The Best Alternative Sales Channels to Airbnb

Looking for an alternative to Airbnb? Would you like to diversify your sales channels, increase your occupancy rate, and benefit from your property being seen by thousands of ready-to-book guests? We have compiled a complete list for you full of alternatives to Airbnb.

VRBO & Homeaway

If you’re looking for an Airbnb alternative the first place to look is their largest and most direct competitor. VRBO has been in the vacation rental industry for a very long time and typically attracts an older demographic. Back in the day, conventional vacation rentals were a cottage on the lake, or a cabin in the mountains, so it has a longstanding history as the go-to platform for booking cabin-like vacation rentals.

Expedia

Expedia is one of the largest online travel agencies (OTAs) in the world. As a leader in the travel industry it is a must-have when thinking about broadening your visibility beyond Airbnb. Expedia has strict requirements when it comes to connecting with their platform so it can be difficult to find a channel manager that has a strong integration with them.

Booking.com

If you’re looking to book a vacation it is very likely that you have used booking.com at some point during your search for the perfect accommodation. As a platform most notably used to book hotel accommodations, it is now becoming more accepted as an excellent option as an alternative to Airbnb.

Homestay

This sales channel brings back what made Airbnb unique and popular has lost in recent years. Homestay focuses entirely on the in person hosting experience. If you choose to list on Homestay you’ll need to be present for your guests to stay and give an authentic, unique, and personal experience. This channel does not fit the model of vacant vacation rentals or furnished apartments which has taken over the Airbnb marketplace.

TripAdvisor & FlipKey

TripAdvisor is one of the largest online travel communities and a great alternative sales channel to Airbnb. Listing on TripAdvisor also means you’ll be listed on it’s vacation rental specific site, FlipKey. FlipKey and by extension TripAdvisor have 300,000 properties listed on their website.

HouseStay

HouseStay unlike other vacation rental websites is more tailored to temporary stays of 30 days or more. They focus on providing furnished accommodations to individuals and businesses. This is a great sales channel to target medium term stays especially during slow seasons in your market in turbulent times in the travel market such as during the pandemic.

FindRentals

FindRentals has a different strategy than its competitors. It focuses on growing your own direct bookings by pushing leads directly to you. FindRentals unlike most other OTAs doesn’t take a commission on bookings but rather has a fixed monthly fee to list on their website. FindRentals is best suited for property managers with multiple properties.

Book Direct

By setting up a direct booking website you have complete control over the booking process. If you have not built a direct booking website as an alternative to Airbnb bookings then add it to your to-do list. Guests love booking directly since they save OTA fees and know their money is going directly to the homeowner. It's important to remember that once you have built your direct booking website you need to allocate some time and money to marketing your website to attract guests.