Direct Booking Website for Short-Term Rentals

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Direct Booking Website for Short-Term Rentals

Inspired by a conversation on:

Thanks For Visiting

Thanks For Visiting

503. How Kristen and Michael Built a Standout STR Brand in Joshua Tree

Host: Annette Grant & Sarah Karakayan

Timestamp: 00:27:24 - 00:28:22

Listen to Episode • View Podcast • All Ideas from Thanks For Visiting

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Feather Flow

Direct Quote

"We built a direct booking website because we had friends and family reaching out. And I was like, how can they book this without dealing with all that stuff?"

Market Gap

Hosts struggle with dependency on OTA platforms for bookings.

Many short-term rental hosts rely heavily on online travel agencies (OTAs) like Airbnb or Vrbo for bookings, leading to high fees and loss of direct relationships with guests. This reliance can hinder profitability and limit control over guest experiences. Current solutions often do not offer a straightforward way for hosts to manage bookings and payments directly. As competition in the short-term rental market increases, having a direct booking strategy is becoming essential for sustainability and growth. The ability to connect directly with guests can enhance owner-guest relationships and improve occupancy rates without the additional costs associated with OTAs.

Summary

The idea is to create a direct booking website specifically for short-term rental properties, utilizing platforms like Lodgify for an easy setup. By having a dedicated site, hosts can reduce their reliance on OTAs, save on fees, and build a direct relationship with their guests. This approach enables better control over the booking process and allows for personalized guest interactions. As demonstrated by Kristen and Michael, integrating a direct booking site can lead to increased revenue and occupancy rates. This model would appeal to short-term rental hosts looking to optimize their business operations and profitability.

Categorization

Business Model
SaaS
Target Founder
Generalist
Difficulty
Medium
Time to Revenue
< 1 month
Initial Investment
$100-$1,000

Potential MRR (18-24 months)

Conservative
$1,000 - $3,000 MRR
Moderate (Most Likely)
$3,000 - $7,000 MRR
Optimistic
$10,000 - $15,000 MRR

* Estimates assume solo founder/bootstrap scenario with competent execution

Scores

Clarity
8/10
Novelty
6/10
Feasibility
7/10
Market Potential
7/10
Evidence
8/10
Overall
7/10
Found on October 2, 2025 • Analyzed on October 2, 2025 10:21 AM

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How should I validate this saas idea before building it?

2:34 PM

Great question! For a saas idea like this, I'd recommend starting with these validation steps:

  1. Customer interviews: Talk to Generalist to understand their pain points
  2. MVP approach: Build a simple landing page to test demand
  3. Competitor analysis: Research existing solutions and identify gaps

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