Booking.com Reveals 5 Growth Plays for Hosts in 2025

Booking.com is the largest OTA in the world, bigger than the Expedia Group and Airbnb. And recently, in an exclusive webinar with Hostaway, the company unveiled powerful new features and insights that vacation rental hosts can use to win in 2025.

From leveraging the platform’s global demand engine and emerging travel trends to unlocking new listing tools and revenue-boosting features, these strategies are designed to help property managers thrive in an increasingly dynamic landscape. Get started on boosting occupancy, increasing control and unlocking the full power of Booking.com in 2025.

Play #1: Tap Into Booking.com’s Global Demand Engine

Booking.com’s marketing machine puts its listings in front of an audience that’s both vast and highly engaged.

Search visibility

The platform advertises its listing on major search engines like Google (8.5 billion searches a day), Bing (900+ million searches a day) and Yahoo, reaching travelers in over 45 different languages around the world.

App popularity

Booking.com is one of the most downloaded travel apps in the world — consistently. As mobile continues to gain prominence in travel research, planning and booking — 68% of online travel and hospitality traffic originates from mobile devices — having presence on a popular mobile-first platform is highly advantageous.

Marketing campaigns

The company also invests in both global and local campaigns to drive demand year-round.

Big-ticket campaigns for 2025 range from the recent Super Bowl ad that racked 95 million views on YouTube and 165 million viewers on TikTok on top of a live viewership of 127 million. For U.S.-based hosts, the partnership with Major League Baseball as the official online travel partner will help bring in dedicated fans across baseball destinations in the country while in Switzerland, its sponsorship of UEFA Women’s Euro 2025 and pledge to give travelers 50% back on Booking.com accommodation during July will spark a massive surge of booking traffic.

Pro tip: Add a destination-specific package (e.g., “Baseball-Fan Bundle” for MLB cities) to capitalize on these themed campaigns.

High conversion

“One of the unique advantages of working with Booking.com is our ability to convert,” says Emily Tusick, Account Manager – Partner Services at the company.

In fact, 45% of new hosts on the platform land their first reservation within just a week while 1 in 3 nights booked in 2024 were vacation rental stays — amounting to 1.8 billion vacation rental guest arrivals. Because Booking.com supports all types of different accommodation, travelers who may have originally been searching for a hotel can turn into a vacation rental guest by the time they book.

Says Emily, “Because we reach a much broader audience, travelers often come to our platform with just a destination in mind rather than a specific accommodation type. This means your listing gets exposure to travelers who might not have considered a vacation rental at first but are open to it once they see the option.”

Access to repeat travelers

The platform’s loyalty program for guests — Genius — is filled with loyal and repeat travelers who often begin their trip searches on Booking.com.

Play #2: Align With Guest Mindsets Shaping Travel in 2025

Booking.com’s predictions for travel trends and guest expectations reveals nine mindset shifts every host should bake into their listing copy, house rules and upsells.

Nocturnal tourism a.k.a. Noctourism

More than 60% of travelers want to chase dark-sky experiences so they can stargaze, beat daytime heat and enjoy cooler evening activities.

Passports to immortality

Longevity retreats are going mainstream: 60% are interested in trips that include cryotherapy, red-light therapy, stem cell treatments and other life-extending treatments.

Men-only wellness retreats

A response to the pressures of modern life, guys-only getaways are focusing on health, relaxation and tackling feelings of loneliness.

Alternative itineraries

People are now including AI tools to help craft itineraries that are personalized to their preferences as well as the needs of the destinations. 44% of travelers will refrain from tagging locations in their social media photos to prevent mass Instatourism.

Spending kids’ inheritance (SKI)

Nearly half of baby boomers (49%) would rather fund a trip of a lifetime rather than leave an inheritance, and 80 % are happy to bankroll a multigenerational family trip.

Adventures for all ages

The share of boomers craving high-octane thrills has jumped from 10% to 23% as they desire to reignite their youthful passions.

Neuroinclusivity

Half (49%) of neurodivergent travelers have faced negative experiences and many are seeking sensory-friendly environments like noise-cancelling options.

Vintage voyaging

Thrift- and heritage-minded guests (51%) want to shop second-hand at their destination and connect with local craft and culture.

The gate escape

One in three travelers now choose destinations for their airports, with Gen Z seeking layover luxuries like sleep pods, spas and Michelin-starred restaurants.

Play #3: Tap into Booking.com’s Global Destination Insights

Booking.com’s latest data spotlights ten places seeing the sharpest year-on-year jump in searches and bookings. Hosts who tailor listings, pricing, upsells and content for these locales can catch the wave of demand early.

1. Sanya, China

Situated in Hainan Island, “China’s Hawaii” offers hot springs, rainforest hikes and dark-sky beaches — perfect for both longevity retreats and nocturnal stargazers. Promote wellness add-ons (spa vouchers, sunrise yoga) and note minimal light pollution in your listing.

2. Trieste, Italy

This Adriatic crossroads fuses Italian coffee culture with Habsburg facades. Guests drawn by vintage voyaging want off-beat stories — think recommendations and maps to local markets and antique shops in your digital guidebook.

3. João Pessoa, Brazil

Nicknamed the “Sun Gate,” this verdant coastal capital blends wellness-ready beaches with UNESCO-listed crafts. Highlight nearby yoga decks or partner with tour operators to tap into guests chasing adventure and longevity trends.

4. Tromsø, Norway

Tromsø is a prime Northern-Lights arena that also caters to wellness-seekers via floating saunas and midnight fjord cruises. Offer blackout curtains, partner with aurora guides and adventure operators and market shoulder-season discounts for no-light-pollution enthusiasts.

5. Willemstad, Curaçao

This UNESCO World Heritage site offers colorful colonial streets and luxe beach escapes. Target SKI with premium add-ons such as private chef nights, while highlighting local street-art tours for culture buffs.

6. Tignes, France

Year-round glacier skiing now shares the stage with alpine lake sports and horseback trails. Position your property as an adventure-base-camp with secure ski storage, summer bike racks and flexible check-out for late-day runs.

7. San Pedro de Atacama, Chile

Crystal-clear night skies and geothermal springs attract both astronomers and wellness nomads. Stock binoculars, outline stargazing spots in your welcome email and list partnerships with desert-yoga or hot-spring operators.

8. Naha, Okinawa, Japan

A sensory-friendly mix of Ryukyuan castles, mangrove kayaking and zen gardens makes Naha ideal for neuro-inclusive and AI-curated alternative itineraries. Emphasize quiet hours, easy self-check-in and local food tips to attract culture-seeking, tech-forward travelers.

9. Villajoyosa, Spain

Colorful fishermen’s houses, Mediterranean cuisine and archeological sites define this laid-back Costa Blanca town. Families and vintage shoppers alike value slow food and heritage walks — flag nearby markets and include beach-toy kits for kids.

10. Houston, USA

NASA tie-ins, a booming food scene and Booking.com’s new Major League Baseball partnership are turning Texas’ “Space City” into a multigenerational hot-spot. Hosts who add space-themed welcome packs or game-day parking can ride the surge in family and sports travel.

Play #4 – Control, Screen and Protect Every Booking

Booking.com revealed new hosting features that will give hosts more control over who books their property, how they communicate with them and how to manage unexpected issues – providing greater peace of mind.

Verified guests

Coming to Booking.com later this year, verified guest profiles will give property managers the ability to see who is requesting to book and have the assurance that they are who they say they are.

Request-to-Book

This feature allows hosts to accept or decline bookings rather than get booked instantly by anyone, and can be directly accessed from inside Hostaway. In 2026, property managers using Payments by Booking.com will also be able to request for pre-authorized payments, further securing their vacation rental business.

House rules

House rules created in Hostaway can be set on your Booking.com listing, allowing you to set expectations with guests before they click ‘Book’ and protect you in the event of a dispute. You can also auto-sync your house rules to every new Booking.com listing.

Pro tip: Let guests know they must agree to your house rules in order to book.

Insurance

Every Booking.com reservation already includes liability coverage of up to $1 million from guests and neighbors, and damage payments. Later this year, the platform will also introduce damage insurance of up to $1 million per reservation.

Play #5 – Streamline Operations and Cash Flow

Efficient operations and steady cash flow are key to running a successful vacation rental business. In this final play, Booking.com and Hostaway introduce powerful tools designed to help hosts save time, reduce friction and improve financial performance.

Modify check-out dates

Change a guest’s departure date in Hostaway and the system automatically updates pricing and sends to Booking.com; the guest is notified after approval. Reservations and financial reporting are also updated automatically.

Report guest misconduct

Quickly escalate issues with bad guests to Booking.com from Hostaway. And block repeat offenders making sure they can’t book your vacation rental property again.

Waive cancellation fees for no-shows

Maintain goodwill and encourage guests to rebook by waiving cancellation fees for no-show guests directly from Hostaway.

Get paid more frequently

Daily payouts for Payments by Booking.com will now be available in markets beyond just the U.S. and Canada.

Get cash advances

UK based Booking.com hosts will be able to get funding, fast, to cover business expenses and help them grow their vacation rental business.

Get bank fee waivers

Throughout 2025, bank transfer and credit card processing fees will be completely free for hosts using Payments by Booking.com.

What’s coming in H2 2025

Soon you’ll be able to add invoicing details, fees, license information, room facilities, bathroom information and damage-deposit amounts at the listing level right from the Hostaway dashboard, eliminating further laborious manual OTA edits.

Your 2025 Booking.com Playbook Starts Here

The opportunities for Booking.com vacation rental hosts in 2025 are vast. Whether it’s reaching a broader audience through global campaigns, tailoring your listings to emerging travel trends, taking advantage of new screening features or automating operations for faster cash flow, the five plays outlined in this webinar offer a roadmap to sustainable growth. 

As Booking.com continues to evolve with host-centric improvements and market intelligence, tapping into its ecosystem via Hostaway, a Premier partner for the fifth consecutive year, is your next strategic advantage. Don’t just list — leverage. Use these plays to grow, protect and optimize your vacation rental business

FAQs

1. Can I keep Airbnb synced while I list on Booking.com via Hostaway?

Yes. Hostaway pushes real-time availability and pricing to both channels, preventing double bookings.

2. Does Booking.com handle chargebacks if I use Payments by Booking.com?

Yes. Fraud screening and chargeback management are included when you activate Payments by Booking.com.

3. How does Request-to-Book work on Booking.com?

Guests must first request and receive host approval, giving you a chance to review profiles before confirming. Pre-authorized payments will add another layer of screening in 2026.

4. Is liability insurance automatic, or do I need to opt in?

It’s automatic for every Booking.com reservation. Hosts will receive coverage of up to $1 million.