A guesthouse website that earns direct bookings.
Booking platforms are good at being found and costly at being kept. A guesthouse website's job is to take people who already know your name, from a referral, a Facebook post or a previous stay, and turn them into direct bookings that carry no commission.
Good for
- Guesthouses and B&Bs that sit only on booking platforms and have no site of their own
- Owners who want repeat guests and referrals to book direct instead of through a platform
- Small places that answer enquiries on WhatsApp and want the site to feed that, not replace it
What a guest checks before booking direct.
A guest who finds you through a friend or a previous stay is still careful. The site is built to settle these doubts quickly.
Is this the real place, and is it open?
Photos of your actual rooms and garden, a map pin, your address and a working enquiry button. Guests are wary of listings that look too perfect.
Why book here instead of the platform?
A short, specific reason on the page: a lower rate, a free breakfast, a flexible check-in. A direct guest should be able to see what they gain by booking with you.
Will somebody actually answer?
A WhatsApp button and a realistic reply time. If you answer within a few hours, say so. If you only reply in the evening, say that instead.
Is it a graded, trustworthy place?
If you carry a TGCSA grading, the stars appear with your certificate details. If you do not, we leave stars off rather than imply one.
What changed for guesthouses, and what to get right.
Two things shape a guesthouse website in South Africa: what the platforms may and may not stop you doing, and how grading is shown. This is background we have sourced for you, not legal advice. Check your own contract and your own grading terms.
In August 2024 Booking.com settled with the Competition Commission and agreed to remove wide and narrow price-parity terms from all its contracts with accommodation providers in South Africa. In plain terms, a guesthouse can now charge less on its own website than on Booking.com, which gives a direct-booking page something real to offer.
Source: Business Report (IOL), 14 August 2024 · BusinessDay, 13 August 2024 · checked 24 Oct 2026
Commission is set in each property's own agreement and varies by country and property type. Industry guides often cite a global average of around 15% within a range of 10 to 25%, but the figure that matters is the one in your own Booking.com extranet.
Source: Guesty: How much does Booking.com charge hosts? · checked 24 Oct 2026
TGCSA grading runs as an annual membership, subject to fees, with a certificate displayed at reception. If grading is not renewed, TGCSA-branded material, including websites, has to come down. Your site should show stars only while the grading is current.
Source: Tourism Grading Council of South Africa: Get graded · checked 24 Oct 2026
What we would put on a guesthouse site.
A booking request that reaches you fast
A form for dates, number of guests and room type, sent straight to your WhatsApp or email. You confirm by hand, so there is no calendar to keep in sync with the platforms.
A clear reason to book direct
A plain line near the top that tells guests what they get by booking with you, such as a lower rate or an extra. We will not invent an offer. You tell us what you can honour.
Grading shown correctly
TGCSA stars and certificate details, shown only while they are current, so the site never claims more than your certificate says.
Photos and a map that match the place
Your own pictures of the rooms, garden and breakfast area, an address and a map link. Guests can see what they are booking.
The practical answers
Check-in and check-out times, parking, children and pets, and backup power, on one page, so you stop answering the same WhatsApp questions.
Starting prices, upfront.
Most guesthouses want the enquiry-and-booking-request version: a guest sends dates and numbers, and the request reaches your WhatsApp or email so you can confirm by hand.
Hosting from R250 per month. Every price is flat and agreed in writing before work starts. Full pricing · How this compares with other quotes.
Free tool for guesthouses and B&Bs:
What guesthouses and B&Bs usually ask first.
Can I really charge less on my own website than on Booking.com?
Since the August 2024 settlement, Booking.com has agreed to drop the price-parity terms from its South African accommodation contracts, which is what used to stop that. Check your own contract and extranet, because terms can differ, and treat this as background rather than legal advice.
How much commission am I actually paying?
It depends on your agreement, and the figure is in your Booking.com extranet. Guides cite around 15% as a global average. A website does not replace the platform for new guests. It is for repeat guests and referrals who would otherwise pay that commission.
Should I show TGCSA stars on my website?
Only while your grading is current. TGCSA requires its marketing material, websites included, to be removed if the grading lapses. We show the stars with your certificate details and take them down if you stop renewing.
Do I need live availability and online payment to start?
No. Many small guesthouses take enquiries on WhatsApp and confirm by hand. A live availability calendar is a bigger build and worth it only when you receive a lot of bookings, so we would scope it separately.
What does a guesthouse website cost?
From R4,500 for a brochure site, or from R7,500 with a booking-request form, both flat and agreed in writing before work starts. Hosting is from R250 a month.
Websites for other trades.
Attorneys and law firms
A firm's website counts as publicity under the profession's code of conduct, and the responsibility for it stays with the practitioner.
Caterers and food businesses
People hiring a caterer for a function, a year-end or a funeral want two things before they ask about price: proof that the food is handled properly, and a quick way to say how many people and when.
Building contractors
Before a property manager, site agent or procurement officer rings a building firm, they look it up.
Electricians
Electrical work carries a legal paper trail, and customers who have been through a property sale or an insurance claim know it.
Plumbers
A plumber's website has one job.
Also see: all industries · Website Design · Online Shop · Business Automation