Does a video help a holiday rental or Airbnb get more bookings?

Where a video can actually go

Your own booking site or website is the easiest place to start, because you control the format completely and it's what earns you a direct booking instead of paying a platform's commission. Your Google Business Profile is next, since a short clip there sits right where people compare you against nearby listings. Social media works well for a shorter, more casual version aimed at people still deciding where to go, not just where to stay.

Listing platforms are a different story. Airbnb, Booking.com and similar sites each have their own rules on whether and how you can add video, and those rules change from time to time, so check the current policy on the specific platform before you plan around it rather than assuming it works the same way everywhere.

Wherever it lives, video works alongside your photos rather than replacing them. Most guests still scan the photo gallery first, then watch the video once something's caught their interest, so keep both up to date and consistent with each other.

The shots guests actually check before booking

Guests aren't browsing for beauty, they're checking for reassurance. These are the shots that answer the questions people message hosts about most:

• Arrival: the entrance, parking if there is any, and how check-in actually works, because arriving somewhere unfamiliar at night is when guests feel most uncertain.
• Beds: size and how many, filmed honestly rather than from an angle that hides how small a room is.
• Bathroom: shower or bath, and whether it's shared or private, one of the most-asked questions for any rental.
• Kitchen: what's actually in it, since 'fully equipped' means different things to different hosts.
• View and what's nearby: the beach, the old town, the nearest café, whatever's genuinely a two-minute walk rather than a scenic detour.

Short and vertical, or calm and complete?

A vertical clip of 15 to 30 seconds for social media works best fast: a few of the best rooms and the view, cut to music, aimed at someone scrolling who hasn't decided where to stay yet. Your website wants the opposite: a calmer 60 to 90 second walkthrough at a normal pace, letting someone who's already interested actually see the space they'd be staying in without feeling rushed or sold to.

Filming both from one visit is usually straightforward, since the calm walkthrough footage can be recut faster and shorter for the vertical version afterwards. If you manage several properties, this also means one trip to each one can cover a year or more of content, rather than a fresh shoot every time a listing needs refreshing.

Drone and timelapse for the setting

If the setting is a genuine part of the appeal, a rural property, a coastal view, mountains nearby, drone footage of the surroundings and a sunset or sunrise timelapse over the property add real value. Flights are subject to local aviation rules covering where and how close to people you can fly, and these vary by country, so it's worth checking the current rules for that location, or asking whoever you book, before counting on drone shots. I shoot both alongside video, and photos can be added to the same visit for +€90, which usually covers everything a listing needs from one trip.

Keep it honest

The single biggest risk with rental video is making the place look better than it is. A wide lens that makes a small room look spacious, or footage from a bright day when the rental gets no natural light most of the year, sets up a guest to be disappointed on arrival, and disappointed guests leave the reviews that hurt future bookings far more than an unremarkable but accurate video ever would. Film at a normal focal length, on a typical day, and let the property's real strengths do the work.

If there's a genuine downside, a steep staircase, road noise, no lift, it's usually better handled in the video than hidden. A brief, matter-of-fact mention costs you almost nothing, while a guest discovering it on arrival costs you a review.

Getting started with one visit

One visit can cover the full shot list above: a promo-style shoot for a holiday let usually runs a couple of hours and produces both the calm website version and the short social cut. If you're running more than one property, or comparing this to a hotel's needs, video for hotels and direct bookings covers the same idea at a larger scale. Book it for a day when the property's already guest-ready between bookings, so you're not tidying and filming at the same time.