About Us
What is the meaning behind the name HiChee?
HiChee's roots are in Hawaii, commonly abbreviated as "Hi." Chee comes from the word Cheehoo, a Hawaiian-Samoan exclamation similar to "whoo-hoo!." Visit our blog for more details and to hear how Cheehoo is properly uttered.
What is HiChee.com?
HiChee.com is a price comparison website for vacation rentals with additional industry-leading Book Direct tools that help travelers find the perfect vacation rental at the best price.
HiChee is NOT a booking platform like the big Online Travel Agencies (OTAs). We don't handle payment processing; we show travelers where to book for the lowest price.
For every property available on Airbnb, BookingCom, and/or Vrbo, we compare prices and provide links to the relevant booking platforms. When available, we also include the Estimated Book Direct Price (see “True Verified Host”).
What is HiChee's mission?
For travelers - our aim is to design and provide useful tools so you can make smarter, better, and faster booking decisions. Our goal is to improve honesty and transparency in the vacation rental booking process.
For hosts and managers - our aim is to provide open communication between you and your potential guests. We also want to increase traffic to your listings and promote your direct bookings.
Our motto? Check it before you book it!
How does HiChee work?
Simply copy and paste the URL of a rental property taken from Airbnb, BookingCom, or Vrbo into the first search field (i.e. https://www.airbnb.com/rooms/12121212) and hit "GO".
We provide the links to your favorite rentals in our price comparison results so you can book instantly on Airbnb, BookingCom, Vrbo, and, when available, direct-to-host (Book Direct) booking sites.
For more information, see our YouTube video.How does Magic Search on HiChee work?
If you can't find Book Direct information on a property because the host still needs to verify their listings on HiChee, you can use our Magic Search button.
You will be redirected to pre-populated Google search results that, thanks to a mix of images and key words, will list alternative booking options for the property - which may include Book Direct results and/or direct contact information.
For more information on how to use HiChee "Magic Search" see our YouTube video.How is HiChee different than HomeToGo and other travel search sites?
HomeToGo and many other booking platforms or Online Travel Agencies (OTAs) will show listings from many different sites, plus some property manager sites.
However, only HiChee shows head-to-head price differences for the same rental across different OTAs and the host's Book Direct website, when available.
I forgot my password, what should I do?
If you signed up with Facebook or Google, or requested a Login Link, you don't need a password to log in. You can simply click on the Facebook or Google login button, or click "Email a Login Link" to access your account.
If you need further assistance, please contact us via the Hichee Support link in the footer below or email help@hichee.com
We're here to help.
Traveler FAQ
How do I book a rental?
HiChee is not a booking website. We only show you the price comparison of each rental property taken from the three major Online Travel Agencies (OTAs): Airbnb, BookingCom, and Vrbo (when listed).
When available, we also show you Book Direct options so you can contact the host for price and booking details.
If you wish to book, you will need to do so via the appropriate channel.
What is a "True Verified Host" Listing?
A "True Verified Host" badge on the top-left corner of a listing's picture means that HiChee has validated the host's ownership of that listing.
This enables the traveler to contact the host directly, negotiate a lower rental price, or inquire about booking options.
How do I contact a Verified Host?
For available Book Direct deals, you can send the host an inquiry via email simply by clicking the black message icon
or the “Send Message” button
In many cases, you can also click the black “Visit Site” button
in the Book Direct section of the price comparison results to visit the host’s own website.
How do I contact a non-verified Host?
If a host has NOT verified their listings on HiChee yet, you can get in touch with them via their Airbnb, BookingCom, or Vrbo listing simply by clicking on the "View on Airbnb/BookingCom/Vrbo" tab, when available.
Alternatively, you can search the host's contact details using our "Magic Search" (see relevant FAQ)
How can I find other Book Direct options?
If a property hasn’t been verified yet, you can click on the “Magic Search direct booking options” button on the listing
and you will be directed to Google search results that will list alternative booking options of the property.
Why do the nightly rates seem higher than on other websites?
This is because other websites display a plain nightly rate which does not include the service fees and taxes.
HiChee calculates all fees and taxes and shows you a True Nightly Rate, so you can easily compare prices "apple-to-apples."
What is the Aggregated HiChee Review Rating?
On any rental listing page's Review section, HiChee shows an aggregated rating, which is based on combining the guests' review ratings from the major OTA booking sites listed, and calculating the average.
I sent an inquiry to the host, but got no reply. What should I do?
Please let us know if you do not get a reply from the host within 24 hours of your inquiry sent via "Send Message" on the HiChee website. Message us via the Hichee Support link in the footer below or email help@hichee.com and include the HiChee listing URL.
However, if you've sent an inquiry to the host (or already made a booking) via a different site other than HiChee (e.g. Airbnb, BookingCom, and Vrbo), please contact the host directly through that site.
How do I report a Listing?
You can report a listing for one of the following reasons:
On the top-right corner of each listing’s picture, click on the flag icon
and report the listing by choosing the relevant option from the menu.
Please also report the listing on the relevant Online Travel Agency (Airbnb, BookingCom, Vrbo); this is where the information we display is imported from.
If you wish to communicate with us regarding the listing, please contact Customer Support via the Hichee Support link in the footer below or email help@hichee.com
How do I delete my account and any stored information/data?
If you wish to delete your account and any stored information/data, please contact HiChee Customer Support via the Hichee Support link in the footer below or email help@hichee.com and we will assist you.
Host FAQ
Why verify my listings on HiChee?
Verifying your listings on HiChee can benefit your business in many ways.
HiChee does NOT process bookings, so there are no fees from us for driving traffic to your Airbnb, BookingCom, or Vrbo listings.
When you Verify your listings on HiChee and add your Book Direct link, travelers can get in touch with you directly, get a personalized quote, and negotiate booking terms.
Please check our YouTube Video or go to https://hichee.com/hosts for more information.How much does HiChee charge?
HiChee is free for both travelers and hosts to use.
We don't charge anything for adding your Book Direct website link to our site, which is a core feature of HiChee.
HiChee is growing fast, so in the future, we plan to offer marketing & advertising solutions and premium services or subscriptions.
Why is my Airbnb, BookingCom or Vrbo listing on HiChee?
HiChee is a fast-growing price comparison engine for over 7 million vacation properties worldwide. We automatically pull listings data in from Airbnb, BookingCom and Vrbo; thus our site is pre-populated with 12 million+ listings.
With a simple URL copy and paste, travelers can find the best deals, faster and free of charge.
For hosts like yourself, we do NOT process bookings, so there are no fees from us for driving traffic to your listings.
When you Verify your listings on HiChee, and add your direct booking link, travelers can get in touch with you directly, get a personalized quote, and negotiate booking terms.
Is it legal to show listings without the owner’s permission?
HiChee is a vacation rental price comparison search engine that automatically pulls listing content and shows published data on vacation rentals from several sources. We always show the source of the data and offer links to the original.
For fair use detailed information see the link below:
What is the copyright position of pictures / intellectual property on HiChee?
HiChee is a vacation rental price comparison search engine that automatically pulls listing content (including images and text) from Airbnb, BookingCom and Vrbo.
For fair use detailed information see the link below:
How can I get add my Direct Booking Site to my Hichee listing?
If you control an existing listing on Airbnb, BookingCom or Vrbo, you simply need to go through our "True Host" verification process to verify your listing ownership.
During the verification process, you will be prompted to submit your Book Direct website URL to HiChee. If you DON'T have a Book Direct site, you can submit a Facebook or other preferred link that promotes your property.
NOTE: We do NOT allow hosts to "create" a listing on HiChee. We simply pull your property data from your existing Airbnb, BookingCom or Vrbo listing.
Visit https://hichee.com/listing-verification to verify your property.
How can I easily verify multiple listings?
If you have more than 5 vacation rental listings to verify with HiChee and add their Book Direct website URLs, please email us via help@hichee.com and we will assist with bulk verification.
What URLs are accepted for HiChee verification?
These are examples of accepted URLs and listing IDs:
- Airbnb:
https://www.airbnb.com/rooms/12121212
https://www.airbnb.es/rooms/12121212
Or enter just your listing property ID, for example, 12121212
- BookingCom:
https://www.booking.com/hotel/us/us/abcdef.html
https://www.booking.com/hotel/us/abcdef.en-gb.html
- Vrbo:
https://www.vrbo.com/en-gb/p12121212
https://www.vrbo.com/12121212ha
Or enter just your listing property ID, for example, 12121212ha
- HiChee:
https://hichee.com/listings/12121212
How do I Edit my verified listings?
Login to HiChee and navigate to “For hosts” and “Listings Dashboard” to see your verified listings area.
Above the listing that you want to edit, you will see an “Edit” icon. Just click that to edit the listing.
How do I Delete my verified listings?
Login to HiChee and navigate to “For hosts” and “Listings Dashboard” to see your verified listings area.
Above the listing that you want to delete, you will see a “Delete” icon. Just click that to delete the listing, and confirm.
How do I add matches to Verified listings?
When you first verify your listing on HiChee, it will be matched with one of the three major Online Travel Agencies (OTAs).
If you list your property on more than one OTA, you can add additional URLs by editing each listing profile from your dashboard.
If you have any questions or issues, please contact HiChee Customer Support via the Hichee Support link in the footer below or email help@hichee.com
We're here to help.
I use a PMS (Property Management System) or Channel Manager, and cannot verify my listings on HiChee, what should I do?
Do you manage your properties through a PMS such as OwnerRez or Rentals United?
When verifying your listings on HiChee, please make sure to move the pictures on your Airbnb, BookingCom or Vrbo account directly rather than making the picture move on your PMS. This is because some PMSs take 24 hours to update the picture move, creating a timeout on our system.
You can always move the photo back to its original position once you have verified if you wish.
If you have any questions or issues, please contact HiChee Customer Support via the Hichee Support link in the footer below or email help@hichee.com
We're here to help.
I cannot verify my BookingCom listing on HiChee; what should I do?
We are currently experiencing temporary issues with BookingCom listings during the verification process. If you list with either Airbnb or Vrbo, please verify your listing via one of those platforms.
If you only list with BookingCom, get in touch with Customer Support via the Hichee Support link in the footer below or email help@hichee.com to be informed of the progress.
We're here to help.
I cannot verify a listing - I get an error message; what should I do?
You are trying to verify one of your listings on HiChee, but get an error message.
This may happen because that specific listing you are working on is already verified. It could have been verified with another account (created with a different email address) or from another user within your company.
If your listing has been verified using a secondary account (i.e. created with a personal e-mail address), or from another user within your company, and you want to merge it with your main account linked to your business e-mail address, you can simply un-verify the listing; log in to your secondary account, go to the dashboard and click on delete. Once done, log in to your main account and re-verify the listing.
If you have any other questions or a different type of error message, please contact us via the Hichee Support link in the footer below or email help@hichee.com.
We're here to help.
I can’t find my property on the maps, what can I do?
Go to https://hichee.com/ and search for your location, zoom in on the map to where your property is located, and click the “update search” button.
If you have any other questions or issues, please contact HiChee Customer Support via the Hichee Support link in the footer below or email help@hichee.com
We’re here to help.
Why do I see other people's listings on my Single Listing View?
We display other similar alternative booking options in the same area for travelers so they can select the best accommodation option for their requirements.
Remember that we also show your listing on other hosts' single listing view, increasing listings' visibility for everyone.
How is the "Estimated Book Direct Price" calculated on Hichee?
On HiChee we compare rates for your property with the prices taken from Airbnb, BookingCom, and Vrbo.
HiChee is not connected to hosts or managers' websites, so we cannot display de facto Book Direct prices.
We do, however, show an ESTIMATED (Book Direct) PRICE calculated by the lowest Online Travel Agency (OTA) price minus service fees.
If the Online Travel Agency (OTA) doesn't display service fees, we subtract 12% from the OTA price and display that figure as the "Estimated Book Direct Price."
Travelers can get to your site directly from HiChee and enquire about
the exact rates for specific dates once you have verified your listing
and provided your Book Direct link.
What if I need to speak to a live person for help?
If you are a host with complex questions not answered by this FAQ, please contact HiChee Customer Support via the Hichee Support link in the footer below (Intercom) or email help@hichee.com.
You may text us or leave a message at +1 (808) 445-9938 or call us between 9am- 5pm CET
We're here to help.