9 Ways to Increase Bookings at Your Accommodation Property (2026)

Gaps in your calendar in mid-July, a lull in October, and OTA commissions eating up every sixth zloty of your revenue – sound familiar? Below, you’ll find 9 ways to increase your number of reservations, ranked from those that will deliver the greatest impact on the smallest budget in 2026. Each point is a concrete action to implement, not a vague generalization.

Key takeaways at a glance

• Guests start their search with AI, not on Booking.com. According to the Visa Travel & Payment Intentions Study CEE 2026, two-thirds of Poles use artificial intelligence when planning trips, and more than half would be willing to entrust some tasks to an AI agent.
• Your listing must be readable by language models. Precise descriptions, amenity tables, up-to-date prices, and consistent data on Google, OTAs, and your website determine whether an AI assistant will recommend your property.
• You can legally offer lower prices on your own website. Following the CJEU ruling of September 19, 2024 (Case C-264/23) and under the Digital Markets Act (DMA), price parity clauses no longer apply – the direct price can be lower than on OTAs.
• Shifting 10 percentage points of sales from OTAs to the direct channel translates to approximately 6,000–7,000 PLN in annual commission savingsfor a property with 5 units (calculation below).
• As of May 20, 2026, Regulation (EU) 2024/1028 will take effect – the rental unit’s registration number in listings will no longer be a mere formality but will become a requirement for being listed on platforms.

What Has Changed in Getting Bookings Since 2022

Three changes that have turned the old guides upside down:

1. Search results are no longer just a list of links. Google launched AI Overviews in Poland in March 2025 and AI Mode in October 2025. Some guests no longer click on search results – they read the ready-made answer. Add to that ChatGPT, Gemini, and Perplexity, where the decision of “where to even look for lodging” is made.

2. The requirement to match prices with OTAs has ended. The Court of Justice of the European Union ruled that price parity clauses – both broad and narrow – are not necessary for the provision of a booking service. Starting in 2024, Booking.com will be subject to gatekeeper obligations under the DMA, and the European hotel association Hotrec has gathered over 10,000 properties for a class-action lawsuit in Amsterdam.

3. The short-term rental market has emerged from a legal vacuum. Regulation (EU) 2024/1028 takes effect directly on May 20, 2026. It introduces the registration of rental units, a unique identification number displayed in listings, and the transmission of transaction data to public authorities by platforms. In Poland, as of this writing, work is underway on the implementing law and the national registry – it’s worth keeping an eye on announcements from the Ministry of Sport and Tourism.

Practical takeaway: Channels that were “supplements” in 2022 (your own website, Google, descriptive content) will be the core of distribution in 2026.

9 Ways to Increase Bookings

1. Make sure the AI can recommend your property (GEO)

An AI assistant does not have access to your phone or “local” knowledge – it recommends what is described online in a precise, consistent, and verifiable manner. A Kiwi.com survey conducted in January 2026 among more than 4,500 respondents shows that 53% of Poles use AI to compare travel prices, and 40% use it to search for hotel reviews. If the model can’t find an answer to the query “apartment with a terrace, for a family with a dog, 300 m from the beach,” it won’t suggest your property.

What to do in practice:

• Write descriptions using facts, not adjectives. Instead of “a charming cottage near the sea”- 42 m² cottage, 2 bedrooms, 400 m to the beach (5-minute walk), parking for 2 cars, dogs up to 20 kg allowed (fee: 50 zł/stay).” The model will pull each of these attributes as a filter.
• Create an FAQ section on your website with questions that guests actually ask: check-in times, directions from the train station, whether there’s an elevator, whether children are allowed, and whether there’s a kitchen.
• Maintain data consistency (business contact information, amenities, prices) across your Google Business Profile, OTAs, and website. Discrepancies reduce trust from both algorithms and guests.
• Add structured data (Lodging Business, FAQPage) – this is the easiest way to tell search engines what your property is all about.
• Build mentions outside your own website: local tourism portals, travel blogs, thematic directories, and reviews on Google and OTAs. The PromptEye report “Tourism in Poland 2026,” based on 180,000 measurements across seven language models, showed that local players can outperform corporations by systematically producing content in Polish.

A booking calendar on your own website allows a guest who found you through an AI response to book immediately, rather than having to “inquire about availability.”

2. Be on several OTA platforms, but do so strategically

OTAs are still the largest source of traffic, especially for new, unbranded properties without organic traffic. The principle is simple: OTAs buy you visibility, and you pay for it with a commission – usually 15–20% of the booking value, and sometimes even higher with visibility packages.

A sensible mix for 2026:

The three most costly mistakes: copying the same content to all portals, failing to update availability (risk of overbooking), and treating OTAs as the only channel. If you manage more than one portal, synchronizing calendars with OTAs is no longer just a convenience – it becomes a safeguard against double bookings.

More on choosing channels: where to advertise accommodations.

3. Collect your commission: direct bookings and the end of price parity

This is the most underrated change of the past two years. Previously, the broad price parity clause prohibited offering lower prices on your own channels. Today, you can legally build a direct booking price advantage.

Here’s how to manage this without losing visibility on OTAs:

• Don’t compete on nightly rates – offer value that OTAs can’t match: free late check-out, breakfast, pet fee included, a bottle of wine, and flexible cancellation.
• If you lower your price, do so strategically – 5–10% lower than on the OTA is usually enough to make a price-comparing guest choose your website.
• Communicate this everywhere guests see you: in your email signature, in the booking confirmation, on the room information card, and in your Instagram bio. “When you book directly, you pay less and get X.”
• Track your channels. Without occupancy statistics and reports, you won’t know how much each channel actually costs you.

How much is that in money? A property with 5 units, an average price of 350 PLN per night, and a 60% occupancy rate generates approximately 383,000 PLN in annual revenue. If 70% of sales go through OTAs with a 17% commission, you’re giving up about 45,600 PLN. Shifting just 10 percentage points of sales to the direct channel leaves over 6,500 PLN in your pocket annually – with no increase in occupancy.

4. A website that sells (not just exists)

Your website is the only channel where you set the rules. The condition: it must be fast, mobile-friendly, and lead to a booking – not just a contact form.

Minimum requirements for 2026:

• Price and availability visible within 5 seconds of landing on the site – a calendar on the homepage, not hidden on a “Contact” subpage.
• Booking in a maximum of 3 steps, with the total price (including fees and tax) displayed on the first screen. Hidden fees are the most common reason for abandoned carts.
• Loading time under 2.5 seconds for LCP and full mobile support – most traffic to lodging sites comes from smartphones.
• Local content: “Things to do in the area,” “Directions,” “Beach with kids,” “Bike routes.” This content moves visitors from the inspiration phase and also serves as the material AI uses to generate answers about your area.
• Visible contact information and terms and conditions – an element of trust and a signal to Google that the content is trustworthy.

5. Get the Most Out of Google: Profile, Maps, and Free Booking Links

Many owners treat their Google Business Profile as a business card. It’s a full-fledged sales channel.

• Fill out your profile 100%: category, amenities, reception hours, description, photos (at least 20, up-to-date), and Q&A.
• Post updates about availability, last-minute deals, and local events.
• Connect your BedBooking account to Google Hotels. Your prices and calendar availability will then appear directly in the booking module on Google Search and Google Maps, alongside Booking.com and Expedia – marked as the property’s official website. Google doesn’t charge a commission on free booking links, so guests are directed to your booking system, and you pay zero to the intermediary. Setup takes just a few minutes in the dashboard, and there are two requirements: properties need a verified Google Business Profile, and prices on Google must match those in your calendar (Google treats discrepancies as errors and may suspend the listing). Vacation rentals and homes can be listed without being linked to a profile, as long as they meet Google’s requirements. See how to set this up
• Keep an eye on local SEO: include the property name + city in titles, and respond to reviews.

6. Offer multiple booking options and respond faster than the competition

One guest will call, another will message on WhatsApp, and a third will fill out a form at 11:40 p.m. Each of these channels must result in a booking.

• Phone, email, online form, messaging app – all visible and all supported.
• Response time is now part of the price. For last-minute and weekend bookings, the winner is whoever responds first. Set a threshold for yourself: handle inquiries within 60 minutes during business hours.
• Automate repetitive responses. Message templates, confirmations, check-in instructions, directions – a smart assistant and guest communication take 80% of the correspondence off your hands.
• Share a calendar with a long-term view – some guests book a year in advance, especially regulars who start planning their next vacation right after they check out.
• Process reservations from your phone. A mobile front desk lets you confirm dates without having to return to your desk.

7. Manage prices and availability in the calendar proactively, rather than waiting

A fixed price all year round is the most costly habit in the industry. The basics of revenue management for a small property:

• Seasonality and days of the week: different rates for weekends, weekdays, peak seasons, and off-peak periods. The Multi-Pricing feature makes this easier.
• One- and two-night gaps (so-called “gap nights”): Lower the minimum stay requirement and offer a 10–15% discount instead of leaving two nights empty between reservations, if you calculate that such a short stay is profitable for you.
• Smart last-minute deals: Launch a discount 3–7 days before the stay, only on available units, and always update the price across all channels simultaneously.
• Raise prices when demand increases. If your August calendar is filling up in March, your price is too low.

8. Work with reviews – they influence both guests and algorithms

Reviews are no longer just social proof. They serve as source material for search engines and AI models that summarize “what people are saying about this place.”

• Always ask for a review, preferably via a message sent on the day of departure, with a direct link.
• Respond to 100% of reviews, including positive ones – briefly and specifically, without using templates.
• Respond to criticism objectively: thank the guest, clarify the facts, and describe what you’ve changed. Your response is read by future guests, not just the author of the comment.
• Collect reviews from several sources: Google, OTAs, and Facebook. Spreading them out protects you from a single negative review and increases the number of sources that AI uses to build your property’s rating.
• Set up Google Alerts for your property’s name to stay informed about mentions on blogs and forums.

9. Make Your Offer Stand Out: Photos, Description, Service Standards, and Local Partnerships

All the previous points lead the guest to your listing. It’s your listing that determines whether they click “Book Now.”

• Photos are the most important element of your listing. Show each unit separately: well-lit shots, the view from the window, the bathroom, the kitchen, and the surroundings. You don’t need a professional photographer – you need good lighting and a tidy space. See: How to take photos of rental apartments.
• A written description highlighting benefits and specifics: square footage, number of beds, distances in minutes, kitchen amenities, Wi-Fi speed, fenced-in playground.
• Don’t embellish. Discrepancies between the description and reality come back as negative reviews, which cost you more than a single booking.
• Service standards: an up-to-date price list, clean units, quick response to issues, and assistance with arranging transportation and attractions.
• Work with local businesses: cross-promote with restaurants, bike rentals, tour guides, and farms selling local products. A “lodging + attraction” package sets you apart in search results where no one is competing on price.

More ideas on a budget: low-cost marketing for your lodging property.

Where to start? A 30-day plan

1. Complete your Google Business Profile 100%, add 20 up-to-date photos, and respond to all reviews
2. Improve descriptions on your website and OTAs: facts, distances, amenities, FAQ section
3. Embed the booking calendar on your website, set up channel synchronization, and set the direct booking price
4. Set up seasonal pricing, last-minute rules, and gap nights; send your first email campaign to your guest database

Summary

Increasing the number of bookings in 2026 isn’t about choosing between “OTAs or your own website.” It’s about ensuring your property is accurately described wherever guests search – on Google, via AI, on booking platforms – and that reservations can be completed in just a few clicks through the channel that gives you the highest margin. Start with points 1, 3, and 5: they only cost you time.

All channels in one calendar. BedBooking syncs bookings from OTAs, handles bookings from your website, and provides a mobile front desk on your phone. Try it for 30 days with no obligations.

FAQ – Frequently Asked Questions About Increasing the Number of Bookings