Beyond Booking and Airbnb: Vrbo, Holidu, Google and why be on several platforms
Booking and Airbnb bring most of the bookings; Vrbo, Holidu, Expedia and Google Vacation Rentals bring other audiences and reduce dependence. What each contributes and how they are synchronised without double bookings.
Reviewed on 22 September 2026 · By the team at Torremolinos Gestión Vacacional, more than ten years managing holiday rentals · Markdown version · Versión en español
Short answer: on the Costa del Sol, Booking and Airbnb bring the vast majority of bookings for a normal flat. But being also on Vrbo, Holidu and Expedia, and appearing on Google Vacation Rentals, raises occupancy by 5-15 %, especially in mid season, and avoids depending on a single platform that can change its rules or suspend your listing. The condition is a synchronised calendar (a channel manager) so there are no double bookings.
What each platform contributes
| Platform | Audience | Commission | Who it pays off for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Booking.com | Europeans, short stays, those who book hotels and flats alike | 15 % + 1.3 % | Everyone |
| Airbnb | Families and groups looking for a home, young people | 15.5 % | Everyone |
| Vrbo / Expedia | Families from northern Europe and the US, long stays, large houses | 8 % or subscription | Houses and flats with 4+ places |
| Holidu | Germans and central Europeans, very present on the Costa del Sol | Commission per booking (check the current rate when signing up) | Flats with a German audience |
| Google Vacation Rentals | People searching Google for "apartment in Torremolinos" | No commission (connected through a manager or software) | Those with a website or a connected manager |
| Direct booking (own website) | Repeat guests, referrals | Gateway cost | Those with volume and a brand |
Why isn't one enough?
- Dependence: a listing suspended over a fake review or a platform error is a blank month if there are no others.
- Different audiences: the Briton who searches on Booking is not on Airbnb; the Dutch family booking July six months ahead is on Vrbo.
- Price: with demand on several platforms, the price holds up better.
How are double bookings avoided?
With a channel manager: a program that keeps the calendar and prices in one place and sends them to all the platforms; when a booking comes in on one, it closes the dates on the others within seconds. Managers have it as a basic tool; an owner with one flat can hire a simple one (€20-40 a month) or sync calendars via iCal (free, but with delays of hours that sometimes cause a double booking).
What is Google Vacation Rentals?
The block of accommodation Google shows when you search "apartments in Benalmádena" with dates. A single flat cannot be signed up: you get in through a manager or software connected to Google. It is free (no Google commission) and the booking ends up on your website or on the connected platform. It is one of the levers a manager can offer and an owner alone hardly can.
Is your own website worth it?
For one flat, no: the cost and the work are not paid for by the two bookings a year that would come. For a manager with many homes, yes: repeat bookings without commission, own brand, and the possibility of connecting to Google. It is what we do with Costivia, our direct booking website: each home has its page and the owner receives the same with less commission.
How many platforms are too many?
More than four or five do not add up: the work of maintaining texts, photos and prices on each one grows and the marginal bookings do not pay for it. Booking, Airbnb, Vrbo and, depending on the audience, Holidu, plus Google if available, is a reasonable combination.