What a booking really costs you
Commission on Booking.com, Agoda and Expedia varies by property and contract. Around 15 to 18% is typical, and some Sri Lankan hoteliers report paying more. On a three-night stay worth LKR 100,000, that’s LKR 15,000 to 18,000 gone before the guest arrives.
Moving even one booking in five from a booking site to direct can add up to hundreds of thousands of rupees a year for a small property.
Keep the booking sites, but use them wisely
Booking sites are how most foreign guests find you, and they work hard for that commission. The goal isn’t to leave them, but to make sure a guest who loved their stay books with you directly next time, and tells their friends to do the same.
- 1Found on a booking siteThe first stay comes through Booking.com or Agoda.
- 2A stay worth rememberingSmall touches guests talk about.
- 3A thank-you on WhatsAppWith your booking page and a reason to come back.
- 4The next stay is directNo commission, and the guest gets a better deal.
A booking page guests trust
Many small properties still take direct bookings by WhatsApp and bank slip. It works, but guests abroad hesitate, and it’s easy to double-book. A booking page on your own website should feel as easy as the booking sites:
Rates for your dates · 2 nights
- Real availability, so guests can see what’s free without messaging you.
- Prices with taxes shown up front, so there are no surprises at check-out.
- A deposit paid online by card, with bank transfer or LankaQR for local guests.
- An instant confirmation by email or WhatsApp, with your contact details.
- Photos as good as the ones on your booking-site listing, and it works well on a phone.
Get found where guests look
- Google. Set up your Google Business Profile with photos, and link your booking page from it. Google can also show your own website’s price next to the booking sites.
- Instagram and TikTok. Short videos of the view, the breakfast and the room do more than any advert. Put your booking page link in your profile.
- Reviews. Reply to every review, good and bad. Guests read the replies.
- Your own website. One clear “Book now” button on every page, linking straight to your booking page.
Turn every guest into a regular
The cheapest booking you’ll ever get is from someone who has already stayed with you. Ask at check-in whether you can keep in touch, then:
- Send a thank-you message after check-out with a link to book direct next time.
- Offer returning guests something the booking sites can’t, such as a free night’s breakfast or an upgrade when available.
- Remember birthdays, anniversaries and favourite rooms, and use them.
- Ask local guests to share your page with friends travelling to your area.
Never double-book
The more ways guests can book, the bigger the risk of selling the same room twice. A channel manager keeps your rooms and rates the same on every booking site and your own page. When a room is booked anywhere, it’s taken off everywhere else in seconds.
