Direct vs OTA
Direct bookings vs OTAs: keep the tariff, pay a subscription
OTAs send demand. They also take a commission on the stay. SPACECAMPS is for park owners who want a direct booking page they control, priced as a flat monthly fee. We do not take a cut of what the guest pays you. Stripe’s card fees still apply on portal checkout.
Where the money goes on an OTA stay
On Booking.com and similar channels, the guest often pays a rate that already bakes in a 15%+ commission (your contract varies). You still house the guest, clean the site, and take the review risk. The OTA’s job is distribution.
Direct bookings reverse that. The guest finds you — Google, a sign on the highway, repeat visitors — and pays the park. SPACECAMPS charges the subscription whether the night is $45 or $180. Occupancy does not increase what you pay us.
You can still record OTA stays. We do not run the OTA.
Many parks will not switch OTAs off. SPACECAMPS includes inbound channel-manager webhooks: your channel manager or OTA bridge can POST reservation create and cancel events so those stays appear on the same calendar as portal bookings. You can store each channel’s commission for payouts reporting.
That is not two-way channel management. We do not push your rates or remaining sites out to Booking.com, Expedia, or Airbnb. If you need that loop, you still need a channel manager that talks to those OTAs. SPACECAMPS will not pretend to be one.
When direct is enough
Independent parks with a known audience, a decent Google presence, and owners who will share the portal URL often do not need a two-way sync on day one. Take the OTA commission on the nights they still send, and keep direct nights whole — minus Stripe’s card fee.
More for park owners
Ready to take direct bookings?
Start a 30-day trial, then share your park subdomain with guests. Questions about inbound OTA webhooks or plans? Read the Help Center or email [email protected].