The conversation around direct bookings in short-term rentals isn’t just heating up, it’s hit a boiling point. For boutique STR (short-term rental) operators, this shift is no longer theoretical. It’s real, it’s happening now, and it’s transforming how travelers search, discover, and book stays. In fact, just last year, industry experts forecasted that direct channels could overtake online travel agencies. Now, we’re here and almost five years ahead of schedule.
In November 2024, Skift Research published its annual “Hotel Distribution Outlook” report, forecasting that direct digital bookings would surpass Online Travel Agencies (OTAs) by 2030. At the time, it felt ambitious. Now, in 2025, we’re witnessing the curve steepen faster than expected.
Why? Because travelers are navigating a changed landscape and properties are scrambling to keep up.
Add in tightening regulations, evolving guest expectations, and the reality that many operators are being outbid on the very platforms they built their businesses on and it’s easy to see why direct bookings have gone from “nice-to-have” to non-negotiable.
Skift’s prediction that direct bookings would go mainstream by 2030 wasn’t wrong. It was just early. In fact, the Hostaway Summer Snapshot Report 2025 showed that 37.5% of STR operators generated more direct bookings in 2025 than in 2024.
That kind of growth isn’t happening by accident. It’s a response to shrinking margins, increased tech adoption (84% of operators now use AI tools), and the simple fact that platform dependence has become a liability not the growth euphoria once promised.
For boutique operators, who rely heavily on personalized service, design-forward properties, and word-of-mouth marketing, the shift toward direct booking isn’t just necessary, it’s aligned with their DNA.
So, what does success look like in this new landscape? It looks like 30+ industry leaders who’ve made the shift and are now sharing their blueprint with the world. It looks like trusted sponsors—Logify, Beyond, Crafted Stays, Hostfully, and ICND—supporting real tools for real growth.
It looks like the Direct Booking Success Summit, back for its fifth year, and more timely than ever. Taking place November 4–6, 2025, this virtual summit is the go-to event for short-term rental hosts and property managers ready to stop relying on OTAs and start scaling with confidence.
Each day is packed with actionable insights:
Available for FREE to anyone looking to navigate the massive industry shifts we’re all experiencing. You’ll walk away with more than just ideas. You’ll gain a blueprint. One that’s working right now.
Let’s be clear: this shift isn’t just about survival.
It’s about taking back control of your calendar, your margins, and your guest relationships. Direct bookings allow boutique operators to:
The summit is your shortcut to all of that—without guessing, Googling, or going it alone.
The direct booking conversation isn’t just gaining traction, it’s becoming urgent. More and more boutique operators are waking up to the reality that dependence on OTAs isn’t just limiting growth, it’s putting their entire business at risk.
Platforms like Airbnb are tightening policies across the board. Hosts are being blocked from collecting guest emails, adding fees outside the system, or nudging guests toward off-platform communication. The ability to build guest relationships and control booking terms is being stripped away, bit by bit.
“In 2025, Airbnb’s tightening of off-platform rules and stricter fee transparency policies have made reliance on them riskier than ever. Hosts are being blocked from passing guests off-platform, collecting emails, or adding fees outside of Airbnb’s system. Everything is under tighter scrutiny. With that in mind, direct bookings are no longer a nice-to-have strategy… they’re a business lifeline.
Over the past 5 years at the Direct Booking Success Summit, the most consistent feedback I hear is that hosts aren’t just chasing bookings—they’re demanding tools, systems, and clarity to break free from policy shifts and algorithm changes. This year’s online Direct Booking Success Summit is more relevant than ever, because in a climate of tightening control, independence is no longer optional.” — Jenn Boyles, Founder, Direct Booking Success Summit
Whether you’re just starting to question OTA reliance or already deep in the direct booking game of if you’re noticing major booking shifts, this summit is your place.
[SIGN UP HERE] to be among the first to get the full agenda and speaker lineup.