How to Advertise Your UK Holiday Let and Get More Bookings

Choosing where to list your holiday home can feel a bit like trying to navigate a maze. With so many websites out there promising to get you bookings, it’s easy to feel overwhelmed. Do you go with the biggest names? A local specialist? A niche site just for luxury properties or dog lovers?

This article is designed to cut through the confusion. We won’t just give you a list of websites; we’ll provide a clear, strategic roadmap for advertising your UK holiday let. Whether you’re a first-timer with a seaside flat in Brighton or an experienced owner with a portfolio of rural retreats in the Lake District, you’ll learn how to build a smart, multi-channel approach that maximises your bookings and gives you peace of mind.

The key to success isn’t being on all 50 websites. It’s about being on the right ones for your property and your business goals. We’ll break down the world of listing sites into three main categories: The Global Giants, The UK Specialists, and The Niche & Next-Level.

 

Part 1: The Global Giants – Your Core Foundation

These are the big players—the household names that draw in millions of travellers from all over the world. You should think of these sites as the core of your advertising strategy. They provide the most exposure and a constant flow of potential guests.

Airbnb: The World’s Most Recognised Brand

Since its start in 2008, Airbnb has become a byword for short-term rentals. Its main strength lies in its massive brand recognition and a huge, diverse user base. It’s perfect for almost any kind of property, from a single spare room in a city to a spacious house in the countryside.

  • Who books here? Just about everyone. While it’s known for attracting younger travellers, it’s now used by families, business travellers, and older guests alike.
  • What are the fees? For most UK hosts, Airbnb uses a “split fee” model. This means you pay a small fee (around 3%) to cover processing costs, while the guest pays a larger service fee (up to 14.2%) on top of your price.
  • Unique benefits: Airbnb’s “AirCover” offers up to $3 million in damage protection and $1 million in liability insurance for hosts, providing a high level of security. It’s also the go-to platform for unique stays and “Experiences,” which can help your property stand out.

 

Booking.com: The Global Powerhouse

Originally a giant in the hotel industry, Booking.com has made a huge push into the holiday rental space. It’s an essential platform for any UK host who wants to attract international guests. Its massive traffic and global reach are unmatched.

  • Who books here? Booking.com attracts a very different crowd from Airbnb. Many of its users are international tourists or last-minute bookers who are used to the hotel booking process.
  • What are the fees? Unlike Airbnb, Booking.com typically charges the host the full commission, which can range from 15% upwards. The big win here is that guests pay no service fees, so the price they see is the final price. This can make your listing more competitive.
  • Unique benefits: Booking.com’s instant booking model means you don’t have to manually approve every request, which can save you a lot of time. It also markets your listing on search engines like Google and on its own mobile app, putting your property in front of a huge audience.

 

Vrbo (Part of the Expedia Group): The Family Favourite

Vrbo, which stands for “Vacation Rentals By Owner,” has a long history of serving families and groups. It’s an ideal platform for a traditional holiday cottage, a large house, or a villa, as it focuses exclusively on entire properties.

  • Who books here? A large majority of Vrbo’s audience are families and groups looking for a proper holiday, often booking longer stays than they would on other sites.
  • What are the fees? Vrbo offers two fee models. The most common is the “pay-per-booking” model, with an 8% fee (a 5% commission plus a 3% payment processing fee). For hosts with high booking numbers, a flat annual subscription (around £396) can be a better option, as it means you keep more of your earnings from each booking.
  • Unique benefits: Vrbo is part of the massive Expedia Group, which includes sites like HomeAway UK and Abritel. When you list your property on Vrbo, it gets automatic exposure on its whole network, giving you a wider reach with a single listing.

 

Part 2: UK Specialists & Regional Stars

While the global giants are great for volume, UK-specific sites can offer a more focused, high-quality stream of bookings. These sites have a loyal following of UK holidaymakers who prefer to book with a trusted, local brand.

  • Cottages.com and HolidayCottages.co.uk: These are two of the biggest names in the UK holiday market. They’ve been around for decades and have built up a reputation for quality and reliability. If your property is a traditional cottage, lodge, or self-catering apartment, listing on one of these sites can be a smart move. They often handle more of the booking process for you and have a very specific audience.
  • The Travel Chapter Network: A key thing to know is that many UK sites are part of the same parent company. For example, brands like HolidayCottages.co.uk and Canine Cottages (for dog-friendly properties) are all part of The Travel Chapter, so one listing can get you exposure across multiple specialised brands.
  • Snaptrip: This site specialises in last-minute deals on holiday homes. It’s perfect for filling those last-minute gaps in your calendar and maximising your occupancy.
  • Brighton Getaways: This is an excellent example of a hyper-local agency. These sites are focused on a single city or region and offer a more hands-off approach for owners. They can be a great alternative if you want a local team to handle all the marketing, guest communication, and cleaning for you.

 

Part 3: The Niche and Next-Level

If your property is a bit different, or if you’re aiming for a specific type of guest, you might want to look beyond the mainstream. These sites are for hosts who have something unique to offer and want to get away from the high competition of the big players.

  • For the Luxury Market: The Plum Guide and OneFineStay are at the top of the luxury short-term rental market. They don’t just accept any property; they have a strict vetting process to ensure only the highest quality homes are listed. If you own a stunning penthouse in London or a luxurious villa in the Scottish Highlands, listing here could put you in front of a wealthy and discerning clientele.
  • For Shared Spaces: If you’re a host willing to rent out a spare room in your home, sites like Homestay or MisterBnb are great options. They focus on connecting guests with hosts who are happy to share their living space and offer local insights.

 

A Smart Strategy for Success

So, with all these options, how do you build a winning strategy? The goal is to build a smart “distribution mix.”

  1. Start with the Global Giants: List your property on at least two of the “Big Three” (Airbnb, Booking.com, Vrbo). This is your foundation for getting the most exposure and a steady stream of bookings.
  2. Add a UK Specialist: Once you’ve got your core listings sorted, consider adding your property to one or two UK-specific sites. This will help you capture the domestic holiday market, which is a key source of revenue for many owners.
  3. Use a Channel Manager: Managing listings on multiple sites can be a headache, but a channel manager is the solution. This is a simple piece of software that links all your calendars together. When a booking comes in on Airbnb, it automatically blocks those dates on Booking.com and Vrbo, so you never have to worry about double bookings.

Ultimately, the smartest move for any host is to take things to the next level by creating your own direct booking website. This allows you to build your own brand, save on all the commissions you would normally pay to the listing sites, and encourage repeat guests who will book with you directly in the future.

 

Final Thoughts

The world of holiday let advertising can seem daunting, but it’s full of opportunity. By understanding the different types of platforms and building a smart, multi-channel strategy, you can attract more guests, fill more of your calendar, and create a profitable, sustainable business. It’s about working smarter, not harder, and making your property the most visible, sought-after holiday let on the market.