Why Booking Direct Is Better for Your Vermont Vacation

If you've booked a vacation rental through Airbnb, you may have noticed some changes to the way pricing works.

Airbnb recently announced a significant change to its fee structure. Instead of dividing service fees between hosts and guests, Airbnb is moving toward a model where a single service fee is charged to the host.

At first glance, that sounds like good news for travelers: no separate Airbnb service fee added to the reservation. But the fee hasn't actually disappeared. Airbnb's new structure charges hosts a 15.5% service fee and recommends that hosts adjust their rates if they want to maintain the same earnings from a reservation. In other words, a cost that once appeared separately to guests can now become part of the price of the stay itself.

For us, it underscores something we've believed for a long time: Whenever possible, booking directly is simply a better way to stay.

You know exactly what you're paying

When you book directly through Gray Barns Properties, you'll receive a clear quote for your stay, including the nightly rate, applicable discounts, cleaning fee, and Vermont taxes. There are no surprise platform service fees added at checkout.

We believe vacation rental pricing should be straightforward. You should know what your stay costs and where your money is going.

More of your stay goes toward the home you're enjoying

Gray Barns isn't a large hotel company. Our vacation homes are locally owner-managed and meticulously cared for. When you book directly, we're not paying a substantial portion of your reservation to a third-party booking platform.

That means more of what you spend stays right here—helping us maintain the homes, replace linens and furnishings, care for the grounds, make improvements, and continually make each property a better place to stay. It's a small distinction that makes a very real difference to an independently owned vacation rental.

You're still dealing with the same people

Airbnb can be a useful place to discover vacation rentals. But once you've found Gray Barns, you don't need a large platform standing between us. When you book directly, you're communicating with the people who actually know the property.

Have a question about which house is best for your family? Wondering about skiing, hiking, restaurants, or what Woodstock is like during a particular time of year? Need something during your stay? You're talking directly to us. That personal relationship is one of the things we value most about welcoming guests to Vermont.

Direct doesn't mean complicated

We've designed our website to make booking directly easy. Each Gray Barns property has a live availability calendar synced with our other booking channels. Simply choose your dates to receive an instant quote with the applicable rates, discounts, cleaning fee and taxes included. Then send us your booking request. We personally review and confirm every stay.

A better way to experience Woodstock

We understand why travelers use Airbnb and other large booking platforms. They're convenient for discovering places to stay, and we're grateful for the many wonderful guests who have found us through them. But if you've found a property you love, there's a good reason to see whether you can book it directly.

With Gray Barns, you can. You'll receive transparent pricing, personal service from a local owner, and the confidence of knowing that more of the money you spend on your Vermont vacation goes toward the home and the people actually making your stay possible.

Ready to come to Woodstock?