THE DIRECT-BOOKING PAGE
The math on booking us direct.
The short version: on a $1,600 Airbnb night, direct costs you around $1,360. The savings are real, the math is public, and Airbnb's fee changes make direct booking the clear play.
Airbnb built the market this business runs in. It's where most guests find us the first time, and it will keep being that. But Airbnb has been changing how it charges hosts and guests, and the new math makes booking direct cheaper for the guest and healthier for the operator — so if you already trust us, this is the case for the direct path.
The rest of this page is the arithmetic. No pressure, no urgency games, no fake discounts. Just what a direct booking looks like, and why we think it's the right play for both sides.
THE ARITHMETIC
A $1,600 Airbnb night.
Same night. Same house. Same host. Two ways to book. Here's the actual money.
| Line | Airbnb | Direct |
|---|---|---|
| Nightly rate | $1,600 | $1,360 |
| Airbnb service fee (built in) | included | $0 |
| Guest pays | $1,600 | $1,360 |
| Guest savings direct | $240 · 15% |
The savings are the Airbnb service fee. When you book direct, that fee doesn't get collected — and we pass it back to you rather than pocketing it.
WHAT DIRECT LOOKS LIKE
Three things that are different.
The person who books you in is the person who owns the house.
Not a call center. Not a shift worker. Ben or Sarah replies to your text — usually inside the workday, always inside 24 hours. When something needs a decision (early check-in, a specific request, a late-arrival window), the answer comes from the person with the authority to say yes.
The rate is the rate.
No stacked service fees, no line items that appear at checkout. What you're quoted is what you pay — cleaning + local occupancy tax added transparently. Card processing runs on Stripe, the same processor Airbnb and VRBO use, with the same security standards.
The house gets better every year.
Direct-booking economics are what fund reinvestment. The new PolyWood dock gliders that landed in June. The second set of fine linens. The matched bath towel sets that replaced the Airbnb-standard mismatched batch. On Airbnb margin alone, that reinvestment doesn't happen at the same pace. When you book direct, you are literally paying for the property to keep improving.
NOT A KNOCK ON AIRBNB
Airbnb built the market this business runs in. It's where most of our guests find us the first time, and we still keep an active listing there. If direct booking isn't right for you — you like the Airbnb cancellation protection, you have credits to spend, you prefer the review system there — book on Airbnb without hesitation. The lake will still be there either way.
This page exists for the guests who already know us, and are already coming back. That guest, this is the case for the direct path.
HOW
Three steps.
- 1
Check the calendar
The direct-booking calendar lives at /book — same live availability we push to Airbnb and VRBO.
- 2
Text or email Sarah
Direct inquiries go to a person, not a bot. Reply usually inside the workday. She'll send you the quote — Airbnb rate × 0.85, cleaning, tax, ready to sign.
- 3
Stripe checkout, standard terms
Same payment experience as any online purchase. Standard cancellation policy (full refund up to 60 days out; details on /faq). No different technical friction than Airbnb — better economics.
READY
Direct. From the operator.
Direct booking runs on the same processor, the same insurance, the same standards — with better math for you and healthier economics for the house.