Hi, I’m Kayla. I run a small B&B by the coast. I make scones at 5 a.m., change sheets at 10, and answer emails in between. At night, I built our website. I’ve tried three different builders, for real guests, real rooms, and real money. Some parts were smooth. Some parts made me want to scream into a pillow. If you’d like the blow-by-blow of how those three builds unfolded, I laid it all out in this deeper write-up.
You know what? I learned a lot. Here’s what actually worked for me, with plain talk and real examples.
The pretty one: Squarespace (what I built first)
I spun up my first site on Squarespace 7.1. I used the Paloma template. It looked lovely right away—big photos, soft fonts, clean menus. It took me two weekends to get live for “Maple Street Inn,” my 5-room B&B.
- Real setup: I wrote simple room pages, added a gallery, and posted a local guide with my favorite bakery and the lighthouse trail.
- How guests booked: I added a Freetobook widget (copy-paste code). Guests could see dates and book. I took cards with Stripe.
- Mobile view: Looked great on phones. Big win, since most folks book from their couch.
What I loved:
- The design made my rooms shine. My fall porch shot? Wow.
- The editor felt calm. I could fix text between check-ins.
- Blogging was easy. I posted our apple cider recipe, and it did bring some traffic.
What bugged me:
- No built-in hotel booking. You need a third-party tool.
- Calendar sync (iCal) worked, but it lagged. I had to watch out for double bookings when Airbnb got hot.
- Rates and taxes were basic. I had to explain fees more than I liked.
Support moment: I chatted with Squarespace after midnight once. They showed me where to paste the booking widget. Kind people, but not hotel folks.
Money talk: Squarespace cost me a normal monthly fee. Freetobook didn’t take a cut on direct bookings, but the channel add-on cost about twenty bucks a month for me. Stripe took the usual card fee.
Best for: If you want a beautiful site fast, and you’re fine using a booking widget.
The “all-in-one-ish” one: Wix with Wix Hotels
I used Wix for a lakeside test site I ran one summer, “Cedar Dock B&B.” I picked a “Lakehouse” theme and added the Wix Hotels by HotelRunner app.
- Real setup: Room types (queen, king, family). I set seasonal rates for summer and fall.
- Guests booked right on site. I took payments with Stripe.
What I liked:
- Built-in room stuff. Rooms, rates, extras (late checkout) were right there.
- The calendar made sense. I could block dates for weddings and farmer’s market weekends.
- The editor was friendly and fast for me.
What I didn’t:
- Channel connections felt limited unless I paid more.
- The site felt a bit heavy. On slow Wi-Fi, photos took a second.
- SEO tools were fine, not special. I still had to work to show up on Google.
Support story: I asked about taxes and fees. Chat replied in under 10 minutes and sent a clear step-by-step. That helped.
Money talk: Wix had a normal site fee, plus the hotel app. Some things were free; the rest added up. It was still fair for a small place.
Best for: If you want rooms and bookings built in, and you want one bill.
The “we stopped double bookings” one: Lodgify
When leaf season hit, my phones got wild. I moved my main site to Lodgify, since it’s made for small hotels and vacation rentals.
- Real setup: I used their “Ocean” theme. Simple and clean.
- Booking engine: It’s native. Guests book fast, with live dates.
- Channels: I synced Airbnb and Booking.com. No more guessing on dates.
What I love now:
- Fewer headaches. When Airbnb gets a booking, my site blocks the dates right away.
- Auto emails. Guests get a welcome note, door code, and a map.
- Housekeeping notes live in one place. My Saturday turnover crew thanked me.
What’s meh:
- The editor isn’t as pretty as Squarespace. It’s more boxy.
- The blog is basic. I still share recipes, but it’s plain.
- Price is higher than a simple website plan. Some plans also take a small booking fee.
Real result: My direct bookings went from about one-third to about half in three months. Folks like booking right on our site. Less back-and-forth. I sleep better.
If you’d like a deeper dive into Lodgify’s bells and whistles, this in-depth Lodgify review covers everything from customizable calendars to payment processing.
Support moment: I called about a rate rule for a two-night minimum on weekends. They set it up on a screen share. Ten minutes. Done.
Best for: If you care most about smooth bookings and channel sync.
Switching platforms can feel scary, but I breathed easier after reading this hands-on test of builders for smooth transitions.
A quick side note: WordPress + a hotel plugin
I also set up a site for my cousin’s inn using WordPress with the MotoPress Hotel Booking plugin. It had deep control—rates, coupons, deposit rules. But it needed care. Updates, backups, security… all on me. It’s great if you like to tinker. It’s not great if your hands smell like lemon cleaner and you’re short on time.
Need a wider comparison? The Website Builder Awards site lines up the major platforms side by side and helped me sanity-check my short list. They’ve also put together a focused guide on the best website builders for vacation rentals that’s worth bookmarking if your place leans more “holiday cottage” than “city hotel.”
So, which one should you pick?
- Pick Squarespace if your brand and photos are your star, and you’re fine using a booking widget like Freetobook or ResNexus.
- Pick Wix with Wix Hotels if you want rooms and rates built in, and a simple start.
- Pick Lodgify if you want a real booking engine plus channel sync, and you’re ready to pay a bit more for calm.
Honestly, there’s no perfect tool. For a side-by-side breakdown of Lodgify, Wix, Squarespace and other contenders—written with property managers in mind—check out this comprehensive comparison of vacation rental website builders.
Little tips that helped me fill rooms
- Show the room first, not a long story. Guests want to see the bed, the bath, and the view.
- Add real photos. Morning light, fresh towels, a close-up of the scones. Keep it true.
- Put your policies in plain words. Check-in, pets, kids, cancel rules.
- Make phone and email big on the page. Some folks want to talk to a human.
- Test mobile. Book a fake stay from your phone while you wait in the grocery line.
- Set Google Business Profile. Add photos and hours. It brings calls.
- Give instant messaging a whirl. I tried Kik to answer quick pre-booking questions and loved the casual vibe. If you need to see how the app works in a live environment, check out this list of Kik girl usernames — it lets you hop into real conversations so you can judge whether offering a Kik chat handle would make sense for your inn.
- Some weekend travelers ask for nightlife or discreet dating suggestions once they’ve checked in. I keep a short list of reliable resources to share privately; for guests driving south toward Orange County, I point them to Skip the Games San Clemente where they can browse local meet-ups and events without wading through spam or outdated listings, saving them time and helping me look like a well-connected host.
- Check iCal sync if you use it. Book a test date, watch it flow to other calendars.
- Use one clear call to action: “Book Now.” Not five buttons. One.
My final word
I started cute with Squarespace. I got steady with Wix. I found my groove with Lodgify. Right now, I’m staying there because my fall weekends don’t double book, and my spring weekdays are filling better.
But if I were opening a 2-room farmhouse with a killer view and a tight budget? I’d start on Squarespace again, use a booking widget, and focus on photos and reviews. If I wanted one simple bundle? I’d go Wix. If I wanted the smoothest booking engine and less stress? Lodgify all day.
Now I’m going to pull a tray of blueberry muffins from the oven. Guests check in at 3. And