At Inhaven our mission is to equip you with everything you need to create an amazing guest experience and it doesn’t stop at  furnishing your vacation rental.

We also tap into the knowledge of short stay hosts and industry professionals who have built successful vacation rental businesses and love sharing their knowledge.

Inhaven customer, Kendall Dunlap, is one such amazing host. Kendall has built a successful and independent vacation rental business which doesn’t rely on the OTAs for bookings.

In fact, Kendall has a 100% book direct rate. Her story is inspiring and as an Inhaven customer she was happy to share her book direct insider tips and hacks so that we can all learn and become more proactive when it comes to achieving more direct bookings.

Give us your elevator pitch, Kendall!

I'm Kendall Dunlap and I manage our property Any Port in a Storm at Ocean Isle Beach NC.

The house is amazing for families and large groups. We sleep 20 and six of the seven bedrooms have private bathrooms.

The house was designed to be a rental so it has everything you need to enjoy your week at the beach. The rental comes with use of our limo style golf cart, kayaks, paddle boards, private dock, membership to the ocean front beach club with a pool, and much more.

My favorite time of day is sunset on the back deck overlooking the sound. It’s honestly my favorite spot in the world!

How important are direct bookings for your vacation rental business?

We only accept direct bookings. I have tried to use Airbnb and Vrbo but the fees they charge for my house are astronomical.

I would prefer to save our guests money by booking direct.

I also carefully vet out all potential guests and the platforms don't share any information until after the booking.

I like to know who is coming, what the occasion is, where they are from, etc. I spend a lot of time on the phone and/or messenger getting to know my guests prior to booking them.

What direct booking channels do you use?

Most of my business is repeat and from word of mouth. In terms of social media, I spend the most time working on my Facebook page to promote my listing.

I am a member of several travel Facebook groups, and I watch for people asking about beach houses and post mine as an option for them.

I also run Facebook ads when I'm promoting a late booking week.

I have my own website which isn’t the best but I get a ton of referrals through it, so we are doing something right! And although we don’t take OTA bookings, we are on Vrbo but it’s really just used as a promotional platform. Our guests then find us directly.

What would you say is the first step to launching a book direct strategy for a new host?

Find an expert in the field to talk to and give you some initial guidance. There are so many things that you won’t know that you need to know! For example, each area has different tax laws and requirements.

It’s also helpful to have someone walk you through the process - understanding contracts and really vetting out your potential guests. Who is your ideal guest and how can you reach them without an OTA?

Is it easier to build a better guest relationship with book direct clients?

Oh yes, definitely! I have built some great relationships over the years and I have many guests that come back every summer (6+ years now). I am always so delighted that they choose our house again and again.

When I build a good relationship with guests, I make a huge effort to be available during the week should they need anything.

Any tips on how to get a guest who has booked via an OTA to book direct for their next visit?

When you receive the guest’s contact information, I would encourage you to try to get the guest to rebook for the next year and offer a discount for them to do so.

For example, if your rates are going up for 2023, offer the 2022 rate if they re-book direct within a certain amount of time.

Can you share one last book direct hack with us?

Customer service is the most important thing when it comes to winning direct bookings and repeat guests.

I always send a text on the day of check in, wishing the family a safe trip, reminding them of check in time and asking if they have any last minute questions. 

Usually we end up chatting about the stay, places to visit and restaurants. Then mid-stay, I check in again to see how things are going.

On the day of check out, I ask if they enjoyed their stay and thank them for renting our house. And yes, I ask if they want to rebook for the next summer at a discounted rate!

I always give the current guest the first right to book the same week in the following summer.

What amazing feedback from Kendall Dunlap. An Inhaven host with a winning book direct strategy.

Want to learn more tips on how to achieve more direct bookings? Read our article: 5 Ways to generate direct bookings for your vacation rental.