Understanding services, travellers, costs...

And how a concierge service optimises everything for you

Putting a property up for seasonal letting quickly raises an essential question:

«Which booking channels should I use to maximise my revenue, attract the right travellers and keep management simple?»

Between Airbnb, Booking, Abritel and direct bookings, each platform has its strengths, limitations and different costs.
A concierge service, on the other hand, makes it possible to get the best out of them without complexity.

This article proposes a full comparison, based on :

  • the services actually offered,
  • the type of customers attracted,
  • the management of guarantees and disputes,
  • and net costs, In other words, what is actually left in the owner's pocket.

⭐ 1. understand what each platform really offers

Before discussing commissions, it is essential to understand how each platform influences visibility, safety, the type of traveller and the quality of the stay.

🟧 Airbnb - Global visibility + the power of reputation

Benefits

  • Very large international audience
  • Extremely powerful notification system → boosts the credibility of the accommodation
  • Identity checks for travellers
  • Secure payment
  • Intuitive messaging
  • Centralised litigation process

Limits

  • Non-pre-authorised deposit (virtual deposit)
  • Significant real commission (~16 % in practice)
  • Strong competition between similar goods
  • Downward pressure on prices in certain areas

👉 Relevant for developing the visibility and building the reputation of the accommodation.

🟥 Booking.com - Volume and international travellers

Benefits

  • A large number of quick bookings
  • The most powerful platform for global visibility
  • Large international customer base
  • No costs on the passenger side → very high conversion rate

Limits

  • Highest commission (~17 %)
  • A platform historically designed for the hotel industry
  • No identity check
  • No-show risk if the reservation is not prepaid:
    • Invalid bank card
    • Traveller who doesn't come
    • Lost night

👉 Efficient for filling up quickly, especially in season or for premium goods.

🟦 Abritel / Vrbo - The natural choice for families and long stays

Benefits

  • Reliable family customers
  • Longer stays (1 to 3 weeks)
  • Guarantee actually pre-authorised
  • Fewer disputes
  • Moderate commission (~15 % at real cost)
  • Annual subscription available for large volumes

Limits

  • Less volume than Airbnb and Booking
  • Subscription sometimes misunderstood or underused

👉 Ideal for houses, villas and stays of a week or more.

🟩 Direct booking (CLM site) - Optimised margins + more committed passengers

Benefits

  • Very low commission (~2 % via Stripe Connect)
  • No passenger charges
  • Secure payment
  • Booking page without competition
  • Building loyalty :
    • QR-code in the home
    • Automatic email after your stay
  • Direct and transparent relations
  • Better control of sureties and conditions

Limits

  • Less visibility than the major platforms
  • Initial (quick) configuration of the payment account

👉 The most profitable channel as soon as the traveller discovers you or returns.

⭐ 2. Visitor's tax: what changes depending on the channel

✔ Airbnb, Booking and Abritel

  • Collect automatically tourist tax
  • Pay it directly to the local authority
    → The owner has nothing to do

✔ Direct booking

To simplify this step, a concierge service can provide :

  • exact number of adults
  • number of children
  • number of nights
  • precise amounts to be declared

👉 The process is simple, but not automated.

⭐ 3. Comparison of actual costs (including concierge services)

The most concrete criterion for an owner is often :
«How much do I really have left after expenses?»

Here are the real costs, including :

  • the platform committee,
  • payment charges,
  • 20 % Management (cleaning, laundry, support, maintenance, communication, etc.).

📌 Example for €1,000 paid by the traveller:

ChannelPlatform commission / paymentManagement (20 %)Total expensesNet owner's equity
🟩 Direct website2 %20 %22 %780 €
🟦 Abritel / Vrbo15 %20 %35 %650 €
🟧 Airbnb16 %20 %36 %640 €
🟥 Booking17 %20 %37 %630 €

✔ What this painting highlights

  • La direct booking maximises net income.
  • Abritel offers a very good volume/quality/profitability trade-off.
  • Airbnb and Booking provide a high level of visibility, but on the highest cost.
  • A single overnight stay can earn up to €150 difference depending on the channel used.

⭐ 4. Final ranking - from most cost-effective to most expensive

RankPlatformNet incomeSpecial features
🟩 1Direct website780 €Most profitable channel
🟦 2Abritel650 €Excellent for long stays
🟧 3Airbnb640 €Excellent visibility + reviews
🟥 4Booking630 €Highest commission

⭐ 5. The winning strategy in 2026: don't choose... but combine intelligently

No platform is perfect.
Each attracts a different type of traveller at a different time.

The really effective strategy :

✔ Airbnb & Booking → Visibility + volume

  • Fast fill rate
  • Excellent public credibility

✔ Abritel → Families + long stays

  • Greater stability
  • Fewer disputes
  • Higher revenue per stay

✔ Direct website → Maximum profitability

  • No intermediaries
  • A lasting relationship with travellers
  • Maximised net income

✔ A multi-channel concierge service to orchestrate it all

  • Calendar synchronisation
  • Smart pricing based on season / demand
  • Centralised message management
  • Optimising visibility
  • 7/7 Travellers Helpdesk
  • On-site service management
  • Help with declaring tourist tax
  • Clear and transparent reporting

⭐ Conclusion: your property deserves a strategy, not a default choice

Choosing a platform is not just a question of commission:
is a balance between visibility, quality of the traveller, security, easy to manage, and net income.

The best approach in 2026 is to :

✔ understand what each channel really contributes
✔ choose a combination suited to your home
✔ let a concierge optimise the whole thing
✔ monitor transparent and measurable results
✔ maximise profitability over the long term

Visibility + service + profitability = an effective multi-channel strategy.
A simple, intelligent and sustainable choice for your benefit.

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