Rev Up: Why Booking.com Belongs in Your Channel Mix (Now)

Get your free Revenue Report (hand-done by our team) → https://www.freewyldfoundry.com/get-started

Airbnb-only is a risk. In this episode, we break down why Booking.com has become a must-have revenue channel for professional STR operators—and how to set it up so discounts work for you (not against you). We cover ratings (1–10 vs Airbnb’s binary), merchant payments, Genius/mobile promos, rate plans, markups, and how to keep owners calm when parity isn’t perfect.

What you’ll learn

• Why Booking.com’s 1–10 rating system cushions revenue impact from the occasional meh review
• How the merchant model solves the old chargeback headache
• The Genius program: why hitting 3 reviews fast matters and how to unlock the badge-driven conversion lift
• Mobile-only rates, preferred program, and visible promos that act like hotel-grade conversion boosters
• The truth about price parity (and why a 15–25% Booking.com markup is a sane default)
• Onboarding playbook: the first 30–60 days to momentum without nuking your other channels
• Listing optimization: how to use the Property Page Score to hit 100% and earn visibility

Quick hits / Takeaways

• Airbnb’s binary review culture can tank a listing with a few 4⭐ reviews; BDC’s 1–10 keeps you alive and converting.
• Use Genius + 10% mobile early to win visibility; once unlocked, apply a markup so discounts don’t undercut your floor.
• Expect imperfect parity—that’s normal on BDC. The game is markup + visible, conversion-driving discounts.
• Get to three reviews fast (follow up with guests; incentives ok) → unlock Genius → watch conversion rise.
• Treat BDC like a hotel channel: rate plans, visible offers, and merchandising matter more than on Airbnb.

Links & resources

• 👉 Free Revenue Report (for $1M+ STR portfolios): https://www.freewyldfoundry.com/get-started
• VRMA Las Vegas — catch our 90-minute Pricing Power workshop & come say hi at booth #1118

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