A direct-booking channel that outsells the platforms.

Before

Every reservation flowed through Booking.com or Airbnb. The commissions ate 15 to 18 percent of revenue. The platforms owned the guest relationship, the review, and the repeat booking. Returning guests still went through the platform because there was nowhere else to go.

• 15-18% commission on every reservation.
• No direct guest relationship: reviews and repeat visits captured by platforms.
• Availability managed manually across two channels.
• No brand, no email list, no way to reach past guests.
• Pricing and photos duplicated in three places.

What we built

We built a direct-booking site with real inventory sync, online payments, and multilingual copy for the guests that actually visit Prešov. The calendar syncs both ways with the platforms so nothing double-books. The checkout is Stripe, the confirmation is instant, the guest data belongs to IQ Apartments.

• Astro + React front end tuned for mobile first: most bookings start on a phone.
• Live availability with two-way iCal sync to Booking and Airbnb.
• Stripe checkout with saved cards and instant confirmations.
• SK / EN / UA copy written natively, not translated.
• Guest CRM for repeat-stay campaigns and direct offers.
• Photo and pricing managed once, published everywhere.

Outcome

Direct bookings crossed fifty percent within six weeks of launch and now sit at fifty-five. Every direct stay skips the platform cut. Repeat guests book straight from the confirmation email. The platforms are still there. They are no longer the whole business.

• 55% of reservations booked direct.
• 0% platform commission on direct bookings.
• 3 languages live, all written natively.
• Guest email list built from zero to full inbox.
• Two-way calendar sync: zero double-bookings since launch.