The order that brings bookings home
Booking direct comes first because that's why most people tap the link. The WhatsApp button sits right under it for the ones who want to check dates first. Rates follow, then the guide and the local tips, which serve both the guest deciding and the guest already there. Reviews and the map come after, and the returning guests list closes the page.
- Book direct
- WhatsApp for dates
- Rates by season
- Guest guide and local tips
- Reviews, map and returning guests
Works alongside Airbnb, Booking.com and Vrbo
Use this page on your own channels, like Instagram, the QR code in the house and the thank-you message after the stay, since platforms generally don't allow outside links in listings or in their chat. Point the book direct button at your channel manager's booking page if you have one, and keep your prices in line so nobody gets two answers. In Portugal, holiday rentals (alojamento local) must show their AL registration number wherever they advertise, so put it in your bio or on a line of the page. Some US and UK cities ask for a short-term rental permit number in the same way.
What to put in a vacation rental's Instagram bio
Say what it is, where, and for how many: "Beach house for 4, six minutes from the sand." Those are the words a guest checks first, and they filter out the group of ten before they message you.
Then give the reason to book direct in one line, such as "Book direct, no platform fees", and the link. If you're in Portugal, the AL number fits at the end of the bio.
Put a QR code inside the house
Print the page's QR code on a card by the door, on the fridge or in the welcome folder. Guests scan it and have the wifi, the check-out time and your restaurant tips on their phone for the whole stay.
It also does the quiet work for next year. The same page has the book direct button and the returning guests list, so the guest who loved the week knows exactly where to book it again, without a commission.
Common mistakes
Writing "message us for prices". Guests planning a holiday compare several houses in one evening and skip the one that makes them wait. Show a price per night, even if it's from.
Letting the guide go stale. A wifi password that changed or a restaurant that closed makes the whole page look abandoned. Read it over before every season, the same way you check the house.