Booking sites · Vacation rentals

Whimstay: last-minute bookings for open nights

Whimstay is a marketplace for last-minute vacation rental stays, mostly within 30 days of check-in. It charges a 5% commission on confirmed bookings, and it asks hosts to offer a discount on those nights. It’s a way to fill gap nights and open weekends, not a replacement for your main channels.

What hosts pay
5% commission plus a required discount
Best for
Vacation rentals
Connects through booking software
Yes, 7 booking systems covered here list it

Fees and rules checked October 2026

Who lists on Whimstay

Vacation rental hosts and property managers with open nights coming up soon. Independent hosts can join too, without booking software.

What it costs

  • A 5% commission on confirmed bookings, with no listing fees.
  • A required discount on the nights you offer: 10% for listings connected through booking software, and 15% for listings synced from an Airbnb profile.
  • Whimstay focuses on stays within 30 days. You can choose to offer discounted nights further out.

How it connects

Property managers connect through their booking software, and Whimstay lists more than 20 connections. Independent hosts can sign up with their Airbnb profile, import their listings and sync calendars. There’s no exclusivity.

Most booking software also works as a channel manager, so your rates and open dates stay in sync here, on your own website and on every other site you connect. How that works, with Comal Inn's setup.

Booking software covered on Firsthand Stays that lists Whimstay:

What I’d do

Think of Whimstay as a way to sell nights that would otherwise sit empty. Price those nights knowing the discount comes first, then the commission, and make sure your calendar sync is solid so a last-minute booking never lands on a night you already sold.

Questions

Is Whimstay commission-free?

No. It charges a 5% commission on confirmed bookings, with no listing fees. Hosts also offer a required discount: 10% through booking software, or 15% through an Airbnb profile sync.

Can I list on Whimstay without booking software?

Yes. Since July 2025, independent hosts can join with their Airbnb profile, import their listings and sync calendars.

Is Whimstay only for last-minute stays?

Mostly. It focuses on stays within 30 days, and hosts can choose to offer discounted nights further out.

Does Whimstay require exclusivity?

No. You can keep listing on every other site.

Sources

From Whimstay's own website and help center unless noted, checked October 2026. Fees and rules change, so confirm with Whimstay before you decide. Firsthand Stays isn't affiliated with Whimstay.

Other booking sites

All booking sites

Keep Whimstay. Add a direct option.

A direct booking website runs on the same booking software as your channels, so rates and dates stay in sync everywhere.

See direct booking websites