Direct bookings let you accept reservations on your own terms, with Hospitable handling payments, guest communication, and calendar sync.
This article explains how Direct bookings work from start to finish, including how bookings are created, how they are accepted, and what happens after acceptance.
Ways a Direct Booking Can Be Created
There are two ways a Direct booking can be created:
1. Guest-initiated bookings
A guest visits your Direct site or booking link
They select dates, enter details, and submit a booking request
2. Bookings you send to guests (Custom quotes or booking links)
You create a booking or custom quote in Hospitable and send it to a guest
The guest completes the booking using the link you provided
These are typically used when:
You send a custom quote with specific pricing or dates
You share a direct booking link with pre-filled details
Bookings you send to guests are automatically accepted once the guest completes checkout and are not affected by Instant Book settings.
The Booking Lifecycle
Direct bookings move through three main stages:
1. Pending
A booking becomes pending when:
You send a booking to a guest, or
A guest submits a booking request
At this stage:
The selected dates are blocked on your calendar
The booking is not yet accepted
The guest must complete checkout or you must accept the request
Dates remain blocked while a booking is pending. To make them available again, you’ll need to cancel or reject the booking.
2. Accepted
A booking becomes accepted when:
The guest completes checkout for a booking you sent, or
A guest request is accepted (automatically or manually)
At this stage:
Payment is authorized or collected
The reservation is confirmed
Automated messages and tasks are triggered
3. Completed or Cancelled
After a booking is accepted, it becomes a confirmed reservation.
From there, the booking will either:
Be completed after the stay ends
Be cancelled by you or the guest, based on your cancellation policy
How Booking Acceptance Works
Acceptance depends on how the booking was created.
Bookings You Send to Guests
Automatically accepted after the guest completes checkout
Do not require Instant Book
Do not go through approval conditions
Guest-Initiated Bookings
These follow your Instant Book settings.
With Instant Book enabled:
Booking may be automatically accepted based on your settings
Without Instant Book:
Booking remains pending until you manually accept or reject it
Also see: Instant Book for Direct Bookings
Direct Premium vs Basic
Direct Premium
Bookings are only automatically accepted if the guest is low risk based on verification
Medium or high risk bookings require manual approval
Direct Basic
Bookings are automatically accepted based on your Instant Book and availability settings
How Payments Work
Hospitable handles payment collection for Direct bookings.
The guest enters payment details during checkout
Payment is authorized to confirm funds
Once the booking is accepted, payment is captured
Your payout is then scheduled
Guests can pay using major credit and debit cards, as well as Apple Pay and Google Pay.
How payments are processed and when payouts are released depends on your Direct plan.
What Guests Experience
From the guest’s perspective:
They select dates and review pricing
They enter their details and payment information
They may complete verification or sign a rental agreement
They submit the booking
After submission:
The booking is either accepted immediately or reviewed before acceptance
The guest receives confirmation and access to their reservation details
How Direct Fits Into Your Workflow
Direct bookings are fully integrated into Hospitable:
Calendar: Dates sync across all channels to prevent double bookings
Inbox: Guest communication appears alongside OTA messages
Messaging rules: Automated messages are triggered
Tasks: Cleaning and operational tasks are created
Reporting: Bookings are included in financial reports
Key Things to Know
Dates are blocked as soon as a booking becomes pending
Bookings you send to guests (quotes or links) are automatically accepted once completed
Instant Book only applies to guest-initiated bookings
Some bookings may still require manual approval depending on verification and settings
What’s Next
Now that you understand how Direct bookings work, you can:
Create and send a Direct booking or custom quote
Set up Instant Book
Configure payment terms and policies