What you actually pay
Booking.com's base commission is around 15% of the booking value in most European markets. Visibility programmes such as Genius and Preferred Partner, plus payment fees, push the real figure towards 17 to 22% for many hotels. Airbnb has moved most hosts to a single host-only fee of about 15.5%, with independent hosts in the EU in the final wave of that change this October.
On a single stay that feels small. Over a year it rarely is. Take a B&B with eight rooms at €120 a night and 65% occupancy, with 70% of nights booked through platforms at 17% commission:
| Nights sold in a year | about 1,900 |
| Nights booked through platforms | about 1,330 |
| Commission paid | about €27,100 |
You can try your own numbers in our commission calculator.
Why guests book on the platform even after seeing your website
Many guests find you on Booking.com and then look you up. If they don't book on your website, it's usually for one of four reasons:
- They can't book. No live availability, no clear prices, or a form that feels like it might never be answered.
- They don't trust it. An old design, no reviews, no secure-looking checkout.
- They can't read it. Your website speaks one language; the platform speaks theirs.
- There's no reason to. Same price, fewer guarantees, more effort.
Seven ways to move bookings to your own website
1. Put booking on the first screen
Dates, guests and a Book button, visible without scrolling, on a phone. If guests have to look for it, they won't.
2. Show real availability and prices
Connect your website to the booking engine or channel manager you already use. When rates on your site are live and correct, guests stop treating it as a brochure.
3. Speak their language
Translate the pages that matter, properly, and let Google list each language separately. A guest searching in German should land on a German page.
4. Give a reason to book direct
Perks often work better than discounts: breakfast included, a late check-out, a bottle of local wine, free cancellation for longer. Since 2024, EU rules (the Digital Markets Act) stop Booking.com from forbidding lower prices on your own website, but check your contracts before you change rates.
5. Answer questions instantly
Many lost bookings are just unanswered questions. Parking? Late arrival? Dogs? WhatsApp, a clear FAQ or an AI concierge that answers at 3 a.m. all keep the guest on your website.
6. Win the second stay
Every guest who arrives through a platform is a guest you can welcome back directly. After the stay, thank them, ask every guest for a review, and remind them they can book with you next time.
7. Make Google point to you
Your Google Business Profile should link to your own website and booking page, with recent photos and answered reviews. It's often the first thing a guest sees when they search your name.
What not to do
- Don't leave the platforms. They bring guests who've never heard of you.
- Don't promise a lower price you can't hold, or hide fees until the last step.
- Don't offer rewards for reviews or ask only happy guests. It's against Google's rules and EU consumer law, and guests notice.
A realistic goal
You don't need to move every booking. Moving one in four platform bookings to your own website would keep roughly €6,800 a year in the example above. That's the difference a website that's easy to book can make.
Questions owners ask
Can I offer a lower price on my own website than on Booking.com?
In the EU, since 2024, Booking.com can no longer forbid it under the Digital Markets Act. Check your contract and any local rules before you change rates, and remember that perks such as breakfast or flexible cancellation often work as well as a lower price.
How much is Booking.com commission in 2026?
Typically around 15% of the booking value in most European markets, and often 17 to 22% once programmes such as Genius or Preferred Partner and payment fees are included.