Winning a guest for the first time is expensive, whether you pay an OTA commission or spend on marketing. Winning them a second time should be cheap. A guest who loved their stay already trusts you, and if they come back they can book with you directly. Here is how to turn OTA guests into repeat direct guests without breaking platform rules or data protection law.
This is part of our guide to getting more direct bookings for your Bali villa.
Start with the rules
OTAs pay for the marketing that brought the guest to you, and their terms protect that. Airbnb, for example, does not allow hosts to encourage guests to book or pay outside the platform, and some OTAs hide guests' real email addresses behind a forwarding address. Messages sent through an OTA should be about the current stay, not a pitch to book elsewhere.
In Indonesia, the Personal Data Protection Law (Law No. 27 of 2022) also applies to the guest data you collect. In general, you need a lawful basis, such as clear consent, before you use a guest's contact details for marketing, and you need to keep that data secure. Check your own obligations with a legal adviser, but the safe habit is simple: ask, explain what you will send, and make it easy to say no.
That rules out the OTA inbox, but it leaves the best opportunity you have: the stay itself.
Make the stay worth coming back for
No follow-up email will bring back a guest who had an average stay. The most effective repeat booking strategy is still the basics done well: a smooth arrival, a clean and well-kept villa, staff who remember names and preferences, and quick fixes when something goes wrong. Everything below builds on that.
Collect details the right way, in person
Many villas already collect guest details at check-in for registration. That is a natural moment to ask, separately, whether the guest would like to hear about returning-guest offers, with a clear yes or no. Record their consent along with their email or WhatsApp number.
Other good moments:
- A welcome card in the villa with a QR code to your website and Instagram
- The in-villa guide or information page, which can mention your direct booking perks
- A friendly conversation with staff near check-out, asking about the stay and whether they would come back
Give returning guests a reason to book direct
Tell guests, in person or in your welcome materials, what they get by booking with you directly next time. Perks often work better than discounts. A transfer or a late check-out feels generous to the guest, and it is less likely than a lower price to conflict with the rate parity terms in your OTA agreements:
- A free airport transfer
- Early check-in or late check-out, when available
- A welcome dinner, a massage or a spa credit
- Flexible cancellation or a smaller deposit
Read your OTA agreements before you promote a lower price to returning guests.
Follow up after the stay
For guests who opted in, send a short thank-you message a few days after check-out. Ask about their stay, invite them to leave a review, and remind them of the returning-guest perk and how to book directly. Keep it personal and short.
After that, stay in touch only when you have something useful to say, such as a new season, a new villa in your collection, or availability around a date that matters to them. A few thoughtful messages a year beat a monthly newsletter nobody opens. Every message should include an easy way to unsubscribe.
Ask for referrals
Happy guests recommend villas to friends and family. Make it easy with a simple referral offer, such as a perk for both the returning guest and the friend they refer when the friend books directly.
Track your repeat guests
Tag repeat guests in your PMS or guest list, and track two numbers each month: how many guests have stayed before, and how many of those booked directly. Over time this shows whether your stay experience and follow-up are working.
Build the whole system
Repeat guests are the final step of a direct booking system. They only book direct if your website can take the booking easily when they come back. We help villas and hotels set up the website, the email and WhatsApp follow-up, and the marketing that ties it together. Book a free strategy call to talk it through.
