10/24/2026
We are so thankful for those who direct book with us! We are thankful we have the majority of our bookings through direct bookings. We are thankful for our many return guests who we are blessed to get to know through the years. Booking direct allows you to get the best price and keep the cleaning fee going to those who prepare our place for you versus more fees to a large corporation that has their hands out for your, our cleaners and our money without understanding or care of our property.
My husband and I have been Airbnb Superhosts previously and been on the platform over 7 years. Our place has been in the top 5-10% of all Airbnb listings. We did everything right. And there is a mess happening in this industry.
We are not alone. Right now, in the owner groups, thousands of vacation rental owners are posting that they are pulling their homes off Airbnb and Vrbo, selling, or leaving the business altogether. This is an uprising, and it is happening in plain sight. Before you book your next family getaway, I'm asking you to understand why.
THE HOTEL STANDARD
Can you check into a hotel without showing your ID? No. Hotels verify who is staying in their building, require agreements, and enforce rules, because that is how you protect a multimillion-dollar investment.
Airbnb announced that hosts can no longer verify the identity of the people staying in our homes. Airbnb is trying to control the house and property rules.
Hotels are allowed to protect their property. We are being told to hand over the keys to our homes and hope for the best.
THE FEES
Last fall, Airbnb raised its host fee from 3% to 15.5%. Airbnb dropped its separate guest service fee, but the 15.5% now comes out of everything we charge, including the cleaning fee. When you book direct, our cleaning fee goes 100% to our cleaning company to have our place prepared and cleaned for your arrival.
Vrbo looked at that and went bigger. Starting October 29, Vrbo raises its host commission from 5% to 12%, and it still charges you a guest fee on top of it.
WHO PAYS
Owners can't absorb this. We have mortgages, taxes, insurance, repairs, and cleaners to pay. So nightly rates go up to cover the platforms' cut, and your taxes are then calculated on those higher rates.
WHAT YOU CAN DO
If you love renting an entire home for your family to get away, please understand what is happening to the people who own those homes.
1. Find the condo, cabin or management company name on the Airbnb or Vrbo listing.
2. Google that name and look for their own booking website.
3. Book direct. You deal with the people who actually care about the place, and the platform markup is gone.
We speak from over 7 years of experience, and we are kindly asking you to seriously consider supporting the owners of the vacation rentals you love by booking direct. It is the best way to keep these getaways alive.
Book direct with us:
🌊 www.alavhr.com/listing.753
Please share this with anyone who loves a good family getaway. We would love to host you!
This privately owned 2 bed/2 bath condo in Gulf Shores Plantation is updated, very clean, located on the top floor offering direct Gulf views, sleeps up to 6 adults and 2 children and FREE PARKING for up to two vehicles. Our condo and family friendly resort offers many amenities to create a...
