How to Create and Customize Your Direct Booking Website

Your Direct Booking Website lets you accept direct bookings under your own brand — with calendar sync, secure payments, and your guest data managed from your Holidu account. This comprehensive guide will walk you through every step of creating and customizing your booking website.

Step-by-Step: Creating Your Booking Website

Step 1: Access Your Direct Booking Website

You can reach your Direct Booking Website setup from two places in your Holidu account — both lead to the same configuration:

• Direct Bookings → My website & widget in the left-hand navigation menu
• Properties → [your property] → Distribution Channels → My booking website, then click Activate channel (if not yet active) or My booking website configuration (if already active)

Use whichever you reach first.

Note: This feature is available to primary account holders only — not secondary collaborators.

Step 2: Choose Your Setup Type

When accessing the Direct Booking Website for the first time, you will see a setup wizard. First, choose your setup type:

• Create a new website — builds a complete Holidu-hosted booking website from scratch
• Add booking module to existing website — embed the Holidu booking engine into a website you already run

Note: You can do both — the booking module is also available after completing the website setup. See Step 5 for booking module instructions.

Step 3: Complete the Website Setup Wizard

Follow these steps to set up your Direct Booking Website:

1. Log in to your Holidu Host account.
2. Navigate to Configuration. In the left menu, scroll down to Distribution Channels.
3. Click on Distribution Channels and find My Booking Website.
4. Click Activate channel and follow the onboarding prompts:
   • Review and accept terms and conditions.

1. Select your website languages. You can support up to 8 languages for your booking website.

1. Enter your website's name and domain address. If you already own a domain, instructions will guide you to connect it for brand consistency.

1. Choose which properties to display and their order. If you have more than one property, select which ones appear on your booking website and arrange them in your preferred order.
2. Click Finish to publish your booking website. Your personalized URL can be copied and shared right away.

Tip: When creating a new domain, do not include ".com" — it is added automatically. Use the full domain only when entering links.

Customizable Features

Once your booking website is live, you can personalize it at any time by returning to either access path from Step 1. Here are all the customizable elements available to you:

Customize Your Homepage

The homepage is the first impression guests have of your business. Here's what you can customize:

• Add a logo image
• Add a title for your website
• Add welcome text explaining your property or business
• Upload a header image (maximum 8 MB)
• Enable social media links to your accounts

Step-by-Step to Customize Your Homepage

1. Access your booking website settings. From the Holidu Host page, navigate to Direct Bookings → My website & widget or your property's distribution channels.
2. Select "Homepage" to customize the look of your booking website.
3. Add your logo. Upload a logo image that will appear at the top of your website. This helps build brand recognition.
4. Add a title. Enter a title that will display over your header image. This is typically your business name or main value proposition.
5. Add welcome text. Write a brief welcome message that will appear beneath the main header image. This is your opportunity to greet guests and explain what makes your property special.
6. Upload a header image. Select an eye-catching image that represents your property or business. This will be displayed as the main image on your direct booking website.
7. Enable social media. Toggle the social media option to make it visible to guests. Add links to each of your social media accounts one by one.
8. Save your changes. Click "Save" to apply all homepage customizations.

Important: Use only your own images for your direct booking website. Do not use images from Google or other image platforms — you risk copyright infringement.

Customize Your Property Listings

Each property on your booking website has customizable elements:

1. Access your property settings. Your properties will have default images and text that you can customize.
2. Update property information. The description of your property is taken from your existing Holidu property description. You can edit this description directly in your main property settings.
3. Add property images. Update the images displayed for each property to showcase your best features.
4. Guests can select "Details" to view the full property information and book directly.

Add Host Information

Help guests get to know you personally by adding a "Your Host" section:

1. Navigate to your customization settings. In the content area of the side panel, select "Your host".
2. Enable the "Your host" toggle. This makes your host section visible to guests browsing your website.
3. Write your host information. Share details about yourself — your experience as a host, your hospitality philosophy, or what makes you unique.
4. Upload a host image. Add a professional or friendly photo of yourself to create a personal connection with potential guests.
5. Save your changes. Click "Save" when you're finished with your text and image.

Customize Your Design and Layout

Make your website visually aligned with your brand:

1. Click on "Design" in your customization menu to access layout and theme options.
2. Choose your layout preference. Select from available layout options that best showcase your properties.
3. Enable the filter bar. Toggle the filter bar at the top of the page so guests can easily search for available dates and filter results.
4. Choose header image display style. Select how you want your header image to be displayed — full width, centered, or other available options.
5. Pick your color theme. Choose a color scheme that matches your brand identity and creates a cohesive visual experience.
6. Save your design changes. Click "Save" to apply all design customizations to your booking website.

Automatic Translation Note: All content except your website name is automatically translated for visitors using the site in another language. This means your welcome text, property descriptions, and host information will appear in the guest's preferred language.

Step 4: Activate a Direct Booking Discount (Optional But Recommended)

Encourage guests to book directly by offering an exclusive discount:

1. Go to the Discounts section in your Holidu Host dashboard.
2. Activate a direct booking website discount of 5%, 10%, or 15%.
3. The discount appears clearly on your website and in the booking flow — giving guests a visible reason to book direct.

Note: The discount stacks with most promotions (except the new listing promotion).

Step 5: Add the Booking Module to Your Existing Website (If Applicable)

If you already have your own website, you can embed the Holidu booking engine so guests can book without leaving your site.

How to Set Up the Booking Module

1. Navigate to Direct Bookings. Go to Direct Bookings → My website & widget in the left-hand navigation menu.
2. Access the Booking Module. In your website dashboard, click Booking module in the left-hand menu.
3. Enable the Booking Module toggle. Activate the booking module and accept the terms and conditions.
4. Copy the code snippet. A generated code snippet will appear — copy this code.
5. Paste into your existing website. Insert the code into your existing website where you want the booking functionality to appear. The booking module is compatible with WordPress, Wix, Squarespace, and similar platforms.
6. Select preferred languages. Choose which languages should be available to match your website and target audience.
7. Click Save. The module activates immediately, and availability, pricing, and bookings stay aligned with your Holidu calendar automatically.

Need Help? If you need help with the integration, coordinate with your webmaster or contact your account manager for technical support.

Best Practices Summary

• Use the Holidu direct booking website or module to grow direct revenue and build guest loyalty.
• Activate and clearly display direct booking discounts to give guests a reason to book direct.
• Promote your brand and website link across all guest touchpoints — confirmation emails, check-in instructions, and messaging.
• Automate guest messaging, check-ins, and payments to cut admin time and improve the guest experience.
• Keep your site and Holidu property data updated for better conversion and guest satisfaction.
• Use testimonials, personal details, and a mobile-friendly layout to encourage repeat, direct bookings.
• Use only your own images — do not use images from Google or other platforms to avoid copyright infringement.

Troubleshooting Common Issues

Issue	Solution
Host wants to delete website/data	Reset the website via the Admin UI. The host will need to reactivate the channel to start fresh.
Stuck in setup wizard	Perform a website reset through the Admin UI, then restart the setup process.
404 error or domain conflict	Reset the website and/or reassign the domain. Escalate if the issue persists or is unclear.
Unpublished property or disabled channel	Republish the property, reactivate the Holidu channel, and then retry the setup.
Domain input error	When creating a new domain, do not include ".com" (it is added automatically). Use the full domain only when entering links.

Your Direct Booking Website is now ready to help you capture direct bookings, build guest relationships, and grow your rental business independently. Start customizing today and watch your direct booking revenue grow!