Stay Texas Hospitality Group Drives Nearly Half of All Bookings Through Its Own Direct Platform

As the vacation rental industry battles OTA dependency, the Fredericksburg company has built a direct booking engine that rivals third-party platform volume.

FREDERICKSBURG, TX, UNITED STATES, May 5, 2026 /EINPresswire.com/ -- For most vacation rental management companies, online travel agencies like Airbnb and VRBO are not just partners; they are the primary source of revenue. Algorithm changes, commission increases, or policy shifts on a single platform can materially disrupt an operator’s business overnight. That structural vulnerability is something Stay Texas Hospitality Group has spent more than a decade working to avoid.

The Fredericksburg, TX-based luxury vacation rental and property management company reports that nearly 50% of its reservations are made directly through its own platform rather than third-party channels, a figure that stands well above the industry norm. According to industry research, direct booking sites captured approximately 34% of all U.S. vacation rental bookings in 2024, making Stay Texas’s direct booking rate a meaningful outlier in a market where OTA dependency remains the default.

The company, founded in 2013 by Matt and Jenna Durrette, attributes this performance to more than a decade of brand-building across the Texas Hill Country. Rather than relying on OTA visibility as the core of their marketing strategy, Stay Texas Hospitality Group has invested in a proprietary booking website, search and pay-per-click advertising, a dedicated reservations team, and a 5% repeat-renter discount that incentivizes guests to return directly. Properties are simultaneously listed across more than 20 booking channels including Airbnb, VRBO, Marriott Hotels & Villas, Booking.com, and TripAdvisor, with all listing fees absorbed by the company.

The financial implications for property owners are significant. OTA commissions typically range from 15% to 25% per booking. When a substantial portion of a portfolio’s reservations bypasses those fees entirely, the revenue retained per booking increases materially, with no reduction in booking volume.
“We made a deliberate choice early on to build our own brand, not just our listings,” said Matt Durrette, Co-Founder and CEO of Stay Texas Hospitality Group in Fredericksburg, TX. “When guests search for Hill Country vacation rentals and they find us directly, that reservation costs our owners far less to acquire, and it builds a guest relationship that we actually own.”

That guest relationship extends beyond the initial booking. The Stay Texas platform offers curated local guides, personalized concierge recommendations for wineries, dining, and outdoor experiences, and 24/7 support staffed by a team based in the company’s East Main Street office in Fredericksburg. The accessibility of local, on-the-ground staff reinforces the brand experience in a way that remote or technology-only property managers cannot replicate.
For Hill Country homeowners evaluating property management options, the direct booking performance of Stay Texas Hospitality Group offers a concrete, measurable differentiator. In a market where nearly two-thirds of property managers surveyed identified direct booking growth as a top goal for 2025, the company is already operating at a level most competitors are still working toward.

About Stay Texas Hospitality Group
Stay Texas Hospitality Group is a luxury vacation rental and property management company headquartered in Fredericksburg, TX. Founded in 2013 by Matt and Jenna Durrette, the company manages a curated portfolio of vacation homes across more than 20 Texas destinations, including Fredericksburg, Canyon Lake, New Braunfels, Marble Falls, Johnson City, and Dripping Springs. Stay Texas provides guests with 24/7 concierge support, hotel-grade housekeeping, and thoughtfully curated local recommendations. Property owners receive full-service management including dynamic pricing, multi-channel distribution, in-house maintenance, and transparent accounting. For more information, visit staytexas.com or call (830) 999-2694.

Media Contact
Stay Texas Hospitality Group
Address: 1303 E Main St, Fredericksburg, TX 78624
Phone: (830) 999-2694
Website: https://staytexas.com/

Matt Durrette
Stay Texas Hospitality Group
+1 830-999-2694
reservations@staytexas.com
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