For many apartments and guesthouses in Bosnia and Herzegovina and across the region, Booking.com and Airbnb are the main source of guests. That’s fine — the platforms bring guests from all over the world. The problem starts when a guest coming for the third time, or one who found you on Google, books through a platform and you pay commission on a guest you already had.
Short answer
Booking.com’s base commission is usually around 15% of the booking value, and visibility programmes and online payments can push it higher. In 2025 Airbnb moved most hosts to a 15.5% host-only fee. Direct bookings come from a website with a calendar, a Google Business Profile and a good relationship with guests who have stayed with you before.
What commission costs you
| Platform | Typical fee | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Booking.com | around 15% base | Programmes such as Preferred Partner and Genius discounts, plus payments via Booking.com, raise the real cost |
| Airbnb | 15.5% (host-only fee) | The standard for most hosts since late 2025; the old split fee with guests is being phased out |
Example: an apartment with 200 nights a year at 50 EUR earns 10,000 EUR. At 15% commission that’s 1,500 EUR a year. If just a quarter of those bookings move to direct, you save around 375 EUR every year — more than the yearly cost of a simple website with domain and hosting.
What a booking website needs
- Photos and a description of every unit, with real floor areas, beds and amenities.
- An availability calendar synchronised with Booking.com and Airbnb.
- Seasonal prices and clear rules — minimum stay, cancellation, house rules.
- A booking or enquiry form that works on a phone in two or three steps.
- Location and arrival — map, parking, distance to the centre and sights.
- Several languages — at least English and the language of your most frequent guests, with correct hreflang tags.
- Fast loading — guests search for accommodation on their phones, often on roaming.
Calendar sync: iCal or a channel manager
For one to three apartments, iCal synchronisation is enough: the platforms and your website exchange booked dates via a calendar link. It isn’t instant — the delay can be up to a few hours — so properties with several units are better served by a channel manager, which updates availability and prices on all channels almost simultaneously.
How guests can find you directly
- A Google Business Profile with photos, reviews and a link to your website — the guide is here: how to appear on Google Maps.
- Google hotel search — through a connected channel manager or booking system, your property can appear with its price and a link to your website next to the platforms.
- Past guests — with their consent, send them an offer for next season with a benefit for booking direct.
- A card in the apartment with your website address and a code for a perk on the next stay.
- Social media linking to booking on your own website, not on the platform.
Payment and deposits
Many small properties work with an enquiry and a deposit by bank transfer. Card payment on the website reduces no-shows but requires a contract with a bank or payment provider — I describe the options and conditions in online shop in Bosnia and card payments.
Realistic expectations
You will keep using the platforms for new guests, especially international ones. A website starts paying off once guests already know you: they come back, recommend you to a friend or find you on Google Maps. Measure how many bookings come direct and from which source, and invest in what works.
Want a website that takes direct bookings?
I build a multilingual website with a calendar synchronised with Booking.com and Airbnb, optimised for mobile and Google search. Tell me about your property and the number of units.
Engimotive · Published October 28, 2026