Direct bookings let you accept reservations on your own terms through your own website or booking link, powered by Hospitable.

Instead of relying only on platforms like Airbnb or Vrbo, Direct gives you a booking channel you control, with built-in payment processing, guest communication, and calendar sync.

This article explains how Direct works, how it fits into your workflow, and what happens from the moment a guest visits your site to when you receive your payout.

What Direct Bookings Are

Direct is Hospitable’s built-in feature that lets guests book your property directly, without going through an OTA (Online Travel Agency).

You get your own booking website or widget, while Hospitable handles:

Payments and payment scheduling
Calendar sync across channels
Guest messaging and automations
Tasks and operational workflows

Think of Direct as another booking channel inside Hospitable. Direct reservations:

Appear in the same inbox
Follow the same automation rules
Sync with the same calendar as your other channels

Direct bookings are included on Professional and Mogul plans. Legacy users may have Direct as an add-on.

How to Check Your Direct Plan

Your Direct setup depends on your plan:

Direct Premium: Automatically assigned based on your property location (e.g., United States, United Kingdom, Australia)
Direct Basic: Available in regions supported by Stripe

To check your plan:

Go to Settings → Plans & billing → Direct
Look for your plan type under your Direct configuration

Direct bookings settings page in Hospitable showing the plan type (Direct Premium or Direct Basic)

What Problems Direct Bookings Solve

Hosting through OTAs means following platform rules, paying commissions, and having limited control over the guest relationship.

Direct bookings give you more control over how you run your business:

Reduce fees: Avoid OTA commissions on bookings made through your own site
Own the guest relationship: Collect guest details and manage communication directly
Keep everything in one place: Use the same inbox, automations, and calendar as your other bookings
Set your own rules: Define your pricing, payment terms, and cancellation policies

Your Direct Booking Site

Every Direct user can create a booking website using Hospitable’s site builder. Guests can browse listings, check availability, and book directly.

Example of a Hospitable Direct booking website with property listings and search bar

If you already have your own website, you can embed a Hospitable booking widget. The guest experience and backend behavior remain the same.

You can also:

Share a direct booking link
Send custom quotes with pre-filled dates and pricing

Also see: How to Add a Booking Widget to Your Website”

How Payments Work

Hospitable handles payment collection for Direct bookings.

The guest enters their payment details at checkout
The card may be authorized to confirm funds
Payments are captured based on your payment terms and schedule
Your payout is then scheduled

Guests can pay using major credit and debit cards, as well as Apple Pay and Google Pay.

Payment timing depends on your configured payment terms. Guests may pay in full or in scheduled installments.

Payment Support by Region

How payments are handled depends on your Direct plan:

Direct Premium: Built-in payment processing is available in supported regions
Direct Basic: Requires connecting a Stripe account (availability depends on Stripe-supported countries)

Also see: How Payments Work for Direct Bookings

Merchant of Record

For Direct Premium, Hospitable act as the Merchant of Record. This means payments are processed on your behalf, which affects how payouts, taxes, and chargebacks are handled.

The Guest Flow

Here’s what the booking experience looks like from the guest’s perspective:

Browse and select
The guest visits your Direct site (or booking link), selects dates, and chooses a property
Review pricing
A full breakdown is shown, including nightly rate, fees, taxes, and any discounts
Submit and pay
The guest enters their details and payment method
Verification and confirmation
Depending on your setup, the guest may complete ID verification or sign a rental agreement. Once accepted, the booking is confirmed
Guest Portal access
The guest can view reservation details, house rules, payment status, and upsells

Once confirmed, the booking behaves like any other reservation in Hospitable:

Messages are sent automatically
Calendar dates are blocked across channels
Tasks are triggered
Smart lock codes are generated

What happens after booking

Once accepted, the booking behaves like any other reservation in Hospitable:

Messages are sent automatically
Calendar dates are blocked across channels
Tasks are triggered
Smart lock codes are generated

All activity is managed from your Inbox and calendar.

Booking Statuses

Direct bookings can move through different statuses depending on your setup:

Requested: Waiting for host approval
Accepted: Booking is confirmed
Expired: Request was not accepted in time

Also see: Direct Booking Statuses

How Policies Apply

Your booking policies are applied at the time the booking is made.

This includes:

Cancellation policy
Payment terms and schedule
Fees and service charges

Policies cannot be changed after a booking is created. The original terms always apply.

Guests can review these details during:

The booking flow
The confirmation email
The guest portal

Taxes on Direct Bookings

Taxes are calculated based on your Direct setup:

Direct Premium: Taxes may be calculated and remitted automatically (where supported)
Direct Basic: You define and manage your own tax rates

You are responsible for filing and remitting taxes unless automatic remittance is supported in your region.

Also see: How Taxes Are Collected and Remitted for Direct Bookings

How Direct Fits Into Your Workflow

Direct is fully integrated into Hospitable. It’s not a separate system.

Calendar: Dates sync across all channels to prevent double bookings
Inbox: Messages from Direct guests appear alongside OTA conversations
Messaging rules: Automations work the same way as other bookings
Tasks and teammates: Tasks are created and assigned automatically
Pricing: Your pricing, fees, and rules apply consistently

Direct bookings are included in your metrics, financial reports, and owner statements.

Key Things to Know

Guests complete payment during the booking flow, not in the Guest Portal
The Guest Portal is used after a booking is accepted for tasks, payments, and stay details
Your Direct plan (Basic vs Premium) determines how payments, taxes, and verification are handled
Booking policies are locked in at the time of booking and cannot be changed afterward
Direct bookings sync with your calendar and follow the same automations as other channels
You can accept bookings via a site, widget, or direct booking link