On 28 September 2026 the European Commission published a short factsheet that every guest house, family hotel and holiday apartment owner in the EU should read. The message is simple: you can now set your own prices on and off Booking.com, including on your own website, and Booking.com is not supposed to punish you for it. The rule has existed on paper since 2024; the new measures close some of the remaining loopholes. But a lower rate on your own site only helps if guests can actually find it, trust it and book it in under two minutes. That part is a website problem, and it's the part I want to talk about.
What changed, in plain words
Booking.com has been designated a "gatekeeper" under the EU Digital Markets Act (DMA), and its obligations apply since 14 November 2024. Parity clauses, the rules that stopped hotels from offering a cheaper price elsewhere, were removed from its terms in the EEA in July 2024. The DMA bans parity requirements "of any kind", whether written in a contract or achieved in practice.
The September 2026 factsheet adds detail on the practical side:
- Prices you charge on other channels, including your own site, are not used in Booking.com's default ranking.
- External prices are no longer a factor for eligibility for the Booking Sponsored Benefit (BSB), and they were already not used for Genius, Preferred or Preferred Plus.
- Price scans in the Extranet are now informational only; the "competitive" / "non-competitive" labels have been removed.
- More transparency on programme criteria and ranking, with updated terms on ranking expected later in 2026.
Why direct bookings are worth the effort
Every booking that comes through a platform costs you a commission. The exact rate depends on your country, property type and programmes. Guides for hosts put the typical Booking.com commission around 15%, with a range of roughly 10–25%, plus extra if you use the platform's payment processing. Treat these as indicative and check your own figure in the Partner Hub.
Do the maths for your own place. A guest house with ten rooms that takes €60,000 a year through platforms at 15% hands over €9,000. If your own website moves even a fifth of those guests to direct bookings, that's about €1,800 a year you keep, every year. And there's a second, quieter benefit: a direct guest is your guest. You get their email, you can invite them back next season, and you're not dependent on one algorithm for your whole income.
Platforms are where guests discover you. Your website is where they should come back to.— the idea behind a direct-booking strategy
Why most small hotel sites don't get direct bookings
When I look at websites of guest houses and small hotels, the problem is rarely the price. It's friction. A typical pattern: the guest finds the property on a platform, searches its name on Google, lands on a slow site with a gallery from 2015, a phone number and a "send enquiry" form. No prices, no availability, no clear cancellation terms. They go back to the platform, where the book button is one tap away. The new pricing freedom changes nothing for a site like that.
"Contact us for prices", an enquiry form that's answered the next day, no availability calendar, photos that don't match the rooms, no word on cancellation or payment, slow on mobile.
Live availability and prices, a clear "book direct" advantage, instant confirmation, secure card payment or a deposit, cancellation terms in one sentence, fast on a phone over 4G.
What a direct-booking website actually needs
You don't need a huge site. You need a few things done very well:
A real booking engine
Live availability, prices and instant confirmation, synced with your channel manager or platform calendars so you never double-book.
A reason to book direct
A slightly lower rate, free breakfast, late check-out or a free cancellation window. Show it clearly near the dates picker.
Honest photos per room
Each room type with its own photos, size, beds and view, so the guest knows exactly what they're paying for.
Trust signals
Full company details, address, map, clear policies, secure payment, and reviews shown honestly (linked to where they were written).
Mobile speed
Many guests plan and book trips on their phones. Heavy galleries and sliders are the most common reason small hotel sites feel slow.
Bilingual content
For a Bulgarian property, at least Bulgarian and English. Foreign guests won't book on a page they can't read.
The legal basics, briefly
A booking site is an online shop for nights, so the usual rules apply: trader information, a privacy policy and proper cookie consent under GDPR, final prices in euro including taxes and fees, and clear terms. One detail people often miss: accommodation booked for specific dates is generally an exception to the EU 14-day withdrawal right, so your own cancellation policy is what the guest relies on. Write it in plain words and show it before payment. I covered the wider list in what a business website legally needs in the EU.
Book-direct checklist you can do this week
- Search your property's name on Google from your phone. Is your own website the first result, or a platform listing?
- Check that your Google Business Profile links to your website's booking page, not to a platform.
- Open your site on mobile data and try to book a real date. Count the taps and the seconds.
- Decide on one clear direct-booking benefit and put it next to the booking button.
- Write your cancellation and payment terms in two sentences and show them before checkout.
- Make sure every room type has its own photos and the price is visible before the guest has to contact you.
- Ask every direct guest for their email consent so you can invite them back next season.
Keep the platforms, change the balance
I'm not suggesting you leave Booking.com. For most small properties it's still the biggest source of new guests, and the BSB caveat means it will sometimes look cheaper than you. The goal is balance: let platforms bring first-time guests, and let your website capture returning guests, people who searched your name, and anyone who prefers to deal with the owner. Every percent you shift is commission you keep.
What changes now is that there's no contractual excuse left. If your direct rate or offer is better, you may say so loudly on your own site. Whether that turns into bookings depends almost entirely on how good the site is.
Where to start
If you're not sure whether your current site is ready for direct bookings, run the free website check. It shows you what's slowing your site down and what to fix first. If it turns out you need a new site with a proper booking flow, here's how I design and build websites for small businesses: from €890, live in 2–5 weeks, with three months of free care after launch. Booking-engine fees, if you use a third-party engine, are separate and paid to that provider. I'll help you pick one that syncs with the calendars you already use.
- European Commission – Factsheet: How the DMA ensures businesses using Booking.com are free to set their prices (28 Sep 2026)
- Hospitality ON – Brussels secures new guarantees from Booking.com on hoteliers' pricing freedom
- Hospitality Net – Booking.com's DMA deadline is approaching
- Guesty – How much does Booking.com charge hosts?