Newsletter - October 2025

Why Direct Bookings Matter

At Simply Owners, we’ve proudly championed direct-only bookings for more than 9 years - long before it became the hot topic in our industry. While other platforms continue to profit from your hard work, direct bookings keep more revenue in your pocket and help you build lasting relationships with repeat guests.

 

Want to discover how to attract and retain more direct guests? Join Becky’s upcoming SCALE webinar on Winning Direct Bookings: Visibility, Trust, and Retention in Short-Term Rentals - Tuesday 21st October 4pm BST

Register here

 

If you’re part of the SCALE community, you can also read Becky’s latest article: Not getting enough direct bookings? Trust is the missing link. It’s well worth a look! 

Have a story for us?

We’d love to shine a spotlight on our amazing owners!

  • Have direct bookings transformed your business?
  • Has Simply Owners helped you reduce reliance on OTAs?
  • What percentage of your bookings now come direct?

 

Send us your story at enquiries@simplyowners.net.

The top 3 stories will win a free listing for next year  - plus a feature on our social pages (with a link back to your website).

Business Updates - Partnership with AccessibleUK

Exciting news to share!

Yesterday all of our team completed Accessibility training, so we’re now all accessibility champions! We aim to make Simply Owners the ‘go-to’ site for people with access needs, we’ll soon be sharing some simple tips for how you can make your own property more suitable for people with access needs, keep your eyes peeled for our webinars, coming soon!

The Team

Last week we enjoyed the Summer Social at Ransom Wood Business Park 

Becky and Pete have also been busy spreading the word at the SCALE Italia Conference and WVREC, building partnerships that give your properties even more visibility.

IT Development Highlights

Our tech team has been busy! Here's what's new this month:

 

  • Multiple Currency Price Filter:
    The pricing filter has been updated to cater for multiple currencies (£, €, $, NZ$):

 

Your prices are display in several currencies, while you still take payment in your preferred one. (Rates update daily)

  • Price Check - now live for owners (only on Desktop):
    In your prices tab, if using a large screen you can now see the full price workout for guests.
     
  • Licence number box now available: 
    In the property details section, bottom left hand corner, underneath the number of bedrooms/bathrooms etc. 
     
  • Video link box now available: 
    In the property details section, under email address and weblink boxes. 

Industry News

Airbnb has announced it will stop charging guest booking fees. Sounds positive? Unfortunately, not quite. They’re shifting the cost onto owners instead, increasing the commission taken from you.

According to Thibault Mason of Pricelabs, prices will need to rise by +18.34% to cover the change. Another reminder of why direct bookings protect your profits.

We’d love to hear your thoughts how will this affect your business. Please share with our PR team so we can represent owners’ voices. Email enquiries@simplyowners.net with your stories.

Upcoming Events - Come Join Us!

Want to meet us in person? Here's where we'll be:

Simply Owners exists to help you win more direct bookings and keep control of your business. Together, we can continue to grow a strong community of independent owners who put guests first and keep more earnings where they belong.

 

Warm regards,
The Simply Owners Team