Niche booking channels are the new norm within the short-term rental industry.

In the past, having your listing on large online travel agencies (OTA’s) such as Airbnb, Booking.com, Expedia and HomeAway, was enough to get your property booked, however, due to international travel restrictions still in place, people now have more time to look around and compare listings to find exactly what they want.

As a result, smaller niche booking websites are becoming more common as they make it easier for people to find what they are looking for, through tailored offerings that appeal to specific groups of travellers. That’s why it’s so important to incorporate both large OTA’s and smaller niche channels into your listing distribution strategy.

With many new niche websites immerging it can be difficult to decide which ones to use, therefore we’ve broken down our favourite niche booking websites that we use to help us generate more bookings, boost our occupancy, and even increase our nightly rates!


ALTOVITA

AltoVita tailors their offerings specifically to high-end corporate travellers which has been super valuable as the corporate guests we gain tend to stay longer, and often return due to work in nearby locations, helping to increase our bookings and overall occupancy.


AIRBNB LUXE

Back in 2019, Airbnb launched Airbnb Luxe – an accommodation offering that specifically showcases the most extraordinary places to stay making it one of the best niche booking websites to target luxury guests.

Although it can be difficult to get your property inspected and verified by Airbnb Luxe, it’s definitely worthwhile as it allows us to target luxury guests who are likely to pay more for accommodation.


EZYSTAYZ

Developed with the idea of limitless travel, EzyStayz is one of the fastest growing booking platforms powered by blockchain technology – an advanced technological system that validates transactions making it difficult to hack.

This makes it one of the most reliable and secure channels to list on with a growing audience in both New Zealand and Australia.


HOMETOGO

Meta search booking websites are becoming an essential tool for guests to easily compare different offerings across multiple booking websites to ensure they are getting the best deal.

According to Rentals United, HomeToGo has been the best Niche channel preforming since January 2021, therefore it’s a no brainer to add this website to your distribution strategy.


MAGICSTAY

MagicStay is another niche booking website that predominately targets corporate travellers. With multiple awards under their belt for the best booking technology for travellers and travel agents, it’s effortless to gain corporate guests that stay longer, and book more often.

We’ve seen first-hand just how valuable these niche booking websites are. If you’re able to choose the right niche websites for your listings, we guarantee you will stand out from the crowd and generate higher occupancy! Just keep in mind that you’ll need to be aware of technical issues arising such as synchronizing your booking calendar to avoid the logistical nightmare of a double booking.


At The Urban Butler, we use multi-channel marketing on over twelve different OTA’s and niche websites to ensure we get more bookings, higher nightly rates, and happier guests, without the fear of double bookings. Get in touch today to find out how we can maximise your returns on your Auckland investment property.

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