Best Vacation Rental Website Builders of 2024

As the vacation rental market gets increasingly competitive, having your own website can make your properties shine online. With a direct booking website, you can boost your profits by avoiding booking fees and gaining freedom from OTAs like Airbnb and VRBO.

Luckily, creating a website for your vacation rental has never been simpler. In this article, we've analyzed the top vacation rental website builders. We'll compare their features to help you find the perfect match for your needs, budget, and style.

Things to Keep in Mind when Choosing a Website Builder

When selecting a website builder for your vacation rental, there are some important factors to consider:

• Additional vacation rental features: Keep in mind that these website builders are part of a larger property management system. Look into other features they offer, such as channel management, automation, and any others that might interest you.

• Value for the price: The price points of these platforms vary widely. Since the website builder is just one aspect of the vacation rental management software, consider what else you are getting for the price.

Did you know that the Hostaway direct booking website builder integrates seamlessly with the Channel Manager and PMS, can be stood up in 5 minutes, and is offered free of charge for Hostaway users?”

• Customization options: Check how many templates the website builder provides and how much you can customize them. Can you change fonts, colors, and create additional pages to suit your brand and style?

• Design aesthetic: Consider the appearance of the websites created by the builder. Depending on your priorities and the image you want to portray to potential guests, the design may be more or less important to you.

Popular Website Builders of 2024

Hostaway:

Hostaway is a leading vacation rental software company that provides a comprehensive platform for property owners and managers. With a user-friendly interface, robust features, and seamless integration with various booking platforms and vacation rental softwares in their marketplace, Hostaway empowers users to create professional websites that captivate their target audience. From showcasing property details to managing reservations, Hostaway streamlines the entire booking process, allowing property owners to focus on growing and providing a memorable guest experience.

Hostaway Features:

Customizable templates: Hostaway provided a selection of professionally designed templates tailored specifically for vacation rental properties. These templates were fully customizable, allowing property owners to add their branding elements, images, and personalized content to create a unique and attractive website.

Mobile responsiveness: With an increasing number of users accessing websites on mobile devices, having a mobile-responsive design is crucial. Hostaway's website builder ensured that the created websites look and function flawlessly across various screen sizes and devices, including smartphones and tablets.

Direct booking integration: One of the significant advantages of Hostaway's website builder was its seamless integration with the reservation management system. This integration enabled users to incorporate a secure online booking system directly into their website. Guests could easily browse available dates, view property descriptions, and make reservations without leaving the site.

Channel synchronization: Hostaway's website builder was designed to synchronize seamlessly with various online booking platforms and marketplaces. This feature ensured that property details, availability, and rates were automatically updated across all integrated channels, saving property owners time and reducing the risk of double bookings.

Property showcase: The website builder enabled property owners to create visually appealing galleries and showcases for their vacation rentals. High-quality images and comprehensive property descriptions enhanced the overall user experience, capturing the attention of potential guests.

Amenities and features: Hostaway's website builder allowed users to highlight specific amenities and features that made their properties stand out. Whether it was a private pool, a fully equipped kitchen, or pet-friendly accommodations, property owners could showcase these unique selling points to attract the right guests.

Automated messaging: To improve guest communication and streamline operations, the website builder integrated automated messaging features. Property owners could set up automated messages to greet guests, provide check-in instructions, send booking confirmations, and request reviews.

Hostaway Pros:

• It's free for Hostaway users
• Easy drag & drop website builder
• No technical experience required
• Responsive web design, no code needed
• Templates built by a web designer
• All-in-One online store builder
• Ability to connect to a channel manager

Hostaway Cons:

• You need to be a Hostaway User to have access to it.

Hostaway is ideal if:

• You are a Hostaway user because it’s free for you.
• You want to be able to connect your direct booking site to Hostaway’s channel manager.
• You’ve fallen in love with one of Hostaway’s templates.

Squarespace:

Known for its stunning design, Squarespace offers a Real Estate & Properties template category with excellent options for vacation rental websites.

If you prefer the Squarespace aesthetic but need more booking features, you can easily add a "Book Now" button that connects to any other direct booking software.

Squarespace Pros:

• Beautiful website templates with eye-catching designs.
• Easy to use and create visually appealing websites.

Squarespace Cons:

• Requires third-party software to accept direct bookings.
• No built-in channel manager for managing multiple platforms and avoiding double-booking.

Squarespace is ideal if:

• You don't plan to take direct bookings directly through your website (or plan to use separate vacation rental software).
• You appreciate the attractive Squarespace website templates and want to showcase your properties in a visually appealing manner.

Wix:

Wix has gained massive popularity in recent years due to its user-friendly platform and extensive range of templates and features. You can create virtually any type of website you can imagine with Wix. For vacation rental owners and property managers, Wix offers a variety of "travel & tourism" related website templates that are perfect for showcasing your properties and integrating a booking calendar.

Wix Pros:

• Affordable pricing options, making it accessible for various budgets.
• A wide selection of Wix vacation rental templates to suit your property's style and theme.
• Provides numerous customization options to personalize your site and add additional features.

Wix Cons:

• Setting up direct bookings on Wix requires some initial setup.
• There's no built-in channel manager for seamless management across multiple platforms.

Consider using Wix if:

• You have a small number of properties to manage, or if you plan to integrate with another vacation rental software for direct bookings.
• Direct bookings are not a priority for your rental business, and you may rely on other booking channels.
• You have found a Wix website template that aligns with your vision and suits your vacation rental needs.

WordPress:

According to some estimates, WordPress powers more than 30% of the internet. It's open-source software, meaning it's free to use, and it has a vast community of users and developers continuously working to improve it.

To create a WordPress site for your vacation rental business, you'll need three essential components:

• Hosting subscription: You'll need a hosting service like GoDaddy, where your website will be hosted and made accessible on the internet.
• Vacation rental WordPress theme: Choose a suitable theme designed specifically for vacation rentals to give your website the right look and feel.
• Direct booking plugin: To enable direct bookings, you'll need a plugin that integrates with your reservation system.

WordPress Pros:

• Offers nearly limitless options for customizing your website to match your unique vision.
• There's an extensive library of plugins and themes to choose from, allowing you to add various functionalities and change the appearance of your site.
• It can be cost-effective, depending on the choices you make for hosting, themes, and plugins.

WordPress Cons:

• Setting up a WordPress website requires some technical knowledge and initial setup work, which may be challenging for those unfamiliar with web development.

We suggest using WordPress if:

• You are willing to invest time in learning how to set up your site, or if you plan to hire someone to build a customized website for you.
• You want full control and ownership of your website, allowing you to customize it with very few limitations.

Specialized Direct Booking Website Builders

Boostly

Boostly offers an innovative website builder tailored for the hospitality sector, enabling hosts to effortlessly craft direct booking websites. It features intuitive built-in templates and guest review plugins, streamlining the website creation process.

Boostly empowers property owners and managers to effectively attract their target audience, showcasing their unique offerings and leveraging customer feedback for greater engagement and trust

WebReady

Webready has rapidly become a standout choice for short-term rental owners, offering a robust, cost-effective solution for building an online presence. Its platform is highly user-friendly, providing a professional-grade, personalized booking enginne website at no cost.

The service focuses on making a strong initial impact on guests, setting the stage for enhanced guest experiences and increased potential for repeat visits, thereby maximizing revenue opportunities.

Lodgea

Lodgea stands at the forefront of digital innovation in the hospitality sector, offering a unique combination of a website builder and booking engine, tailored for short-term rentals and hotels.

This platform is crafted to enhance direct booking revenues with its intuitive design, featuring a comprehensive, multi-language, and multi-currency website builder. It integrates advanced payment processing and leverages AI for content optimization.

Lodgea distinguishes itself through its smooth integration with Property Management Systems (PMS) and Channel Managers, ensuring up-to-the-minute synchronization of content, rates, and bookings.

As a cloud-native application optimized for both conversion and user experience, Lodgea automatically adjusts to all devices, providing property owners and managers with a powerful tool to create a high-converting, efficient online presence that showcases their properties effectively, much like the vast array of "travel & tourism" templates offered by Wix for vacation rental owners and property managers

Intercoastal Net Design (ICND)

As a premier provider of direct booking websites for vacation rentals, ICND presents a trio of website solutions to cater to every need. Similar to how Wix has revolutionized website creation with its user-friendly platform and diverse templates, ICND offers a tailored experience whether you're just starting out or are a seasoned professional, whether your business is small or large, specialized or diverse.

Choose from a DIY website builder for those who prefer a more hands-off approach, or opt for a more guided experience with expert assistance every step of the way. ICND's flexibility ensures that your website is crafted to fit your unique experience and requirements, echoing the vast possibilities and ease of customization that platforms like Wix provide.

DTravel

Dtravel is revolutionizing the vacation rental industry with its community-owned and operated travel ecosystem. Dtravel introduces Dtravel Direct Build, a cutting-edge vacation rental direct booking site builder designed for property managers.

This platform allows for the quick creation of modern, premium websites, reminiscent of Wix's user-friendly interface and wide range of templates. Dtravel Direct Build empowers property managers to easily establish their own brand and increase earnings, all without the need for coding skills – offering a high level of convenience and customization.