Guests ask us this often enough that it’s worth laying out clearly: what’s the actual difference between booking one of our Birmingham homes direct versus through Airbnb, Booking.com, or a similar site?
The property. No difference. It’s the same home, whether you find it on a platform or on our own site — same furnishing, same self check-in system, same standard throughout our properties across Birmingham and Solihull.
The price. This is where it changes. Platforms add a service or booking fee on top of the nightly rate, which you only see fully itemised at checkout. Book direct with us and there’s no platform fee added — the price you see when you check availability is the final price.
Who you’re talking to. Through a platform, your messages typically go through their system, and any issue gets handled according to their policies, on their timeline. Book direct, and you’re speaking with Danny and Callum, who own and run every property themselves. A question about parking or an early check-in gets a real answer from someone who can act on it.
Flexibility on longer stays. Platforms are generally built around nightly bookings. If you’re staying for a week, a month, or longer — relocating for work, here on an extended contract, or house hunting before a move — we can quote for the whole period directly, which is often simpler and better value than piecing together a long stay through a platform’s nightly pricing.
Reviews and trust. We understand why platforms feel like the safer, more trusted option — reviews and a familiar booking flow do that. But the reviews you’ll find from guests who’ve stayed at properties like Sheldon House, Fort House and Southside reflect the same properties and same service you’d get booking through us directly.
The bottom line. If you’ve found one of our properties on a platform and you’re comfortable booking direct instead, it’s worth the two extra minutes — same home, same hosts, lower price.
Check live availability across all our homes, or browse our properties to compare for your next Birmingham stay.