Phil Kennard - Founder of Futurestay on STR Like The Best by Michael Chang

Michael ChangApr 23, 20251h 12m25 viewsScore 85
Growth & Marketing
intermediate
direct bookings
OTA vs direct
guest email capture
billboard effect
Airbnb policy changes
M

Summary

AI-generated

Hosts can learn how to balance Online Travel Agent (OTA) bookings with direct bookings to increase profitability. The discussion covers strategies for building a direct booking website, leveraging guest data, and navigating new Airbnb policies.

Key insights

  • New Airbnb policies, effective May 10th, 2025, aim to formalize guest information collection and fee structures, restricting hosts from moving bookings off-platform but allowing guest-requested communication channel changes.

Mistakes to avoid

  • Relying solely on OTA bookings without a direct booking strategy means paying significant commissions on every reservation and missing opportunities for higher profit margins.

Tools & resources

  • Stripeservice

    Stripe is a payment processing service that can be used for direct bookings, typically charging around a 3% fee.

Frequently Asked Questions

Curated by Learn STR by GoStudioM · Summary & key insights generated by AI · Reviewed by editorial