The vacation rental service is a gigantic growing industry. Vacation rental platforms provide various options for accommodation and are not only limited to hotels.
Key Takeaways
- Booking direct involves reserving accommodations directly through a property owner or manager, while VRBO is an online platform connecting travelers with vacation rentals.
- Booking direct often allows for more personalized communication and flexibility, while VRBO provides a wider range of options and user reviews.
- VRBO charges service fees to hosts and guests, whereas direct booking may not involve additional fees.
Booking Direct vs Vrbo
The difference between booking direct and Vrbo is that booking direct means reserving the stay with a professional management company direct without the involvement of any third-party platform or group while Vrbo is an Online Travel platform that provides a hassle-free reservation procedure.
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It provides the personal data of the travellers and thus can be used in the promotion of new offers and discounts before and even after travel.
While Vrbo is an Online Travel agent platform that provides renting of entire villas, houses, and properties. It is the best option for people looking for an entire house and encourages personal space.
Comparison Table
| Parameters of Comparison | Booking direct | Vrbo |
|---|---|---|
| Function | Process of reservation and booking of rent or service directly | Process of reservation and booking of rent and service through Online Travel Agents platform |
| Advantages | Can be personalized, better communication and interaction | Control over the terms and conditions of the room or service provides exposure and has a mix of marketing and management |
| Disadvantages | Time consuming and less exposure opportunity | Less communication and less availability of data |
| Price | The customers need to pay only the rest fee and is cost-effective | The customers need to pay a service fee apart from the rent fee |
| Customer service | Booking direct connects customers to a live person to solve the queries and doubts | Vrbo connects the customers to a chatbot or give pre-designed answers on raising queries |
What is Booking direct?
Booking direct is the term used to refer to the process of booking rooms, hotels, tours, and activities directly and not through some indirect booking method, third-party involvement, or Online Travel Agents (OTAs).
Since direct booking provides the details of the guests, the hotels can create trip anticipation through various offers and discounts.
A traveller through direct bookings is likely to drop suggestions during interaction which can be a beneficial insight to work on and boost the sales rate.
Direct booking provides the personal data of travellers. This can be used as an opportunity to make the experience and stay unique, personalized, and authentic if put to effective planning.
What is Vrbo?
VRBO stands for Vacation Rentals by Owner. It is an online rental marketplace for vacations which was launched by the company HomeAway in 1995.
Vrbo allows the refund of the traveller’s service fee if the stay is cancelled. It also has strict laws if the property owners try to influence the travellers in any way.
Vrbo provides exposure to listed rented places to a larger audience. Renters can search the properties through location or zip code search. It also allows renters to ask questions and doubts about the property.
Vrbo lists entire homes and properties on the site and families going for a trip or wants an exclusive individual space, would have all the checklists met at Vrbo.
Main Differences Between Booking Direct and Vrbo
- Booking direct gives prior knowledge about the property to the travelers while booking through Vrbo does not give much information and highlights only the good points.
- Booking directly helps the travelers contact a live person for queries and develop a personal connection while booking through Vrbo answers the queries through a pre-curated chatbot.
- https://books.google.com/books?hl=en&lr=&id=P2VnDwAAQBAJ&oi=fnd&pg=PA145&dq=booking+direct+and+vrbo&ots=mVVsS6Ul8M&sig=sM–o9g2gy15rK5KHDneaP9zq4U
- https://www.ceeol.com/search/article-detail?id=411835
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Piyush Yadav has spent the past 25 years working as a physicist in the local community. He is a physicist passionate about making science more accessible to our readers. He holds a BSc in Natural Sciences and Post Graduate Diploma in Environmental Science. You can read more about him on his bio page.
