Build a B&B website that wins guests back from booking sites
A guest weighing up your B&B has usually found it on a booking site first, then searched your name to see if booking direct is easier or friendlier. Your website should show every room honestly, say what breakfast really is, explain where you are, and make a direct request simple. Here's how to plan it, and where Anticode stops.
The guest who has already seen you elsewhere
Few people discover a small guest house through its own site. They see it on a map or a listings platform, read a few reviews, then look you up. By the time they land on your homepage they want confirmation and detail the listing couldn't give: which room has the sea view, whether the twin can be made up as a double, how steep the stairs are, and whether you'll answer an email from a real person.
That changes what the homepage is for. It doesn't need to sell the town. It needs a clear photo of the house, one line on what kind of stay it is (quiet, family-friendly, walkers welcome, adults only), and two obvious routes: see the rooms, or ask about dates.
Room pages guests actually compare
Each room deserves its own short page. Guests compare rooms side by side and a vague "Superior Double" label doesn't help them. Write what's physically there.
| Detail | Why guests look for it |
|---|---|
| Bed size and configuration | Couples, friends and families need different set-ups; say whether the room can be a twin or a double. |
| Bathroom | En suite, private but across the landing, or shared. Mention shower or bath. |
| Floor and stairs | Older guests and anyone with a heavy case want to know before arriving. |
| View and light | Say which way it faces and what you can see, without inflating it. |
| Sleeps and extra beds | Whether a cot or child's bed fits, and if there's a charge. |
| Rate guidance | A "from" nightly rate and when it changes (weekends, high season, minimum stays). |
Use your own photos: the bed made properly, the bathroom, the view from the window, and the breakfast room.
Breakfast, house rules and the practical bits
Breakfast is half the product, so describe it in specifics: served when, cooked to order or buffet, where the eggs come from, and what you can do for vegan, gluten-free or early-start guests. Then gather the house rules in one place.
- Check-in and check-out times, and what happens if a guest arrives late.
- Children and pets: welcome, welcome in some rooms, or not at all.
- Parking: on site, on street, permits, or none.
- Payment on arrival or in advance, and your cancellation terms.
- Keys, and whether the front door is locked overnight.
A local area page earns its keep too: the walks from the door, the pub that does food on Mondays, how far the station is and whether a taxi is needed. A "Getting here" section with the postcode, directions from the main road and the last bus is the page guests reopen on the day.
Taking direct booking requests
A small B&B website rarely needs a live booking engine. A request that gives arrival date, number of nights, guests, preferred room, any dietary needs and a phone number is enough, provided you reply quickly. You confirm the dates against your own diary, then send payment details or a payment link from your provider if you take payment upfront.
On Anticode's standard pages the contact form has fixed fields (name, email and a message), so put a short line above it listing what to include in the message. If you want separate fields for dates and guests, use a custom form tied to a site function (up to 30 fields), or ask for the request form as an app build; both reach you through the same pipeline. Either way, each request is saved sealed at rest and emailed to you; connectors can also post it to Telegram, Slack or a Google Sheet so a partner sees it on their phone. Because the form collects names and contact details, Anticode won't publish the site until the account owner and the person publishing have two-factor sign-in turned on. For a fuller walk-through of this flow, see holiday let direct booking enquiries.
Building it with Anticode
Describe the house, the rooms and the kind of guest you get, and the Architect will plan the site with you before anything is built. A setup that suits most B&Bs:
- A
roomsCMS collection with fields for name, bed set-up, bathroom, floor, sleeps, rate guidance and photos. Each room is served at its own address and you update rates in the dashboard. - Separate About, FAQ and Contact pages, with house rules on the FAQ page.
- A contact form framed as a booking request, not a slot calendar.
- The Organic (Figtree) or Editorial (Geist) design system, with a green or gold action colour for a warm, unhurried feel.
- Your own domain on a paid plan, so the address on your card and listings matches the site.
Anticode also writes a starting Privacy Policy and Terms from what the site collects; adapt them to your own cancellation and payment terms. The small business website page covers the basics shared with other local businesses.
Where Anticode falls short for a B&B
The site is also English only, so if many guests come from abroad, translated pages aren't something Anticode generates. And it doesn't take deposits itself; payment happens through a link from your own provider.
Questions people ask
Can guests see which nights are free?
Not on an Anticode site. There's no availability calendar for rooms. Guests send a request with their dates and you confirm by reply, or you link to a booking engine that holds your availability.
Should a B&B website show room prices?
A "from" rate per room, and a line on when it changes, saves you answering the same question repeatedly. Keep the figures in the CMS so they're easy to update each season.
How do I take a deposit for a direct booking?
Once you've confirmed the dates, send a checkout link from Stripe Payment Links, PayPal or a similar provider. Anticode doesn't hold deposits or card details.