Booking is the leading online travel agency in the market, and probably the most popular choice among travellers today. In terms of data, Booking has more than 26 million listings and more than 130,000 destinations in every corner of the globe. Looking at the figures for 2022, there is no doubt about the platform’s clear dominance over the market and its competitors. Therefore, we must ask ourselves whether there are interesting alternatives to Booking.
Indeed, although Booking.com’s data is very interesting, you should never concentrate your strategy and all of your traffic on a single platform. This will limit your ability to generate bookings, which is a big mistake for any Property Manager.
That is why in this article we will introduce you to the best alternatives to Booking, which currently exist in the OTA market. If you want to know what options you have to multiply your bookings, you are in the right place. Keep reading!
Best alternatives to Booking
Airbnb
Airbnb is Booking’s main competitor, and one of the best current alternatives to Booking. It is a favourite choice for guests looking to stay in places other than traditional establishments.
The platform currently manages to generate 84 million monthly visits worldwide, according to similarweb. There is no doubt that it is essential to advertise your vacation rental on Airbnb in order to be competitive and diversify your sources of income.
If you are interested in advertising your accommodation on Airbnb, don’t miss our article on How much commission does Airbnb charge homeowners?
Kayak
Although Kayak is more of a flight search engine, it has actually been a hotel metasearch engine for years. The company manages to offer the same advantages as the other online travel agencies on this list. According to data from similarweb, it has around 36 million monthly visits to its website, making it an alternative to Booking.
It is also worth mentioning the new innovation that Kayak has developed in recent months, a “heat map”. A functionality that allows guests to find the most popular areas of a city, and thus get an idea of the location of the centre.
TripAdvisor
Another alternative that should not be forgotten is TripAdvisor. This classic online travel agency is not only limited to the rental of tourist accommodation, but also to the sale of leisure activities, restaurants, car rentals, etc.
In addition to the attractive number of visits the platform receives daily, TripAdvisor is interesting because of the number of reviews and recommendations from real travellers. Key to helping users choose and plan their perfect trip.
If you manage to offer a good experience to your guests, there is no doubt that you will benefit from the rating system of this platform.
Discover 12 super simple ways to improve the guest experience.
9flats
Let’s start with less famous, but no less attractive alternatives. 9flat is a German website, which was created in 2011, and is based in Singapore. They currently have more than 50,000 members and 30,000 hosts in 104 different countries.
It is a very attractive alternative, especially if your accommodation is located in Europe. Indeed, a large part of the platform’s users are European, and especially German. So if you have accommodation in the Canary Islands, advertising your accommodation on 9flats is a must.
Read this article and do not miss the strategies of hotels in the Balearic Island to attract new guests.
MisterB&B
Misterb&b is probably the most original alternative to Booking on the list. The company was created in 2013 by Frenchman Matthieu Jost, after a very uncomfortable experience with Airbnb, with a host who was not very open-minded.
MisterB&B focuses on the LGBT community, and currently has around 200,000 properties advertised in different parts of the world. The only condition you will have to respect as an anfiytrion to be able to advertise your accommodation on the platform is to guarantee a discrimination-free stay to your guests.
Having a profile on MisterB&B can be very profitable and differentiating, especially if you tend to be close to LGTB events (Gay Prides, We Pride Festival, etc.).
HomeToGo
It is one of the most interesting alternatives to Booking on the list, especially because of the visibility the platform offers. Indeed, HomeToGo offers a huge variety of accommodation options, but above all, it is part of a conglomerate with three other brands: Wimbu (former member of 9flats), Tripping and CASAMUNDO.
Advertising your accommodation on this platform will allow you to get triple the visibility, as your advert, through commission, will appear in all the brands of the group.
Vrbo
Formerly known as HomeAaway, the company was renamed Vrbo after its acquisition by the Expedia group. Vrbo is the perfect portal to target the American market, and in particular the United States, as a large part of its users come from this region of the world.
Currently, Vrbo manages to generate 35.2 million monthly visits to its website. It is the perfect alternative to Booking if you want to target the US market.
Onefinestay
If you are looking to attract a luxury tourist, Onefinestay is the alternative to Booking that you are looking for. The platform focuses its offer on high-end properties and accommodation.
What you need to know is that each accommodation present on Onefinestay has to respect a series of strict rules, in order to be able to integrate the prestigious platform.
When you want to advertise your establishment on this online travel agency, you will have to undergo a quality inspection by the company’s experts. If your accommodation is qualified as suitable, you will have the right to be advertised on the platform.
In case you manage to advertise your accommodation on Onefinestay, you will have access to a professional photography service, booking management, cleaning, guest service, check-in and check-out, etc. Everything is done to ensure a 5 star guest experience.
Rentalia
Finally, we will introduce you to one of the 100% Spanish alternatives to Booking, Rentalia. The portal currently has more than 40,000 properties in Spain, France, Portugal, Andorra and Italy.
Although it is true that its international visibility is a bit low, it is the perfect medium if you want to focus on the Spanish market, as the platform is very well positioned in this market.
Conclusion
This is the end of our list of alternatives to Booking. There are travel agencies for all types of accommodation, clients and countries. You just have to look for them.
Although Booking is still the best option, it is very important to diversify your source of income and traffic when renting accommodation. Positioning yourself in several travel agencies will bring you many benefits and allow you to grow your business.
You may also be interested in: How much does it cost to rent through Airbnb, Booking, Vrbo, Expedia and Hotelbeds? We compare them so you can choose the best one for you!
