How do you build a homestay website with online booking?

What must a homestay website have?

Guests book when they are sure of three things: the unit looks like the photos, the dates are free, and the payment is safe. Every homestay website has to answer all three:

• Real photos of every room, bathroom and outside area, not stock images.
• A nightly rate in ringgit, with the cleaning fee and deposit shown before the guest pays.
• An availability calendar synced with Airbnb or Booking.com, so the dates shown are true.
• House rules, check-in and check-out times, and the cancellation policy.
• Location, directions and a way to reach you on WhatsApp.
• The payment methods Malaysians use: FPX, card, DuitNow QR or bank transfer.
• A privacy notice, because you collect guests' names, phone numbers and sometimes IC copies.

Should you build it with WordPress or use a homestay system's booking page?

WordPress or a site builder gives you your own domain and design, but you install the booking plugin, connect a payment gateway, keep the site secure and sync the calendar with every platform yourself.

A booking page that comes with a homestay management system is ready with a calendar, prices and payment, and stays in step with the same calendar you run every day. The trade-off is that it usually sits at the provider's address, not your own domain.

If you do not have many guests yet, start with a system booking page and a Google Business Profile. Build your own website later, once your name is known.

How do guests pay directly on a homestay website?

For online payment you need a merchant account with a Malaysian payment gateway such as Billplz or CHIP, which accept FPX and cards. The money goes straight to your account, and the booking is marked paid when the gateway confirms it.

Bank transfers and DuitNow QR can still be accepted, but they have to be checked by hand. Ask guests to upload proof of payment so your records are complete.

How does a homestay website stay in step with Airbnb and Booking.com?

Through iCal links. Your website exports one calendar link to paste into Airbnb, and imports Airbnb's link so nights booked there are closed on your website ^[1].

Airbnb updates connected calendars every 3 hours ^[1], so a direct booking that has just come in may not be closed on Airbnb for a while. If your unit is often booked at the last minute, check the calendar before accepting an instant booking.

How will guests find my homestay website?

Set up a Google Business Profile for your homestay. It can be added or claimed at no charge, and it puts your homestay on Search and Google Maps ^[2]. Put your booking link in that profile.

Share the same link on Instagram, Facebook, TikTok and your WhatsApp status, and give it to past guests for their next stay. Returning guests are the easiest bookings to turn into direct ones.

What does UrusPro provide for a homestay website?

Every organisation on UrusPro gets a public booking page at hellostay.my/o/your-name, with its units, photos, house rules and availability calendar. Guests pick dates and pay by FPX or card through your own Billplz or CHIP account, or send proof of a bank transfer.

The page's calendar pulls Airbnb, Booking.com and Agoda iCal links every 15 minutes. It cannot be put on your own domain yet.

Every listing on UrusPro is free until 31 December 2026, and there is no commission on bookings ^[3].

Frequently asked questions