hostDirect Is Live in ChatGPT: Book Vacation Homes Direct With the Host

hostDirect is now live in ChatGPT. Guests describe a trip in plain words, see vacation homes from independent hosts who run their own hostFront booking websites, check the exact price for their dates, and then book on the host's own site, or name their own price where the host offers it. hostDirect is free for guests, and free for hosts on hostAI. There's no marketplace in the middle, so there's no marketplace guest service fee and no commission.

Open hostDirect in ChatGPT · How hostDirect works

Why we built it

A direct-booking website solves the commission problem, but it has always had a discovery problem: a guest has to know your brand before they can find your site. More and more travelers start a trip by asking an AI assistant. hostDirect puts the homes on hostFront sites into that conversation, then sends the guest to the host's own website to book.

How it works for a guest

• Describe the trip. Where, when, who's coming, and anything that matters, such as pets, a pool, a hot tub or the number of bedrooms. For example: "Find a pet-friendly cabin in the Smoky Mountains for my family."
• Compare matching stays. hostDirect checks availability for the dates across hosts' published homes and shows matching stays as cards with photos and a price before fees and taxes.
• Open a stay. Photos and amenities, plus sleeping arrangements, house rules and the cancellation policy where the host provides them. With dates and the number of guests, hostDirect shows the exact price including fees and taxes.
• Book with the host, or name your price. The Book button opens the property page on the host's website with the dates and guests already filled in, and booking and payment happen there. If the host has Name Your Price switched on, the guest can ask for a better price first.

Name Your Price

Guests don't have to take the listed price as the last word. Where the host has Name Your Price switched on, a guest can tell the host, right from the conversation, what they'd like to pay for the stay. hostDirect sends the request to the host with the guest's name, email and phone (see the privacy notice), and the guest gets an offer or a reply by email. The host decides: they can accept, counter or decline, and a lower price is never guaranteed.

For hosts, Name Your Price is included with hostAI. Switch it on to receive price requests with the guest's dates, budget and contact details, and stay in control of what you offer.

What it means for hostFront operators

• It's free. hostDirect is included for hostAI users, with no extra fees: no listing fee, no commission and no per-booking charge.
• No setup. Every live hostFront site is included by default. Only the homes published on your site appear.
• The booking is yours. Guests book and pay on your hostFront site, through the same payment setup and PMS sync you use today. hostDirect never handles card details.
• No paid placement. Results are ranked on what matters to the guest (how well the home matches, ratings, listing quality and price fit), and no host can pay to rank higher.
• Your prices, your call. Prices come from the same pricing as your hostFront site: search cards show an estimate before fees and taxes, and opening a stay shows the exact total. If you have Name Your Price switched on, price requests come to you, and you decide what to offer.

What hostDirect is not

hostDirect is not an online travel agency. It doesn't take bookings, collect payments, or charge anyone a fee. It finds and prices stays, passes on price requests where the host accepts them, then hands the guest to the host. The booking, and the guest relationship that comes with it, belongs to the host.

FAQ

What is hostDirect?

hostDirect is a ChatGPT app from hostAI that searches vacation homes published on independent hosts' hostFront websites, checks availability and shows the exact price for your dates, lets you name your price where the host offers it, and sends you to the host's own website to book and pay.

Is hostDirect free?

Yes. Guests pay the host's own price on the host's website, with fees and taxes shown before they book, and no marketplace service fee on top. For hosts, hostDirect is included with hostAI at no extra fee: no listing fee, commission or per-booking charge.

How does Name Your Price work?

If the host has Name Your Price switched on, tell hostDirect what you'd like to pay for the stay, along with your name, email and phone. hostDirect sends the request to the host, and you get an offer or a reply by email. The host sets the final price, so a discount is never guaranteed.

Does hostDirect take payment or make the reservation?

No. hostDirect finds stays, checks availability and shows the exact price. The Book button opens the host's website, where the guest books and pays.

Which hosts appear in hostDirect?

Independent vacation rental hosts who run their direct-booking website on hostFront. Every live hostFront site is included by default, and only the homes published on that site appear.

I run a hostFront site. Do I need to do anything?

No. Your published homes are included automatically. If you'd rather not appear in hostDirect, email [email protected] and we'll remove your homes from hostDirect search results.

Can a host pay to rank higher?

No. There is no paid placement. Results are ranked on how well each home matches the guest's request, ratings, listing quality and price fit.

How do I get my homes into hostDirect?

Launch a direct-booking website with hostFront. It connects to Guesty, Hostaway, OwnerRez or Hostfully, and once your site is live, your published homes can be found in hostDirect at no extra cost.