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Beware of Booking.com as host

I want to share my terrible experience and warn other hosts from using Booking.com for renting your property.

I host people through Airbnb in multiple listings for quite some time already and because of low demand in Winter I decided to try also Booking.com as a host to fill up the properties a bit.

Besides the fact that the whole backend is really weird, non intuitive and confusing, I was supposed to host a second guest today, a couple from Belarus. I enabled the imported calendar on Booking.com so when there’s a reservation at Airbnb the dates get automatically blocked at Booking and vice versa. So for this couple the dates at Airbnb were of course blocked as well (4 nights).

I set up the reservations at Booking as non-refundable which means the guest can’t cancel it. However I can’t process credit cards so the guests pay only after arrival in cash. The other option is to request payment before arrival via bank transfer but this is rather complicated, involves high international bank fees and noone really wants to do this. I decided I will believe the people and accept cash on arrival. So there is actually no guarantee and no payment in case the guest simply doesn’t show up.

And exactly this of course happened. I tried to contact the guest 7 days before arrival about the arrival time and deposit. I tried email 3 times, then SMS and then called. No reply at all. Yesterday night I realized it is almost obvious that the guest isn’t coming and contacted Booking.com support and requested to cancel the reservation in naive hope another reservation will show up in last minute either on booking or Airbnb.

What the support (located in Singapore btw, I am from Europe) told me is that they CAN NOT cancel the reservation because I didn’t request the deposit, I requested only details about arrival time in the email discussion and that the only thing I can do is to wait until midnight of the day of arrival and only then contact them to mark the reservation as “no show”. I of course tried to call/SMS the guest about deposit but to no reply. Also, when they didn’t share the arrival time, it was obvious they can’t come (there is no reception so they have to meet me to get in).

They did this also in very rude, uninterested way.The only effect this will have is that I will not have to pay comission on this reservation to booking (lol). Noone at Booking.com cares about 4 nights completely wasted and noone cares about €XXX in lost revenue. And of course tons of time spent trying to contact the guest and their always occupied support.

To sum it up, there is absolutely no guarantee if you use Booking.com as a host that the guest will show up and he risks absolutely nothing by doing so, because you do not have his payment details. The company doesn’t care at all. Only solution is to waste lot of time and money with international bank transfers and deposits, which will put off majority of people anyway.

My recommendation is to stay far away from booking.com . It may bring you more reservations than Airbnb as it is more popular, but it will almost certainly also bring you more headeache and problems.

I have no problems with them, of course you need to pre autorize the clients cards.

I am normal guy renting a flat, I do not really have any credit card terminal or something like this. I looked up Squareup but it is not supported in my country and honestly it just seems like lot of extra work for nothing. Besides I read tons of horror stories of guests using stolen or empty credit cards.

I agree if you can’t pre autorize or check clients cards, it’s better to not used booking.com but I get most of my clients from them so for me I will not be able to continue without the business they give me (or at much lower price)

if you are in Europe, you can’t used stripe?

is this what you use?

Yes. I have stripe and used also on my phone with stripe app.

I have only one appartment that I rent

I will check it out but still it is additional hassle + fees that Booking.com could easily handle by themselves much better the same way Airbnb handles the payments and it would make the things much easier.

In some countries (don’t know the exact list) they can take care of the payment like airbnb do

:rage:

Not that it sounds like you want to deal with them again but can you accept paypal? Most have this these days?

:confused:

Hi Dev22, I’m sorry to hear what happened. I initially listed on booking.com but later decided to delist from them because I get enough booking from other sites, and booking.com is the one that involves most troubles, like having to deal with credit card, no show, some guests expect hotel experience, etc.

I wonder if you have tried tripadvisor and VRBO/Stayz? These two platform now brings me more than half of my booking. For the first month, all my booking were from Airbnb, but since the second months, other platforms are picking up.

If you have listed on all possible platforms and still need more booking. Then I guess you have to stick to booking.com , and you need to register for some payment processing website, and they can process credit card on behalf of you at a fee.

Good luck and happy hosting.

correct me if i am wrong but from what I can see VRBO is focused on US market and Stayz on on Australia which doesn’t really help me since I am based in Europe…

I think they have another brand called Homeaway. Is that available in Europe?

Well why don’t you simply request a deposit, then, in future?

He had but he didn’t charged the client

Thanks for the heads up. I listed on Booking.com but I’ve not activated my account. Just recently a rep reached out and wants to guide me through the portal (as if that’s the problem). In actuality I’m wary of the site for reasons like you and others have mentioned. Plus I’m lazy and Air has kept me fully booked for now.

The fact that you have to collect the payment and then repay the site seems like a giant pain, in addition to the concerns of double booking, etc.

Yeah Booking is problematic. When you mark as a no show and ask them to reach out to the guest and they can’t, then they do cancel your booking.

I think the solution is not to indicate anything as non refundable.

Of course this then means that your calendar could be booked for a long stay who never shows making it impossible to book at short notice.

I’ve had a last minute booking $600 booking made, rushed to prepare the place, and then no show, no response etc.

What this has meant is that my prices on booking are much higher than anything else to make up for this and because I can’t process cards, I receive cash on arrival!

Why can’t you process cards?

I’ve been using iZettle for a while, and this works fine to receive money from “cashless guests”.

If you are not able to process credit cards then booking.com is not a good platform for you. For those of us who can, booking.com is by far the best OTA there is. Once you know how to use the extranet, you can set your cancellation policy and payment structure as you please. For example for peak holiday dates we put full payment and no cancellations possible from 30 days prior to arrival. We collect payment and there is no problem whatsoever. With one property we require payment 30 days prior to arrival all year and for others we collect 2 weeks prior to arrival. This alleviates every problem that you listed. The difficulties you are having are because you cannot collect payment NOT because booking.com is inefficient. The customer service is exceptional. I would very highly recommend booking.com . We have great guests from them and Expedia as well.

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  • How To's & Quick Tips

A Leading Vacation Rental Site Catches Up With the Times—But How Does It Stack Up?

There’s no shortage of competition in the vacation rental market: sites like airbnb and vrbo are gaining popularity for their unique stays. booking.com, a relic from the ’90s, is playing catch-up—but surprisingly comes through with great deals and packages not to be dismissed..

By Meghan Wentland | Updated Dec 2, 2022 2:27 PM

We may earn revenue from the products available on this page and participate in affiliate programs.

booking com review

Photo: depositphotos.com

Gone are the days when travel involved an appointment with a travel agent, a professional travel booker who held the keys to the mystery of airline reservations, hotels, car reservations, package deals, and attractions. The internet has changed travel planning in many ways. First, travel is more common, more frequent, and the internet allows travelers to make last-minute decisions in just a few clicks. It also gives travelers the option of doing their own research, looking at photos of destination properties and services, reading user reviews, and changing or adjusting their schedules as necessary. This is convenient, but for many years this style of travel planning shifted a lot of weight onto the travelers to read between the lines on hotel sites, cross their fingers that the car rental company they picked was reputable, and navigate sometimes-complex rules and conditions of airline reservation services. The advent of travel planning sites, where many of these features are combined on one website that connects all of the pieces of travel planning, research, and booking together, has simplified the process of planning a business trip or a getaway.

Booking.com is one of the most comprehensive travel booking sites in the market. Its offerings are vast, and the interface makes it simple for both inexperienced travelers and seasoned jetsetters to make their travel arrangements without the hassle of navigating multiple sites and coordinating payments across multiple platforms. I approached this Booking.com review through the lens of a customer and evaluated the customer’s journey in using the site.

See more of the best vacation rental sites.

At a Glance

Booking.com.

booking com review

Our Verdict: Booking.com claims to offer a complete suite of travel research and service reservations, and with a few minor exceptions, this proved to be the case. “Bookers,” as the site refers to its customers, can feel confident that the resources they need can be easily found and that Booking.com will genuinely offer the one-stop-shopping experience it promises.

  • Types of rentals: Entire home, hotel room
  • Number of listings: Not specified
  • Mobile app: iOS, Android
  • Cancellation policy: Determined by host
  • Customer support: Phone, live chat
  • Guests can book flights, cars, airport transportation, and vacation rentals at the same time
  • Guests can book experiences through the site
  • Travel Sustainable badge awarded to eco-friendly rentals
  • No background check performed on hosts
  • Many rentals require guest to pay host directly
  • Fewer reviews available than on other sites

Booking.com Review: Claims

Booking.com began as a small start-up in Amsterdam in 1996. Since then, it has expanded to include more than 28 million accommodation listings, transportation, and travel experiences. The company’s stated mission is to “make it easier for everyone to experience the world.”

Branding itself as a source of savings and discounts, connections with travelers who have similar interests, package deals, and inspirations, Booking.com promises quite a lot. The home page also provides myriad ways to enter the site, with a stripe of category offerings, a quick-start option to jump right in by specifying the destination and basic travel deals, searches by region and property type, and links to lists of can’t-miss destinations for travelers who know they want a vacation, but don’t know where.

booking com Review Photo 1 -Landing page menu bar

Photo: booking.com / Meghan Wentland

What You Can Book on Booking.com

Booking.com offers access to almost everything except the kitchen sink—and travelers can probably book one of those, as well, if they choose the right property. Categories include flights, hotels, “stays” (rentals of privately owned apartments, homes, cabins, and cottages), car rentals, and every combination of these options. In addition, there are options to reserve airport taxis and tickets or passes to museums, shows, and attractions at the destination.

booking com Review Photo 2 - Different kinds of properties

Flight options include all of the major airlines and quite a few smaller or regional airlines, and these can be sorted by airline, number of stops, duration, and a range of departure and arrival times. The flight results are sorted into groups titled “Best,” “Cheapest,” and “Fastest” so travelers can customize their flight choices.

Lodging options feature a similar search window including check-in and check-out days, location with neighborhood-specific choices, the number of guests, and the number of rooms requested. As with the flight search, there’s a range of filters available to help customers tailor the search to their needs. Filter examples include budget, amenities, distance to attractions, sustainability, health and safety protocols, accessibility, and both site-assigned star ratings and customer review ratings.

The rental car reservation system carries over the travel dates from the flight and hotel reservations if the customer has entered them. Customers can select their preferred car rental company and size of the car, and filter by cost, mileage, and transmission type. Reviews and star ratings of the companies are included in the search results, as are specifics of the payment policies and cancellation policies. Once customers have selected a car, Booking.com breaks down the cost of the rental, separating out the cost of the rental itself and various taxes and fees. Customers are offered the opportunity to choose or decline additional insurance coverage as well.

Booking.com’s Airport Taxi reservation system connects users with local taxi drivers to avoid a long delay waiting in line after a flight. According to the reservation page, a driver will be assigned to the booking, track the flight in real time, and arrive at the designated location shortly thereafter. Customers can select the size of the vehicle (the search page includes the number of people and the number of suitcases each vehicle can handle), add notes about any additional needs (child seats, assistance needed for passenger accessibility), and add a tip for the driver. Booking the taxi locks in a predetermined cost for the trip, and customers can opt to book a return trip at the same time or wait to do so until later in their travel.

Local attraction tickets and passes can be purchased or reserved through Booking.com as well. Customers can enter their destination and view a list of local museums, parks, theaters, tourist attractions, and activities. Selecting one of the options reveals a page including details, reviews, cancellation conditions, and maps, and a selection option for the date, time (if applicable), and number of tickets. The descriptions also include any visitor requirements and limitations of the location, along with accessibility compliance and public transit options. Finally, Booking.com includes a link for customers who would like to list its properties as rental “stay” options for other Booking.com customers.

How It Works

Booking.com provides several menus for customers to choose from on the landing page. Customers select the combination of services they’d like to book (more can be added later) and work their way through the search screens, filtering results, reading through options, saving favorites, and eventually adding the services they want to a cart and checking out. For customers who aren’t quite ready to book their travel, the site also offers a range of researched guides to choosing destinations. Customers can click into areas that interest them to read more about the location, learn more about the neighborhoods in which they can stay, and read commentary about local traditions and customs.

booking com Review Photo 4 -Explore Destinations

International customers (or domestic customers traveling internationally) will appreciate that Booking.com allows users to select their preferred language and currency. Once selected, these choices remain consistent on each page until they’re changed

Cost and Discounts

Booking.com’s reference page explains how its service works, how it approves contracts with travel companies, and how it makes money. No booking fees are charged to the customer, but the hosts and travel companies pay a commission to Booking.com after the travel has been completed.

Booking.com offers several up-front ways to save money. The first is a free Booking.com account, which enables customers to save their searches, their favorites, and their travel plans, and—most importantly—automatically get a percentage off all travel booked through the site. There are several “Genius Levels”: the more you use Booking.com, the more perks and discounts you get on your next trips.

booking com Review Photo 5 - Genius Loyalty program

The membership is also described as the gateway to “Secret Deals,” indicating that in addition to the automatic percentage off the cost of travel, members will have access to special discount deals as they become available. Such discounts will be marked with a logo once the customer has signed in and begun a search.

Regardless of whether a customer is a member or not, Booking.com offers packages called “Getaway Deals.” These deals provide unusually discounted rates on hotels, if the travel is booked between specific dates.

Beyond its branded discounts, Booking.com provides customers with tools within the individual search functions to compare the costs of the same travel through different airlines, different hotel chains, and different rental car companies to assist customers in choosing the best deal for their travel.

Cancellation or Travel Adjustments

Cancellation and adjustment terms at Booking.com are based on the policies of the individual companies with whom the customer is making a reservation through Booking.com. This means that in some cases customers may be able to cancel or reschedule a booking at no cost until a certain date, after which a cancellation fee will be incurred. In other cases, the reservation may be held with a credit card but not actually charged until the travel occurs and can be canceled at any time. And in some cases the travel cannot be canceled at all, and customers will be charged the full price even if they do not complete the trip. These policies are not set by Booking.com, but the company boasts of its transparency in communicating the policies to the customer in a clear way to avoid confusion.

Customer Service

Customer service is accessible through the question-mark icon located in the top banner on the Booking.com landing page. It appears in other locations, too, wherever there may be additional information available or needed. Customer service information can also be found in a text link at the bottom of each page. Service is available 24/7 to assist before, during, or after travel.

How can the company help if there’s a problem? Booking.com has a contract with each of its service providers. If there’s a problem and a host can’t provide a customer with the accommodations or travel that was purchased, it is the responsibility of the host to find alternate and equivalent accommodation. In the event that this is impossible, Booking.com will allow the customer to choose another accommodation or service that is available on its platform at the same cost, or cancel the reservation with a full refund. If payment was made through Booking.com, the company will refund the customer directly, usually within 5 days. If payment was made directly to the service provider, Booking.com will facilitate a refund as quickly as possible. The company has removed service providers who were in breach of their contract, so it takes this commitment seriously.

Putting Booking.com to the Test

In order to evaluate Booking.com as a service, I planned a trip from Chicago to Washington, D.C., for a family of four. As I’m familiar with this particular trip, I was able to evaluate Booking.com’s claims and service from an experienced perspective, and I was pleased to discover that planning my travel through Booking.com resulted in some savings. More importantly, the centralization of the reservations services in one location made the planning easier and smoother than jumping around to many different sites and trying to keep track of where I’d looked versus where I’d booked something. Anyone who reviews booking websites knows that the accompanying app is just as important as the site, and Booking.com’s app is smooth as silk—which is crucial to easier travel. Nobody sprints through an airport logging into their laptop to check a flight time, and so the fact that all my reservations are in one place on my phone, ready to be flashed for admission, took a lot of stress out of travel.

Site Navigation and Experience

I used Booking.com to arrange flights, a rental car, a hotel, and several activities. My first impression of the site was that it was bright, colorful, and easy to navigate. A simple row of clickable links offered to take me directly to the product I wanted to search for, and while I didn’t need currency conversion or an additional language, I appreciated how easy it was to make those changes right at the top of the page. The site can be translated into about 45 different languages, so Booking.com is friendly to international travelers or speakers of other languages. As there are a lot of details, terms, and conditions to read carefully when booking travel, the easy option to read in other languages signals that the site welcomes a wide variety of customers and wants speakers of other languages to be able to scrutinize the policies.

Also in the top row is a link to customer service; this is noteworthy because many sites bury the contact information at the bottom of a long scroll down a page. Clicking the question mark at the very top will take customers to either a live chat or telephone option for contacting customer service, which is available 24 hours a day. I’m always happy to see this kind of availability, because I’m concerned that companies who hide their contact information don’t really want to hear from their customers. At first glance, the highlighted bar urging customers to sign in to contact customer service suggests that customers can’t get help without creating an account, but a quick refocus away from the highlighted bar shows that there’s also an option to continue without signing in. However, that option is only available for customers who have already booked travel—you’ll need a booking confirmation number and PIN. That’s fine for those who have questions after they’ve booked, but it does mean that anyone who needs to contact customer service before a purchase will have to register.

Booking.com really, really wants you to sign up for an account. It’s free and requires only an email address and password to create—or customers can choose to connect with Google, Facebook, Apple, or a phone. Scrolling up and down pages or opening the app, customers are reminded again and again that there are better deals, bargains, and percentages off if they sign up for an account. The pressure to sign up is fairly continuous until you choose to do so: reminders about deals, savings, and the convenience of tracking your travel in one place are quite convincing, but after the first few notices it begins to feel a little high-pressure. What if I just want to shop around for a bit before I hand over my email to yet another mailing list? The bottom of the screen notes that California residents have the option to click a box preventing Booking.com from selling their information. It’s common knowledge that email address information is bought and sold all the time, but the question of what other information will be sold or tracked is a little unsettling.

booking com Review Photo 5 - Genius Loyalty program

Finding the Best Deal

When shopping for a package, Booking.com first guided me to the search for a hotel. I chose the wider D.C. area because we planned to stay for a week, and a quick search revealed that downtown D.C. hotels are more expensive during the business week. I chose filters including free breakfast (which is a great value when traveling with a family), free internet access, a pool, and free parking for our rental car. The free parking isn’t a perk to overlook, and it’s an outstanding search feature that not all travel sites offer. Parking at a hotel can be a significant cost: Another hotel nearby was charging $50 per day to park in the attached lot, so the fact that Booking.com allows customers to filter out hotels that require those charges is a great cost-saver. Because we know the D.C. area well, we planned to use the rental car on some days and mass transit on others, so paying to park at the hotel and for street parking wherever we were on that day would have been cost-prohibitive.

I selected a Residence Inn by Marriott in Silver Spring, Maryland, as it met my filter requirements and included a microwave and refrigerator—nice touches when staying away from home for a week. Booking.com listed the cancellation policy as free if the reservation was canceled by May 1, but it offered the option of paying an additional $208 to leave the option open to cancel before May 31, just 3 days before my planned travel. Especially when traveling with a group where a member might get sick or suddenly have a change of plans, the free cancellation period and option for an extension of that period is welcome. The photos of the hotel are bright and clear, and while like all online hotel photos they’re pristine, they do offer views of all the parts of the room you’d want to see when choosing a place to stay: the bathroom, beds, kitchenette, storage areas, and communal spaces. They’re enough to see that the space has been updated fairly recently and that the room is large enough for our party’s needs. I clicked “Book now!” and was immediately taken to the available flights.

Because I selected a Flight+Hotel package, the cost per person/total trip cost shown on the hotel screen is the total package cost—if I select the “Recommended” flight on the next screen.

The flight selection page is quite clear-cut. There are filter boxes to narrow down the number of stops or layovers, sliders to set ranges for takeoff and landing times, and an option to narrow down the airlines offered. Because I selected nonstop flights only, the options were limited to American Airlines, Delta Airlines, Spirit Airlines, and United Airlines. Each flight combination listed the airline, the package discount savings, the length of the flights, and the additional cost per person if I selected a flight other than the one Booking.com recommended as the best value. As I know that the chance of getting my family onto a plane in Chicago at 6 a.m. is slim at best, I was very pleased to see that many of the other options would only add between $5 and $10 per person to the cost, though some of the other combinations would add $40 and up per person.

Then, a snag. The Washington, D.C., area has three major airports, including Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport (DCA), Dulles International Airport (IAD), and Baltimore/Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport (BWI). Having chosen a hotel in Silver Spring, Maryland, I realized that the drive from Dulles would be long, and that BWI is only about 25 minutes from the hotel. Noting that the options provided by Booking.com did not include any flights to or from BWI, I clicked the button to edit the trip details, changed the destination airport to BWI, and clicked Go. Booking.com took me to a screen to confirm my hotel choice, then recalculated quickly. The only problem is that the “Recommended” flight to keep my full package discount was still a flight to and from Dulles. Several more options were to and from DCA (which is closer to Silver Spring than Dulles, but not…close). The first flight listed that would fly in and out of BWI, as I requested, would add $9 per person and would depart Chicago at 5:15 a.m. The next option for BWI (and the only workable one for us, timewise) would add a whopping $32 per person to the package price. While it makes sense for Booking.com to choose the least-expensive flights to make up package deals—and the 6 a.m. flights certainly qualify—I was disappointed that there wasn’t really a selection of options to the airport closest to where I wanted to fly. In the end, I adjusted the search and limited it to DCA, splitting the distance, and chose a well-timed departure from Chicago to DCA that will add only $5 per person to our package cost. The package will save me $826 over the cost of booking the flight and hotel separately, so I’ll overlook the fact that the return flight will leave DCA at 6 a.m. after all. Here’s hoping there’s lots of coffee to go at the free hotel breakfast! If not, Booking.com tells me I’ll have a coffee pot in my room for caffeination.

The confirmation page shows the full package price, total savings, and details. It features clickable buttons to change the hotel, the room, the flights, or to upgrade the flight to Economy Fully Refundable tickets for an additional $50 per person. Just below, the screen confirms that I have a standard SUV included in the package with unlimited mileage from Avis, or I can switch to Hertz and get a larger SUV for an extra $2 per day.

On one hand, it’s fantastic that customers can make all these adjustments from the confirmation page, rather than having to backtrack through all the individual screens. On the other hand, the number of “click here to change or upgrade” options are a little overwhelming. For anyone who is decision-averse or prone to overthinking, the confirmation page simply offers too many options—it feels as though you could easily miss an important decision. Also, several times when I tried editing the trip at this stage, the dates I had entered for travel changed suddenly from June 2/June 9 to June1/June 8. Perhaps this is a software glitch, but you’ll want to double-check your dates before booking.

In case the package price is stunning, Booking.com provides an option to finance the cost through Affirm, a reputable company that assists customers in spreading out payments for large purchases over several months.

Purchasing the Package

Before payment, a screen requires the entry of each passenger’s name, gender, and date of birth. Airlines require that passengers report a gender when purchasing tickets, but most major airlines have added nonbinary gender options to their booking procedures, as several states are now adding to their state-issued identification cards. At the time of this review, Booking.com was only offering the options of male and female, but as the industry shifts toward more inclusive options, perhaps that will also change.

The payment page is clear and straightforward: Billing.com accepts Visa, Mastercard, American Express, and Discover, or customers can spread out payments with Affirm. It’s a little disappointing that PayPal, Venmo, and other online payment services aren’t accepted, though. Since many people are moving away from traditional credit cards in favor of online services, this is a limitation, but including Affirm is a good indication that this site is paying attention to trends in payment options. Throughout the checkout process, the travel itinerary is running down the right-hand side of the screen, which is a helpful reminder for those of us who tend to panic a little just before hitting the “Purchase” button.

Before I clicked that Purchase button, however, I stopped and created a Booking.com account. And guess what? The rates on some hotels and flights definitely dropped, and not insignificantly. The Genius Deals, which are flagged with blue labels, and the Secret Deals, which are flagged in green, offered beautiful hotels closer in to the city, though not on my travel dates and not including some of the amenities I selected. Some packages offered truly significant savings. Unfortunately, the price of the package I had chosen only dropped from $879 per person to $874 per person—a small savings over a week-long stay in exchange for my email address and some personal data. In addition, the free cancellation date on the hotel shifted forward to June 1, a date that nonmembers can only access for an additional $208. However, the same flights I booked for an extra $5 per person as a nonmember were listed as the Recommended flights for the package as a member, so there were savings on that front as well.

But at What Cost?

What was troubling in this experience was how difficult it was to replicate the costs. I built the same package (same dates, same hotel and flights, same car) and found different prices each time. The structure of the total cost changed—sometimes the hotel was less costly in one build but the flights were more—always ending with a total package price that was very similar to the other attempts. This is a bit confusing for customers trying to shop and compare costs, but it may be explained by shifting demands at the hotels and airlines in real time. The true benefit of membership appears to be the deals and packages that are offered as Genius and Getaway Deals, as opposed to an overall discount on all travel purchases.

While we won’t be using one, I checked out the option to reserve an Airport Taxi. Booking.com is clearly taking on Uber and Lyft with this service, and it’s a great option. Travelers can choose the size of the vehicle that will pick them up, request special services such as child seats, assistance for passengers who may need help getting in and out of the vehicle, and other amenities. Entering the flight number allows the driver to track the flight’s progress and arrive for pickup at precisely the correct time, and the price is preset in the booking and can be paid ahead. The service appears to be extremely convenient and well thought out.

And don’t forget the option to purchase tickets and passes to activities and destinations during travel! The Attractions tab provides a huge range of activities, including walking and bus tours, private tours, dinner cruises, and interactive scavenger hunts. Most of the museums in Washington, D.C., are free, but quite a few companies offer guided tours that can be purchased through Booking.com. The Attractions tab in other locations includes museum entry tickets, theater tickets, and entrance to other destinations. Your account will keep a record of your itinerary, and you can use the Booking.com app to show the purchased tickets or print them before you leave.

booking com Review Photo 3 - attractions

How Helpful Is Customer Service?

I used the online contact form to ask a question about child seat booking with an Airport Taxi. I sent the question at 9:10 on a Monday evening and received an email in response in less than 10 minutes, directing me cheerfully to the taxi-specific contact form or inviting me to call the taxi hotline. While navigating to the taxi help area (which I had not previously seen) by clicking the link included in the email, I found the answer to my question in an extensive FAQ section. When they say that customer service is available 24 hours a day, they mean it. It is enormously reassuring to know that when traveling you’ll have a person to talk to or a prompt response if you have a question, a concern, or something has gone wrong.

booking com Review Photo 8 - taxi booking email response

For Your Information…

In addition to booking travel, Booking.com serves as a repository of useful information for travelers.

  • TravelTalk is an online community of travelers sharing information, answering each other’s questions, and sharing experiences, which is hosted on Booking.com’s site.
  • Links to local governments with information about the culture, traditions, and travel considerations is especially useful for those traveling overseas.
  • A helpful page provides health information for travelers, including the requirements and restrictions on traveling to and from international destinations.
  • A banner directs those who are fleeing danger or violence to links that can help them, providing an outstanding (and free) public service.

Overall, Booking.com was a pleasant experience and left me feeling as though I’d done solid research, chosen from excellent options, and booked my travel in a time-and cost-effective manner. I especially like that one website will have all my travel plans in one location; the app is also very streamlined and will be much more convenient to use while traveling than digging through emails looking for confirmation numbers and flight times.

booking com Review Photo 7 - App interface

While there were some glitches, including flight times that seemed incomplete, the randomly switching travel dates, and the inability to replicate a package cost, overall the pricing is reasonable and the interface is good. The membership offers a clear benefit if you’re not locked into travel dates or specific locations—you can really save a lot of money there.

Booking.com Reviews by Customers

Customer reviews are decidedly mixed. Reviewers at Consumer Affairs average 3.2 out of 5 stars, with excellent ratings citing easy and clear booking procedures, outstanding customer service, and great accommodation options. Poor reviews at Consumer Affairs, sitejabber, TrustPilot , and the Better Business Bureau all seem to zero in on problems with cancellations and refunds. Customers who are more comfortable communicating in Spanish can search for “Booking.com reseñas” and find similar results. Reviewers felt there was a disconnect in the chain between the service provider, Booking.com, and the customer, and sometimes lengthy delays or refusals of refunds. This type of complaint appears to be common among travel service platforms; other booking reviews indicate the same kind of problems exist throughout the industry. Some of the complaints were simply a result of the customer misreading or failing to read one of Booking.com’s policies, while others were valid concerns. To its credit, every complaint on the Better Business Bureau’s website included a prompt response from Booking.com’s customer service team either explaining the policy decision, requesting more information to begin an investigation, or apologizing for a mishandled situation.

How Booking.com Stacks Up to the Competition

Compared to other travel platforms, reserving travel on Booking.com was equal or slightly less expensive. While some competitors had more offerings, especially when choosing flights, Booking.com’s interface was smoother and easier to navigate, and the fact that the costs listed as a customer moves through the process include taxes and fees is helpful when making choices. Other platforms don’t always include this information, so a customer could blithely plan an entire trip, then get to the final confirmation page and discover hundreds or thousands of dollars in additional fees and taxes.

Including the nontraditional lodgings and professional hosts alongside large hotels and resorts was a strong move to compete with popular companies such as Airbnb and Vrbo, and incorporating the taxi reservation system into the complete travel platform at Booking.com keeps all the travel arrangements in one place, rather than customers needing to remember to call an Uber or Lyft. The services themselves are similar, but by centralizing travel planning into one platform online or through the app, Booking.com has made it easy for customers to keep everything together.

Should You Use Booking.com?

Is the website a little busy? Sure. But many people will like the callouts and bold colors and enjoy the different services they emphasize. Are there some “glitches” in the site? Here and there. Booking.com is a great option that will help you shop for, select, reserve, and centralize your transportation, lodging, and activities during travel. It’s important to make sure that customers don’t blow off the Terms and Conditions and just click the box—many, if not most, of the customer complaints focused on disagreements over cancellation, reschedule, and refund policies, so it’s critical to understand them before booking.

Booking.com’s platform takes a task that many people find frustrating and makes it enjoyable. It’s easier to get excited about planning a vacation when there aren’t 30 tabs open in two browsers as the travelers try to compare hotel rooms, airfare, and activities—Booking.com does it in just one tab, and does it well.

We independently reviewed this service by weighing the company’s claims against first-hand experience with its site and professionals. However, due to factors such as franchising, human error, and more, please note that experiences with this company may vary.

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Booking.com vs. Airbnb for Hosts—Which Is Better?

Booking.com vs. Airbnb for Hosts—Which Is Better?

No spam. Only valuable tips on how to grow your business. We promise.

What’s in this article?

Airbnb and Booking.com are two of the most successful vacation rental sites on the planet (with more than 6 million and 28 million listings, respectively*), but is one better than the other? 

That depends on you and your short-term rental business. It’s important to pick the right platform to reach your audience and boost your bookings. 

But when you’re just starting out, you don’t have time to experiment to find out which is best for you. You just want to get started and start getting paid.

To help you decide, we’ve compared Airbnb and Booking.com on seven points:

  • How listings work
  • Fees and commission
  • Payment systems
  • Booking types
  • Algorithms and ranking
  • And customer support

We’ve also suggested a third option that could take away the stress of having to choose at all: Using vacation rental software to list on multiple sites.

But first, let’s see how Booking.com vs Airbnb for hosts stack up.

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*Statistics sources: News.Airbnb.com , BookingHoldings.com

1. Airbnb vs Booking.com guests  

When choosing a rental platform, you need to find the one that works best to reach and communicate with your ideal guests.

Here’s how they compare. 

Guest profiles 

The majority of Airbnb travelers are Millennials (around age 26 to 41) who are on the lookout for more unique or unusual rentals. They tend to travel solo, in couples, among friends, or with pets.

In contrast, Booking.com has a wider reach, partly because it lists hotels as well as vacation rentals. It also tends to attract higher numbers of older people and families.

As Fred Yalmeh, of VoicePitality.com , says: “Airbnb tends to attract a younger, more adventurous crowd, while Booking.com tends to attract a more mainstream, budget-conscious crowd.”

Guest expectations

Airbnb guests are on the lookout for unique vacation homes. Witness the platform’s focus on “wow” rental properties, with categories like “OMG!,” “Castles,” and “Treehouses.”

Booking.com users tend to be older, traveling with families, or looking to book hotels. They want convenience, simplicity, less noise, meals included, and a great location.

Airbnb is also still more popular with vacation rental operators like property managers and multi-property hosts. The Hostfully 2022 Hospitality Trends Report found that Airbnb represents 49.5% of all bookings for vacation rental hosts, versus 5.9% from Booking.com.

Guest vetting 

Airbnb users have profiles that show basic personal information about the potential guest, including age, location, and previous stays. It also groups reviews under their profile. Airbnb also supports extra checks such as government ID.

Booking.com doesn’t put guest checks or verifications in place, beyond asking for a credit card. This makes it easier to take bookings but could open you to more risk.

A smartphone screen with a list of Airbnb guest messages on a white background.

Guest-host interactions

Airbnb.com has an app-style messaging feature on its website, and its app. Hosts can respond to questions and booking requests, and send images, recommendations, or instructions. 

Guests can also schedule personalized automated messages with shortcodes, such as the guest’s first name. 

You can also set up “quick replies” for common answers, like property access. Responsiveness positively affects your search ranking and your chances of being awarded Superhost.

Booking.com offers guest messaging on its platform and via its Pulse app. It also lets hosts set up automatic replies to ensure quick responses. Hosts can also send pre-written, template messages personalized to the guest. 

The quicker your responses to guests, the quicker your Booking.com Reply Score. Quick replies tend to lead to happier guests and better reviews.

Airbnb encourages both guests and hosts to leave reviews. It has automated messages that remind everyone to leave a rating. Neither party can see the other’s review until they’ve left their own. Consistently good reviews help the host reach Superhost status . Superhost properties show up higher in search results, and hosts receive faster support.

Booking.com also puts reviews front and center, with ratings out of 10 and descriptors such as “superb”, “exceptional” and “very good” for the highest scorers. Reviews are for properties, not users.

2. Creating your account and listings

Ask yourself, which platform feels most intuitive when creating an account and property listings.

Setting up an account

Creating an account on both Airbnb and Booking.com is straightforward. Both websites are clear. You can sign up for free, using little more than a phone number and email address.

A screenshot of Booking.com’s account creation page.

Adding a listing

Airbnb ’s user interface is easy to use for listings. You can click options for essential details, choose from popular amenities , pick a cancelation policy, and upload photos quickly.

Booking.com ’s process takes a little longer, requires more details, and takes some time to accept listings before they go live.

3. Airbnb vs. Booking.com commissions and fees

Each platform has a different fee structure.

Per-booking commission

Airbnb has two kinds of fees. The “Split Fee”, is a service charge paid by guests and hosts. Guests pay 15%; hosts pay 3%.

The “Host Only” fee is paid by the host and is around 15% of the rate charged. This is mandatory for Airbnbs in many countries now (although not the US or Canada).

Booking.com charges hosts a commission. Depending on the property location, this can be between 10-25%, with the average around 15%.

A shot of the Airbnb pricing widget, with a red Reserve button on white background.

Airbnb doesn’t have an inbuilt or automated system for charging extra once guests have confirmed their booking and payment. You can request money via the app or another tool separately.

In contrast, Booking.com lets hosts offer extra services (such as mid-week cleaning or beach towels) for extra fees.

4. Payment system and host payouts

How do you want to get paid? Consider these differences.

Taking money from guests

Airbnb handles payouts directly. You select how you want to be paid when you set up your account. Guests must enter valid card details and pay at least some of the money upon booking.

Booking.com doesn’t have its own payment system. You can either ask guests for card details in advance, or let them pay on arrival. Whichever option you choose, you will need a method of payment that you can offer to guests.

A view of Booking.com’s smartphone payment option screen.

Payout delay

Airbnb pays the full amount to the host by bank transfer or PayPal 24 hours after check-in. If the booking is for 28 days or longer, Airbnb pays monthly, starting 24 hours after check-in.

Airbnb takes money from guests after their book and holds it until check-in. It may also offer guests a payment plan option.

Booking.com doesn’t handle its own payments. All payouts and processing times depend on your chosen payment processor.

Receiving your money

Airbnb payouts depend on your method of payment. For example, with PayPal, it may be instantaneous (or within 24 hours). For some banks, it could take up to five business days.

Because Booking.com doesn’t handle its own payments; this is dependent on your payment processor. The most common credit card handler, Stripe, has its own policies on how long payouts take, depending on your settings.

5. Instant booking

Which type of booking style works best for your business?

Enabling instant booking

Instant booking is not default on Airbnb so you need to activate it. This lets guests select dates, pay, and confirm, without waiting for the host to reply, message, or approve them.

Booking.com offers instant booking for all properties by default.

Instant booking advantages

Airbnb rewards hosts who allow Instant Booking. It’s more convenient and easier for guests. It puts Instant Book listings higher in search results, with an eye-catching “Instant Book” symbol.

Booking.com ’s instant-book-as-standard means guests can book easily. There’s no waiting around for confirmation. This makes it attractive for guests and it fills your calendars quickly.

A view of the guest search filter with the Instant book option turned on.

Instant booking disadvantages

Not having instant booking on Airbnb may actually be an advantage . It gives the host extra control. They can vet the guest before they book , ask questions and check guests’ profiles, to detect any potential problems. Airbnb also lets hosts decline bookings for a variety of reasons.

In contrast, Booking.com doesn’t have as many ways to vet guests before they book. The host has much less control over who stays at their property, which can cause problems with some guests.

6. Cancelation policy

Consider the cancelation options, so you can retain flexibility and control, while keeping guests happy.

Guest cancelation

Airbnb has nine possible policies that hosts can choose for their listings. Guests must agree to these terms when they book, and if they choose to cancel. Each policy gives guests more or less flexibility on how late they can cancel a booking before their stay, the refund they can (or can’t) expect if they cancel, and what hosts can expect to be paid in each case.

Some are for long-term stays of 28 or more. Others are for special circumstances.

The main need-to-know policies are:

Flexible — Guests can cancel until 24 hours before check-in, and get a full refund. If they cancel during the stay, you get paid for each completed night, plus one more.

Moderate — Guests can cancel until five days before check-in and get a full refund. If they cancel during, you’re paid for each completed night, plus one, plus 50% on their remaining stay.

Strict — Guests can cancel within 48 hours of booking, and at least 14 days before check-in, for a full refund. If they cancel seven to 14 days before check-in, you’ll get 50%. If they cancel within seven days of check-in, you’ll be paid 100%.

Firm — The same as Strict, except that guests can also cancel more than 30 days before check-in, and receive a full refund, no matter how long ago they booked.

Non-refundable — Hosts can set a discount for the whole stay cost, typically 10%, if guests agree to forfeit their right to a refund. If the guest cancels, the host receives 100% minus the cleaning service fee (if guests cancel before check-in). The check-out date for the stay must be within 60 days.

Airbnb has more policies than Booking.com, but there are no other conditions for payment or deposits. And, because Airbnb takes payment upfront, there is less reason to take a deposit upfront.

A view of a cancelation policy pop-up on an Airbnb listing.

Booking.com

Booking.com has three cancellation policies, with options for partial or prepayment on top.

The basic policies are: 

  • Fully flexible — Guests only pay after check-in. They can cancel free if it’s within a period the host has set.
  • Customizable — Hosts can choose if, and how much, guests will pay, depending on how close to check-in they cancel.
  • Non-refundable — Guests are charged in full if they cancel or don‘t show.

Booking.com also lets hosts charge: 

  • A deposit — Guests get this back if they cancel within the cancelation period.
  • Non-refundable prepayment — Guests pay part of the final amount, for non-refundable booking.
  • “Pre-authorization” hold — You can put a hold on an amount, and charge the guest later. You can choose to keep some of the money even if a guest doesn’t show up.

Host cancelation

Airbnb is strict on this. They want to dissuade hosts from canceling, so guests aren’t left without accommodation unexpectedly. For example, hosts instantly lose their Superhost status (which can take months to acquire) if they cancel even one booking.

Booking.com is a little more complicated. First, the host can message the guest to let them know they need to cancel the booking. The guest can then either cancel themselves, or the host can cancel the booking. If the host cancels, the guest is fully refunded.

7. Airbnb and Booking.com ranking algorithms

Be sure to think about how each platform ranks search results, and how this may affect your visibility.

Organic ranking

Airbnb ’s ranking is organic (non-paid). It rewards hosts that offer a better experience. For example, you can boost search result rankings by updating your calendar and giving prompt reviews. 

Hosts also rank higher in Airbnb search results by achieving Superhost status. This means meeting certain criteria, such as getting consistently good reviews, not canceling, and responding fast.

Booking.com also prioritizes properties with good reviews, excellent photos, and other relevant details like location.

A view of a search results page on Booking.com.

Paid-for ranking

Airbnb doesn’t offer paid-for rankings. However, hosts who use external paid-for Airbnb management software (to help them answer inquiries quickly, etc) may show up higher in rankings.

Booking.com offers a paid visibility booster option on its site. This helps your listing rank higher. The site makes this clear on the top of its search results page.

8. Support and problem resolution

If the worst happens and you need help, or a guest reaches out with a complaint, it’s important to know how each platform’s problem resolution service is set up.

Online help center

Airbnb and Booking.com both have extensive online help centers. Articles include everything from website questions to reminders of rules and policies.

Resolutions or money requests

Airbnb has a Resolution Center. This dashboard lets guests and hosts send, request, or receive money for unexpected items, or fees for items not included on the listing.

Booking.com doesn’t have a separate resolution center for money requests, although it does enable hosts to contact guests via its system (and vice versa).

A view of Airbnb’s help center guides for hosts.

Speaking to a human

Airbnb lets guests and hosts speak with a human from its Community Support Team, although this isn’t usually immediate. You can contact them via chat, and someone will contact you if the request demands it.

You can also reach out via Twitter at the @AirbnbHelp account. Airbnb says it gives faster support to Superhosts. Airbnb’s AirCover policies also offer a 24/7 emergency line for hosts and guests.

Booking.com offers human support via online chat message. It also has a 24/7 phone number for urgent issues.

Inbuilt ‘insurance’ policies

Airbnb offers a range of “protection” policies, including for hosts specifically.

AirCover for Hosts is free. It offers extra “insurance” against fraudulent guests, up to $3m in damage protection and earnings loss. It also has a 24/7 safety line that connects you to trained safety agents. (Guests can also access this via AirCover for Guests.)

Booking.com offers basic room and travel insurance. It protects against issues like room cancellation, and travel insurance for guests. 

Its Partner Liability Insurance program offers coverage of up to $1m for third-party liability claims, such as guest injury or intentional damage by a guest.

Note that none of these policies are replacements for full host or travel insurance. Specialized host insurance that covers the property and owner liability can be purchased from most major insurance providers. Better yet, vacation rental operators can automate insurance coverage with tools like Safely, Superhog, and Insuraguest. These tools not only provide insurance coverage, but have built-in guest vetting systems. 

Booking.com vs Airbnb: Which should you list on?

Booking.com vs. Airbnb for Hosts

When it comes down to it, the choice of whether to list on Airbnb and Booking.com comes down to which is right for your listings, guest profile, and management style. 

Consider the type of property and guests you have, the fees and commission rates of each platform, and how you want to get paid. Then, if you want to vet your guests, how high you’ll rank on searches, and the kind of support you need.

However, there is a third way, which means you don’t have to choose at all. A property management system (PMS) like Hostfully uses a Channel Manager so you can list and control properties from one central platform. And distribute them on a range of channels automatically (including Airbnb, Booking.com, Vrbo, and 14 others).

You can capture as many bookings as possible, no matter where they’re from. All while saving hours logging in and out of different platforms, or tweaking each listing manually. This gives you more chances to reach your ideal guest.

You can also design a direct vacation rental booking website to get direct bookings . Hostfully lets you do just that (or you can embed its booking engine into your existing one). This sidesteps booking platform fees and lets you access all your guest data for remarketing. It also helps establish your own brand and gives you control over rates and policies.

Taken together, these strategies will have you reaching your ideal guests and boosting your bookings as quickly and profitably as possible.

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Booking.com vs. Airbnb for Hosts: Which Site Reigns Supreme?

Whether you’re an experienced host or just starting out, you’ve likely wondered which platform reigns supreme in the Airbnb vs. Booking.com debate. The answer will vary depending on who you talk to.

The sharing economy has expanded at an incredible rate over the past few years. Airbnb has become the choice alternative to traditional accommodation websites like TripAdvisor.

Airbnb vs. Booking.com debate

According to Airbnb, its platform features over 7 million active listings around the world as of 20 December 2023 . Based on this figure, along with its global brand identity, Airbnb seems like the obvious choice as the largest vacation rental platform for listing owners. Airbnb listings offer a home away from home with hotel-like amenities. Airbnb also offers host protection.

Despite this, some property owners and hosts swear by Booking.com as the primary driver of their businesses. Even with Airbnb’s impressive growth, Booking.com remains the titan of the online travel booking industry, offering more than 28 million listings worldwide.

Since both platforms see millions of daily visitors, it’s worthwhile taking a closer look to see which one is best for your business.

Find out all there is to know about the similarities and differences between Airbnb and Booking.com, and which platform is the better choice for vacation rental owners.

Booking.com vs Airbnb: How Do the Guests Differ?

To decide which short term rentals site would be the ideal fit for your short-term rental business, you first need to understand how guests and their requirements differ on Airbnb and Booking.com. Let’s take a closer look:

1. Types of guests and guest expectations

Although both target markets need vacation rental accommodation, Airbnb and Booking.com attract a unique type of audience. Airbnb guests are more interested in authentic experiences.

They tend to seek out rental properties that offer a kind of “home-away-from-home” atmosphere. They’re looking for rentals that are unique and allow them to live like a local in their destination city or town. Airbnb guests are usually looking for more flexibility.

Booking.com has always traditionally been a website for hotels, resorts, and lodges, not private vacation rentals or individual rooms.

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Although it has changed during recent years, and the platform is attracting more and more vacation rental properties, guests might still come across as more demanding.

Also, the target audiences on both sites are a little different. The majority of Airbnb users are Millennials who value experiences that they can share with friends. Instead of standard hotels, they look for unique rentals such as a themed house, forest cabins, yurts, and castles.

These properties offer a one-of-a-kind, Instagram-worthy experience that Millennials care about.  The more unique your house is, the better!

Booking.com reaches a wider audience in general than Airbnb but tends to attract more mature travelers as well as families. These visitors focus more on location and convenience and are even more concerned about noise levels. Lodges that offer breakfast, on-site restaurants, and easy access to transport are likely to appeal to them more.

Types of guests differ from listing to listing

2. You can get to know your potential guests better on Airbnb

A feature that makes Airbnb unique is its built-in guest rating system. After a visitor completes a reservation, the host can leave them a review and give them a star rating. The star rating that every host leaves the guest gets tallied into an overall rating that is visible on their profile.

This is extremely useful to hosts because it allows them to take a look at past reviews of someone before accepting a reservation. They can take note of any comments related to the guest’s behavior on Airbnb and booking history. The star rating is also a good indication of how easy or difficult they may be to host.

3. You can vet your Airbnb guests

Unlike Booking.com, Airbnb property owners or managers have the ability to decline reservations from potential guests. When a rental owner creates an Airbnb account, the Airbnb Instant Book feature switches on. This automatically accepts all bookings. However, you can switch off Instant Book and decline a reservation if a guest makes unreasonable requests or has a low rating or no reviews.

Booking.com doesn’t offer a similar feature, and all incoming reservations are automatically accepted. This could leave you with a potentially difficult or badly behaved guest.

How to Create an Account and Listing on Booking.com vs Airbnb?

Vacation property owners who rent on Airbnb are busy people and looking for vacation rental sites where it’s easy to set up a property listing and start making money. It makes sense to explore how to create your own account on both Booking.com and Airbnb.

Starting with Airbnb

Creating an account on Airbnb is simple and straightforward. On the Airbnb website, you can click “Sign up” and create an account for your short-term rentals using your email address, phone number, Facebook account, Google account, or Apple ID.

To create a listing, all you need is to fill in essential information about your property, add photos, choose your cancellation policy, and your payment preference. Airbnb’s interface is also extremely user-friendly, containing prompts and tooltips that help to make the process of creating listings much faster.

Starting with Booking.com

Creating an account on Booking.com requires essentially the same steps as on Airbnb.

However, creating a listing on this site is a little more complicated. When creating a listing, you will need to research and select which cancellation policy suits your business, set up an account with a payment processor (unless you accept cash payments), and set up credit card acceptance on your account so guests can input their details.

You will also need to specify how many rooms your property has and whether you want to list each room as a separate unit or one. Many hosts have complained that after they have created their single listing with multiple rooms, Booking.com has chosen to list these rooms as separate bookable units, similar to a hotel.

On top of this, you will need to wait for confirmation from Booking.com before your listing goes live. Thus, many hosts are put off by Booking.com’s more complicated setup system. However, all your efforts will be worth it once you start receiving bookings.

Airbnb vs. Booking.com: Which Platform Is More Expensive?

Airbnb and Booking.com both charge rental owners a service fee rate per booking received. So, as a host, it’s important to know how much you will pay in fees for using the services of both sites.

Airbnb fees (including Host-Only fee)

Airbnb has two types of service fees that it charges: the Split Fee and the Host-Only Fee. The Split Fee is a service charge that is divided between guests, who pay around 14% to 16% of the total booking price, and hosts who pay around 3% to Airbnb. The Airbnb Hosts-Only Fee costs around 15% of the booking rate, while guests are not charged.

Although this change sounds inconvenient, Airbnb has implemented it to increase reservation rates. This is based on charging an upfront, final amount to guests who are no longer surprised by a 14% price increase at their checkout. To cover this cost, you can charge a higher daily rate and offer additional services .

Booking.com service fee

Booking.com charges a commission rate ranging between 10% to 25% to property owners, depending on their location, with the average rate being 15%. They do not charge any commissions to guests. A flat rate of 15% or more can seem quite hefty.

However, Booking.com also allows you to charge additional fees to guests, such as a cleaning and towel fee (if applicable). So you can make back the commission cost by increasing your rate and charging for extra services.

Is Booking.com more expensive?

Your property’s location determines the Airbnb and Booking.com fees you are charged, so either platform could charge higher prices. If you are in a country eligible to use the Split Fee, you might assume it’s the cheaper pricing strategy for you to use. The Split Fee format can be more profitable, but some guests prefer to book host-only listings.

However, the downside is that your booking rate might suffer due to the price increase your guests get when checking out. The Host-Only Fee allows total price transparency between you and your guest, encouraging more bookings.

Booking.com charges an average commission rate of 15% to vacation rental owners. This is about the same rate as the Host-Only Fee on Airbnb, meaning that it will cost around the same amount to list on Booking.com as you would on Airbnb.

Airbnb host vs Booking.com host managing listing price

How Do the Cancellation Policies Compare?

When it comes to cancellation policies, there are a few differences between Booking.com and Airbnb. Airbnb currently has six cancellation policies that vacation rental owners can choose to use:

  • Super Strict (30 Days)
  • Super Strict (60 Days)

Each of these policies varies depending on how soon to the check-in date a guest is allowed to cancel and receive a refund. Each policy has its pros and cons, and Airbnb allows rental owners the freedom to choose their cancellation policy at their discretion.

With Booking.com, there are not as many options when it comes to cancellations. On Booking.com, property owners can offer 3 types of booking options for reservations:

  • Fully flexible policy — Guests will only pay while staying at your rental and can cancel for free, provided it’s in the time frame you have selected.
  • Customizable policy — This policy lets you choose how much guests will be charged if they cancel after a certain date.
  • Non-refundable policy —  If you opt for this policy, guests will still be charged the full price if they cancel, make changes, or are a no-show on the check-in date.

booking com host reviews

After choosing your preferred option, you can also choose between:

  • Charging a deposit — Guests who opt for free cancellation generally pay a deposit when they book that they will get back if they cancel within the free cancellation period. After this period, they will forfeit the deposit if they cancel.
  • Charging a prepayment — For partially refundable and non-refundable bookings, guests can either pay a portion of or the full amount. If they cancel after reserving and paying they will not get the prepayment back, so you do not lose out on revenue.
  • Pre-authorizing a hold on an amount — For non-refundable and partially refundable bookings, you can also choose to pre-authorize and hold a certain amount on a guest’s card and charge them for it at a later stage. You can hold this amount as a guarantee in case the guest doesn’t show up. If they don’t, you can either charge them or return the amount to the guest.

You can also opt for no deposit, prepayment, or pre-authorization, but this is a risky decision. With no form of secured payment, you will lose out on revenue if guests choose to cancel at the last minute.

Airbnb vs. Booking.com cancellation policy payouts a

Regardless of which option you choose, you will need to pay your commission when:

  • You charge guests who have canceled on a non-refundable or partially-refundable booking or are a no-show on check-in day.
  • You charge for a canceled reservation after the free cancellation period has ended.

Between the two sites, Airbnb cancellation policies are generally more straightforward and easy to follow. On Booking.com, there is less structure regarding booking cancellations for vacation rentals, and it’s left up to you, as a host, to research and identify the best combination of settings for your listings.

How Do Airbnb and Booking.com Handle Host Payouts?

When it comes to paying vacation rental owners for their reservations, there is a big difference between Airbnb vs. Booking.com. Airbnb takes a more direct approach regarding host payouts. This is in contrast to Booking.com, which provides the means for vacation rental owners to collect their own payouts.

Airbnb collects payouts automatically on the host’s behalf

Airbnb has a centralized payment system that collects and distributes all payments between hosts and guests. When you become a host on Airbnb, you will need to select a payment method as part of your account setup. These methods include bank transfers, ACH, Western Union, Paypal, Payoneer, and prepaid debit cards.

Airbnb collects payments directly from guests and pays them to the rental owner 24 hours after guest check-in . If guests stay 28 days or longer, Airbnb will pay your booking revenue in monthly installments starting 24 hours after check-in.

When your funds arrive in your account will depend on the payout method you select. For methods like Paypal and Payoneer, the payment may only take 24 hours, whereas bank transfers could take 2 to 5 business days.

Keep in mind that the amount you receive will be your booking rate minus any deductions, such as the host fee, as well as any VAT or regional tax claims.

Booking subtotal with tax minus charges hosts pay to Airbnb & Booking.com

Booking.com doesn’t always charge guests

Unlike Airbnb, there is no centralized payment system on Booking.com. Booking.com doesn’t always charge guests unless you are in a territory where this is available. It’s up to you as a host to collect payments directly via credit card or bank transfer.

Also, Booking.com has a cash-on-arrival payment option, which can be a headache to deal with. Bank transfer also presents some complications so most vacation property business owners go with credit cards.

To avoid collecting your payments for bookings in cash, you can adjust your settings on Booking.com’s website to enable only online transactions. Here’s how you can do it:

Make sure to accept bookings only from guests that have provided credit card details

To ensure Booking.com will collect card details from guests for you, check that you have selected the applicable guest payment option. In your Booking.com Extranet:

  • Click on “Property”
  • Click on “Policies”.
  • Click on “Guest payment options”.
  • Select “Yes” to the question “Do you accept debit or credit cards at your property?”
  • Select which debit and credit card options you will accept.
  • Select “no” to the question “Would you like to allow domestic guests to book without credit card details?”

Vacation rental software payment options pre check-in

Set up Stripe payment processor

To be able to accept credit card payments and transactions, you will need to set up a payment processor. Stripe is one of the most well-known and popular payment processors on the market. iGMS has direct integration with Stripe , allowing you to process booking payments with your Stripe account.

Charge a deposit or prepayment

Unfortunately, Booking.com relies on people to be honest when inputting their credit card details, which doesn’t always happen! The best way to avoid getting a nasty shock when you try to charge guests for their booking is to charge a deposit or prepayment upfront. This will easily identify any fake or uncommitted guests.

How Does Instant Book Work on Booking.com?

All bookings on Booking.com are instant, and there is no feature to make them optional. While this is extremely convenient for guests, it’s not as pleasant for property owners who have limited booking control.

On the other hand, as an Airbnb rental owner, you can choose whether you want to enable or disable this option. Airbnb rewards a rental owner who use Instant Book by boosting their listing’s ranking in search results . However, if you disable it, you can get greater control over your bookings.

Setting up an account on Airbnb vs. Booking.com with service fees

How Does Ranking Work on Both Platforms?

An essential consideration is your visibility after you list your property on Airbnb and Booking.com. It’s important to take a look at how visibility and ranking work on both sites as part of your research.

Ranking on Booking.com

Booking.com offers an additional function called the visibility booster. It improves your visibility and helps your listing to rank higher on their search results in exchange for an amount you pay. So if you want better exposure on Booking.com, you will need to pay above the commission rate per reservation.

Ranking on Airbnb

Airbnb doesn’t currently offer a built-in tool to help your listings rank better. If you want to boost your rankings , you can do things to demonstrate you are an active host, like updating your calendar regularly, keeping your response rate high, completing your host profile , etc.

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Should You List Your Vacation Rental on Multiple Channels like Airbnb and Booking.com?

In today’s competitive climate, you want to maximize your reach. That’s why it’s best to utilize a multi-channel strategy and list your property, or multiple properties, on a number of different sites. Guests recognize that listings on Booking.com as well as Airbnb often offer the same amenities.

According to RentalScaleUp, short term rental business owners who only list their properties on Airbnb have an average of 16.5 nights booked per month, while those who only list on Booking.com see 12 nights per month.

However, when listing on both Airbnb and Booking.com, hosts have seen an average of 17 booked nights per month , with the potential for more. This statistic does not take the rental type, like private room vs entire home.

In Conclusion

So, yes, you should list your rental property on both Airbnb and Booking.com. This will result in more bookings and is a popular strategy in the vacation rental business.

Taking care of and managing your listings on both of these sites can be challenging, not to mention time-consuming. Luckily, vacation rental software, like iGMS , is there to lighten the load. iGMS runs your daily management tasks on autopilot, overseeing operations on both Airbnb and Booking.com. With iGMS short term rental software at the helm, you can:

  • Manage multiple accounts and listings on the top short-term rental platforms from a single interface
  • Track your guest support team’s workflow and productivity using unique PROtrack functionality
  • Use the unified inbox to organize your messages into a single feed and ensure prompt replies
  • Create templates for guest reviews and automate the process of review send-outs directly from iGMS

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The Complete Guide to Hosting on Booking.com

booking com host reviews

As someone running a business in the property rental game, you know that there are many platforms where you can list your properties. Airbnb is known for being easy to use and is especially popular with first-time hosts. One of their main competitors is, of course, Booking.com . The platform offers travelers a wide variety of accommodations to choose from. But how easy is it to run a short-term rental business using this platform? 

In this guide, we’ll take you through everything you need to know before listing your property on the platform and share tips and tricks for turning your Booking.com listing into a lucrative, easy-to-manage business. 

The platform is certainly slightly more complex than the listing procedures you must go through to get your property on Airbnb. However, once you get the hang of it, you can increase your property’s online visibility and drive more guests to your listing to ensure maximum occupancy. 

An introduction to Booking.com

Booking.com is the world's largest online accommodation booking platform. It does not limit itself to guest houses and spare rooms in people’s homes. Rather, travelers can book hotels, guest houses, private homes, and other accommodation types. With big players also being allowed to list their properties on the platform, there is an element of competitiveness it brings to host. 

When talking in figures, the stats that Booking.com operates under confirm the scale of the online platform. As of 2023, there are currently a massive 28 million properties listed on Booking.com for travelers to choose from. Accommodation options extend to a total of 228 countries around the world, and the site received 511 million visits in October 2022 alone. 

The platform is hugely popular with travelers who are looking to book accommodation, given its user-friendly interface and easy booking process. There are no hidden fees for travelers, and they pay exactly as advertised on the website. This and the fact that there is more variety of accommodation available are some of the reasons the site is slightly more popular for travelers than Airbnb, for example. 

However, for hosts, other platforms are slightly easier to navigate when it comes to short-term rental homeowners listing their properties. This is mainly because much more administration is associated with listing a property on the Booking.com platform. However, once you understand the platform and how to use it effectively, you can run a very successful business on Booking.com. 

Why you should consider hosting on Booking.com

There are several benefits hosts can look forward to when listing their property on Booking.com. 

As the world’s largest online accommodation booking platform, the site has impressive traffic. More visitors visit that site than any other similar platform. 

Secondly, for those in the short-term rental business, there is an opportunity given that there are fewer of these property types on Booking.com than on Airbnb. 

Effectively, hosts get more exposure for their short-term rental properties with less competition for this type of accommodation. Other features of the platform are appealing to hosts, such as the following.

  • It’s free to list any kind of accommodation property
  • The platform allows hosts to set their own terms and conditions, which are mandatory for guests to agree to before they complete their booking.
  • There is a support crew available to be contacted 24/7 and in over 43 languages.
  • Hosts can set certain criteria as a vetting process, allowing them to be selective about who stays in their property.
  • Booking.com is easy to connect with your current property management software, meaning that all administrative processes surrounding finance, occupancy, and property availability are readily available in one place.

For this reason, it’s certainly worth your time to consider listing your property on Booking.com. Although the listing system is slightly more complex to navigate, the perks you get from being a Booking.com host make the effort totally worth it. 

How much does it cost to be a host on Booking.com?

Although listing your property on Booking.com is free, they have to make money in some way. They do this by charging you a commission which they take from whatever you make off the platform. The total commission charge is 15% per reservation you receive. There is no monthly subscription fee or daily rate you must pay to have your property listed on the platform. Therefore, you are only charged as a host when you get a reservation. 

Although this commission may seem steep, there are ways that you can work around it in your listing price. The key here is to consider the 15% commission when deciding how much you want to charge guests for the property. As someone who runs a business, you would have already done the cost evaluations of how much it is to run your property and the amount you need to take home per night to make a profit. 

When you work with Booking.com, you also need to take card transaction fees into consideration as the platform does not charge guests - this is another expense that falls onto you. 

Before listing your property, you should have these numbers clearly defined. Once you have your nightly rate established, you need to remember the 15% commission charged by Booking.com. 

Based on a commission fee of 15%, the formula to calculate how much you should list your property for on Booking.com is as follows: Take home rate ÷ (1 - 0.15). For example, if you establish that you need to take home $100 per night from a reservation, then you must list your property on Booking.com for $117.65 according to the formula. 

However, one thing to note is that the platform does not allow you to list properties at prices with decimals. Therefore to cover costs, you need to list your property for $118 to ensure you cover the fees charged to you by Booking.com. 

booking com host reviews

The differences between hosting on Airbnb and Booking.com

Many people who are new to the short-term rental business often prefer to list their properties on Airbnb because the process of uploading a listing on the platform is substantially easier. It’s also an ideal platform for new hosts to try their hand at running a business in the hospitality sector. 

The listing process

Airbnb appeals to many hosts because the listing process is quick and easy. When you upload your property on Airbnb, you can complete the entire listing process and start taking guests on the same day. All you need to do is have the photos of your property ready to upload and know which tags you want to attach to your property. 

Airbnb also provides hosts with booking policy templates. There are three that hosts can choose from depending on the degree of stringency they wish to implement surrounding their cancellation and deposit policies. 

However, the Booking.com listing process does take slightly longer as you will need to wait for the platform to verify your listing before they start advertising it. In addition to the approval process, you also need to draw up your own reservation policies. While there are guides on how to do this on the Booking.com support pages, they will not do this for you. 

There are also different rate categories you can choose from when you upload your property on Booking.com. You will have to select this yourself and make sure that the rates are in line with the policy you have drawn up. 

The final step in the Booking.com listing process is setting up a portal through which you can accept payment from your guests. Booking.com does not handle the payments, unlike Airbnb, and you will need to set up an account with Stripe or someone similar in order to list your property on the platform. 

Interactions between hosts and guests

One of the key features of Airbnb is that it encourages guests and hosts to interact both prior to and during the booking process. There is a comprehensive messaging system that facilitates easy communication between the guests and the hosts. Airbnb is therefore marketed as a community-driven online travel platform. 

With Booking.com, there are little to no interactions between guests and hosts before the booking. The platform only accepts instant bookings, meaning that there are no options for guests to submit inquiries through the platform for their booking before committing. This is highly advantageous for hosts if they have the right booking and cancellation policies in place, as it means that reservations guarantee cash in the bank. There are options to have your property listed as an instant booking on Airbnb, but the responsibility falls on the host to respond promptly to guests. 

Another difference between Airbnb and Booking.com in this area is their approach to reviews. Guests are able to leave reviews about their experience on both platforms. However, Airbnb allows hosts to leave guest reviews, too, further attributing it as a community platform.  

Guest billing system

As part of the listing process hosts on Booking.com have to supply their own payment processors to accept payments for reservations made through the platform. With Airbnb, the platform handles the payments on behalf of the host and pays them once the guests have completed their stay in the property. 

Booking.com simply facilitates the booking. Therefore, when guests make a payment, it goes directly to the host. The commission for reservations is charged to the hosts at a later date. 

Implementing cleaning fees and damage deposits

Cleaning fees and damage deposits are usually added by hosts to cover any potential damage to the property made by guests and to cover the cleaning service at the end of their stay. Having these as separate charges is a good way to make sure you don't lose any money as a host. The way you charge these on Airbnb and Booking.com are different for the two platforms. 

With Booking.com, hosts have a lot more flexibility. They can choose to include cleaning fees in the listing price or not. It’s advisable to include the cleaning fees in the listing price on Booking.com as one of the things that guests like about the platform is the fact that there are no hidden fees. 

With Airbnb, guests are informed about the cleaning fee and damage deposits when they check out, meaning they end up paying more than the initial listing price. However, this is now a well-known feature of Airbnb and does not necessarily deter guests. 

Regarding damage deposits, it’s the responsibility of the host to hold the deposit and return it to the guests a maximum of 7 days after their exit, provided the guests have not damaged anything on the property. With Airbnb, damage disputes are conducted after the stay, with Airbnb support often facilitating these disputes. In this case, Booking.com works more in favor of the hosts as they are more in control of what they deem as damage. Booking.com does not get involved unless it is absolutely necessary. 

How the platforms bill hosts

Booking.com charges a 15% commission. However, unlike Airbnb, this is charged monthly based on the number of reservations made through the platform. Hosts pay this commission via direct debit. Therefore they have to make sure there are sufficient funds in their account on the billing date. 

As Airbnb handles payments, the fees charged to hosts are already deducted at the end of every stay, meaning the amount paid to the hosts upon the guest’s exit is theirs to keep. There are also different fees associated with different policies on Airbnb. Therefore, the amount you pay to the platform depends on your selected policy.

Capturing the guest’s details 

Booking.com does not request the guest's contact and address details automatically. There is a separate setting you need to enable on Booking.com when setting up your property listing. This is a necessary requirement you need to take into consideration when you take credit card payments from your guests. To ensure you get the correct details, you need to correctly set up this part of the listing. Under ‘Guest Details,’ simply stipulate that guests cannot make a booking without providing a phone number or an address. 

With Airbnb, the guest’s details are captured automatically by the platform. 

Cancellation policies

Airbnb has three tiers of cancellation policies which are separated according to the policy’s level of stringency. The tiers are divided into Flexible, Moderate, and Strict.

With the Flexible policy, guests get a full refund if they cancel at least 24 hours before the check-in time, and a full refund less any of the nights already used during their stay. If guests cancel less than 24 hours before they are due to arrive, they are still charged for the first night. 

The Moderate policy entitles guests to a full refund provided they cancel 5 days before their check-in time, but only 50% if they cancel with less notice. Under Airbnb’s Strict cancellation policy, guests can only get a 50% refund if they cancel 7 days before their check-in time, and no refunds are given thereafter.

With Booking.com, hosts can set their own cancellation policies, giving them a lower flexibility with regard to refunds. However, this does mean that you need to ensure that you link your policy to your Booking.com rate and manage the costs yourself. You can do this by selecting the ‘standard rate’ when setting up your listing and by choosing the ‘manual’ option under how to manage your rates.

booking com host reviews

Common issues with Booking.com and how to avoid them

Because of the additional steps you need to take as a host on Booking.com, there are some common issues that many people encounter, often resulting in hosts feeling slightly deterred by the platform’s listing system. However, once you know your way around the platform, these issues are easy to overcome. Some of the common problems hosts encounter are as follows.

Making double-bookings 

Booking.com is simply a booking facilitator, therefore cannot prevent your property from being booked on another platform. It’s, therefore, important that you keep a close eye on the bookings and make sure that you update the availability of the platform regularly. With property management software, this becomes a lot easier. 

Something like Hospiria’s property management software enables you to keep track of bookings all in one place. You can link your Booking.com listing and other platforms to your software and program it to update these for you automatically, helping you to avoid double-bookings. 

If you cannot accommodate your guests, the responsibility falls on you to arrange alternative accommodation for them and any transport costs associated with the change in itinerary. This can end up costing you.

Guests canceling on you at short notice with no compensation

Plans can change at any point. Therefore, if your cancellation policies do not cover you, it can also result in you getting zero compensation for the booking. This is where you need to ensure that your cancellation policies are watertight when you list your property on the platform. As you can create bespoke policies on Booking.com, you can implement strict no-refund policies. This won’t prevent guests from canceling altogether, but it will ensure that you’re not out of pocket. 

When uploading your listing to Booking.com, make sure that you select the option of a ‘non-refundable’ booking. This means the guest will be charged for their reservation whether they show up or not. Because you have the flexibility of manually monitoring your bookings, you can update these policies at your discretion after considering the circumstances. 

However, for no-show scenarios, you will still be fully compensated for the reservation made through Booking.com. Guests have to agree to the terms and conditions of the booking before they complete any transactions. Therefore, you have leverage should a problem arise after the fact. Booking.com will not get involved in any disputes unless absolutely necessary. 

Differing prices advertised on Booking.com vs. what you have set

Booking.com often runs discounts and specials and offers their Genius members a 10% discount off selected bookings. This can sometimes impact the listing price of your booking and advertise it as different from what you have set. 

To prevent any surprises, pay close attention to how the promotions you set stack up. Booking.com offers, for example, Mobile promotions and Country Promotions to entice certain guests by ways of discounts. But these can stack up, and be added to Genius discounts. Deep Deals and Flash Sales may or not be added to these or to Genius, so read the notes on the platform when you're creating a new promo to understand how the discounts will add up make sure that your rates and booking policies align. It’s also not mandatory for hosts to list their properties with the Genius loyalty program. Therefore if you do not wish to offer your guests discounts, you don’t have to. 

By selecting that you will manage listings and prices daily, you can choose which rates are advertised. As long as you ensure you stay on top of the money coming in, this should not be a problem. Again, using a property management software like Hospiria’s can help with this, as it syncs your accounts and keeps track of your property’s finances for you.

Opportunities in Booking.com are not always the best options to drive your occupancy - these are generic messages based on market samples, and as a host you may feel that your property either does not require these costly promotions or that the opportunity does not reflect your case. Booking.com , as most other platforms, offers an array of options to promote and increase the occupancy of your property. As these are either discount or commission based, care is advised when using these , and ensure that you do not sign up to every opportunity that booking.com offers you as these can be expensive by way of discounts or commissions.  

If you need a hand with working out what discounts you should be using, we have a friendly, expert team, ready to assess the best and less costly yet more productive options with you.

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Booking.com Host Guide for Beginners

  • February 22, 2021
  • Beginner's Guides , Industry Insights

Booking guidelines

By The Hospitable Team

You listed your vacation rental property on Airbnb but are not sure whether it is worth it to create a listing at Booking.com?

We’ve written this article to help you make an informed decision. Read on to learn why you should consider Booking.com, how this platform differs from Airbnb, and how to list your property there. We’ll provide answers to the most common questions below.

Why You Should Consider Booking.com

Today, Booking.com is one of the largest accommodation booking platforms, with more than 28 million listings in 226 countries and territories across the globe. It’s very popular with travelers, and more than 1.5 million nights are booked there every day.

Booking.com is available in 43+ languages and has become the most-visited travel site in the world because it offers everything a traveler needs for their upcoming vacation. Not only do they provide a wide selection of vacation rentals, they also offer hotels, vacation packages, flights, and transportation options.

As you can see, Booking.com is a great option to get your vacation rental in front of a significantly larger audience than any of the other platforms. And it offers you more flexibility—as a property owner or host, you get to set your prices and your policies.

That’s why you should definitely consider adding your property to Booking.com. Many Airbnb hosts have already set up their listings on the platform, and that’s allowed them to increase their daily revenue and occupancy.

How Does Booking.com Work and What Are Your Benefits?

Setting up an account on Booking.com is rather easy, especially if you are an experienced Airbnb host. Here are some of the benefits you’ll enjoy.

  • You can list any type of property for free.
  • It’s possible to import many of the details from your existing listings, so you can save some time.
  • You can set your own house rules for guests, and they must agree to them before they make a booking.
  • The platform offers 24/7 support that is available in 43+ languages.
  • You can protect your property by setting a damage deposit and feel more secure.
  • Guests can contact you using the Booking.com messaging system before they book.
  • You may vet your guests by setting specific criteria they must meet to book your house or apartment, for example, having a verified phone number and address.
  • If you had a poor guest experience, you can report guest misconduct to their team and block problematic guests from your property.
  • All hosts have access to Extranet, the administrative dashboard for their property.
  • You can use Pulse, the mobile app for managing your property on Booking.com on the go. It allows you to manage reservations, check your calendar, and respond to guest messages.
  • You can connect your Booking.com account to your channel manager.

Hospitable will automate your Booking.com communication.

In this guide, you’ll find everything you need to know about adding your property to this platform. But if you want to learn more about how Booking.com works, there is an online Help Center with step-by-step guides, tips on the best practices, and other things to consider.

How to Join Booking.com

Make sure your property is optimized for short-term rentals. This is essential for listing on any platform. Check our guide to make sure you’re ready. It will save you from costly mistakes.

First, you need to register on the platform and provide your first and last name and email address. Configure your extranet login and password.

Before you start registering your property, make sure you have the following ready:

  • Details about your property, such as a correct and complete address, list of facilities and amenities, types of rooms, availability
  • At least one high-quality photo, but it’s better to add as many pictures as possible
  • Payment details

Then you have to create your listing and wait for approval. The Booking.com team will review it to make sure that you have provided them with all the information required to activate your account.

When you receive a confirmation email, you’ll be able to access the Extranet and update the availability calendar. You can also set the prices and add any details about the property (including photos) required. When you finish, you can set your property to live on Booking.com. You will be able to update your registration details at any time.

Booking.com Extranet

Extranet gives you access to all information displayed on your property page, including policies, payment options, photos, descriptions, rooms, rates, and reviews. Besides, here you’ll find a record of your past and future reservations and analytics to get a better idea of how your property performs. You’ll also have an opportunity to set up deals and much more.

booking com extranet

Booking.com Fees

You can add your property to Booking.com for free, and then you pay a commission for each booking. You’ll see the commission percentage at the Agreement step of the registration process. The commission percentage varies in different countries and can range between 10% and 25%. Their global commission rate average is 15%, with no hidden costs.

Booking.com doesn’t take a commission from your bookings automatically. They’ll send you an invoice via email with the amount of commission you have to pay during the first week of each month. You can also find invoices in the Extranet—they are available in PDF format. You’ll find them in the Finance tab under Invoices. The payment date is due within 14 days of the invoice date. And if your current payment method is by Direct Debit, the commission will be taken out of your account automatically.

You will pay commission on confirmed stays after the guest has checked out and paid. But what if a guest doesn’t arrive for their booking? Then you won’t need to pay a commission if you choose to waive the fee. You should also make sure you mark the reservation as a no-show either in the Extranet or on the Pulse app.

But keep in mind that the commission will be charged on non-refundable bookings, no matter whether the guests stayed at your property or not.

How Can I Handle Guest Payments?

Perhaps it’s the most important question to ask when listing your property. Unlike Airbnb, Booking.com doesn’t always charge your guests, so you may have to do it yourself. You can choose your policies and payment offers. If you don’t accept credit cards, your guests will pay on arrival or departure in your local currency.

And if you accept credit cards, you can either charge your guests before arrival or at check-in/check-out, depending on the policy they booked under. Besides, you can charge a prepayment on the card the guest booked with by setting up prepayment in the Policies section of the Property tab in the Extranet. You can also use and set a payment processor, such as Stripe or Square.

It’s possible to charge a prepayment deposit even if you don’t accept credit cards. You’ll need to decide on the payment deadline and contact your guest to arrange the payment.

Now, Booking.com can handle guest payments for you as well for a small fee. But this payment service is not yet available everywhere. By choosing to use their payment solutions , you’re guaranteed payouts according to your policy and won’t have to deal with fraudulent online bookings. They offer you alternative payment methods like PayPal, Alipay, WeChat Pay.

To activate this feature, click the Finance icon on Extranet and select “Getting paid”.

booking payment

You can set up cleaning fees and damage deposits in the Policies section if you go to Additional fees & charges. Remember that Booking.com gives you more flexibility when adding additional fees and charges than Airbnb.

What Happens if My Property Is Damaged by a Guest?

As a property owner, you can request damage deposits from your guests. Deposits can help cover any potential damage that guests might cause, so you’ll be able to feel sure that your property will be treated respectfully. And if anything does go wrong, you can report it to the Booking.com team through the platform’s misconduct reporting feature.

To set up this feature, select “Policies” under the Property icon on the Extranet.

damage deposit

How to Set Up Cancellation Policies

You have an opportunity to create your own cancelation policies on Booking.com. This way, you can let guests know what to expect if they cancel or change their booking. Moreover, you’ll be able to protect yourself from a potential loss of income.

Here is how you can add or change cancellation policies.

  • Click on the Property tab in the Extranet and choose Policies.
  • Press the Edit button of the policy you would like to modify.
  • Change the settings of the policy—you can specify if there is a period when a free cancellation possible and specify how much the guest will be charged if they cancel or don’t arrive.
  • When you are done, click Save.

booking com policy

If you like, you can set cancellation policies on Booking.com to be exactly the same as the existing Airbnb options. Or you can make them even stricter; for example, you can set up a non-refundable policy. And you may offer a discount (e.g., 15%) on your prices to encourage guests to book reservations with non-refundable policies.

But remember that you need to connect your policy to your rate category. You can do so if you go to the Rates and Availability tab, choose Rate Plans, and then click on Edit under the rate you want to attach the new cancellation policy to.

Can I Cancel a Reservation?

Unlike Airbnb that allows hosts to decide whether they want to accept guests or not, Booking.com only accepts instant bookings. That means that when a guest makes a booking, their reservation is confirmed immediately, and you will receive a confirmation by email or on the Pulse app. But you have no option to reject a reservation . And in case of double-booking, it’s a host’s responsibility to relocate a guest.

Depending on your policies, a guest may cancel their reservation—they can use a link in their confirmation email or do it via their Booking account. And in some cases, you may initiate a cancellation request, but only if a guest asks you to do so, or if there are problems with guest payments.

What Happens if a Guest Cancels?

If a guest cancels a reservation and your property has a free cancellation policy, then the guest will pay nothing, and you won’t pay commission. But if your property doesn’t have a free cancellation policy, the guest will pay a fee, and you will pay commission on the amount that the guest will pay you.

How to Avoid Double Bookings

It’s crucial to have accurate availabilities and rates on Booking.com because otherwise, you may get an overbooking . That happens when more than one guest confirms for the same room for the same date.  Then it’s your responsibility to resolve this problem. So what should you do?

Don’t worry about double-bookings!

The easiest way is to accommodate your guest in another of your rooms. And if it’s not possible, you must find accommodation nearby that’s of a similar or better standard. You are also expected to provide private transport to the new accommodation, cover the cost of phone calls and the cost difference between your property and the alternative one.

As you see, it may be expensive, so you should always keep an eye on your rates and availability. If you list your property on several platforms and receive a booking via another website, you need to close or adjust your availability on Booking.com. You can do it manually, and Booking.com recommends hosts who work with many other platforms use a channel manager to manage their rates.

Manage all your listings in one window!

What are risk-free reservations and how do they work.

Booking.com’s Risk-Free Reservation program was developed to give travelers more flexibility and help you maximize your earnings with minimal risk. The platform offers travelers an extra-flexible cancellation policy on their behalf, and if a guest cancels, they’ll look for a replacement guest for you or take over the payment obligation.

If you join the program, Booking.com will upgrade your strictest policy to include free cancellation. If you already offer a free cancellation policy, they will extend it.

You can join the Risk-Free Reservations program. Just log in to the Extranet, select Opportunities, and then click the Risk-Free Reservations program. But keep in mind that you need to be enrolled in Payments by Booking.com to be eligible for the Risk-Free Reservations program.

And you’ll be enrolled in the Risk-Free Reservations program automatically if you’ve already signed up for Payments by Booking. But that only happens if your property isn’t in mainland France, French Guiana, Mayotte, Martinique, Guadeloupe, Saint Pierre, and Miquelon or Réunion.

If the Risk-Free Reservation program doesn’t fit you, you can also opt-out of it at any time. You just have to go to the Opportunities tab within your Booking.com extranet, choose Risk-Free Reservations Program, and then select the Leave this Program option.

Booking.com is one of the leaders in the vacation and short-term rental field and offers a large array of services to its clients. The platform attracts more than 1.5 million paying customers per night. Property owners who use Booking.com have an opportunity to maintain a steady flow of guests. The key to getting more reservations is listing your properties on multiple channels. By adding your rental property to Booking.com, you’ll be able to increase your visibility and create extra revenue.

Make sure to read our guide on preparing your property for STR business .

how to start an airbnb business

How to Start an Airbnb Business: Questions Answered

You are wondering how to be an Airbnb host? Anyone can list an extra room on the Airbnb website, and signing up to become an Airbnb host is fairly simple. Still, there’s a number of steps to take and pitfalls to avoid. Don’t worry, we’ll guide you.

Booking launch

[New Feature] Integration with Booking.com

We have great news for our hosts! We are thrilled to announce that we have added an integration to the list with hospitable’s new integration with Booking.com.

If you have an account with Booking.com, the new integration will allow you to use hospitable’s automated messaging and channel management features for your Booking.com listings.

how make money with Airbnb

How to make money with Airbnb? The true story of a host.

So, is being an Airbnb host really worth it? Do the pros outweigh the cons? Can you make good money rening on Airbnb? I asked myself this question nearly six years ago as I considered the options for my rental property. It’s not for everyone, however (as you’ll soon find out), but hopefully, this article will help you to decide if becoming an Airbnb host is worth it for you.

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The World Was Here First

Airbnb vs Booking.Com for Guests & Hosts: The Pros and Cons

Disclaimer: This article contains affiliate links. That means if you click a link and make a purchase, we may make a small commission. As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases. For more information, see our privacy policy.

If you’re travelling as a couple or two friends, then two of the most common options for budget accommodation are Airbnb and Booking.com . Having travelled extensively using both sites, we think that both sites have their own unique pros and cons for travellers and hosts.

We have also rented a private room in our apartment and have a view on which platform is better to use for hosts. If you’re considering either staying in Airbnb or Booking.com for an upcoming trip or debating which one is better for listing your property, read on as we’ve highlighted the pros and cons of each platform!

Table of Contents

Airbnb vs Booking.Com for Guests

The pros of using airbnb for guests, 1. airbnb is typically the most affordable option.

If your decision on which vacation rental to use is primarily based on cost, then you will nearly always get better value for money by finding a place on Airbnb.

This is especially true in major European cities, where you can find affordable places to stay in a prime location while many budget hotels will be on the outskirts of town. We’ve used Airbnb in many expensive places such as Reykjavik and Copenhagen which has made our trips much more affordable!

2. You meet locals and get great recommendations

How many times have you stayed in a budget hotel and gotten good recommendations about places to eat?

Chances are they’re sending you to the restaurant in their lobby or somewhere across the road! This definitely isn’t the case with Airbnb as many hosts are long-term residents of the city that you’re visiting and have an excellent knowledge of things to do and places to visit.

Furthermore, we generally find that many hosts are very hospitable and we often end up having a cup of tea or coffee with them during our stay and getting to know them!

Reykjavik

3. You usually get access to common facilities

One of the great things about staying in a private room in an Airbnb is that you will often get access to common facilities such as their kitchen and laundry.

This is great if you’re travelling on a budget as it allows you to cook your own meals (rather than eating out all the time) and wash your clothes without paying a premium surcharge that hotels often charge.

In some places, common facilities can be even more awesome – our Airbnb in Gozo had an amazing balcony with brilliant views of the surrounding countryside!

Living rooms can be a factor in choosing between Airbnb or Booking.com

The Pros of Using Booking.com for Guests

1. for many places, you don’t need to pay in advance.

One of the big disadvantages of Airbnb for vacation rentals is that you have to pay the full amount of your stay when booking.

This can mean you’re paying for accommodation months before you use it and you are only eligible for a refund if the host allows it in their booking policy (however, Airbnb does allow for a full refund within 48 hours of booking regardless of the host’s cancellation policy).

On the contrary, many hotels on Booking.com don’t require upfront payment meaning you can book accommodation without paying a cent!

2. You can get great deals if you book in advance

Whilst Airbnb is usually the cheaper option, you can often get some amazing deals on Booking.com if you book in advance. Many budget hotels are significantly discounted which is quite different from Airbnb where there are never explicit sales on accommodation.

You can even get great deals if you’re booking within a shorter timeframe but are not travelling during a peak period. During our time in Bulgaria , we got a great deal on a really nice boutique hotel because we were staying mid-week rather than on the busier weekends!

Black Sea in Bulgaria

3. Booking.com requires minimal effort

One of the nice things about booking a vacation rental through Booking.com is that once the booking is done, there’s little you need to do before arriving. This is unlike Airbnb, where you need to contact your host, make sure that they’ll be home when you arrive and possibly get specific instructions about how to get to their property.

Sometimes, particularly after a long flight, it’s nice not to have to worry about any of that and simply be able to check into a room with minimal hassle.

Read enough and decided on Booking.com? Click here to find a place on Booking.com!  

The Cons of Using Airbnb for Guests

1. you need to be flexible as a guest.

One of the most important things to remember when using Airbnb as a guest is that it’s not the same as a hotel so you need to be flexible sometimes. Check-in hours might be restricted or if something breaks down, it might not be possible to fix it straight away.

If these sort of things bother you then it’s probably best to book a hotel however in our experience these minor inconveniences would never be enough to stop us from using Airbnb!

2. Staying in an Airbnb has an element of risk

While we’ve never had any issues using Airbnb, you do occasionally hear newspapers reporting horror stories about travellers’ experiences with Airbnb. There is always going to be a small element of risk when staying in somebody else’s house, however, this can easily be avoided with some basic research.

We always stay with people that have had their profiles verified and have at least at a couple of positive reviews. Also, always make sure to research the neighbourhood of the Airbnb before booking to make sure it’s appropriate for your stay – you don’t want to end up in party central if you’re after a quiet weekend away!

3. In some cities, private Airbnbs are causing housing affordability issues

One of the main issues that travellers have with Airbnb is that in certain cities it’s causing housing affordability issues as landlords are listing their apartments on Airbnb rather than renting them to long-term local tenants. This means that in certain cities such as Berlin or Lisbon , governments are cracking down and banning short-term rentals of whole apartments on Airbnb.

You need to be careful if choosing to book in larger cities as whole apartments might be listed illegally and could be shut down before you arrive. While some travel websites, suggest avoiding whole apartments on Airbnb, we still use them in less-visited cities, particularly in Eastern Europe , where there can often be an oversupply of rental properties.

If you do want to book an entire property, just make sure to do it ethically. Pay attention to who the host is, see if he or she is an actual person and not a holiday letting agent, and make sure that person doesn’t have numerous properties available for rent.

There is a big difference in staying in the apartment of a local looking to make some extra cash compared to patronising a large business profiting off short-term lets.

Awesome Street Art in Berlin!

The Cons of Using Booking.com for Guests

1. budget hotels can often be sterile and less spacious.

One of the problems with using Booking.com is that if you’re on a budget a lot of the places tend to be less spacious and often sterile and lacking in character.

One of the things we love about using Airbnb is that every place is unique and has a homely atmosphere which is quite a contrast to many budget hotels which will usually have quite a similar feel to each other.

2. Budget hotels are usually poorly located

Another issue with budget hotels is that they are often not located in the neighbourhoods that you want to stay in. When booking accommodation, one of the most important considerations is ensuring we’re centrally located and can easily get around.

The cost of being in the centre of town, ultimately means that many budget hotels are located further away from the city centre and this means that it will take longer to get around and you will probably pay more for transportation during your stay.

3. Booking.com is nearly always more expensive than Airbnb

At the end of the day, when we’re travelling, we tend to be out and about exploring for most of the day so we don’t want to spend excess money on accommodation when we’re barely there.

That means we’re always looking for the most budget-friendly room that is well-located and clean. In nearly all places that we’ve visited, Booking.com is consistently more expensive than Airbnb.

The Verdict for Guests

If you’re deciding whether to use Airbnb or Booking.com for your upcoming trip then it’s important to consider what’s important for you.

If you’re on a budget, value meeting locals and getting their recommendations and having access to additional facilities then we’d recommend finding an Airbnb for your upcoming trip.

If you value flexibility, convenience or are simply travelling to a place with limited private apartments then we recommend booking accommodation on Booking.com. We suggest not leaving it until the last minute as you can find great bargains if you book in advance.   Click here to find a place on Booking.com!  

Booking.Com vs Airbnb for Hosts

When we lived in London, we rented our spare room in our apartment on Airbnb for over a year. We never used Booking.com because we felt that Airbnb had a number of advantages over Booking.com for hosts.

The Pros of Using Airbnb for Hosts

1. better screening and control of guests.

On Airbnb, hosts are able to have full control of who stays at their property as well as get a better understanding of who will be staying with them.

Airbnb allows you to turn off instant book so you can accept or reject each guest based on their profile and their previous reviews. Airbnb also has a full verification system so guests need to upload forms of ID and hosts can reject guests if they aren’t fully verified.

On Booking.com, once you list your property, you have no control over who is actually staying at your property. Once a guest books, the reservation is automatically accepted. This was a big disadvantage to us as hosts, particularly as we were sharing our apartment with incoming guests.

2. Lower hosting fees on Airbnb

The pricing model on Airbnb favours hosts while on Booking.com it favours guests. This means if you list the same property on both websites, you will typically pay less as a guest if you book on Booking.com which means the host ends up paying more.

As hosts, if you are looking to minimise the amount you pay to the platform, then Airbnb is definitely the better option.

3. Streamlined payment process on Airbnb

One of the big advantages for hosts using Airbnb is that the payment process is extremely streamlined. When a guest books a property, Airbnb typically charges them instantly. The payment is then released to the host 24 hours after the guests check in to the property.

On Booking.com, guests have the option of paying in cash which adds additional burden for the host to collect payment. For payments that are processed online, hosts either need to collect payments manually if they want to receive them as soon as possible or wait once a month to collect it via bank transfer.

The Pros of Using Booking.Com for Hosts

1. access to a wider market.

Historically, Airbnb has only been used by a certain type of traveller, while Booking.com and similar hotel booking sites have been used by a larger market.

This means that if you are a host in a less visited area, listing on Booking.com will likely allow you to have a much larger pool of potential guests. While we never had this problem in London, it is certainly something that is worth considering depending on your location.

London Big Ben

The Verdict for Hosts

If you’re deciding between the two platforms as a host, then I personally recommend using Airbnb as your primary platform for the reasons outlined above. Listing on Booking.Com is a good option if you want access to additional guests however you’ll need to make sure that you stay on top of syncing availability between the two platforms.

Do you prefer to use Airbnb or Booking.com? What are the pros and cons of using each? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below!  

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About Michael Rozenblit

Michael is a co-founder and writer for The World Was Here First. Both solo and with his partner, Maggie, he has travelled to over 50 countries across the globe and has a particular affinity for the Balkans and Eastern Europe. He’s lived in numerous countries worldwide but currently resides in his hometown of Melbourne, Australia. Read more about Michael

I like to point out few disadvantages of using Airbnb: 1- you cannot get on the phone with Airbnb and resolve any issue with the host 2- if you are late posting a review, you are not allowed to post any after certain date of your stay 3- Their so called customer service, is no customer service at all! 4- if the host didn’t like you for some reason like(offering service ), he will leave a bad review and you are stuck with it like myself! 5- I was traveling since May 4th of 2018, I never got the chance to leave a review for my host who I stayed in his apartment 4 nights, I was surprised to find his review which was not true at all! I contacted Airbnb but they ignored me completely with 4 messages already! 6- Booking.com was absolutely amazing when I got on the phone with them to change my hotel and I got full refund after deductions of the nights I stayed in! I am not advertising for Booking but I write my own experience! I hope you post my comment on your blog

Thanks for sharing your experience, Donna. It’s possible to have a bad experience with a host, however, the review system is there to give full transparency to all users. You can actually reply to a review on your Airbnb profile for up to 30 days after it’s posted. It’s next to impossible to get any kind of review removed from your profile as the system is designed to develop trust between hosts and guests!

Donna, regarding #1 & #3 – that’s not true. (or perhaps it once was, but things have changed in the last year?)

I had a situation where the host of the property wasn’t there and was non-responsive to multiple messages and calls, leaving me stranded for hours outside on the street, growing increasingly desperate. Luckily I was able to book at a hostel for the night after a few hours of searching (nearly every property in town was sold out!). When I called Airbnb support to report the issue, the agent had me to send her screenshots of my numerous attempts to contact the host so she could investigate the issue and within 24 hours had arranged a FULL refund for me.

As you could imagine, given my experience, I’m still a bit wary about booking through them — but I was greatly impressed with Airbnb’s customer service.

Your blog suggests that Booking.com only books hotels but it doesn’t. I have an appartment that I rent in France (in a city that has not yet banned it!) and I use Airbnb and booking.com. For the host Airbnb is brilliant, easy to use, does what it says and it pays the host on the day the guest arrives. Communication with the guest is great and arrival times etc are all sorted. Booking.com is hell! Their website is set up for hotels and doesn’t really cater for the private renter. Plus guests are much less responsible – they don’t bother to check with the host about arrival time etc because they assume it is like a hotel (which they must know it isn’t!). Yesterday I waited 5 hours for a guest to arrive (I don’t live on site) and despite repeated requests through the website they hadn’t bothered to confirm their eta or call to say they were late. Plus Booking.com keeps the money for six weeks and sends you ridiculously complicated invoices (still trying to work it out) and they charge the host the commission. If a guest books after 15th of the month for example 16th July, the host will receive the payment 16th September. Ouch. Last final gripe – my appartment is in France in a seaport with loads of fabulous seafood restaurants. On the booking.com website they ask you if there is “a” restaurant, and the drop-down box gives you the option of the following cuisines: American (does America have a “cuisine”?), African, Argentinian, Asian, Australian. Speechless. Also re previous comments as a host you can’t contact booking.com at all (really difficult and time -consuming! So that’s my view!

Thanks for your sharing your experience Imogen. This article focuses mainly on comparing the two platforms from the experience of a traveller. However, I agree with you completely that as host (we are Airbnb hosts!) Airbnb is by far superior to Booking.com.

I use both platforms, and used to hold an even opinion on both, but a recent incident with booking.com has challenged my previous good impression on the website. My group of three unfortunately booked a place on booking.com that contains lots of hidden fee, which doubled the nightly rate that was shown to us. Neither booking.com or the resort offers any compensation, and their response was basically “it’s the other party’s fault”, and that “they can’t do anything about it”. The review system on booking.com is basically a joke. The default sequence of review is “recommended”, which booking.com has all the incentives of only showing you the positive reviews. Many customers mentioned the place as a scam, but these reviews were not actively shown by booking.com. AirBnB on the other hand, offers a much more real and trust worthy review system: nobody can post retaliate review (since reviews are only visible after both host and guest have reviewed), always sorted chronologically, and no editing of the review is allowed. AirBnB also makes it almost impossible for host to charge hidden fees. Also, booking.com has recently added lots of things to pressurise you into booking right away – such as the “almost sold out!” , “only 1 room left”, etc. Extremely annoying. Sadly, AirBnB might be on the following as well by using “xxx’s place is almost always booked”.

Thanks for sharing your experience using Booking. Very useful things to look out for when using Booking.com!

I’m new on Airbnb and I’m outraged with the dishonesty of the reviews on it! I’ve been using Booking.com for 10 years and had just one case of wrong assessment based on reviews. While on Airbnb all reviews are fantastic and noone mentions the disadvantages of the property. I read that the ratio bookings/reviews is important but I can’t find where is the number of bookings.

Hi Tsvetelina, there are different standards applied to Airbnb vs Booking.com rating systems. Booking.com operates on a traditional star system. A ‘5-star’ rating on Airbnb will usually apply as long as the room is as described in the description, is clean and easy to access.

Nice to see some feedback as thinking of putting my property on Airbnb but have no one to talk through how it works. Do I understand that booking.com charge 15% commission while Airbnb charge 3%. I rent my property to Contractors.I have a problam today that all of a sudden my water is not heating up. trying to get an Electrician to fix it can be difficult as the earliest they can do isTuesday when my Contractors are due Monday. How would I deal with this problem on bookings.com or Airbnb?; because my Contractors have been hear before I call them direct but via booking.come or Airbnb would this be more complicated?

Hi Joan! Airbnb doesn’t help you maintain the property and I suspect Booking.com doesn’t either. You would still need to call contractors directly. From a hosting perspective, I use Airbnb only as I think the system is much better (automatic payments, better screening of guests)!

I host using both! one double room! I find I get more bookings via B.C, but love the AirBnb type of quest. They are usually more chilled and don’t expect heated swimming pools etc. Saying that I have been very lucky (4 summer seasons) Most of my guest are lovely once the B.C ones realise they are the only guests, they settle in and enjoy the more personal touch. To answer Joans query, you can message your contractors via both sites giving them the option to cancel/postpone. To answer another commenter, both sites are easy to contact by phone and are really helpful. Not easy to find initially but saved to my phone now! I would like to leave Booking.com as I find their financial department impossible to get hold of (you can only email them on the intranet). They didn’t pay me for 2 months saying that the guest paid at accomodation. I don’t have that facility, it took months to prove it to them! So any other suggestions gratefully recieved.

I’ve been an Airbnb host for one year and absolutely detest Airbnb. They have ruled against me with some very offensive and in cases crazy guests, which has cost me money but also caused me to be slandered publicly. So I have just terminated my account with them.

I have just started with Booking.com and so far, so good.

Thanks for sharing your experience Lauren. It’s a shame that you have had a bad experience with Airbnb as I think their booking system is designed much better for hosts. Glad it’s working out for you on Booking.com!

Hi Laura, I am having the same issue. Rules don’t matter and the most they do is put something negative in the guests’ profile. Doesn’t help me when I’m shelling out hundreds to fix or right the situation. Also doesn’t make me feel very good knowing house rules don’t amount to anything – “arbitrary amount” are the words they used when I asked to be compensated for things like multiple dogs in a pet-free home, checking out 7 hours late or the guests trashing the place. I am currently online looking for a new platform. I would rather loose a percentage in fees than hundreds of dollars in the matter of a few guests. Would love to hear if it is still going well.

I prefer the ability to pay at the time of my stay with booking.com. I’ve had very good experiences with apartment style accommodations through them, as well as regular hotels. Usually the cancellation policies are very clear; Only once did I mistakenly reserve and pay for a non-refundable/changeable booking; luckily I didn’t have to cancel or modify it. On a recent booking I received an email from the owner asking for arrival information, as well as giving some extra information. Very helpful

Thanks for sharing Jon! I agree that being able to pay at the time of your stay is definitely one of the big advantages of Booking.com over Airbnb!

I have been a frequent user of Booking.com and Airbnb, but next year in the 4 trips I will only use Booking.com. I think I will not use Airbnb again. I am a guest only and, from the guest’s perspective, Airbnb gives very few guarantees of a restful holiday, and allows the host to reject a reservation based on such simple aspects as skin color, nationality or gender. This is not permissible in a civilized society today, at least according to the values in which I believe and why I grieve. At Booking.com, as in any commercial service, what is put up for sale, should be sold to any person without authorization. It is not acceptable for someone to enter a bookstore to buy a book and the bookseller refuse to sell to that particular person, choosing to sell the other. At Booking.com, what is exposed for reservation is actually for reservation by anyone who has money (or credit card) to carry out the business transaction.

On Airbnb, in most cases, the properties are available for booking, but… I have to ask the host if he wants to rent to me. Sometimes I get a ‘no’, without apparent justification (they do not like me (?), they prefer someone other than me (?) – and is this permissible in civilized and democratic societies like those we believe to live?) Or the houses are falsely exposed to reserve but they don’t have a real intention to do so. They say ‘no’ and some time later you find the same property available for rent with a higher price. That’s speculation (and deceit). On Booking.com this never happens. If it is presented for booking, I know that in less than a minute I have the matter resolved and the booking is effectively completed.

Finally, there is a much bigger problem (I would say dread) with Airbnb, from the perspective of the guest (which, as I read in the comments above, delights the hosts): the possibility of canceling the reservation, with little time in advance, creating problems impossible to solve when we have a booked trip (plane, car rental, other bookings before and after, and lots of money involved), with no margin for maneuvering or alterations. If the host wants to cancel, Airbnb assures us that we are safe because they return all the money and the host is penalized. But if I am a few days away, I do not want the money back nor does it bring me any compensation that the host is penalized. All I want is a house in the place and time I made the first booking, and sometimes, with a few days in advance, every property is already booked or only the houses with exorbitant prices remain. That is, by Airbnb I can have all my vacations ruined and nothing will be done to solve the problem. What Airbnb says is: take the money and go home or find a solution on your own.

On Booking.com, there was a situation of canceling a reservation of an apartment by the host and the customer service was relentless: we exchanged many emails, we often spoke on the phone, but the concern was always to find an alternative. They never gave up finding an alternative, with the guarantee that if I had to stay in a more expensive apartment or hotel, I would be compensated for the difference, as well as the price of the taxi ride that I would need to go from the first place to the new one. After a lot of negotiation, everything went well, the price stayed the same and I felt that they bothered to “save” my vacations. From then on, I decided not to use Airbnb again because I definitely feel more secure using Booking.com.

I do not have any problem (contrary to what is said in some comments above) with the reviews on the Booking.com: just go through all the reviews and the negative aspects are there all highlighted. Incidentally, Booking.com separates the negative aspects so that they are clearly visible. Finally, Airbnb has an annoying way of presenting prices: the price that initially appears (in ascending or descending order) is never the final price. It is tiring and confusing.

Thanks for sharing your experience Jose and I’m sorry to hear you’ve had such a poor experience with Airbnb. There are definitely pros and cons of both platforms and it sounds like you’ve unfortunately experience all of the negatives of Airbnb without any of the positives!

The discrimination in particular is unacceptable and you really should report it to Airbnb if you have experienced it. Unfortunately like a lot of companies that grow quickly they are playing catch-up in dealing with ethical issues.

I also agree completely that Airbnb should do more when guests have their booking cancelled last minute and if peace of mind is what you value most then Booking.com is the way to go, particularly for short trips.

HI – I have just started to rent out four rooms in my own house in Liverpool – about 20 mins from city centre. At first I started with Air B’n’b and things were good – then booking started to drop off around November / December and I was encouraged to try booking.com. As a host you can charge more with booking.com – although market forces tend to dictate you will never get too much more. At first booking with booking .com were off the scale – I mean almost too much. A word of warning about anyone wanting to swap sites and lives in a city – make sure you get the house details right at the start – booking.com is alot more detailed and complicated than air b’n’b and needs more time. Also note they also do not check any of your details after they have been completed. On the first night I put in the wrong number of rooms available and had to deal with four unhappy guests who thought they were good for the night ! People also seem to book way more in advance with booking.com but can also (and do) cancel at will, as there is no punishment for doing so (unless as a host you put them in place – which you are discouraged from doing so by booking.com). One thing that people need to bear in mind – it would appear that if you go with one then switch to another the one you left will cut you off – I have not had one booking with air b’n’b since I started to take bookings with booking.com – it could be a co-incidence, it could be I am too booked up for air b’n’b people, I am not sure. Ofcourse the delayed payment system of booking.com is a bit of pain, especially if you a small ‘one person show’ – as alot of people are in this buisiness. If you consider how much money booking.com must make off this delayed payment – globally – it should be illegal, then ofcourse they charge you 15% comminsion, which is a bit steep.

Thanks for sharing your experience with Airbnb and Booking.com Richard!

your behind the time – i’m a host on on booking.com and i’m not a budget i’m a private home in the heart of hollywood ca. – there are three other places on my street that rent rooms – booking.com has made a real effort to sign smaller privately own properties – as a host i do much better on booking.com than airbb

I tried to verify my profile as a guest in Airbnb in Mars 2019.

They want send them a photo with my passport and then an selfie and a robot compares these two photoes. I tried numerous of times several days in a row but the answer from the robot was that I was not the same person.

I called airbnb but they could not help me.

So I chose accomodation via booking.com that did not require any photoes.

Thanks for sharing your experience Argirios. Uploading a photo of yourself and your passport makes it more secure and provides comfort for guests. It’s a shame Airbnb couldn’t help you get it sorted!

I am a host and using both AirBnB and Booking.com for more than 5 years and seriously thinking about dropping Booking.com as besides the standard booking fee they now introduced a new additional cost in amount of 1.4% for payment collection. I do not like their style by imposing me their opportunities all the time as if anyone using these opportunities has profited a lot and I should do the same. Costly and useless. I do not like most of the guests I get through booking.com reservation system. My property has maintained a high review score (9.7 out of 10) all these 5 years and I am finally done. Each time when I receive new booking I pray it is from tourists and not locals. We have very strict house rules (no parties, no visitors, no shoes inside, no pets, silent hours from 11 to 9) and because of our rating and level of cleanliness (10 out of 10) we started to receive lots of bookings from local guests who absolutely do not read house rules. On AirBnB I can have a control over who I let in and guests must accept house rules before they book. I like my AirBnB guests, they come from distant places and are eager to know about my country, traditions culture. A different world. But now there is a big problem. Local guests have discovered AirBnB as another alternative platform to book their stay without understanding the true essence of AirBnB. And they do not read house rules even if they tick the box they have read and understood. They even do not read description. Millenials. Unfortunately.

Thanks for sharing your experience TT. As hosts, we also preferred using Airbnb however think both Airbnb & Booking.com can be good options for travellers as long as they obviously respect where they’re staying!

I am a host and have been very disappointed with Airbnb. The HOST has no voice in the case of disputes. Airbnb recently refunded a guests 100% of their rental rate when they cancelled just before their arrival date. This guest had cancelled a reservation in the past. My cancellation policy is strict. Airbnb totally ignored my policy. I lost a substantial amount of money during my peak season thanks to Airbnb overriding my policy. I am cancelling my listing and plan to never use their services. They use foreigners to make these refunds who have no regard for the hosts. Awful customer service for the hosts. Don’t use them.

I have used both platforms extensively as a traveler over the last 8 years and I would like to share my personal experience.

I used Airbnb a LOT for many years till 2017. I had a few poor incidents with different hosts – a host made me wait 90 minutes, one host didn’t have wifi and we were booked there several nights and it was so stressful, another incident involved searching for an apartment for over one hour in Bosnia, not to mention the rules of some of the apartments requiring us to take the trash out and throw it in the dumptser 200 meters away. Usually we don’t have a problem with this but when it is sub zero temperatures in Iceland and you are lugging a bag of trash, it makes you question their crazy house rules a bit- especially when these apartments charge you for a cleaning fee!!

Still, I continued because Aibnb had exciting and unique accommodations that Booking.com did not have at that time. So in 2017 I had a nightmare when my card was used in a fraud on Airbnb and I was charged 3000$. That is when i realized how horrible and non existential the customer service of Aribnb was. They do not allocate a dedicated representative for my case. Every time I got a reply from their customer service agent, it made me feel it was actually a bot. The person (or bot) was not even reading my email and just replying with standard drafted responses. Ultimately I got my money back but Airbnb deduced 150$ for no reason. WTF? When the booking was never made by me.

Have you ever realized that if you are stranded with an Airbnb host during your actual travel, you have no chance of getting through to a customer agent. Your only chance is to get in touch with the local police. This is actually a frightening thought. If you have booked an apartment from a single person host, and they cancel or you don’t manage to find it, you are stuck in a foreign country in odd hours trying to find another accommodation. In contrast, you can always find an alternative with booking.com with the same host.

When all this was happening, Booking.com started introducing more experiential stays – Camps, lodges, apartments that were only available earlier on Airbnb. If you check the rates on both, Booking,com is cheaper for the traveler because they do not have the service fee and the cleaning fee that Aibnb has. Because of Airbnb fraudulently charging my card, having zero customer service and having a high service and cleaning charge, I have exclusively used Booking.com in the last 2 years without even bothering to check Airbnb. For me Airbnb is a thing of the past and I don’t think I will be using it anymore. Booking.com has always had fantastic customer service ( from the Traveler’s point of view) and I will always continue to use them in the future

Thanks for sharing your experience Pree

Hi, I am the host renting a condo apartment. Simple question; considering pros and cons for 2 platforms (Airbnb and booking.com) which platform should I try first ? I am fully aware that there is no ideal solution and always we will have some challenges on both sides but just to make it short I would appreciate your practical advice. Key criteria before deciding with which platform I should go I think should be; 1. good quality of guests needed – control of it (airbnb ?) 2. pricing for the hosts and guests – differentiation – on very average what is the renting price % difference between Airbnb and booking.com ? – for the hosts and guests respectively 3. commission for the agency – 3% Airbnb vs. 15% booking.com ? – any hidden extras ? 4. payments for the hosts speed – is ot really 24 hrs with Airbnb ? 5. cancellation policy for the host and the guests – ? 6. ?

Many thanks.

As a host, I recommend Airbnb. The pricing you set yourself and the commission paid is less than Booking.Com. You get paid 24 hours after check-in from the guests and there is flexibility to set the cancellation policy based on what you prefer.

Hi, I found the article and the comments above very interesting. I am a host on Airbnb and found this article while deciding if I should add booking.com. As a host, I have decided to stick with Airbnb for a number of reasons 1. The guests are verified and its easier to work out who they are. On the one occasion i felt uncomfortable about a guest, the help from Airbnb (which admittedly is email based) was very good. 2. Yes you can get a bad review. But if you are renting regularly the good reviews just make the bad review look odd. 3. Airbnb pay out the day after they guests move in and I have never had an issue with late payment. I would go crazy waiting weeks for payment!

As a guest, I did have the experience of been left stranded in that I ended up in a house in Venice in mid August with no air conditioning and no working shower and an Airbnb “host” (who had 25 properties in the city) making himself unavailable. Add to this been a saturday of a Bank holiday. I arranged a new Airbnb property the next day to move into and by that evening, Airbnb had confirmed that they hadnt paid out the first guy (the 24 hour rule helping) and I got a refund. Obviously you need your head about you but if its a large tourist area (like Venice) you will always find a plan B.

Thanks for sharing your experience! In the future, I would recommend trying to avoid staying in Airbnb rentals that are run by large agencies. As you’ve experienced, they tend to have worse service and can have a poor impact on the local economy.

As a host I have to say Airbnb is not the way to go. They have poor customer service and no set of rules or rights for the home owners. House rules (even when costs for breaking them are listed) are not required for guests. The most Airbnb offers to do is put a bad note on the guests’ profile so they can monitor if it happens again. Same thing with check-outs: can’t force the people out and can’t get compensated for paying off your next guests to come a half day late. So far I’ve had at least a handful of complaints and have ended up paying several hundred out of pocket for everything from door repairs and guests refusing to leave to paying cleaners to deal with dogs (in a no-pet home) and entire meals left on tables and trash everywhere.

I have a home in a rural area of Mexico where no one uses receipts and there is no such thing as getting someone to come give an estimate of repair. Therefore, according to them, I am never able to fully collect on damages done or extra services (like having cleaners come twice because someone refuses to leave). They still don’t promise full payment with receipts. I gave one receipt and only got half. Seems half of the cost is standard with Airbnb. I asked for rules I need to follow to ensure payment and get different answers from each rep, as well as some being honest and saying there really aren’t any. I would DEFINITELY not list any place that you could get in serious trouble, like an apartment building, because Airbnb won’t help with house rules. They say any amounts requested are “arbitrary”.

Thanks for sharing your experience Alison

Another Pro to Booking.com : Price match policy. AirBnB doesn’t have that.

I recently made a booking at AirBnB which gives lower total (because of a promo discount) than AirBnB. About a week later I noticed that the total rate has gone down about 30-40% (!) at both Booking.com and another room provider I also use, with generous (hotel like) cancellation option.

I can no longer cancel this AirBnB booking because a 50% deduction will incure.

How I wish I have chosen to book with Booking.com.

Hello, thank you for all these feedbacks. I did not find any comment or experience regarding the insurance in case of damages to the property by guests. I understand that airbnb has one while booking.com none. Can this also be considered a real plus for airbnb? Thanks

Hi Bob, That’s a good point. It doesn’t seem like Booking offer any insurance while Airbnb does, however, I’m not sure how easy it is to make claims compared to having a third party insurance.

Great post Michael, thank you. I am a host on Airbnb, Booking as well as listing on my own website. I’m curious how others in my situation approach setting rates, given that Airbnb charge the bulk of their commission to guests and Booking is the opposite. Using the same rate across all three of these platforms makes the Airbnb listing much more expensive for the guest, as the guest pays another 15-16% on top of the listed rate. I’ve opted to adjust the rates by platform, so a guest booking on any platform roughly pays the same after commission. It requires a bit of juggling to keep things at parity. Having experience with both platforms, I would agree with Michael’s pros and cons list. A a few other disadvantages I have experienced with Booking are that they had some serious issues with calendar syncing (causing errors and double bookings, etc.) and they were unresponsive to complaints by the community, whereas Airbnb’s calendar syncing worked (for me) flawlessly. I ended up having to disable calendar syncing and do it manually, which is a bit of a nightmare. Lastly, Booking also cancelled one of our guest’s bookings a week before they were due to arrive (and suspiciously a Booking Genius guest booked the exact room and dates within minutes after the cancellation – hmmm) and Booking told the original guest we had cancelled their reservation, and I had to deal with the distraught guest.

Great topic that will become increasing significant in the future. Imho after much travel and positive and negative with each, I have to say I prefer Booking.com adding that, as with all things these are very personal choices, as is the way we travel. Our experiences with each form of stay will be lovely and not, as will those with travel in general. My point is that I prefer Booking.com simply because it fits better into my style of travelling which is a very independent one, For example, I heavily research a place before going to it and, therefore, don’t find a need for a second person’s feedback on places to go. I’ve already created my own agenda and am psyched. Someone else prattling on, though with the best intentions, is simply a mosquito. My experience has also been that heavy breakfasts are STRONGLY encouraged at AirB&B’s which I don’t eat. Though I’m certain some hosts have other ways of being with their guests, as an independent traveller, I prefer the greater distance from a (cheap) longer term suite. I can get the conversation and interactions from family back home – not on holiday. But again, each of us thinks of travel differently. And that’s my point. That it really has nothing at all to do with the type of facility we stay in. It has to do with our preference for our type of travel.

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How to Manage Reviews on Booking.com

Reviews can make or break your listing’s success on Booking.com because they are one of the most universally reliable sources of information on your property. They can be a godsend when they illuminate brilliant aspects of your property that you might have overlooked when developing your listing’s profile page, but they can also cast your listing asunder if they are brutally honest or overly critical. 

Managing Reviews on Booking.com

Keeping up a steady stream of bookings means having strong reviews available for potential renters to reference, but as the property owner, how can you keep track of what past renters are posting? Booking.com offers hosts the opportunity to track these ratings in one consolidated space within the extranet. If you click on the “Analytics” tab, you will find a subsection entitled “Guest review scores,” which synthesizes your scores and comments across renters so that you can get a snapshot of your property’s performance. It also tracks your reviews over time, so you can assess long-term how your property is faring. 

If the data presented in the “Analytics” tab looks different than that you see when you look at your own properties on the Booking.com website, don’t be alarmed: Booking.com’s analysis includes all reviews – even those not yet approved and those missing from no-show bookings – so the numbers might be a bit different.

How to Get Good Reviews on Booking.com

When you launch your property on Booking.com, you hope that positive reviews are just around the corner, but sometimes it can be daunting to get those good reviews to rack up in your favor. There is no guaranteed recipe to garner a good review, as there are so many factors that can influence a traveler’s experience. For example, you can offer the most spectacular rental property, but if your guests come down with food poisoning or are not happy with their traveling companions this can end up reflecting negatively on their reaction to your space.

Nevertheless, these tips might increase your odds for a positive review:

  • Cash in customer service: Make sure that your renters feel that you are always available for them. Respond as quickly as you can if they ask questions, and try to accommodate them whenever possible (and within reason). You shouldn’t feel the need to bend over backward for them, but by going the extra mile to make sure they feel they are being catered to can count a lot when it comes to reviewing time. 
  • Add the extra touches: It is amazing how influential a little something special can be when it comes to property reviews. A handwritten note or a small welcome pack with restaurant recommendations or top local tours can make guests sense that you genuinely want them to feel at home. The more comfortable they are in your space, the more likely they will be to remember their stay warmly. 
  • Don’t fear following up: when it comes time to check out, reach out to your guests either in person or over the Booking.com extranet message tool and ask them how their stay was. This emphasizes your desire to be accommodating and it also is a great moment for reminding them how helpful a positive review would be. 

Dealing with Negative Reviews on Booking.com

There are few things more disheartening than a negative review for your property on Booking.com, particularly when that review is derived from elements out of your control (for example, a guest complaining that it rained for the entire week that they booked your beachside villa, or a guest who reports a plumbing issue only after they check out). When these less-than-flattering reviews come in, there is no need to despair: they happen to everyone, and they cannot be avoided. As we mentioned earlier, it is impossible to predict exactly how guests will respond to your property, so it is not worth it to stress over negative press. 

When you get a negative review, one of the best first steps is to respond back to them. If you visit the “Guest Reviews” tab within Booking.com’s extranet, you can reply directly to any approved review posted for your property. Try to keep these responses positive – remember, that guest’s critique is of your property, not you – and express your genuine desire to learn from their comments. Remember that potential renters searching Booking.com will see your responses to these negative reviews, so you can think of it as an opportunity to further reinforce your desires for customer satisfaction. 

You should keep in mind, though, that you can only respond to reviews that include a comment, and any response you post will also be reviewed by the internal Booking.com team to make sure it is acceptable. This means you should review your response before you submit to eliminate problematic elements such as foul language, personal information, promotion of other OTA platforms, or offers to discount future stays.

How to Remove a Review with Booking.com

The support team at Booking.com devotes a good portion of time to reviewing guest reviews and filtering out those that are inappropriate, offensive, or otherwise violate aspects of Booking.com’s terms of service in some way. Sometimes, though, a negative review comes in that sneaks past Booking.com’s review team and might be misleading about your property or Booking.com’s services. These can include instances where a guest: 

  • Canceled a booking but somehow still wrote a review of the property
  • Reviewed the wrong property
  • Posts a fraudulent review to discredit the property owner or the Booking.com brand
  • Uses inappropriate or threatening language
  • Shares personal information

If you happen to discover a guest review that meets one or more of these criteria, reach out to the Booking.com team via the extranet messaging system and share the review at issue. To expedite your request, you can label your message to the team “Reviews”.

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Booking com Review 2024: Pros, Cons, Alternatives, and More

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Booking.com Review

booking-com logo

Booking.com makes up a transparent and affordable traveling marketplace you can advertise your properties on. This makes it a great fit if you want to reach out to a global audience without having to cough out more bucks, as it offers a one-stop shop for travelers. For instance, it has over 100 million users each month, partners with airlines, showcase properties on Google Maps and promotes properties on search engines. Overall, if you are focused on innovative and supportive partnerships, then Booking.com is an excellent option to consider.

Legit & Safe

Earning Potential

Ease of Use

Customer Service

  • Provides transparent, innovative, and supportive partnership; for instance, by providing the tools required for 24/7 support and visibility.
  • Turns its global audience into your guests, for example, through professional online marketing and continuous innovation
  • Provides attractive partnership rates which can increase your properties visibility
  • Attracts more guests to your properties by offering loyalty programs that provide travel rewards
  • Lots of listings on one website can overwhelm potential guests; hence, reduce the possibility of your property coming out strongly.
  • Payout delays or issues among property owners

Jump to: Full Review

Compare to Other Sites to Rent Stuff

Neighbor logo

Rent garage, driveway, parking lot, basement, bedroom, shed or carport

No listing fees + guaranteed payment monthly even if a renter doesn’t pay

Free coverage for everyone— $1,000,000 for host and $25,000 for renters

FriendWithA

FriendWithA logo

Earn money by renting out your gear with relatively low rental fees – 10%

Average monthly pay – $95 for bike, $145 for camera, $150 for guitar

Personal liability guarantee up to $100,000 and $125,000 property coverage

Air Bnb logo

Earn approximately $924 per month hosting one of the 30+ million users

Low booking fees – a flat 3% per reservation + free $1M liability insurance

Option to set your prices + get paid quickly by PayPal, Direct Deposit

Table of Contents

How Does Booking.com Work?

How does Booking com Work

Booking.com is a Dutch online traveling agency that connects property owners to travelers looking for accommodation. Founded in 1996 and headquartered in Amsterdam, Booking.com has been in the market for over two decades. 

Booking.com allows you to; 

  • Publish your listing on the platform.
  • Market your property to potential travelers or tenants.
  • Reach a global audience when your listing is live. 
  • Maximize your earnings on the platform.
  • Have full control over your property availability and rates.
  • Create an account for free and get started on the platform.  

How Much You Can Earn With Booking.com?

Your total earnings will depend on the total booking you secure per month. You can make $1500 per month renting out your property on Booking.com. For example, you can earn up to $379 for renting your apartment in Sun Spalato, Croatia or $217 for your Villa in London. 

You can also make an additional $500 per month as an affiliate by sharing Booking.com deals on your blog. The daily booking rate for a hotel in the US is $130. If 4 guests use your affiliate link to book a 1-night stay, the booking price will be $520. Booking.com will earn $78 from the amount suppose your property falls under 15% commission. 

Who is Booking.com Best for?

Booking.com is best for property owners who want to attract high-paying travelers or tenants to generate cash from their properties. It is also best for travelers who want to avoid extra fees and enjoy great discounts when looking for accommodation or a place to stay during their travels. 

What Can You Rent With Booking.com?

Booking.com allows you to list your:

  • Holiday or temporary rentals
  • Business apartments
  • Buses, trains, or airplanes
  • Airport Taxis
  • Rental Cars
  • And Restaurants

Booking.com Benefits: What Does Booking.com Offer?

What are Booking com Main Features

Instant Confirmation

This feature allows your potential guests to make their reservations in real-time using an online e-payment gateway. This feature allows guests to make more reservations within the shortest time possible. Statistics point out that many potential guests often prefer speed and convenience when scouting for accommodation.

Relatively Affordable Rates

Nothing can eat into your business’s profits like an expensive service. Low rates make booking a steal, considering the commission you have to part with when using the platform. On average, you’ll remit 10% to 25% commission on every reservation you make.  

Incredible Selection

It’s no secret that Booking.com is one of the biggest travel marketplaces for both established business people and brands. 

Therefore, being part and parcel of the platform allows you to showcase your property to a global audience. For this reason, you’ll be in a position to select whoever you want to do business with, which can increase your profitability.  

Secure Booking

Booking.com has put in place security measures to prevent fraud from happening. 

For example, the integration of Booking.com live’s secure payment gateway secures online transactions by not keeping any bank details and directing you towards a trustworthy and secure payment gateway. 

24/7 Support

The platform offers 24 hours a day, seven days a week support to property owners and guests. It offers the following services to enable such:

  • Live chats allow you to engage with customer care service agents regarding your bookings on a real-time basis to solve the issues at hand. 
  • Phone service: For any urgent matter, the platform has an international and local service number where you can lodge your complaint to allow instant action. 

Booking.com Fees: How Much Does it Cost to Use Booking.com?

What is Booking com Fee

Depending on property location, the platform charges a 10% to 25% commission fee on every deal you make. You’ll get an invoice detailing how much commission you owe the agency each month to pay up. In this model, a guest will pay a reservation fee through the platform, either before their stay or after their visit.

Booking.com Requirements?

To host your property on Booking.com , you need to;

  • Add quality photos to show off your property’s best side. 
  • Accurately fill out the hosting profile. 
  • Make communication easy. 
  • Be available to answer questions and provide assistance to your tenants. 
  • Adhere to local rental laws.

Booking.com Payout Terms and Options

Booking.com pays you via direct bank deposit or by Virtual Credit Card (VCC). 

Bank Transfer

To receive your funds via bank transfer, you will need to set up your payment dates. If you set up to receive;

  • Monthly payments ; your earnings will be processed before or by the 15th of each month after guests check out of your property. 
  • Payments 4 times a month; your earnings will be processed on the 6th, 9th, 18th, and 27th of each month after guests check out. 
  • Funds weekly ; your earnings will be processed every Thursday for reservations where guests have checked out. 

Virtual Credit Card (VCC)

A Virtual Credit Card is an “e-MasterCard” linked to an actual credit card on your account dashboard. It functions on the same principle as a credit card and helps you receive your payments online. 

Virtual Credit Card allows you to receive your payments after guests make a booking and pay for it online. After the payment is made, the company sends you the VCC along with guest booking details and the exact amount for that particular booking. 

You will be charged a transaction fee of 2% to 3%, depending on your local rental laws and any additional fees charged by your bank. 

Booking.com Reviews: is Booking.com Legit?

Booking.com is a reliable and effective marketing listing platform for your property. It has a 4.6 rating on Google Play Store , 4.8 rating on App Store , 4.9 rating on Uptodown , and a 3.2 rating on ConsumerAffairs . 

Most property owners liked the platform’s low commission rates. Other property owners also praised the company’s customer service, which attends to issues and problems on time. 

On the contrary, some property owners disliked the platform’s listing mode since it makes it difficult to navigate through the site. Others also complained of getting fleeced on the platform. Overall, Booking.com is safe and legit. 

Booking.com pays you via virtual credit card once a guest makes a booking and pays for it. You can then charge the virtual card as you normally would to get the exact amount for that particular booking.

What Are the Booking.com Pros & Cons?

What are Booking com Pros and Cons

Booking.com Pros

  • Provides transparent, innovative, and supportive partnerships. 
  • Responsive customer support is available 24/7.
  • It assists you in marketing your property on the platform to reach a global audience. 
  • Regularly offer loyalty programs to guests. 

Booking.com Cons

  • Lots of listings on one website overwhelm potential guests.
  • Payout delays among property owners.

How Good is Booking.com Support?

Booking.com has an active social media platform where users can engage, ask questions and receive answers from the Booking.com support team. It also has a help center page with FAQs, articles, and blogs to help you learn more about the site and how it works. You can also contact the support team via email or phone to get answers to your questions  

Booking.com Review Verdict: is Booking.com Worth It?

Booking.com is a transparent, reliable, and recommended marketplace where you can list your properties. You can make $1500 per month renting out your properties to travelers or tenants. You can also make an additional $500 per month as an affiliate by sharing Booking.com deals on your website.  

Additionally, you will be charged a commission fee of 10% to 25% on every deal you make on the platform. While it does not have a minimum withdrawal limit, it offers two payment methods; bank transfer and Virtual Credit Card. With that said, Booking.com is a legit and trustworthy online traveling agency site worth trying. 

How to Sign Up With Booking.com?

  • Visit Booking.com in the top right corner of your browser, and click Register.
  • Enter your email address. Click continue.
  • Enter your details, including full names and phone numbers, and click Next. 
  • Generate a  strong password for your account, and click Create an account. 
  • On your account dashboard, click “List your property” under the “Type of Property Tab.” Follow the steps to add your listings and listing details. Submit your account and listing for review. 
  • Once approved, add other details to your listing, like the availability, calendar and prices, or adjust your listing as required. You can then make your listing go live on the platform.  

Sites Like Booking.com

Booking.com vs. airbnb.

air-bnb logo

AirBnb Summary

  • Over 150 million users worldwide
  • Earn an average of $924 per month
  • Rent out your property whenever you want
  • Quick turnaround time for payouts

Airbnb’s monthly potential earnings are $924 compared to Booking.com, whose monthly potential earnings is $1500. Airbnb and Booking.com are legitimate and recommended platforms for renting items online. Both Sites are free to sign up and use.  

While Booking.com has 28+ million listings, Airbnb only has 5.6 million listings. Like Booking.com, Airbnb also has a liability coverage fee of $1 million. As for service fees, Airbnb has a service fee of 20% compared to Booking.com, which has a service fee of 10% to 25%. 

Booking.com vs. Neighbor

neighbor logo

Neighbor Summary

  • Earn up to $600 per month renting a garage
  • 48 hours to screen potential renters
  • Get 1 payment at the end of each month
  • $1 million free coverage for hosts

While Neighbor has 20 million active users on its platform, Booking.com has over 90 million users worldwide. Like Booking.com, Neighbor liability coverage fee is $1 million. 

As for earning potential, Booking.com’s monthly potential earnings are $1500 compared to Neighbor, whose monthly earnings range from $50 to $600. With Neighbor, you are assured of getting paid per month even if your rental doesn’t pay compared to Booking.com, which only pays you commissions if guests book and pay for your property. 

Booking.com vs. FriendWithA

friendwitha logo

FriendWithA Summary

  • Outstanding 24/7 customer service
  • $10,000 damage protection insurance
  • Relatively low fees of 10% per rental
  • Earn up to $1000 per month from rentals

Unlike Booking.com, FriendWithA has a referral program that lets you earn $20 for every friend you invite to use the platform. While Booking.com’s liability charge is $1 million, FriendWithA’s liability charge is $100,000. Booking.com and FriendWithA are legitimate platforms that allow you to rent anything online and earn extra cash. 

Regarding service fees, FriendWithA includes a service fee of 10% on items compared to Booking.com service, which is 10% to 25%. Booking.com is best for renting properties, while FriendWithA’s main focus is renting items online. 

Booking.com vs. Expedia

Expedia is primarily available in North America compared to Booking.com, which is available worldwide. Like Booking.com, Expedia is free to sign up and use. Both platforms can be accessed on desktop, mobile browser, or mobile app on both android and iOS devices.  

While Expedia heavily relies on merchant bookings, Booking.com makes most of its sales from agency bookings. Like Booking.com, Expedia also charges a service of 10% to 25%. Both platforms pay you via PayPal and direct bank deposits 

Booking.com vs. TripAdvisor

TripAdvisor and Booking.com are safe and reliable online sites that allow you to make extra cash renting your stuff. Both platforms are free to sign up and get started. Like Booking.com, TripAdvisor is also available worldwide. 

While Booking.com’s service fee is 10% to 25%, TripAdvisor’s service fee is 15%. TripAdvisor charges owners a 3% booking fee for listing their homes for rentals on the site compared to Booking.com, which offers free listings. TripAdvisor has a comparison feature, TripConnect, that allows price comparison while Booking.com does not. 

Booking.com FAQ s

What is booking.com.

What is Booking com

Booking.com strives to make it easy for travelers to find the best workplaces, accommodation, hotels, and Villas at affordable prices. Currently, the company has made over 28 million listings, and the site is available in over 43 different languages. 

The company has been successful in connecting property owners to travelers worldwide. Additionally, it has also successfully provided property owners with the necessary automation to successfully offer accommodation and maximize their earnings.

Is Booking.com reliable and safe?

Booking.com is a reliable travel agency that has been around for a long time.

Can you be scammed on Booking.com?

As an intermediary entity that connects millions of guests with property owners, there are chances you can be conned. For instance, Booking.com has admitted to having compensated its customers; because of being ripped off by criminals. 

Are Booking.com reviews real?

The platform maintains that all its reviews are honest and reflect what clients think about them. 

How long does it take to pay owners?

Booking.com processes your payments one day after the checking-in date, but funds might take up to 7 working to reflect on your account. 

Does Booking.com charge cancellation fees?

Booking.com does not charge guests for canceling their bookings. 

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Booking.com has a rating of 1.37 stars from 4,133 reviews, indicating that most customers are generally dissatisfied with their purchases. Reviewers complaining about Booking.com most frequently mention customer service, credit card, and free cancellation problems. Booking.com ranks 465th among Hotels sites.

  • Service 1728
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  • Quality 1358

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Positive highlights.

  • Who was the most amazing, caring, real person I have ever dealt with ever in customer service .

Critical highlights

  • My last resort was to contact my credit card fraud department to challenge the charge.
  • Worst part is I was also charged $154 cleaning fee for cleaning the apartment even though they put me in a hotel room .

“Simply Brilliant!”

Just returned home from a couple of days stay in Bridlington at Albion Cottages This place is Amazing close to all amenities quiet clean tidy you have everything in your cottage that you need and more my wife and I absolutely love it here we wouldn't stay anywhere else parking is great outside your room and Louise the owner is awesome really lovely can't do enough for you hopefully be back soon Thank You Louise x Tony &Louise x

“Not helpful in dispute”

We were charged twice for a 4 night stay. We also only stayed 1 night because the hotel room was infested with bed bugs and cockroaches. We were bitten at least 100 times. We informed Booking and sent them pictures of the bites, the roaches and the double charges on my Visa. They kept saying they were not receiving our emails and basically refused to help us. We ended up paying for 8 nights, stayed 1 and were in a horrible room. They did nothing. Expedia would have been far more helpful.

Reviews (4,133)

Reviews that mention popular keywords

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  • Follow Marie-eve B.

Over years I rented 2 hotels and 1 car in different countries. All providers charged unannounced extra fees. Last time, for the car rental Booking.com told me to not worry, they understood the issue and the car rental shouldn't have charged these fees, to complete my rental has planned and to fill out a claim when back home. I did it and not only they rejected my claim while I provided the same information I provided before but when I have tried to escalate it, they hanged off on me every attempt. We are talking here $429 extra for a $890 car rental. For hotel I was charged 13% extra at the front desk because it was a Booking.com reservation. Both hotel in Canada and in Costa Rica were below standard one with cockroach and limited bedding, no soap, no towels, etc, the other one in Canada with angry owners and post-it literally everywhere in the bedroom to dictate what to do or not. I'll never ever use Booking.com again. I really enjoyed using other apps such as Expedia, TripAdvisor and Viator and would recommend using these ones instead.

Products used: Car and hotel rental

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  • Follow Scott J.

This company should not be in business! There main purpose is to screw people! I had a car rental through them and due to flight delays and flight detours due to lack of fuel I didn't arrive at Orlando as expected totally out of my control now they refuse to return my money, that's BS. I will never use them again and recommend that you don't use them either unless you have money to throw away.

Tip for consumers: Your company is horrible! Will never use again and will definitely recommend that my family and friends not use them!

Products used: Flight and car rental

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  • Follow Aj N.

They didn't have to return my non-refundable purchases because I booked on the wrong date, but they did. I appreciate them for taking on the hotel company and issuing me the refund. Although it took a couple of weeks, they came through for me, and I will be using them again for my future booking needs!

Tip for consumers: Pay attention to the dates!

  • Comments (2)

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  • Follow Steven V.

Booking.com host hotel that provide false advertising, no toilet paper, & bedbugs. They would not provide refunds after spending with for years without complaint. Use another third party service NOT Booking.com.

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  • Follow Jason B.

I booked with them months ago and had to reschedule due to COVID. They are completely uncooperative and will not provide a contact number. The number they have goes to a dept that can't help. It's all don't call us, we'll call you, but they email saying they called and there's no missed calls, so no idea what they're talking about. Complete bull$#*!, avoid them at all costs.

Tip for consumers: Don't use booking.com!

Products used: None yet, still trying.

Booking.com product 0

  • Follow Abhinav M.

We booked a "VAN" at RIO airport through Booking.com and infomred them that we are 4 pessengers with 6-7 suitcases. However we were provided with a SUV (which already had a gas cyclinder in the trunk) and could barely fit 2 suitcases. Their rep name "Branda" ran away after taking us to the car and never picked up our calls or replied our messages after that. Horrible experience in a new country. We ere left standing at the airport with 2 kids with all our luggage. Never using booking.com again.

Booking.com product 1

  • Follow Shazia J.

Very beautiful place. Staff was very friendly.Great food with a lot of variety. Clean rooms. Absolutely loved it! Will definitely go back.

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Q&A (146)

Hi i would like to make the payment at the hotel only after my stay there. why does bookings.com ask for payment details upfront hi i would like to make the payment at the hotel only after my stay there. why does bookings.com ask for payment details upfront.

In my case they took my payment information and paid the hotel where I was going to be staying. Only to find out that the hotel was out of business and I had to prove that it was charged to my account. They did not find me a replacement hotel to stay in for the same price. Nor did they care that I was left without a place to stay. So beware before you purchase.

Our hotel was cancelled by booking.com but we have not had a refund (£450). they are making us jump through hoops by asking for credit card and bank statements for the last 6 months to prove we have not been refunded. i think the hotel has gone out of business. does anyone know what our rights are? Our hotel was cancelled by booking.com but we have not had a refund (£450). they are making us jump through hoops by asking for credit card and bank statements for the last 6 months to prove we have not been refunded. i think the hotel has gone out of business. does anyone know what our rights are?

Don't waste time with booking.com. They have horrible customer service and will make every attempt to cheat you. Simply report the problem to your credit card company to get your refund.

Hi. i booked a hotel room through booking.com. i just read the reviews and now i am worried. should i be worried? Hi. i booked a hotel room through booking.com. i just read the reviews and now i am worried. should i be worried?

Run. Run away. This company and the company used to insure their bookings are scams.

Hi there i want to know do you give valid customers who book with you all the time. i have just booked 4 hotels and am looking to book another 2 but can your site not give me any sort of discount for using only booking. com Hi there i want to know do you give valid customers who book with you all the time. i have just booked 4 hotels and am looking to book another 2 but can your site not give me any sort of discount for using only booking. com

I don't know why you're even using this site Stephanie. Their after sales is disgusting! Recommend travel Republic. Great prices and options

When i book a hotel on booking.com and pay by credit card, do i have to pay again when i check in? When i book a hotel on booking.com and pay by credit card, do i have to pay again when i check in?

You pay a non refundable price on line. When you check into your hotel, it's billed to your Bookings.com reservation plus incidentals (local calls, parking fees, resort fees, dining, bar fees, Europe charges local or city tax, spa fees...) the hotel will ask for a card as a hold for these fees. Use bookings.com, find the hotel you wish to stay in (get all info and contact them directly via website and price match) the Marriott in Rome had a room for $80.00 less on the Marriott website than these, so called MONEY SAVING SITES.

How can i organize flights too How can i organize flights too

Trevago is hooked into Booking.com don't make a mistake and let trevago send you to booking.com go to Hotel.com which is more professional. I had to go to American Express customer serviced to complain and they gave a dead line for explanation. They had no explanation for crappy service and had to repay me.

When will my reservation be charged? When will my reservation be charged?

It depends on the hotel some don't charge until you arrive at hotel more will charge your card straight away check your booking it should tell you there

Hi we have had to cacel a break booked with yourselves do we get a refund thanks Hi we have had to cacel a break booked with yourselves do we get a refund thanks

It is about time to stop giving credit card details to make a booking, they should not ask people to expose their details un-crypted. A booking is just a booking it should NOT require any kind of commitment or payment in advance.

How can i remove review in my hotel website How can i remove review in my hotel website

You can't. That's the whole idea. You provide a service, and your customers get to give their review of your place and your services.

What does it mean if the hotel does not offer "pay later". will i be charged right away if i book? What does it mean if the hotel does not offer "pay later". will i be charged right away if i book?

Yes. You pay the ENTIRE AMOUNT at the time if booking. The reservation is subject to the sites terms regarding cancellations & changes, so read these terms carefully before hitting the pay button. IMPORTANT: As a word to the wise, do not ever use your debit card, check, wire transfer, certified check or cash to pay. Always use a major credit card (I like American Express) so if there is ever a serious problem with the hotel, or the reservation in general, you can file a complaint with your credit card company to reverse the charge. If you pay by other debit card, they take the money out of your bank account immediately. It is like cash and you're going to have very little recourse or leverage to get your money back. Hope this advise helps.

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Booking.com provides online bookings of hotels, resorts, hostels, and other travel accommodations around the world. The site attempts to separate itself from rival reservation sites by offering deals and its own hotel reviews. Booking.com is a subsidiary of Priceline.com, a publicly traded company (Nasdaq: PCLN).

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Booking.com

Booking.com Reviews

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About Booking.com

ConsumerAffairs has collected 4,890 reviews and 3,771 ratings.

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  • 4,391,674 reviews on ConsumerAffairs are verified.
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Reviewed Feb. 13, 2024

I booked a flight in order to get my mother-in-law out west to say goodbye to her daughter (my wife) who was dying of cancer. Three canceled flights later (by the airline) and we gave up on her making it in time and canceled the flight for a refund. Now I need the ticket money to pay for a funeral and Booking.com and the airline are bouncing me back and forth between them and I'm still out of pocket $809.91.

Reviewed Feb. 8, 2024

I will never use Booking again. Canceled my flight and requested a refund. Provided proof that the airline refunded the purchase to Booking but they said they would have to do an investigation. 3 months and several attempts later I still have not been refunded and every customer service rep I speak with is rude (talking over me) and will never let you speak with a manager. Stay away!!

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Reviewed Feb. 4, 2024

I recently purchased two tickets to LAX from Toronto, with the additional fee for the flex ticket option. On the web page it said you can change your ticket up to 24 hrs. Before, with no fees other than the difference in fares plus tax. The cost of this flex ticket feature was about 124.00 CDN. My base fare was about 280 per person for the ticket plus fees and taxes.

Recently my spouse's father passed away in Acores and my spouse was unable to go to funeral and decided that she was in mourning and would not be able to attend with me on the flight to LA in March. Ok I thought I was covered, So I used the chat line and the operator told me I had to pay 100.00 fare change fee, but when looking up the new fare it was the same on their site. I asked the agent why and response came this is what the system says and pay it or lose your ticket. I then tried again the next day and now it was 200.00.

Today I called in and spoke to a rep and it was 200, but after asking for a manager it changed to 150. I asked to speak to a senior person, but the manager Hussein told me he was the top manager. I then called Air Canada and it turns out the actual fare difference is substantially lower and Air Canada was not able to help. The other thing I noticed was that the website prices for these flights on Booking.com were fixed at 200 over, (505) or so where at the other sites were at the normal prices at an average of 300-370 for the flights. The flex ticket option from Booking.com is a Scam, they bump the prices when you want to change and take advantage of the consumer by adding money to change fee to rip you off!!

Reviewed Jan. 31, 2024

We booked a hotel in Italy that had false pictures on Booking.com. And bed bugs. There was even a guy in our room they refused to move. So we ended up leaving a few hours after we arrived. Asked for our money back and the hotel owner refused. We have been trying to get refunded since May 2023. Numerous hours on the phone and no resolution. We keep being told to call the property, which we have, and they won’t respond. Booking.com supposedly called the property and they didn’t respond to them either and booking.com could care less. Even emailed Glenn Fogel, their CEO, and guess what? No response either. Don’t use this service they could care less about the customer! Working with local TV station to air experience if anyone wants to join in.

booking com host reviews

I accidently booked a flight after their app changed by dates. I paid extra for the ability to change the flight and called less than 1/2 hour after booking to cancel or change flights. Was NOT able to cancel of change after calling. "Customer Support will get back to you within the next 24-48 hours." Have not had ANY contact from the company and have called 5 times now trying to change the flight and not able to make changes. They "false advertised" the ability to change flights after charging me a fee. They have broken their own policy of refunding for mistakes made as long as they are contacted within 24 hours. And deceptive tactics of passing off to "Customer Support" and then never being contacting to make any change or refund. This should be prosecuted.

Do not use Booking.com. First their business entity has moved to the Netherlands where you can not get any recourse when they mishandle your booking. I was approved by the hotel I booked a reservation from. I received an email. I spoke to the hotel personally and they shared with me that they personally told booking.com that the refund was approved and they tell me this lie about needing written confirmation from the hotel. The hotel stated that this was not true. It has been since October and they will not provide my refund. Now that they no longer have offices in the US, there is no recourse for any type of disputes. Do not use booking.com.

Trying to book a hotel reservation and just prior to authorizing the price was $900 more than was quoted and they were charging my card instead of just reserving the hotel (Santa Monica Comfort Inn), so I got off the site and intended to call them. Then got a text my card had been charged anyway! I immediately called and they refunded $800 of the $3100 they charged my card! They said they would contact the partner hotel to have the cancellation fee “waived”, mind you I did not authorize this, did not realize I was prepaying instead of reserving and this call is about 15 minutes after this nightmare began! Later was notified the hotel refused to refund my money! Have NEVER experienced anything like this.

Reviewed Jan. 30, 2024

If you make a reservation with Booking.com for a ride to an AIRPORT, you will be sorry. Their system makes sure that you will NOT be able to identify the driver’s car, and the driver will not be able to identify your characteristics as a passenger. I went back and forth with 5 emails and discovered this. If I had known this, I would never have made the reservation. I ended up with a pounding headache on my way to the airport.

I made the reservation for 10am. I called the driver at 9.30am to confirm. He promised to be there at 9.45am. There was no sign of him. When I called him again at 9.45am, he again told me he’d be there in 10-15 minutes. The driver eventually arrived at 10.20am for the 10am airport ride. Instead of apologizing for lying about his arrival time twice, and for being 20 minutes late, the driver told me that I did not answer his messages! I terminated the conversation. As I stepped out of the car at the airport, with my head pounding, the driver offered a pitiful “Sorry!” Use booking.com,…if it doesn’t matter what time you arrive,…if you want the driver to lie to you twice about his arrival time,…if you want to be 20 minutes late, and…if you want to get a headache!

Reviewed Jan. 28, 2024

Below is emails of my dissatisfaction. I was double-charged and neither company will take action in the refund process, even after all the investigation of the documents requested that I had provided. Don't do business with either PRICELINE or BOOKING or any other associated sister company. As I had mentioned to the customer rep, yesterday after being on call for OVER 2hours just yesterday's time in trying to get the issue resolved. Both BOOKING and PRICELINE have bounced me back and forth with their own given EXCUSES. I am HIGHLY DISPLEASED with the resolution of and customer care I have received. I will NO LONGER be doing business with either company or any companies associated for as being the customer I should be serviced better than 2 months of MY EFFORTS and still.

This is the email correspondence from Booking. I am forwarding this correspondence that I have had as of recently, this isn't including the countless correspondence within the last 2months. Which confirms that a refund was granted however I wasn't accessed to it because my reservation was made through Priceline but processed through Booking. How is it my fault that the two companies have bounced my reservation back and forth and now can't decide how or who provides the refund. I even made a Booking account so that the refund could be added to "my rewards wallet" still no success. I am fed up with the lack of customer service provided.

The customer service received was All poor service because neither company is taking accountability for the poor service and the double charge! Attached is an image of the received email. Now someone indulge me on how this unclickable link, actually the repetitive symbols, is suppose to get me a refund. Thank you for not being of any assistance and being a great waste of time. I am ending that waste of my time now because obviously, the customer service deserved your companies can't provide so I will be taking my business elsewhere!

After all of the lack of accountability between the two sister companies for the double charge, I should get a FULL REFUND no questions asked that might've made up for the hassles I've had to endure these two months but obviously, your companies don't want to step for your mistakes and want to take money that ISN'T rightfully yours.

booking com host reviews

Reviewed Jan. 25, 2024

If I could only give them stars in negative. Don't ever book from this website. No refunds, abrupt cancellations and 4th party customer service. It's a big scam. Never purchase from here. They say the flight ticket is non refundable but the airlines has already issued a refund to the company. How is that possible? If you are desperate to book from this website, I would suggest don't do it. It's better not to go with this company than paying extra and booking through Expedia. I would never recommend anyone to go through them. there is a reason why this company has 1.1 star here. If you still feel that those are not genuine reviews, see for yourself.

Booking.com author review by ConsumerAffairs Research Team

Booking.com is an Amsterdam-based company founded in 1996. Unlike most travel companies, it focuses exclusively on helping travelers reserve rooms.

Free cancellations: Booking.com offers free cancellation services for most rooms.

Daily deals: New deals are added to the website every day.

Verified reviews: Booking.com has over 81 million reviews written by travelers who have used the website to make room reservations.

Apartment rentals: Booking.com can reserve short-term apartment rentals as well as rooms at hotels and resorts.

Hostels: Travelers can use the site to find hostels in their destination cities.

booking com host reviews

The ConsumerAffairs Research Team believes everyone deserves to make smart decisions. We aim to provide readers with the most up-to-date information available about today's consumer products and services.

Booking.com Company Information

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AFAR

Airbnb Scams: How to Avoid Them and Find Legit Rentals

I n an ideal world, going on vacation would be as seamless as scoring a cheap flight, arriving with no delays, and checking into a hotel or vacation rental with Instagram-worthy views and an unlumpy mattress. But as frequent travelers know, that's not always the reality. Sometimes weather, technical issues , or political unrest disrupts travel plans. Other times, you can fall victim to an elaborate scam. There are innocuous ones like fake TripAdvisor reviews convincing you to eat at a subpar restaurant, and others are as nefarious as hacking into your frequent flier account and stealing your miles. One of the worst, though, is showing up to check into a vacation rental only to realize that it doesn't actually exist, leaving you with no place to stay and potentially out hundreds-or even thousands-of dollars.

In October 2019, Allie Conti, a former staff writer at Vice, detailed her experience on Vice.com about how she stumbled into an Airbnb scam that left her able to recoup just $399 of the $1,221 she spent on a listing that she didn't even end up seeing in person. Minutes before she was set to check into an apartment in Chicago, her host called and told her there were plumbing issues at the original listing but that he could move her into another property that he managed. After agreeing to the switch, she realized the new place was more of a "flophouse than someone's home" and left to check into a hotel. That same month, CNN reported that a British couple spent nearly $12,000 for a two-week vacation in Ibiza at an Airbnb that didn't exist-someone had merely cobbled together images from a condo complex's website and uploaded the listing to the site.

Following these two events, Airbnb cofounder and CEO Brian Chesky unveiled a brand-new Rebooking and Refund Policy and the rollout of a new verification system for hosts and homes in November 2019. Chesky called it "the most significant steps in designing trust on our platform since our original design in 2008" in an all-staff email released to the press and a post on Twitter (now X).

A company post on the same platform stated, "The trust of our community continues to be a top priority for us. We're taking steps in designing trust on our platform, including the Airbnb Guest Guarantee, a 24/7 neighbor hotline & working towards 100% verification of all homes by 12/15/20."

In 2022, the company extended the verification requirement to all users who host or book on the site-asking for a photo ID, legal name and address, and in some cases an additional selfie. As the webpage explains, "We take steps to help everyone to feel confident that guests and Hosts on Airbnb are genuine. This is why we have procedures in place to attempt to verify the identity of our users."

While Airbnb doesn't publicly share the exact percentage of fraudulent listings on its site, it says that fraudulent issues "are incredibly rare" among the millions of people who check into an Airbnb every night. Vrbo, which is part of the Expedia Group that also owns HomeAway, says that it is able to keep fraud on its site "closer to zero than 1 percent of all bookings" by using both technology and human review systems to detect fraudulent listings on its site.

Nevertheless, here are tips for making sure the vacation rental you're booking is legitimate (plus more information about what Airbnb's guest guarantee system entails).

Book a pre-vetted home

The vetting and verification process for most rental homes online is fairly minimal, putting the burden on travelers to report fraudulent listings to the companies. But in light of the issues uncovered in 2019, Airbnb announced that it would verify all 7 million listings on its platform by December 15, 2020. According to a statement released to the press on November 6, 2019, each home and host was to be verified by Airbnb for "accuracy of the listing (including accuracy of photos, addresses, and listing details) and quality standards (including cleanliness, safety, and basic home amenities)."

However, instead of relying on on-site inspections by Airbnb itself, this verification process is "essentially a combination of the company and the community. So we're going to use technology, we are going to use guests, we're going to basically get a competent score," Chesky said while speaking at the New York Times' DealBook conference in November 2019.

Currently, you can see if the host's identity has been verified by Airbnb on their user profile page. However, it is unclear from a listing's page whether or not it's been officially verified by Airbnb. Airbnb did not immediately respond to a request to confirm if all listings had been verified by the December 2020 deadline it set for itself.

To book a home that has gone through an in-person vetting and verification process, look to premium services Airbnb Plus and Airbnb Luxe , or outside company Onefinestay , the collection of high-end rental homes operated by Accor Hotels. Before homes can be marked as an Airbnb Plus or Luxe, or listed in Onefinestay's exclusive City Collection or Villa Collection, the properties are vetted in person by representatives from each company for factors including quality and comfort. In fact, only 1 in 10 homes makes the cut, Onefinestay told AFAR. While you won't necessarily find many affordable deals in these collections, you can book with confidence, knowing that the listing is not only legitimate but also guaranteed for cleanliness.

Check the host's profile

Airbnb verifies users (both hosts and guests) through several factors, including government IDs, email addresses, and phone numbers. Always check the host's profile to make sure they've uploaded these things-you can find it on the left side of their profile page. Airbnb admits on its website that "completing this process isn't an endorsement of any host or guest, a guarantee of someone's identity, or an assurance that interacting with them will be safe." However, it's likely scammers won't leave a trail behind them with their real names and IDs on Airbnb, so it's a positive if they've completed this process.

Another good sign is if someone has a Superhost badge on Airbnb-that means that they've maintained consistently high ratings (4.8+ out of 5) from their guests, completed at least 10 stays in the past year, have a cancellation rate of less than 1 percent, and have a 90 percent response rate to new messages within 24 hours. Vrbo and HomeAway have a similar system for reliable hosts called " Premium Partner ."

In 2023, Airbnb introduced another way for guests to get to know more about their hosts: the Host Passport. This feature (shown on Airbnb Rooms listings for which travelers would be sharing a home with the resident) offers a more extensive bio to help potential guests get a better idea of whether they'll be compatible with hosts during their stays. In addition to basic information like what decade they were born in, if they have pets, and what languages they speak, the Host Passport also includes fun details like their favorite song in high school and what they'd call their biography if they had one.

Read the reviews

It's best to pick a listing with all positive reviews from its previous guests to make sure it's accurately portrayed online. If a property has no reviews or several damning ones, it's best to stay away. In addition to reading the reviews, you should also make sure the Airbnb you're considering fits the following criteria before booking it to make sure it's a quality listing:

  • Operated by a Superhost
  • An overall rating of 4.90 or higher
  • A perfect 5.0 cleanliness score

Thankfully, we've done the work for you in some our favorite destinations. All of the Airbnbs in the following roundups on AFAR pass muster for the previous criteria at the time of publishing:

  • 23 Cozy Airbnb Cabins Where You Can Escape From the World
  • 14 Airbnbs You'll Want to Book Just for the Pool
  • 11 Best Airbnbs for Stargazing Come With Glass Roofs, Telescopes, and More
  • 8 Airbnbs in Sedona to Book for a Desert Getaway

Make sure the listing isn't too good to be true

Five-bedroom penthouse in New York City for $100 a night? That's probably not real. To see how a listing's price compares to those around it, scroll through the results (or move around the map) to see if the price is similar to the listings in the same neighborhood during the same time period.

If you're still not sure, do a reverse Google image search to verify that the listing's photos don't show up on a stock image site-a surefire sign that the property isn't real. To do that, go to images.google.com and click the camera icon to the right of the search field to upload the photo in question (you can also drag images directly from your desktop into the search bar). If it matches any other images on the internet, it'll show you the site from which the photo was probably stolen.

Do not contact the host outside of the vacation rental site before booking

You should always contact the host before booking to ask any pertinent questions and vet their personality. (For example, will they be cool with you bringing your kids or do they sound uptight?) But only communicate through the company's secure messaging tool in its app or website. After booking, it's also best to keep your communication in the app to coordinate check-in and stay in touch during your trip if anything comes up.

Never share your email address or phone number with them before your booking is accepted. If the listing mentions emailing or calling the host directly to book, this is a red flag. One scam involves fraudulent hosts sending over links to other "listings" they manage on sites that look like Airbnb but aren't (more on that below). If you keep your communications within Airbnb's site or app, Airbnb blocks all outside links to prevent this from happening.

Make sure you're actually on airbnb.com (or vrbo.com, or such)

Before you book anything, look closely at the URL you're on. There are several scam sites out there that look like the real thing, but they're not. Before booking, make sure you're actually on https://www.airbnb.com or a country-specific URL like https://es.airbnb.com or https://it.airbnb.com if you're accessing the site abroad.

"If you click a link that takes you to a page that looks like Airbnb but doesn't start with this address, it's a fraudulent page and you should close it," Airbnb's website says . (The site also has a list of legitimate email domains from which you might receive emails.)

You can also download the Airbnb app and use it to book directly to prevent this from happening.

Never pay in cash or via Venmo

Only book with a credit card or debit card through the rental company's website. If a host asks you to pay outside of the Airbnb or Vrbo website or app through cash, a wire, a bank transfer, or Venmo, it is likely a scam.

"With few exceptions, the full cost of your reservation is collected by Airbnb. If you paid for any part of your reservation outside Airbnb, it may be fraudulent," Airbnb says . "These fees must be detailed in the listing description and included in the price breakdown prior to booking, and are usually charged before the stay, at check-in, or within 48 hours of checkout." Those rare exceptions may include security deposits, resort fees, incidentals like parking fees, and local occupancy tax.

Vrbo also stresses that the most secure way to book a vacation rental is by paying directly through its website.

"Paying directly through the Vrbo website ensures you are protected against fraudulent behavior," Melanie Fish, Vrbo's travel expert, told AFAR.

If your host asks you to pay off the site or through another company, report it directly to the company. On Airbnb, there is a small "flag" on each message sent through Airbnb.com between hosts and guests for reporting suspicious messages. You can call or message Vrbo directly through help.vrbo.com .

Know your rights

On the off chance that you end up being scammed on a vacation rental site, here's what you should know.

Travelers who pay through Vrbo and HomeAway are protected under its Book with Confidence Guarantee. If you book through those sites, you receive customer service 24/7 to help with:

  • Payment protection in the event of fraud
  • Property access if the host is unresponsive or MIA
  • Rebooking assistance to find another vacation rental should the booking be wrongfully canceled at the last minute by an owner or manager or if it was materially misrepresented
  • Security deposit protection to help recover a wrongfully withheld deposit
  • Additional customer service to answer any issues or questions regarding the stay

Airbnb's Guest Refund Policy , which was introduced on December 15, 2019, covers travel issues, including:

  • Bookings canceled shortly before the scheduled start of the reservation
  • A host failing to provide access to enter the accommodation
  • A listing that is materially inaccurate with regards to the size of the accommodation, its location, special amenities like pools, and whether the booking is for an entire home, private room or shared room, and whether another party, including the host, is staying there during the booking
  • An accommodation that is not reasonably clean, contains safety or health hazards, or contains vermin or pets not disclosed in the listing

If you report any of these issues, Airbnb, at its discretion, will either reimburse the amount you paid through its platform, or help you find and book accommodations comparable to or better than your original booking for any unused nights left in your stay.

This article was originally published in 2019; it was most recently updated in 2023, with current information.

Lyndsey Matthews is the senior commerce editor at AFAR who covers travel gear, packing advice, and points and loyalty.

If a vacation house listing sounds too good to be true, it could be. Do a reverse Google image search to make sure the photos aren't from a stock site-like this image.

  • Español (AR)
  • Português do Brasil
  • Bahasa Indonesia
  • Where can I see my guest reviews?

The Extranet’s Guest Reviews tab helps you understand what guests liked about their stays and what they thought could be improved.

Under this tab, you’ll find all reviews from the last 36 months, as well as your average review score and ratings for extras like breakfast and WiFi.

The tab is divided into three sections:

Guest reviews

Average review score

  • Additional rating

This section shows all your reviews from the last 36 months, with the newest at the top. For each review, you can see the total review score, as well as how the guest rated individual categories such as location and cleanliness. It also includes the guest’s name, reservation number, and comments if they left any.

If the guest left an anonymous review, we don’t include their name, reservation number, or date of submission.

If a guest has left a comment, you can reply to their review by clicking the Reply button. Your replies will appear on your property page, underneath the guest’s comments. You can find more info about replying to reviews here .

Reviews won’t show up if the guest didn’t stay at your property or the review is from more than 36 months ago. First they disappear from the Guest Reviews tab, then from your property page 48 hours later.

This section shows your score for each of the six main categories (staff, facilities, cleanliness, comfort, location, and value), as well as your overall average score.

Seeing each category should give you a clear picture of where your property is doing well and where you could make improvements.

Your overall average score is calculated within 48 hours of a new guest review or within 48 hours of a review being removed.

Additional ratings

In this section, you can see how guests reviewed other factors like breakfast or WiFi. These ratings don’t contribute to your average score. However, they may appear independently on your Booking.com page.

This section shows you all your reviews from the last 36 months, with the newest at the top. For each review, you can see the total review score, as well as how the guest rated individual categories such as location and cleanliness. It also includes the guest’s name, reservation number and comments, if they left any.

If the guest left an anonymous review, we don’t include their name, reservation number or date of submission.

If a guest has left a comment, you can reply to their review by clicking the  Reply  button. Your replies will appear on your property page, underneath the guest’s comments. You can find more information about replying to reviews here.

If a review is over 36 months old it disappears from your Guest Reviews   tab first, and from your property page 48 hours later. There is no option to save or download the archived reviews.

This section shows your score for each of the six main categories (staff, facilities, cleanliness, comfort, location and value for money), as well as your overall average score.

Seeing each category should help you get a clear picture of where your property is doing well, and where you could make improvements.

Your overall average score is calculated within 48 hours of a new guest review, or within 48 hours of a review being removed.

In this section, you can see how guests reviewed other factors like breakfast or WiFi. These ratings do not specifically contribute to your average score. However, they may show up independently on your Booking.com page.

What other partners are reading

Can a guest review be removed?

Can anonymous reviews be removed?

How are my Guest review scores calculated?

How to respond to reviews?

Is this article helpful?

Guest reviews.

  • Guest review process and conditions

Responding to guest reviews

Guest review removal.

  • Everything you need to know about Guest Review Scores
  • Guest Insights FAQ
  • Understanding the value for money score
  • Improving your Guest Review Score
  • Traveller Review Awards 2024: FAQs

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Responding to negative guest reviews

Booking.com Reviews Policy | How to Remove Reviews on Booking.com

Booking.com Reviews Policy | How to Remove Reviews on Booking.com

Whether when buying a house, or a car, or planning the next vacation, online reviews play an increasingly important role in the final decision-making process. According to Statista , two in every five European customers consider star ratings to be an important criterion when reserving hotel rooms, whereas around one in every three do not.

According to recent news via Phocuswire , travel reviews have a powerful influence on consumer booking behavior,

“With the growth of the vacation rental sector, it's little surprise that consumers continue to turn to reviews to help them make what is an emotional decision and one that takes up a significant percentage of people's income.”

As per information derived from Booking.com research team results, 53% of travelers have decided not to book accommodation after reading negative reviews about the host. 75% of travelers consider reviews from others to be important in finding welcoming hosts before booking.

An equally important piece of information gathered is that guests rate the staff higher than other factors such as value, location, and cleanliness when choosing where to stay. So paying attention to how the staff treats guests on arrival and during their stay is becoming a crucial factor.

As hosts and property managers the key takeaway on this is that your Booking.com listing may be successful or unsuccessful based on reviews, as they are a widely trusted source of information.

While they might be a lifesaver by bringing to the forefront stellar attributes of your property that you may have forgotten when creating your listing's profile, they can also damage your listing if they are blatantly honest or unreasonably critical.

Booking.com Reviews: What Hosts need to know

Maintaining a constant stream of bookings entails having solid reviews accessible for new guests to refer to. Guest reviews reveal the honest opinions of guests who stay at your property. This is why it is so important for the property owner/host to keep track of the reviews posted by previous guests.

How Guest Reviews work on Booking.com

A score between 1 and 10 is assigned to each review. To calculate the overall score, booking.com adds up all the review scores and divides that total by the number of reviews received.

The Guest Reviews Tab

A host can access guest reviews from within the extranet of Booking.com. The ‘ Guest Reviews ’ tab in your extranet gives you insight into what your guests liked and what could be improved.

Using this tab, you can see all your reviews over the last 36 months, as well as your average review score and ratings for services provided by you at your property during a guest stay.

The tab is divided into three sections:

  • Guest reviews
  • Average review score
  • Additional rating

1. Guest Reviews

The latest reviews appear at the top of this section along with your reviews from the last 36 months.

There is a total review score as well as a breakdown of how the guest rated specific categories such as location and cleanliness for each review. Additionally, it includes the guest's name, reservation number, and any comments they made.

Booking.com does not publish a guest's name, reservation number, or date of submission if they left an anonymous review.

You can reply to a guest's review by clicking the 'Reply' button. Your replies will appear beneath the guest's comments on your property page.

Note that reviews from guests who haven't stayed at your property or reviews that are older than 36 months will not appear.

2. Average Review Score

Individual aspects and provisions of your property can also be rated separately by guests. The subscores and overall scores are submitted independently by guests - therefore they are not linked directly.

The average review score section shows your score for each of the six main categories,

  • Services and facilities
  • Hygiene conditions
  • Value for money

Additionally, you will receive an overall average score. This will help you understand where your property is doing well and where improvements can be made.

Within 48 hours of a new guest review, or within 48 hours of a review being removed, your overall average score is calculated.

3. Additional Ratings

This section displays how guests rated other factors such as Wi-Fi, Breakfast, Amenities provided, etc. There is no direct impact on the average score from the ratings in this section. They may, however, appear independently on your Booking.com account page.

How to Access the Guest Review Scores on Booking.com

The "Analytics" page has a component - which is "Guest review scores" , which combines your ratings and comments from different guests to provide you with an overview of your property's performance.

Your evaluations are also monitored over time, so you can see how your property performs over time.

What is the protocol for guests to post reviews on Booking.com?

Only guests who have used Booking.com to make a reservation and/or who have stayed at your property may submit reviews on Booking.com.

Therefore, you should always inform Booking.com of a guest's cancellation by designating the reservation as a no-show.

How can a Host reply to reviews on Booking.com?

To add a reply to a guest review:

Go to the Extranet's Guest Reviews tab. Click Reply and then Send when you’re ready.

  • Reviews can only be responded to with comments.
  • The reply must be in English or the same language as the review. Responses provided in a different language won't be displayed online or translated.
  • Your response will be reviewed by the booking.com team before it's published online.

How can a Host Remove Reviews on Booking.com?

Making the most of reviews requires understanding how they work, who can leave them, and when they can be removed.

What you primarily need to acknowledge is that guest reviews are personal opinions expressed by guests after staying at a property and what their experience at your property was like.

Conditions for Review Removal on Booking.com

Booking.com will remove both the review and the score in the following circumstances to ensure the relevance and impartiality of reviews.

  • The guest canceled a reservation and confirmed they were not able to make it to the property
  • The reservation isn’t canceled last minute (24 hours prior)
  • The review does not describe the guest's experience
  • Due to an invalid credit card, the Host canceled the booking.
  • Upon reviewing the guest's review, Booking.com determines that the property was incorrectly reviewed.
  • Booking.com determines the review is intended to blackmail the host – in such instances written evidence is needed to remove a review for this reason.

If a guest checked in at your property but decided to leave before their planned check-out date – and then left a review – Booking.com will not remove these reviews as long as it’s relevant to the guest’s experience at the property and to the reason why they decided not to stay.

Booking.com Guest Reviews Policy

All reviews, positive and negative, will be published. However, reviews will not be displayed if it includes or mention,

  • Politically sensitive comments
  • Content intended for promotion
  • Illegal activities
  • Sensitive or personal information (e.g. email addresses, credit card numbers, etc.)
  • Using profane, sexually explicit, hateful, discriminatory, or violent words or phrases.
  • Fake content and spam
  • Animal cruelty
  • Inauthenticity (i.e. falsification of identity)
  • Violations of Booking.com review guidelines.

As part of Booking.com's effort to ensure reviews are relevant, they accept only reviews that are submitted within 3 months of checking out. Once reviews are 36 months old, Booking.com automatically removes them from the property page.

In addition, Booking.com removes any reviews when an accommodation's ownership changes.

Fake Reviews

To detect fake reviews on Booking.com have specialized teams and automated systems in place. The data is deleted, and whoever is responsible for it may be taken to task if necessary.

As a host, whenever you notice something suspicious, you should report it to Booking.com Customer Service so that the fraud team can investigate it.

How to Request the Removal of a Guest Review

Message the booking.com team via the extranet by following these steps:

  • Log in to the extranet
  • Click on Inbox
  • Click on Booking.com messages
  • Click on See contact options
  • Select Guest Reviews as the topic
  • Click on See all contact options
  • Choose your preferred contact method
  • If you chose Message, indicate your booking number and explain your issue

How to Respond to Negative Reviews on Booking.com

Guests on Booking.com heavily rely on reviews as well as location and price when making decisions. In a survey conducted by Booking.com , they found guests prefer reviews from other travelers over those from reporters, travel bloggers, and even family and friends.

Negative feedback from guests may become uncomfortable to hear or see, but responding to it can be a great learning experience. The information you derive from a negative review may assist you in creating a better guest experience in the future.

When determining whether or not to reply to a bad review, a good rule of thumb is to respond to reviews that focus on details over which you have control. Here are a few pointers on how to address negative reviews,

1. Respond as quickly as possible

Whenever possible, respond to negative reviews as soon as possible. It was a negative review because the guest wanted you to know that their stay on your property was unpleasant. Consider a customer-focused approach to resolving the issue.

2. Thank the Guest

Thank them for bringing this issue to your attention and demonstrating that you take their feedback seriously

3. Acknowledge Your Guest’s Feedback

Don't discount your guests' feedback, even if you are skeptical. In your response, make sure you address their specific concerns and maintain a positive attitude. Refrain from being argumentative as you may come across as defensive to outside observers if you approach this issue as if it were a dispute.

4. Apologise if needed

Your apology should be sincere and empathetic, not deflecting criticism, but accepting responsibility for the unpleasant experience your guest had to face.

As a general rule, sincere apologies start with "I'm sorry" and then describe what happened. Remember to take them at their word and respect what they have said.

Example of an Apology to your Guest,

*“ We understand you had a disappointing stay at our property during your stay on (DATE) due to the (Describe the experience ). Providing a superior level of service to our guests is one of the things we take pride in at (property name). Thank you for informing us of the negative experience that disrupted your stay. We sincerely apologize for the inconvenience.” *

5. Indicate you are taking action toward the complaint

If you are taking steps to alleviate the problem, explain how you are doing so. At the very least, inform them how you are reviewing their complaint to ensure that future guests do not have the same experience. Keeping your words with action is, however, most important. It is important to show that you sincerely care about upgrading your property and making your guest's stay pleasant at all times.

6. Invite them back!

Let the guest know you'd like them to return on a later date and that you're open to hearing from them. Maintain a positive attitude and if you like you could offer them a discount on a future stay.

Ready to find out how Hostaway can transform your business?

Launched in 2015, Hostaway has helped thousands of vacation rental property managers regain their focus on growing their business. Hostaway takes pride in aligning itself with the needs of the fast evolving landscape and always provide reliable technology and great support. Sign up today!

Don't get stuck in a broken routine with poor software, manage your properties with Hostaway and experience a better business and life right away!

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Booking.com just revealed its 2024 Traveller Review Awards recipients—here's what made the list

Here's your guide for booking your next getaway.

booking com host reviews

Updated February 20, 2024

Recommendations are independently chosen by Reviewed's editors. Purchases made through the links below may earn us and our publishing partners a commission.

Booking.com's Chief Marketing Officer Arjan Dijk highlighted the important role travel partners play in providing memorable experiences for its customers. “The Traveller Review Awards are our way of thanking and publicly acknowledging the top-notch service our partners provide to travelers and the critical role they play in our mission of making it easier for everyone to experience the world," he said.

Winners of the best places to travel in 2024

  • 2nd place: Spain came in second with just over 125,000 awards.
  • 3rd place: France was not far behind at over 124,000 rewards.
  • 4th place: Germany took the fourth spot with nearly 87,000 rewards.
  • 5th place: United Kingdom came in fifth with nearly 75,000 awards.
  • 6th place: The United States claimed the eighth spot with just over 56,000 awards.

The awards also highlighted the Most Welcoming Places on Earth, which were categorized by cities and regions. Arraial d'Ajuda, Brazil came out on top as the world's most welcoming city, while Perthshire, United Kingdom was recognized as the most welcoming region in the world.

Winners of the best types of accommodation in 2024

The 2024 Traveller Review Award recipients also proved that apartments and vacation homes reign supreme for accommodation.

  • 1st place: Apartments were the most-award accommodation type for the seventh year in a row with over 710,000 awards.
  • 2nd place: For the second year in a row, holiday homes beat out hotels for the number two spot with nearly 214,000 awards.
  • 3rd place: Hotels received just shy of 180,000.
  • 4th place: Guest houses came in fourth with nearly 85,000 awards.
  • 5th place: B&Bs in fifth place with over 71,000 rewards.

Villas were also popular this year and they saw the greatest increase in recipients year over year at 23 percent, followed by holiday homes at 20 percent, and campsites at 14 percent.

Winners of the best transportation providers in 2024

Booking.com also acknowledged its ground transportation partners for the fifth year in a row for their continued service and hospitality in helping travelers explore new destinations and transporting them to and from their accommodations. This year, 449 car rental partners across 26 countries were rewarded.

  • 1st place: Spain topped the list with the most recipients at 84 awards.
  • 2nd place: Italy came in second with 74 awards.
  • 3rd place: Portugal took the third spot with 47 awards.
  • 4th place: Greece not far behind at 42 awards.
  • 5th place: United States rounded out the top five with 28 awards to transportation providers.

Taxi partners received a total of 129 awards with Italy in first place with 17 awards.

Whether you're planning the ultimate summer getaway or you're still deciding on last-minute plans for spring break, Booking.com's Traveller Review Awards recipients are a great guide to deciding on your next holiday destination.

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Most-Watched Super Bowl 2024 Ads: Tina Fey, Bradley Cooper, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Mr. T and Scientology Land in YouTube’s Top 10

By Todd Spangler

Todd Spangler

NY Digital Editor

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Tin Fey Super Bowl 2024 ad Booking.com

At the 2024 Super Bowl , Taylor Swift , Beyoncé and Usher soaked up the limelight as the Kansas City Chiefs became back-to-back champions with their overtime defeat of the San Francisco 49ers.

And of course, the Super Bowl was again a venue for dozens of advertisers — who spent up to $7 million for a 30-second spot in CBS’s telecast — to try to break through on the noisiest night on TV. Many marketers used the time-tested tactic of deploying star-studded commercials, a phenomenon described by one ad exec as “a celebrity arms race.”

Star power fueled other top-ranked Super Bowl ads on YouTube’s list, including the return of Bradley Cooper and his mom for T-Mobile , auditioning the likes of Laura Dern, Common and Jennifer Hudson for the wireless carrier’s loyalty program; Arnold Schwarzenegger having trouble delivering State Farm’s “Like a Good Neighbor” tagline in his thick Austrian accent; Aubrey Plaza and Nick Offerman reuniting to pitch Mountain Dew ; and Mr. T dressing down Tony Romo for saying there’s no “T” in Skechers and pitying the fool who doesn’t wear them.

Among movie trailers in the Super Bowl broadcast, 20th Century Studios’ “Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes” and Universal’s “Twisters,” starring Glen Powell and Daisy Edgar-Jones , landed in YouTube’s top 10.

A surprise on YouTube’s most-watched Super Bowl spots ranking was “Decide for Yourself,” from the controversial Church of Scientology. The 60-second Scientology commercial aired only regionally (not in the national CBS telecast) but apparently still prompted widespread interest.

Meanwhile, views per hour on the officially YouTube channel of Usher — who performed the halftime show at Las Vegas’ Allegiant Stadium — peaked at more than seven times higher on Feb. 11 compared with the Sunday prior (Feb. 4), according to the platform.

Super Bowl 2024: Top Ads by Gameday Views on YouTube (Global)

  • Booking.com : Tina Fey books whoever she wants to be
  • T-Mobile : Auditions – 2024 Big Game Day Commercial
  • State Farm : Like A Good Neighbaaa – feat. Arnold Schwarzenegger
  • Snap : Snapchat – Less social media. More Snapchat.
  • Google : Javier in Frame – Google Pixel Super Bowl Commercial 2024
  • Mountain Dew : MTN DEW – Aubrey Plaza Having a Blast Super Bowl Ad
  • 20th Century Studios : Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes – Official Trailer
  • Universal Pictures : Twisters – Official Trailer
  • Scientology : Decide for Yourself
  • Skechers : Skechers ’24 Big Game Spot: Mr. T in Skechers

SEE ALSO: Super Bowl Ad Review: Celebrity Commercials Tried for Fun, but Many Stuck With Formula

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Create a form in Word that users can complete or print

In Word, you can create a form that others can fill out and save or print.  To do this, you will start with baseline content in a document, potentially via a form template.  Then you can add content controls for elements such as check boxes, text boxes, date pickers, and drop-down lists. Optionally, these content controls can be linked to database information.  Following are the recommended action steps in sequence.  

Show the Developer tab

In Word, be sure you have the Developer tab displayed in the ribbon.  (See how here:  Show the developer tab .)

Open a template or a blank document on which to base the form

You can start with a template or just start from scratch with a blank document.

Start with a form template

Go to File > New .

In the  Search for online templates  field, type  Forms or the kind of form you want. Then press Enter .

In the displayed results, right-click any item, then select  Create. 

Start with a blank document 

Select Blank document .

Add content to the form

Go to the  Developer  tab Controls section where you can choose controls to add to your document or form. Hover over any icon therein to see what control type it represents. The various control types are described below. You can set properties on a control once it has been inserted.

To delete a content control, right-click it, then select Remove content control  in the pop-up menu. 

Note:  You can print a form that was created via content controls. However, the boxes around the content controls will not print.

Insert a text control

The rich text content control enables users to format text (e.g., bold, italic) and type multiple paragraphs. To limit these capabilities, use the plain text content control . 

Click or tap where you want to insert the control.

Rich text control button

To learn about setting specific properties on these controls, see Set or change properties for content controls .

Insert a picture control

A picture control is most often used for templates, but you can also add a picture control to a form.

Picture control button

Insert a building block control

Use a building block control  when you want users to choose a specific block of text. These are helpful when you need to add different boilerplate text depending on the document's specific purpose. You can create rich text content controls for each version of the boilerplate text, and then use a building block control as the container for the rich text content controls.

building block gallery control

Select Developer and content controls for the building block.

Developer tab showing content controls

Insert a combo box or a drop-down list

In a combo box, users can select from a list of choices that you provide or they can type in their own information. In a drop-down list, users can only select from the list of choices.

combo box button

Select the content control, and then select Properties .

To create a list of choices, select Add under Drop-Down List Properties .

Type a choice in Display Name , such as Yes , No , or Maybe .

Repeat this step until all of the choices are in the drop-down list.

Fill in any other properties that you want.

Note:  If you select the Contents cannot be edited check box, users won’t be able to click a choice.

Insert a date picker

Click or tap where you want to insert the date picker control.

Date picker button

Insert a check box

Click or tap where you want to insert the check box control.

Check box button

Use the legacy form controls

Legacy form controls are for compatibility with older versions of Word and consist of legacy form and Active X controls.

Click or tap where you want to insert a legacy control.

Legacy control button

Select the Legacy Form control or Active X Control that you want to include.

Set or change properties for content controls

Each content control has properties that you can set or change. For example, the Date Picker control offers options for the format you want to use to display the date.

Select the content control that you want to change.

Go to Developer > Properties .

Controls Properties  button

Change the properties that you want.

Add protection to a form

If you want to limit how much others can edit or format a form, use the Restrict Editing command:

Open the form that you want to lock or protect.

Select Developer > Restrict Editing .

Restrict editing button

After selecting restrictions, select Yes, Start Enforcing Protection .

Restrict editing panel

Advanced Tip:

If you want to protect only parts of the document, separate the document into sections and only protect the sections you want.

To do this, choose Select Sections in the Restrict Editing panel. For more info on sections, see Insert a section break .

Sections selector on Resrict sections panel

If the developer tab isn't displayed in the ribbon, see Show the Developer tab .

Open a template or use a blank document

To create a form in Word that others can fill out, start with a template or document and add content controls. Content controls include things like check boxes, text boxes, and drop-down lists. If you’re familiar with databases, these content controls can even be linked to data.

Go to File > New from Template .

New from template option

In Search, type form .

Double-click the template you want to use.

Select File > Save As , and pick a location to save the form.

In Save As , type a file name and then select Save .

Start with a blank document

Go to File > New Document .

New document option

Go to File > Save As .

Go to Developer , and then choose the controls that you want to add to the document or form. To remove a content control, select the control and press Delete. You can set Options on controls once inserted. From Options, you can add entry and exit macros to run when users interact with the controls, as well as list items for combo boxes, .

Adding content controls to your form

In the document, click or tap where you want to add a content control.

On Developer , select Text Box , Check Box , or Combo Box .

Developer tab with content controls

To set specific properties for the control, select Options , and set .

Repeat steps 1 through 3 for each control that you want to add.

Set options

Options let you set common settings, as well as control specific settings. Select a control and then select Options to set up or make changes.

Set common properties.

Select Macro to Run on lets you choose a recorded or custom macro to run on Entry or Exit from the field.

Bookmark Set a unique name or bookmark for each control.

Calculate on exit This forces Word to run or refresh any calculations, such as total price when the user exits the field.

Add Help Text Give hints or instructions for each field.

OK Saves settings and exits the panel.

Cancel Forgets changes and exits the panel.

Set specific properties for a Text box

Type Select form Regular text, Number, Date, Current Date, Current Time, or Calculation.

Default text sets optional instructional text that's displayed in the text box before the user types in the field. Set Text box enabled to allow the user to enter text into the field.

Maximum length sets the length of text that a user can enter. The default is Unlimited .

Text format can set whether text automatically formats to Uppercase , Lowercase , First capital, or Title case .

Text box enabled Lets the user enter text into a field. If there is default text, user text replaces it.

Set specific properties for a Check box .

Default Value Choose between Not checked or checked as default.

Checkbox size Set a size Exactly or Auto to change size as needed.

Check box enabled Lets the user check or clear the text box.

Set specific properties for a Combo box

Drop-down item Type in strings for the list box items. Press + or Enter to add an item to the list.

Items in drop-down list Shows your current list. Select an item and use the up or down arrows to change the order, Press - to remove a selected item.

Drop-down enabled Lets the user open the combo box and make selections.

Protect the form

Go to Developer > Protect Form .

Protect form button on the Developer tab

Note:  To unprotect the form and continue editing, select Protect Form again.

Save and close the form.

Test the form (optional)

If you want, you can test the form before you distribute it.

Protect the form.

Reopen the form, fill it out as the user would, and then save a copy.

Creating fillable forms isn’t available in Word for the web.

You can create the form with the desktop version of Word with the instructions in Create a fillable form .

When you save the document and reopen it in Word for the web, you’ll see the changes you made.

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IMAGES

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  1. Beware of Booking.com as host

    I want to share my terrible experience and warn other hosts from using Booking.com for renting your property. I host people through Airbnb in multiple listings for quite some time already and because of low demand in Winter I decided to try also Booking.com as a host to fill up the properties a bit.

  2. Booking.com Review: Everything You Need to Know in 2024

    At a Glance 1 Booking.com Photo: booking.com SEE IT Our Verdict: Booking.com claims to offer a complete suite of travel research and service reservations, and with a few minor exceptions,...

  3. The Ultimate Host Guide to Listing on Booking.com (2022)

    The Ultimate Booking.com Host Guide. In today's market, the online travel agency (OTA) industry is booming: according to a recent survey by Travel Daily News International, more than half of all millenials prefer to book via an OTA than through other means.Given this popularity, property owners who seek ways to make a little more income or turn a second home into a money-maker can choose ...

  4. Booking.com vs. Airbnb for Hosts (2024)

    Trustpilot: 4.4/5 average - Excellent rating¹ No minimum balance required and no monthly fees Over 300k+ businesses customers use Wise globally each quarter Table of Contents Airbnb vs. Booking.com: Key Differences Key Takeaways Which is more popular? Types of guests on both platforms How do you interact with guests on both platforms?

  5. Booking.com Pros and Cons for Hosts

    Pros of using Booking.com for hosts There are many advantages of listing on Booking.com, so it's no wonder that more and more hosts and property owners use this platform. Global reach. Booking.com operates in more than 220 countries, and its website and app are available in 43 languages.

  6. Booking.com vs Airbnb: Which Is Better For Hosts? [2024]

    Let's review these two listing sites, and see which one best suits your needs. Can You List on Both Booking.com and Airbnb? Yes, you can list your vacation rental property on both Booking.com and Airbnb. This strategy has its advantages and challenges. On the upside, it broadens your reach, potentially leading to more bookings.

  7. Booking.com vs. Airbnb for Hosts—Which Is Better?

    1. Airbnb vs Booking.com guests 2. Creating your account and listings 3. Airbnb vs. Booking.com commissions and fees 4. Payment system and host payouts 5. Instant booking 6. Cancelation policy 7. Airbnb and Booking.com ranking algorithms 8. Support and problem resolution Booking.com vs Airbnb: Which should you list on?

  8. The ultimate beginners guide to hosting on Booking.com

    Nov 22, 2017 -- Why you should be considering Booking.com, key differences to Airbnb and how to avoid common pitfalls. As an active member on short-term rental forums I've seen Booking.com...

  9. Booking.com vs. Airbnb for Hosts: Which Site is Best?

    December 20, 2023 · All posts, Recent Posts, Vacation Rental Tips Booking.com versus Airbnb is a well-known debate in the vacation rental industry, and many hosts wonder which site is more worth their time and effort. Get to grips with the pros and cons of Booking.com and Airbnb to help you decide which platform suits your business strategy.

  10. Booking.com reviews: Complete hotel guide

    All-in-one software like Little Hotelier offers a hotel booking engine as part of the platform. This enables you to take online bookings directly on your website and be in control of your guest's experience from beginning to end. You can also use our hotel booking engine to: Optimise room rates for maximum revenue.

  11. The Complete Guide to Hosting on Booking.com

    Insights Published: 16th June 2023 By: Richard The Complete Guide to Hosting on Booking.com As someone running a business in the property rental game, you know that there are many platforms where you can list your properties. Airbnb is known for being easy to use and is especially popular with first-time hosts.

  12. Guide to Hosting on Booking.com

    Booking.com Fees. You can add your property to Booking.com for free, and then you pay a commission for each booking. You'll see the commission percentage at the Agreement step of the registration process. The commission percentage varies in different countries and can range between 10% and 25%.

  13. Airbnb vs Booking.Com for Guests & Hosts: The Pros and Cons

    2. Lower hosting fees on Airbnb. The pricing model on Airbnb favours hosts while on Booking.com it favours guests. This means if you list the same property on both websites, you will typically pay less as a guest if you book on Booking.com which means the host ends up paying more.

  14. Booking.com Reviews: How to Get Good Reviews

    Booking.com offers hosts the opportunity to track these ratings in one consolidated space within the extranet. If you click on the "Analytics" tab, you will find a subsection entitled "Guest review scores," which synthesizes your scores and comments across renters so that you can get a snapshot of your property's performance.

  15. Booking.com Reviews

    2 Followed by a trip When guests stay at the property, they check out how quiet the room is, how friendly the staff is, and more. 3 And finally, a review After their trip, guests tell us about their stay. We check for naughty words and verify the authenticity of all guest reviews before adding them to our site. Top Countries United Arab Emirates

  16. Booking com Review 2024: Pros, Cons, Alternatives, and More

    Booking.com is a reliable and effective marketing listing platform for your property. It has a 4.6 rating on Google Play Store, 4.8 rating on App Store, 4.9 rating on Uptodown, and a 3.2 rating on ConsumerAffairs . Most property owners liked the platform's low commission rates.

  17. 4,133 Reviews of Booking.com

    Booking.com has a rating of 1.37 stars from 4,122 reviews, indicating that most customers are generally dissatisfied with their purchases. Reviewers complaining about Booking.com most frequently mention customer service, credit card, and free cancellation problems. Booking.com ranks 466th among Hotels sites. Service 1722. Value 1571. Shipping 652.

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    Average review score: 9.5. Nice clean and cosy. Bed very comfortable, lovely shower all round great place. Reviewed: 12 February 2024 Stayed in February 2024. Robert United Kingdom. From £85. Leonardo Royal Hotel Oxford - Formerly Jurys Inn. Oxford , United Kingdom. Average review score: 8.3.

  19. How guest reviews work

    Each review score is between 1 and 10. To get the overall score, we add up all the review scores and divide that total by the number of review scores we received. Guests can also give separate subscores in crucial areas, such as location, cleanliness, staff, comfort, facilities, value, and free WiFi.

  20. Top 4,890 Booking.com Reviews: Read Before You Buy

    Reviewed Feb. 4, 2024. I recently purchased two tickets to LAX from Toronto, with the additional fee for the flex ticket option. On the web page it said you can change your ticket up to 24 hrs ...

  21. Airbnb Scams: How to Avoid Them and Find Legit Rentals

    Check the host's profile. Airbnb verifies users (both hosts and guests) through several factors, including government IDs, email addresses, and phone numbers.

  22. Where can I see my guest reviews?

    Average review score Additional ratings This section shows you all your reviews from the last 36 months, with the newest at the top. For each review, you can see the total review score, as well as how the guest rated individual categories such as location and cleanliness.

  23. How to Remove Reviews on Booking.com

    1. Guest Reviews The latest reviews appear at the top of this section along with your reviews from the last 36 months. There is a total review score as well as a breakdown of how the guest rated specific categories such as location and cleanliness for each review.

  24. Thoughts or advice about Booking.com : r/airbnb_hosts

    Their system does not allow the host to leave reviews of the guests so you are totally at the mercy of the guest. They force you to have as many bookings as possible whatever the price. One guest wanted to check out really late but I could not allow it as I had other guests coming in. He left me a horrific review like 1/10 in everything.

  25. Booking.com: Find out the 2024 Traveller Review Awards recipients

    Booking.com recently revealed the winners of its 12th annual Traveller Review Awards, with a whopping 1.48 million travel partners receiving an award this year.The list is comprised of 1.4 million accommodations, 449 car rental companies, and 129 taxi providers across 221 countries and territories that were recognized for their ongoing hospitality.

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    As tracked by YouTube, the No. 1 most-watched spot on Super Bowl Sunday was Tina Fey's turn for Booking.com, in which the "Saturday Night Live" alum hires "body doubles" to imagine ...

  27. Create a form in Word that users can complete or print

    Show the Developer tab. If the developer tab isn't displayed in the ribbon, see Show the Developer tab.. Open a template or use a blank document. To create a form in Word that others can fill out, start with a template or document and add content controls.

  28. Casa Nzambi on Instagram: "National Geographic selects DMV event

    3 likes, 1 comments - casanzambi on February 20, 2024: "National Geographic selects DMV event hosting venue, Casa Nzambi, as a location for one of its up ...