Recently we compiled a list of best WordPress hotel themes. We picked themes that came with built-in features needed to run a hotel website in WordPress. Based on user response, we learned that some users just want those features and implement them in their own themes which may not be specifically designed to create hotel websites. For example adding an events calendar or adding separate page for blog posts. One such feature is adding a room booking system in WordPress for your hotel website. In this article we will show you how to add a hotel room booking system in WordPress.

First thing you need to do is install and activate Booking System (Booking Calander) plugin. Upon activation, the plugin adds a new Booking System menu item in your WordPress admin sidebar. Clicking on it will take you to the booking calendar configuration page.

Click on the pencil icon to edit booking system settings. On this page you can configure various options for your hotel room booking system. You can choose currency, guest related settings, set check-in and check-out timings, etc. Next, provide the email address where you want to receive notifications. If you are having trouble sending emails from WordPress, then you can also provide SMTP server details which will be then used by the plugin to send emails.

Booking System also allows you to receive payments via PayPal or Credit Card. To enable PayPal payments you will need PayPal Business Account, and PayPal API credentials which are very easy to set up. Go to PayPal and sign up for a business account. Once you have created your account you will reach your account dashboard. Click on My Selling Tools under Profile sub menu on My Account tab.

Click on Update link next to API Access on this page. On the next page click on Request API credentials link. Check Request API Signature radio button and hit Agree and Submit button. On the next page, PayPal will show your API credentials which you can then use in your Booking System plugin’s settings page. You will need PayPal API user name, password, and signature.

Adding Room Booking Calendar in WordPress Post or Page

Once you are satisfied with your booking system settings, it is time to add the booking forms on your website. Create a new post or page, or edit an existing one. Click on Visual to switch to WordPress visual post editor. You will notice a new Add Calendar drop down menu in the TinyMCE editor. Click on it to choose your calendar and add it to the post or page.

This will add a shortcode to your post, save your changes and preview your post or page. You will see a booking calendar with available dates. Your users can book a hotel room right from the front-end of your website and pay online using PayPal. You can further configure the calendar by entering available rooms for each date from Booking System plugin page.

We hope that this article helped you add a hotel room booking system in WordPress. For questions and feedback please leave a comment below.