How we bring you guests
Booking.com brings you guests. Keep it. It also takes 15–25% of every booking. Our job is to make sure the guests who already know your name, and the ones searching on Google, can book you direct, with nothing taken.
Three routes, each with its status
| Route | What it does | Status |
|---|---|---|
| Booking.com, Expedia, Airbnb | One calendar, synced both ways. A room booked anywhere closes everywhere | In development. Planned for December 2026 |
| Google free booking links | Your direct price will appear on Google next to the booking sites, at 0% commission | Applied to Google, October 2026. Google decides on approval. |
| Your website, Instagram, QR codes | Your booking page, in your colours, at 0% commission | Live |
The evidence, stated carefully
In a Cornell Center for Hospitality Research study (December 2025), 26 small independent hotels averaged about 19.5 bookings a week without a free Google link and about 21.7 with it, roughly 11% more. Results vary by hotel.
Work out your own number
Your rooms, your average price and the share of bookings that come from booking sites: see what commission costs you in a year.
What we don’t promise
Google decides whether and where free links appear, and they usually sit below paid ads. We can’t promise a number of extra bookings. We promise to show you every month exactly what came direct.