- Hotel website builders at a glance
- Ten hotel website builders to compare
- Which builder suits your property
- Show every mandatory fee up front
- Booking engine first, design second
- Seven questions to ask a hotel website supplier
- Signs your hotel site is sending guests elsewhere
- My plain advice on hotel websites
- Frequently asked questions
A hotel website builder creates your property's own site with a booking engine, so guests can book direct instead of through online travel agencies. Most are part of a hotel software suite, alongside a channel manager or property management system. Choose by property size and which systems you already use. Ten options follow, in no particular order.
Every direct booking is one you didn't share with an online travel agency. That's why independent hotels, B&Bs and rental owners care so much about their own website, and why the booking engine behind it matters as much as the design.
The ten tools below suit small properties, independent hotels and vacation rentals. They're listed alphabetically and in no particular order, and every description comes from the vendor's own website, read this week. If you run a small property in the UK, my guide to AI for hotels and B&Bs covers what to automate next.
Hotel website builders at a glance
I checked the free plan column on each tool's own website, as of Oct 2026. Yes means the site says the tool, or a plan or version of it, is free. Trial only means a time-limited trial. Not stated means the pages I read named neither, even where there's a button inviting you to start, so check the vendor's page before you sign up.
| Tool | Type | Good for | Free plan |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bookassist | Hotel web design and booking platform | Hotel sites designed for you | Not stated |
| Cloudbeds | Hospitality management system | A website tied to a full PMS | Not stated |
| eviivo | Hospitality PMS | Template websites with a booking engine | Not stated |
| HotelRunner | Hotel sales and distribution platform | A hotel site plus online channels | Trial only |
| Little Hotelier | All-in-one software for small properties | Small properties and B&Bs | Trial only |
| Lodgify | Vacation rental software | Vacation rentals taking direct bookings | Trial only |
| Net Affinity | Hotel booking engine and web design | Hotel web design with marketing | Not stated |
| Profitroom | All-in-one hotel software | Hotel websites with guest CRM | Not stated |
| STAAH | Hotel channel and booking software | A quick hotel site from a template | Not stated |
| ThinkReservations | Hotel management software | Direct booking sites for inns | Not stated |
Ten hotel website builders to compare
Bookassist
Best for: Independent hotels that want their website designed for them alongside a booking platform and digital media support.
Cloudbeds
Best for: Properties that want websites, a booking engine and a channel manager in the same system as their property management.
eviivo
Best for: Small hotels and rentals that want a responsive template website with a booking engine, run from their PMS.
HotelRunner
Best for: Owners who want a hotel website and booking engine next to channel and metasearch distribution.
Little Hotelier
Best for: B&Bs and small properties that want a website builder in the same software as their bookings and payments.
Lodgify
Best for: Vacation rental owners who want a no-code website builder with templates and a booking widget for direct bookings.
Net Affinity
Best for: Hotels that want website design, a booking engine and digital marketing from one hospitality specialist.
Profitroom
Best for: Marketing teams at hotels who want websites next to a booking engine, CRM, SEO and marketing automation.
STAAH
Best for: Accommodation providers that want a hotel website builder, booking engine and channel manager from one supplier.
ThinkReservations
Best for: Inns and independent hotels that want websites and a booking engine designed to turn visitors into direct bookings.
Which builder suits your property
- A site designed for you: Bookassist or Net Affinity.
- A website tied to a full PMS: Cloudbeds or eviivo.
- A site plus online channels: HotelRunner or STAAH.
- B&Bs and small properties: Little Hotelier.
- Vacation rentals: Lodgify.
- Websites with guest CRM: Profitroom.
- Inns and independent hotels: ThinkReservations.
Show every mandatory fee up front
The Federal Trade Commission's guide to its Rule on Unfair or Deceptive Fees says that from May 12, 2025 the rule prohibits bait-and-switch tactics that obscure or misrepresent the full amounts and fees for live-event tickets and short-term lodging.
Want AI doing the heavy lifting in your marketing?
I build the systems that handle the boring 80 percent, so you get your week back. Done properly, with the human kept in.
If you take bookings from US guests, check how your booking engine shows resort, cleaning or service fees. A rate that looks lower until a fee appears at the last step is exactly what the rule targets. The safest setup shows the full amount, mandatory fees included, from the first screen.
Booking engine first, design second
A beautiful hotel website that sends guests to a clunky booking page loses them at the moment they're ready to book. Test the booking flow on a phone before you judge the templates.
Next, check how the builder connects to your channel manager and property management system. Rates and availability need to update everywhere at once, or you'll take double bookings.
Finally, look at the SEO basics: editable page titles, room pages with their own URLs and fast loading photos.
Seven questions to ask a hotel website supplier
- Does the booking engine work smoothly on a phone?
- Does it connect to your channel manager and PMS?
- Can guests see the full amount, fees included, from the start?
- Can you edit pages and photos yourself?
- Does each room type get its own page?
- Who owns the domain and the content?
- What happens to your site if you leave?
Signs your hotel site is sending guests elsewhere
- The booking box is below the fold. Move it up.
- Fees appear at the last step. Show them first.
- Photos look like stock. Use your own rooms.
- Booking is slow on a phone. Fix that first.
Do you make a hotel website builder? Tool makers can ask to be considered for a featured place on this list.
My plain advice on hotel websites
Make booking direct the easiest choice on the page. Put the dates box at the top, show real photos of real rooms, and give guests one simple reason to book with you, such as a later checkout or breakfast included. Guests compare you with the travel agency in another tab, so the direct option has to feel quicker and safer, not just prettier.
My on-page SEO tips for rental websites help your room pages get found.
Frequently asked questions
What is a hotel website builder?
It's a tool for creating a hotel's own website with a booking engine, so guests can book direct.
Do small hotels need a booking engine?
Yes, if you want direct bookings. Without one, guests have to email or call, and many will book elsewhere.
Can I build a hotel website myself?
Many builders use templates you can edit yourself. Some suppliers design the site for you.
What is the FTC fee rule for lodging?
From May 12, 2025, the FTC rule prohibits tactics that obscure or misrepresent the full amounts and fees for short-term lodging.
Should my hotel website connect to my channel manager?
Yes. Rates and availability need to stay in step everywhere, or you risk double bookings.
Is a free trial enough to judge a hotel website builder?
Use it to test the booking flow on a phone and the connection to your other systems.
