Booking engine, channel manager or a made-to-measure website?
Three tools that often get mixed up. Here is what each one does, who it is enough for and when you don’t need it, honestly, including when that is not us.
Three terms, three different things
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Booking engine
On your site, the guest picks dates, sees the price and books. Often it is a module embedded in an existing site.
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Channel manager
One calendar and set of rates kept in sync across several platforms at once. When a guest books on one platform, the dates close on the others.
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PMS
A property management system: front desk, housekeeping, invoices and reports for many units. Built for larger hotels and chains.
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Made-to-measure website with an admin
What we do: a site that looks like your property, with an availability calendar, enquiries, payments and paperwork behind it.
When you need a channel manager
If you have many units, list on several platforms and change rates almost daily, keeping calendars in sync by hand becomes a job in itself. Then you need a channel manager or a PMS, and that is not us.
When you need a made-to-measure website
If you let a villa, a holiday home, apartments, rooms, a guesthouse or a small hotel, want as many direct guests as possible and a site that looks like your property rather than someone else’s template, and want someone to make sure it all works. For that we build made-to-measure sites, for example for villas, for holiday apartments and for hotels.
Comparison
A comparison by type of tool, not by product. Terms differ between providers, so check with each one.
| Ready-made template | Booking engine or channel manager | Made-to-measure site with an admin | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Who designs it | You, from a ready-made template | The provider supplies a module or a simple page | We do, around your property |
| Look | From a template, similar to others | Usually the tool’s standard look | Made to measure |
| Calendar and enquiries | Depends on add-ons | Yes, that is its main job | Yes, in the admin |
| Sync with platforms | Rarely | Yes, with a channel manager | Platform bookings sit in the same calendar |
| Payments | Depends on add-ons | Through the payment providers the tool supports | Stripe, into your account |
| Contracts and invoices | No | Depends on the tool | Yes, from the booking, in the guest’s language |
| Who maintains it | You | The provider maintains the tool, you the content | We do |
| Monthly cost | A website subscription | A subscription, often per unit | A monthly fee, agreed on a call |
| Best for | A site with photos and a contact form | Many units and many platforms | Any kind of property, from a room to a villa or small hotel, when direct guests come first |
Can a made-to-measure site connect to the platforms?
Tools usually connect to platforms in one of two ways: through an iCal calendar, which refreshes periodically, or through a direct connection (API), as channel managers use. With any provider, ask which connection they offer and how often the calendar refreshes.
With us you enter platform bookings in the same availability calendar, so you see the whole season in one place, direct and platform bookings side by side.
What it costs
We charge a one-off fee to design and build your site, paid at the start. After that, a monthly fee covers everything that keeps it working for you, plus third-party costs: your domain and Stripe’s card payment fees.
Until 31 December 2026, design and build are free for apartments and villas with agreements signed by that date.
Every place is different, so we price it together on a short call. For comparison, with subscription tools check whether you pay per unit, whether the tool takes a percentage of bookings and who pays the payment fee.
Terms: applies only to apartment and villa websites, with agreements signed by 31 December 2026. It does not apply to hotels. Website design and build are free; the monthly fee, domain and payment fees (Stripe) are not included. The offer runs until the date shown or until withdrawn, and we may extend it.
Questions
What is a booking engine?
A booking engine is a tool that lets a guest pick dates on your site, see the price and book, usually with payment. It often comes as an add-on embedded in an existing site.
What is a channel manager, and do I need one for a single apartment?
A channel manager keeps one calendar and set of rates in sync across several platforms at once. For a smaller property on two platforms it is usually not essential; what matters most is that all bookings sit in one calendar so you never get a double booking.
Is your admin a PMS?
Not in the hotel sense. It is built for hosts, not for large hotel chains: an availability calendar, bookings, contracts and invoices, enquiries, regular guests and access for the people who run your property.
Can I have both a made-to-measure site and the platforms?
Yes, and most hosts do. The platforms bring new guests, and regular guests book direct on your site.
Tell us about your place.
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