The vacation rental business, which is like a subset of the travel industry, is one of the most lucrative and rewarding business models anyone can go into. However, with the huge money-making potential also comes insane competition, and if you want to take your business to the next level, you should consider creating your own direct booking website. There are lots of benefits that come with building your vacation rental website; one of the reasons is that you will have the freedom to customize your website the way you please. Also, while Airbnb has been serving as good leverage for many small vacation rental businesses, creating your direct booking website will ensure you’re not leaving any money on the table.
The first step in building your vacation rental website is to choose a website builder. This step can be overwhelming, as there are lots of them out there. In this post, we review some of the best vacation rental website builders that provide the best design options, Aesthetics, and templates. Here’s want our list looks like:
6 Best Vacation Rental Website Builders
- Lodgify- Best Innovative Vacation Rental Website Builder
- OwnerRez – Best Vacation Rental Website Builder for Property Managers
- Boostly – Best Done-for-You Vacation Rental Website Builder
- Wix – Best Vacation Rental Website Builder for Ease of Use
- WordPress – Best Vacation Rental Website Builder for Customization
- Syncbnb – Best Vacation Rental Website Builder for sleek Templates
1. Lodgify – Best Innovative Vacation Rental Website Builder
Pricing: starts at $12.00 a month + a 1.9% booking fee
When it comes to vacation rental website builders that give you the freedom to put your personal touch on your website, then you want to consider Lodgify. You can even refer to them as the “Shopify” of vacation rentals and you won’t be far from the truth. One of the reasons why they are loved is because they offer loads of rich backend features, which give you more control and flexibility. If you have been into the business of vacation rentals for a while, the chances are that you’ve come across some Lodgify websites on the Internet even if you don’t know. Lodgify is perfect for those looking for a simple website builder with a ton of automation and backend features, Lodgify is a great software solution for you.
Lodgify is flexible with its pricing as you can get started for as low as $12.00 a month + a 1.9% booking fee, which is not a deal breaker for serious-minded businesses. There is also a free version for businesses with occasional bookings. However, on this plan, Lodgify charges a 3.9% fee per booking.
KEY FEATURES
- Bookable website
- Channel manager
- Guest Messaging
- Free domain
- Manual payments
- Expanded dashboard
- Phone support
REASONS TO BUY
- Multiple integration options
- Easy to use
REASON TO AVOID
- A bit pricey for startups
2. OwnerRez – Best Vacation Rental Website Builder for Property Managers
Pricing: starts at $35 a month
OwnerRez has come a long way in the property and vacation rental space. It’s a software solution that caters to the needs of its users, which explains why its loyal and committed customer base keeps growing. OwnerRez boasts loads of impressive features that give you the freedom to have as much control as possible. The software solution is highly affordable and the customer support is also top-notch. When it comes to backend features, OwnerRez is a software solution that excels in this easily. However, when it comes to their website design and customization options, there are limitations, but their management structure and unique offerings make up for their limited design features.
OwnerRez has a flexible pricing structure that starts at $35 for one property. However, the costs can quickly add up if you are managing multiple properties.
KEY FEATURES
- Channel management
- Payment processing
- Rental agreements
- Accounting
- Property management
- Integrations
- Messaging
- Websites
REASONS TO BUY
- Super easy to use
- Flexible pricing
REASON TO AVOID
- Expensive if you are managing multiple properties
3. Boostly – Best Done-for-You Vacation Rental Website Builder
Pricing: starting at £99.00
If you want a fully customizable and professional direct booking website to help take your business to the next level, Boostly may be a viable option for you. Boostly offers complete done-for-you vacation rental website creation from scratch to businesses that do not want to do any of the hard work associated with building their websites. The websites are built on WordPress – the world’s most popular and trusted open-source content management system. They help you structure the website in a way that converts prospects into paying customers. The package comes with a domain name and hosting setup and configuration, SSL certificate, sleek template, premium plugins, tech support, and training.
This type of service doesn’t come cheap though. Starting at £99 for a one-page website, and as high as £1,500 for multiple properties, it’s not for Businesses on a shoestring budget.
KEY FEATURES
- Done-for-you setup
- SSL certificate
- Website hosting
- Technical support
- Flexible pricing and packages
- Professional websites
REASONS TO BUY
- Responsive designs
- Tech support and training
REASON TO AVOID
- A bit expensive for a low-budget business
4. Wix – Best Vacation Rental Website Builder for Ease of Use
Pricing: Starts at $4.50 a month
Wix is a comprehensive multi-purpose website that serves several industries. It is no doubt one of the best website-building software right now. It allows businesses and individuals to get started with building and customizing their websites without hassle. Getting started is as easy as signing up with your email, and picking a theme, and your website is live and ready for business. Wix has special themes and templates for the property and vacation rental business. You can easily pick any of these templates and start tweaking them to your taste. One thing users love the most about Wix is its ease of use.
Wix is free to use if you are okay with having Wix as a part of your domain name. They may also put a Wix branding at the footer of your website. However, you can have your website to yourself if you take up one of their premium plans.
KEY FEATURES
- Wix Editor
- Stunning templates
- Complete design freedom
- Advanced SEO tools
- Responsive design
- Unlimited fonts
- Scroll effects
- Media galleries
REASONS TO BUY
- Super easy to use
- Sleek templates
REASON TO AVOID
- The free version is limited
5. WordPress – Best Vacation Rental Website Builder for Customization
Pricing: Free
WordPress is the most popular open-source content management software in the world. Many of the top and leading companies today have their website built on WordPress. If are trying to build a vacation rentals website on WordPress, you will get access to countless numbers of themes, which you can choose from. While WordPress is free, you still need to purchase a domain name and hosting to run your vacations rentals website.
KEY FEATURES
- Easy publishing
- User management
- Media management
- Easy theme system
- Unlimited plugins
- Multiple languages
- Application framework
REASONS TO USE
- Free to use
- Unlimited customization options
REASON TO AVOID
- Steep learning curve for newbies
6. Syncbnb – Best Vacation Rental Website Builder for sleek Templates
Pricing: starts at $19.00 a month
Syncbnb makes it possible and easy for you to get a full and functional vacation rental website. If after a while of being with Syncbnb you decide to leave, you will still get to keep your website. That’s because you have lots of control and freedom to do as you please with the website. You will be able to take direct bookings and process credit card and PayPal payments from your website. There are also lots of design and customization features that you can leverage to take your business from where it is to where it ought to be.
KEY FEATURES
- Expense management
- Availability & rate sync
- Reports and charts
- Automated messaging
- Supported channels
- Updates by phone
- Multiple configurations
- Zero double booking
REASONS TO BUY
- Excellent support
- No double bookings
REASON TO AVOID
- A bit expensive if you have multiple rentals
References and Links
- https://www.getfloorspace.com/vacation-rental-website-builders/
- https://www.hostaway.com/best-vacation-rental-website-builders/
- https://www.needmorerentals.com/vacation-rental-website-builders/
- https://www.buildupbookings.com/blog/vacation-rental-website-builders/
- https://hosttools.com/blog/short-term-rental-direct-bookings/how-to-build-a-vacation-rental-website/
- https://realtycrux.com/in-depth-review-of-3-best-vacation-rental-website-builders/