How much commission does Holidu charge hosts?

What is Holidu for hosts?

Holidu, based in Munich, is a holiday-rental search engine that offers hosts software and distribution in one package. Holidu lists your property under its own brands and on partner portals such as Airbnb, Booking.com and Vrbo. You don’t manage your own accounts on these portals. In 2022, Holidu also acquired the destination system my.IRS (TOMAS), now Holidu Smart Destination.

How is Holidu’s commission calculated?

These prices are from Holidu’s German website and are in EUR. We couldn’t find any Swiss pricing. The pricing page doesn’t explicitly say whether the 6% Holidu fee applies to direct bookings. Ask before you sign up.

How much do you keep from a Holidu booking in CHF?

Example from Grindelwald: 4 nights at CHF 180 plus CHF 120 for cleaning comes to CHF 840, or CHF 23'100 over the year. We’ve excluded VAT because the VAT treatment for Swiss hosts is unclear.

A booking that comes through Holidu on Airbnb costs you more than listing directly on Airbnb. In return, Holidu handles the software, listings and guest communication. Looking only at the fee, you pay around CHF 980 more per year in this example than with Airbnb direct.

When does Holidu pay you, and what about tourist tax and cancellations?

• Payout: According to Holidu, you’re paid by instant bank transfer on the check-in day. For your first booking, Holidu pays you 48 hours after check-in; for last-minute bookings, 24 hours afterwards.
• Tourist tax: We couldn’t find details on how Holidu handles tourist tax in Switzerland. Assume you’ll need to collect it yourself and settle it with the municipality.
• Cancellations: We haven’t checked the rules. Ask which terms apply on partner portals.
• Contract: According to Holidu, there’s no monthly fee, contract or cancellation fee.

What are the pros and cons of Holidu?

What tips can help you use Holidu?

1. Holidu is most useful if you don’t want to manage software yourself. Weigh the extra cost against the time it saves you.
2. Before you start, get written confirmation of whether the 6% also applies to direct bookings and cleaning.
3. Ask about VAT: Holidu lists all prices excluding VAT. As a Swiss host, you may have to pay acquisition tax if your purchases from abroad exceed CHF 10'000 a year.
4. After a season, compare what you keep per night with what you’d earn through your own Airbnb account.

Holidu or your own accounts with a calendar tool?

With Holidu, you hand over your listings and guest communication, and pay per booking. If you manage your Airbnb and Booking.com accounts yourself, you only pay their fees and need a tool to keep your calendars in sync. In the Grindelwald example, the difference is around CHF 1,000 a year. What matters is how many hours Holidu saves you and what that time is worth to you. Find an overview of the tools under Channel Manager.