Sikes Vacations

Booking direct

What You Actually Pay: Direct Booking vs. Airbnb & VRBO Fees

The nightly rate you see on Airbnb or VRBO usually isn't the nightly rate you pay — both add a guest service fee at checkout, on top of whatever the host is charging. Here's what that actually comes to, and what booking directly with Sikes Vacations charges instead.

Airbnb

Airbnb's guest service fee currently runs around 14.2% of the booking subtotal, charged on top of the host's nightly rate and cleaning fee. Starting September 15, 2026, Airbnb is changing this: the separate guest fee goes away, and instead Airbnb takes 15.5% directly out of what the host receives. Either way, that fee is built into the price of the stay somewhere — it doesn't disappear, it just moves which line item it shows up on.

VRBO

VRBO doesn't publish a flat rate — its guest service fee runs on a sliding scale, typically 6% to 15% of the reservation subtotal (nightly rate plus any mandatory fees, not counting tax or a refundable deposit). Shorter, cheaper bookings tend to land at the higher end of that range; longer, pricier stays tend toward the lower end. The only way to see the exact number is to get partway through VRBO's checkout.

Booking direct with Sikes Vacations

There's no platform fee layered on top here, because there's no platform between you and the booking. What you pay is:

  • The nightly rate, shown as-is — nothing added at checkout
  • A fixed cleaning fee, set per property and shown before you book
  • A 3% damage waiver on the stay subtotal, which replaces a refundable security deposit — see the cancellation & booking policies page for exactly what it covers
  • Washington state and local lodging tax, which runs roughly 10-16% depending on the property's exact address — the same tax any licensed short-term rental has to collect, direct-booked or not

That's the whole list. No separate guest service fee, because that fee only exists to pay for the platform sitting between you and the host — and there isn't one. Browse properties to see the real total before you book.