Vacation rental marketing strategy

You hosted the guest. The OTA kept them.

I help vacation rental and boutique hospitality brands win direct bookings and own their demand, so every stay builds the business instead of starting from zero.

Start with the free 5-day course, Stop Renting Your Guests.

Ready to talk now? Book a $250 strategy call

Sarah Stahl giving the camera a knowing side-eye, palm up

Here's your 15% fee. The guest's email? Not included.

  • 93%direct bookings at ReTreet Resort, without PPC
  • +50%direct bookings at Wilding Hotels
  • ~500creators matched with hospitality brands
  • 2026Truvisionary, one of 50 voices in short-term rental

Try this before you scroll

The 0.15 test

Enter what guests booked with you through Airbnb, Vrbo and other OTAs in the last 12 months. The receipt shows what those bookings cost you in fees, and what you could keep.

Most operators have never added it up. It's usually the biggest marketing line in the business, and it buys zero guest relationships. Day 1 of the course shows you what to do with this number.

Get the 5-day fix →

OTA convenience fee

Statement period: last 12 months

Example shown. Type your total bookings before fees.

Booked through OTAs$240,000
Fee rate15%
That's about, per month$3,000
Over five years$180,000
You paid in OTA fees$36,000
Move 1 in 5 of those bookings direct and you could keep up to$7,200 a year

Guest emails included: 0 · Thank you for your business

The fine print: this is napkin math, not an audit. Real fees vary by platform, property, season and booking, and direct bookings have their own costs (hello, card processing). For your exact numbers, ask your books. Or ask me.

Sarah Stahl looking up with a skeptical 'ooh'

"We just need more content."
Do we though?

Effort isn't your problem

Five leaks I find in almost every rental business

You're posting, paying for ads, updating listings, and trying the new AI tool. Bookings still feel unpredictable because the pieces don't connect. These are the usual culprits, and each one gets a day in the course.

  1. Borrowed demand

    Most of your bookings come from platforms you don't control, at a price you don't set.

  2. A website that doesn't say why

    It shows the beds. It never explains why someone should book here instead of the listing next door.

  3. Guests you can't call back

    Every OTA stay ends with no email, no relationship, and no repeat booking.

  4. Bookable, but not discoverable

    Google, AI trip planners and travelers can't tell what makes your place the right choice.

  5. Content that earns likes, not stays

    Creators and posts get attention that never turns into a booking.

Plug the leaks, free →

When you want more than five emails

Three ways to work with me

Consulting

Find the bottleneck, build the direct-booking system

For vacation rental, boutique resort and glamping brands ready to stop guessing.

See consulting →

Speaking

Keynotes, workshops and podcasts that skip the fluff

Direct bookings, creator systems and AI travel discovery, with real numbers.

See talks →

Content partnerships

Vetted creators matched to your stays

Pairings guaranteed within 90 days, for owners and for creators.

Content That Books Direct →

Not sure where you're leaking? Start with the Profit Audit.

Hi, I'm Sarah

I've sat in every seat at the booking table

I've marketed destinations, run marketing for a startup treehouse resort, built a creator program inside an OTA marketplace, and analyzed more guest data than I'd like to admit.

At ReTreet Resort we grew from six units to 21 and reached 93% direct bookings while cutting ad spend. That result didn't come from a viral post. It came from fixing the system, which is the work I do now.

Read the whole story

Sarah Stahl holding a Jackson County coffee mug

Strategy, served
North Alabama style

From Field Notes

Fewer hot takes. More math.

All posts
Hospitality marketing

OTA Dependence in Vacation Rentals: What's Really Stalling the Direct Booking Movement

Direct bookings

The Direct Booking Strategy That Took a Property to 93% Direct

Social

The 70-20-10 Rule for Hospitality Social Media

Guest experience

What Frustrates Travelers Most About Booking Vacation Rentals Online?

Free 5-day email course

Stop Renting Your Guests

Five short emails, one a day. Each finds a leak in your booking system and tells you what to fix first. No fluff, no 47-step funnel.

Sarah Stahl
Written by me, not a robot.
Built from the system that took ReTreet Resort to 93% direct bookings.

Questions first? Read the FAQ

  • Your inbox, next 5 daysFrom: Sarah
  • DAY 1The 0.15 TestMultiply last year's OTA revenue by 0.15. Sit down first.
  • DAY 2Your website isn't explaining whyMore traffic won't help a page that can't close the booking.
  • DAY 3The guests you can't call backOTA guests sleep in your beds. Their emails stay on someone else's server.
  • DAY 4Bookable isn't discoverableHow Google, AI trip planners and creators decide who gets recommended.
  • DAY 5The 93% playbookThe system behind ReTreet's direct bookings, step by step.
Stop renting your guests Free →