Hosts who rely only on large booking platforms pay fees and compete on price. Your own vacation rental website lets guests book direct, build repeat business and show your property properly. Here is how to build one with AI.
What matters most to travellers and holiday renters
- Photos and property details. Show full galleries, bedrooms, amenities and location, since photos sell stays.
- Direct booking benefits. Offer a better price or perks than listing platforms to win direct bookings.
- Availability and pricing. Show an availability calendar and clear nightly rates and fees.
- Local guide. Share nearby attractions, restaurants and tips to add value.
- Reviews and policies. Display guest reviews and clear cancellation and house rules.
Pages to include on your vacation rental website
- Home. Hero photo, key amenities and a Check Availability button.
- Property page(s) with gallery, bedrooms, amenities, floor plan and map.
- Rates and availability, using a booking tool or calendar embed.
- Things to do nearby, your local guide.
- Reviews, FAQ and house rules.
- Contact.
Direct booking
Connect a booking engine or channel manager that supports direct bookings and add its widget or link behind your Check Availability button. An inquiry form is a good start if you prefer to confirm manually.
Set up your vacation rental website with Tuli Builder
- Install the Tuli theme. On a WordPress site with hosting and a domain, install and activate Tuli Builder. New to WordPress? Start with the beginner guide.
- Open the AI Assistant. In your dashboard go to Tuli, then AI Assistant, and pick Tuli AI, which is included with your licence and needs no API key. Prefer your own account? Add an API key from Anthropic, OpenAI, Gemini or OpenRouter instead.
- Paste the prompt below. Swap in your real business name, city and services. The assistant lays out the page, drafts the copy and writes clean HTML and CSS.
- Refine visually or by asking. Click any element to restyle it in the style panel, or describe the change to the AI.
- Add your inner pages, then publish. Repeat the process for each page in the list above, replace placeholder text and photos with real ones, and publish.
The best prompt for a vacation rental website
Copy this prompt, then change the name, city and details to match your business.
Build a home page for Pine Hollow Cabins in Asheville, North Carolina. Hero with a cabin photo, the headline Your Mountain Escape Awaits, and a date and guests search bar. Add a properties grid with photos, bedrooms and nightly rates, a book direct and save banner, an amenities section, an availability calendar, a local guide to hikes and restaurants, guest reviews, house rules and a contact form. Use forest green, warm wood tones and cream with an inviting tone.
Follow-up prompts to refine it
- Create a property page template with gallery, amenities, calendar and a booking form.
- Add a local guide page with the top ten hikes, restaurants and breweries.
- Add a house rules and cancellation policy page in plain language.
SEO and local content
- Write guides to local attractions, restaurants and seasons.
- Name photos and add alt text describing rooms and views.
- Check local rules and permits for short-term rentals and display required numbers where needed.
FAQ
Will direct booking replace the big platforms?
Not necessarily. Many hosts use both: platforms for discovery, their own site for repeat guests and lower fees.
What does it cost?
Tuli Builder is a one-time payment from $49.
New to WordPress? See the beginner’s guide.