for future marketing
- Flexibility -- You set the terms, cancellation policies, and special offers
- Brand building -- Guests remember your property, not the booking site
The most successful properties use a mix of channels to get discovered, then encourage repeat guests to book directly.
How It Works
Synoveo's direct booking engine works through your property website (either the built-in Synoveo minisite or a custom domain):
Guest visits your website
A potential guest finds your property through Google, social media, a past stay, or a booking site that leads them to your website.
Guest checks availability
The booking widget on your website shows real-time room availability and pricing, pulled directly from Synoveo.
Guest completes the booking
The guest selects a room, enters their details, and pays securely through your payment processor.
You receive the booking
The booking appears in your Synoveo console and availability updates across all connected channels automatically.
Setting Up Direct Booking
Prerequisites
Before enabling direct bookings, you need:
- Your property's rooms configured in Synoveo
- At least one rate plan set up
- Availability configured for your rooms
- A Synoveo subscription on a plan that supports bookings
Enable the direct booking channel
Go to Channels
In your Synoveo console, navigate to Channels and find the Direct Booking section.
Activate direct booking
Toggle the direct booking channel to active. This enables the booking engine that powers your website.
Set up payment processing
Connect your payment processor (Stripe) to accept guest payments. See the payment processing section below.
Configure booking settings
Set your cancellation policy, payment timing (full payment or deposit), and confirmation email templates.
Payment Processing
Synoveo uses Stripe to process guest payments securely. Funds go directly to your bank account.
Connecting Stripe
Start Stripe setup
In your direct booking settings, click Connect Payment Processing.
Create or link your Stripe account
If you already have a Stripe account, sign in. Otherwise, you'll create one during this process.
Complete verification
Stripe may ask for business details and bank account information to comply with financial regulations.
Test a booking
Make a test booking to confirm payments flow correctly to your account.
Stripe charges standard processing fees (typically 2.9% + $0.30 per transaction). These are significantly lower than booking site commissions.
Payment options
| Option | Description | When to Use |
|---|---|---|
| Full payment | Charge the full amount at booking | Short stays, non-refundable rates |
| Deposit | Charge a percentage upfront, balance later | Longer stays, flexible policies |
| Pay at property | No online charge, guest pays on arrival | Trust-based, returning guests |
Booking Confirmation Flow
When a guest completes a direct booking:
- Payment processed -- Stripe processes the payment (or holds it for authorization)
- Booking created -- Synoveo creates the booking record with all guest details
- Availability updated -- The booked room is removed from availability on all channels
- Confirmation sent -- The guest receives a confirmation email with booking details
- You're notified -- You receive a notification in the Synoveo console and via email
Cancellation Policies
Set clear cancellation terms for direct bookings:
| Policy Type | Description |
|---|---|
| Flexible | Free cancellation up to 24 hours before check-in |
| Moderate | Free cancellation up to 5 days before check-in |
| Strict | Free cancellation up to 14 days before check-in |
| Non-refundable | No refund for cancellations |
| Custom | Define your own cancellation windows and refund percentages |
Offering a slightly better cancellation policy for direct bookings (compared to booking sites) is a good incentive for guests to book directly.
Encouraging Direct Bookings
Here are proven strategies to increase your share of direct bookings:
On your website
- Show the best price -- Match or beat your booking site rates
- Highlight the benefits -- "Book direct for free breakfast" or "Best price guarantee"
- Make it easy -- The booking widget should be visible and simple to use
With past guests
- Collect email addresses -- Build a mailing list of past guests
- Send reminders -- "Planning your next visit? Book directly for the best rate"
- Offer loyalty perks -- Returning guests get a small discount or upgrade
On booking sites
- Optimize your listing -- Good reviews and photos drive traffic
- Include your website -- Where allowed, mention your property website
- Let guests discover you -- Many guests search for your property by name after seeing it on a booking site
Direct Booking vs. Booking Sites
You don't have to choose one or the other. The best approach uses both:
| Use Booking Sites For | Use Direct Booking For |
|---|---|
| Reaching new guests | Repeat guests |
| International visibility | Local and referral guests |
| Last-minute availability | Advance reservations |
| Building reviews | Building guest relationships |