Booking direct: why the price you see is the price you pay

A villa listed at €150 a night on a booking platform rarely costs €150 a night. By the time the guest service fee, the cleaning charge and the currency conversion have been added, the figure at checkout is often twenty per cent higher than the one that made you click.

Because both houses are ours, there is no platform in the middle taking a cut from each side. The nightly rate, the cleaning charge and the refundable security deposit are itemised on the checkout page before you pay anything, and nothing is added afterwards.

The deposit that confirms the booking is €100. The balance is due on arrival unless your confirmation says otherwise.