The Scenario: Prisoners of OTA Commissions
Pietro 2002, following their success in selling villas, manages a prestigious property in Madonna di Campiglio dedicated to weekly short-term rentals.
The strategy? The standard one: Booking.com, Airbnb, and the hope of standing out among hundreds of identical listings.
The problem:
- Devastating commissions: From 15% to 25% on every single booking.
- Zero control: Impossible to build a direct relationship with guests.
- Price war: The only lever to stand out is lowering rates.
- No customer ownership: Once the booking ends, the guest remains “theirs,” not yours.
On a property rented at €2,000 per week, OTA commissions mean giving away €300-500 for every single booking.
When we proposed generating direct bookings via Facebook Ads, the reaction was predictable: “For short-term rentals, people only search on Booking. It won’t work.”
We had already heard this speech with the villas. And they were wrong then, too.
The Strategy: Minimalist and Targeted Test
For this first test, we chose a surgical and low-risk approach.
1. Pure Conversion Landing Page
No poetry about the mountains or vague descriptions. A landing page built for a single action: driving the potential guest to contact directly via WhatsApp.
The elements:
- Complete photo tour of the property (every room, every detail).
- Precise technical characteristics (sqm, beds, amenities).
- Clear house rules (no surprises, maximum transparency).
- Direct Call-to-Action towards WhatsApp for availability and prices.
Zero frills. Zero friction. Maximum clarity.
2. Strategic Geographic Targeting
No complex segmentation or multiple audiences. For this first round, we made a precise choice:
Target: Ski enthusiasts in the owner’s city of origin.
The reason? Practical and intelligent. If guests come from the same area, meetings for key delivery or check-in become simple. No couriers, no key boxes, no logistical complications.
3. Direct Management on WhatsApp
Zero automation. Every contact arrives directly to the owner who personally manages the conversation, answers doubts, sets dates, and closes the booking.
Human relationship. No chatbots, no canned responses. Only real conversations with genuinely interested people.
The Results: Clean and Concrete Numbers
Advertising investment: €60 for the first month (€2 per day).
| Metric | Result |
| Daily Budget | €2 |
| Contacts Generated | 10 |
| Bookings Closed | 3 weeks |
| Conversion Rate | 30% |
| Revenue Generated | €6,000 |
| Cost per Contact | €6 |
| Cost per Booking | €20 |
The Comparison That Matters
With Booking.com (on €6,000 revenue):
- Commission 18% = €1,080
- Commission 25% = €1,500
- Client: property of Booking
- Control: zero
- Retargeting possibility: zero
With the Direct Response System:
- Advertising cost: €60 total
- Commissions: €0
- Client: yours, with direct contact
- Control: total
- Proprietary Database: 10 reusable contacts
Real savings: €1,020-1,440 on €6,000 of revenue.
ROI first month: 10,000% (you spent €60 to avoid €1,080-1,500 in commissions).
Client Testimonial
“After seeing the results obtained with the villas, we decided to try the same approach for our short-term rental in Madonna di Campiglio. I was skeptical: I thought portals were mandatory for tourism.
With 2 euros a day on Facebook, I started receiving WhatsApp messages from genuinely interested people. Not 100 generic requests like on Booking, but 10 targeted contacts from people in my area who skied and were looking for exactly what I offer.
I closed 3 out of 10. Three weeks booked, 6,000 euros in revenue, with 60 euros of advertising investment. Without giving a cent of commission to Booking or Airbnb.
The most important thing? Now I have the direct contacts of these guests. I can contact them again for the next season, make last-minute offers, build a relationship. With Booking, this would never have been possible.”
Giancarlo F. — Head of Hospitality, Pietro 2002
Why Did It Work? The 4 Principles of Success
1. Total Clarity, Zero Friction
Complete photo tour + clear rules = no surprises. People know exactly what to expect and contact only if truly interested. This filters out the curious and attracts qualified clients willing to spend €2,000 for a week.
2. Strategic Targeting, Not Random
Instead of shooting into the crowd hoping to intercept generic tourists, we chose a specific audience for concrete logistical reasons. This lowered costs and dramatically increased the quality of contacts.
3. Direct Human Relationship
WhatsApp + personal management = real conversations. No cold automation. When someone is about to spend €2,000, they want to talk to a real person. This increases trust and facilitates conversion.
4. Customer Ownership
Every contact goes into the proprietary database. Today there are 10 potential guests (of which 3 are already clients) who can be contacted for free to fill empty weeks, make early booking offers, and build loyalty. This is an asset that grows over time, not a recurring expense.
The Numbers That Really Count
Let’s do two practical calculations on a winter season:
Scenario A – Booking (10 weeks booked):
- Revenue: €20,000
- Commissions 18%: -€3,600
- Net: €16,400
- Client Database: 0
Scenario B – Direct Response (10 weeks booked):
- Revenue: €20,000
- Ad Cost (€60/month x 4 months): -€240
- Net: €19,760
- Client Database: 30-40 proprietary contacts
Difference: +€3,360 per season + asset of reusable contacts.
And this is considering only direct bookings. We are not counting:
- Repeat bookings in subsequent years (acquisition cost: €0).
- Word-of-mouth referrals from satisfied guests.
- The possibility of selling additional services (cleaning, groceries, local experiences).
Lessons for Those Managing High-End Short-Term Rentals
This test demonstrates three fundamental truths:
- You don’t need huge budgets: With €2 a day, you can test a proprietary acquisition system even for high-value weekly rentals.
- Quality beats quantity: 10 targeted contacts worth €2,000 are worth infinitely more than 100 generic requests for €50/night.
- The client is the asset: Not the single bookings, but the list of contacts you build determines future success and margins.
Do You Want to Stop Paying Commissions to Booking?
If you are giving away hundreds of euros for every booking to OTAs, or if you want to build an acquisition system that you control, we can help you.
At Keryx Design, we create direct response marketing systems that transform small advertising budgets into high-value direct bookings, without intermediaries devouring your margins.
We will analyze your specific case and show you how to replicate this system for your property.
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