Rev Up: Why Booking.com Belongs in Your Channel Mix (Now)

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Rev Up: Why Booking.com Belongs in Your Channel Mix (Now)

2d ago 25:37

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Airbnb-only is a risk. In this episode, we break down why Booking.com has become a must-have revenue channel for professional STR operators—and how to set it up so discounts work for you (not against you). We cover ratings (1–10 vs Airbnb’s binary), merchant payments, Genius/mobile promos, rate plans, markups, and how to keep owners calm when parity isn’t perfect.

What you’ll learn

Why Booking.com’s 1–10 rating system cushions revenue impact from the occasional meh review
How the merchant model solves the old chargeback headache
The Genius program: why hitting 3 reviews fast matters and how to unlock the badge-driven conversion lift
Mobile-only rates, preferred program, and visible promos that act like hotel-grade conversion boosters
The truth about price parity (and why a 15–25% Booking.com markup is a sane default)
Onboarding playbook: the first 30–60 days to momentum without nuking your other channels
Listing optimization: how to use the Property Page Score to hit 100% and earn visibility

Quick hits / Takeaways

Airbnb’s binary review culture can tank a listing with a few 4⭐ reviews; BDC’s 1–10 keeps you alive and converting.
Use Genius + 10% mobile early to win visibility; once unlocked, apply a markup so discounts don’t undercut your floor.
Expect imperfect parity—that’s normal on BDC. The game is markup + visible, conversion-driving discounts.
Get to three reviews fast (follow up with guests; incentives ok) → unlock Genius → watch conversion rise.
Treat BDC like a hotel channel: rate plans, visible offers, and merchandising matter more than on Airbnb.

Links & resources

👉 Free Revenue Report (for $1M+ STR portfolios): https://www.freewyldfoundry.com/get-started
VRMA Las Vegas — catch our 90-minute Pricing Power workshop & come say hi at booth #1118

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