Traveller guide

How this actually works

You don’t buy a night online. You write to someone, and they write back. It’s slower, it’s deliberate, and here is exactly how it works.

Contents
  1. 0101 — You search
  2. 0202 — You send a request
  3. 0303 — The host replies
  4. 0404 — You pay the host
  5. 05What you should know, and what the others leave out

01 — You search

Filter by destination, by type of place, by eco-score. Every listing shows its score out of 100 and how that score was reached: you see where each point comes from before you write to anyone.

The scale is public, and the same for everyone. A host cannot buy points, and cannot pay to climb the results.

02 — You send a request

Not a booking: a request. You create an account, you give your dates and the number of travellers, and you write to the host.

Your message reaches them by e-mail, with your address as the reply-to. From there, the conversation is yours.

03 — The host replies

Straight into your inbox, usually within 24 to 48 hours. You are talking to a person, not to an engine.

Between you, you agree the dates, the price, the deposit if there is one, and the cancellation terms. Those terms are the host’s, and they appear on the listing before you write a word.

04 — You pay the host

No payment goes through ecobooking. We take nothing, we hold nothing, we do not sit on your money for the length of your stay.

The price shown is the price. No traveller service fee is added to it — not when you send the request, not afterwards.

What you should know, and what the others leave out

A host may not replythese places are often run by two people, not by a booking desk. If nothing comes back within 48 hours, write to us: we chase them.

We cannot refund yousince we take no money. What you agree with the host binds you both. If the host falls short, we take it up with them and can remove them from the catalogue — that is our only lever, and it is a real one.

Availability is not guaranteedsome hosts sync their calendar, others don’t. A place shown as free may no longer be: the only confirmation that counts is the host’s.

Frequently asked questions

Can I book and pay directly on ecobooking?

No, and that is a choice. You send a request, the host replies by e-mail, and you settle up with them directly. No money passes through the platform.

Do I need an account to contact a host?

Yes. It is how we know who the host is replying to, and how we can step in if the conversation goes wrong. We ask only for your name and your e-mail address.

Are there service fees for the traveller?

None. The price on the listing is the price you pay the host, on the terms the two of you agree.

How long does a host take to reply?

Usually 24 to 48 hours. Some places are run by one or two people who don’t read their messages every day. If you have heard nothing after 48 hours, write to us.

What if the host doesn’t honour what was advertised?

Write to us. We are not a party to the contract and cannot refund you, but we take it up with the host, we correct the listing, and we remove them from the catalogue if it happens again.

Find a place to stay

Filter by eco-score, read how the score was reached, write to the host. That’s all there is to it.