Booking.com, Airbnb and LekkeSlaap are great at bringing guests to Hermanus. They are less great at letting you keep what those guests pay. A guesthouse website that works properly won’t replace them, but it can win back a good share of your bookings, especially from guests who already know you.
In short
Booking sites usually take around 15% of every stay. You can now offer a lower rate on your own website, so give guests a clear reason to book direct: a good website with live availability, honest photos and a better deal. Then make sure every guest who found you on a booking site knows where to find you next time.
What booking sites really cost you
Every booking that comes through a booking site costs you a commission. The rates differ by platform and by contract:
| Platform | What you pay |
|---|---|
| Airbnb | Most hosts now pay a single host fee of 15.5% of the booking (Airbnb help centre). |
| LekkeSlaap | 15% commission, or 18% if you opt in for better ranking (NightsBridge help). |
| Booking.com | Set in your contract and varies by country and property type. Programmes like Genius and Preferred Partner add to it (Booking.com partner help). |
On a R1 500 room for three nights, a 15% commission is R675 for a single booking. Across a busy whale season, that adds up quickly. Booking sites still earn their keep for first-time guests who have never heard of you. The aim is balance, not leaving them.
You are allowed to be cheaper on your own website
For years, Booking.com’s contracts stopped South African guesthouses from offering a lower price anywhere else. After a 2024 agreement with the Competition Commission, that rule fell away: hotels and guesthouses can now offer lower prices on their own websites. Check your own contracts, but for most guesthouses this is the single best reason to put real effort into a website.
A lower price isn’t the only reason to book direct. Small extras work just as well, and often cost you less than the commission you save: a free late checkout, a bottle of Hemel-en-Aarde wine on arrival, or a flexible cancellation policy.
What a guesthouse website needs
Guests compare you with the listing they saw on a booking site. Your website has to be at least as easy to use and give them more.
1. Photos that sell each room
Bright, honest photos of every room, the bathroom, the view and the breakfast. Guests book the room they can picture themselves in. Phone photos taken on an overcast day undo everything else on the page.
2. A page for every room
Bed layout, sleeps how many, what is included, the view, accessibility and the rate. The details guests otherwise ask about by email are the ones that make them book.
3. Live availability and a book-now button
An enquiry form is better than nothing, but many guests book late at night and want to be sure. A booking engine connected to your channel manager, such as the one you may already use for the booking sites, shows live availability, takes a deposit and prevents double bookings.
4. A clear reason to book direct
Say it near the top of every page: “Book direct for our best rate” or “Free late checkout when you book with us”. If guests can’t see a benefit, they go back to the site they trust.
5. The area, not just the rooms
Guests choose Hermanus for the whales, the cliff path, the beaches and the wine route, and then choose where to stay. A page on what to do nearby and when to visit helps them plan and helps you show up in their searches. Southern right whales are in Walker Bay roughly from June to December, so that page earns its keep every season.
6. Fast and easy on a phone
Most travellers browse on their phones. Your website should load quickly, show the book button without scrolling and make your phone number and WhatsApp one tap away.
7. Proof from past guests
Show a few of your best reviews and link to your Google reviews. Guests trust other guests more than they trust you, however good your copy is.
Running a guesthouse?
We build guesthouse websites with booking, WhatsApp and local SEO set up from the start.
Help travellers find you on Google
Many guests skip the booking sites and search Google Maps for “guesthouse Hermanus” instead. Your Google Business Profile is what they see first: keep your photos, rates, amenities and contact details current, and reply to every review. Our Google Business Profile guide and local SEO checklist cover the details. Before the summer rush, our December checklist helps you get your listing and website ready.
If your booking system connects to Google, your hotel listing on Google can also show your own website as a booking option next to the booking sites. Ask your booking system provider whether they support it.
Turn first-time guests into direct guests
The guest who found you on Booking.com this year can book you directly next year. Make it easy for them:
- Leave a card in every room with your website and a returning-guest offer.
- Ask for permission to stay in touch at checkout, and send a short email before the next whale season. Only email guests who said yes.
- Use your own email and website address on everything you send, so guests remember your name and not the platform’s.
Common questions
Should I stop using booking sites?
No. They bring you guests who would never have found you otherwise. Use them for discovery, and use your website to win repeat guests and people who already know your name.
Is an enquiry form enough, or do I need a booking engine?
An enquiry form works if you reply quickly, but a booking engine wins more late-night and last-minute bookings. If you already use a channel manager, it usually includes one you can add to your website.
What does a guesthouse website cost?
It depends on the number of rooms, the booking system and how much writing and photography you need. Our website cost guide sets out typical South African prices.