Is Wix Good for a Hotel Website? Wix vs Custom
By MarketingToolsProHub Editorial Team | Last updated: | 5 min read
Is Wix good for a hotel website?
For a very small property, it can be. Wix Hotels by HotelRunner adds room types, rate plans and a booking page, and a channel manager for $15 a month. Larger or busier hotels usually need a dedicated booking engine, which works with Squarespace or a custom website instead.
- Wix Hotels by HotelRunner: room types, rate plans, an inventory calendar and a "Book a Room" page; bookings need a paid Business & eCommerce plan.
- Wix's hotel channel manager is optional at $15 a month after a 14-day trial.
- Squarespace has no hotel booking engine of its own; you embed a third-party booking service with a code block.
- Reviews of Wix Hotels on Hotel Tech Report are few and mostly negative (5 reviews).
- A custom website with a dedicated engine costs more upfront but fits hotels with several room types, OTAs and languages.
What does Wix offer hotels?
Wix describes Wix Hotels by HotelRunner as its hotel management system. It lets you set up room types with prices and amenities, manage rate plans and availability in an inventory calendar, take payments, and connect external booking channels. To accept bookings, you need to upgrade to a Business & eCommerce premium plan.
Wix's US plans that accept payments start with Core at $29 a month billed annually, then Business at $39 and Business Elite at $159. The channel manager is an optional extra at $15 a month, not included in the premium plan. For a site designed around your booking engine instead, see our hotel website design page.
What do hoteliers say about Wix Hotels?
Not much, and not well. On Hotel Tech Report, Wix Hotels scores 1.2 out of 5, with 24% of reviewing hotels recommending it, but that's from only 5 reviews, so treat it as a warning sign rather than a verdict. The complaints there are about booking glitches, calendar sync delays and limited channel connections.
Test it yourself before committing: set up two room types and a rate plan on a free trial, make a booking on your phone, and check how fast availability updates on the OTAs you use.
Can you build a hotel website on Squarespace?
Yes, with a separate booking engine. Squarespace has no room-booking system of its own, so you paste the booking service's embed code into a code block, which needs a Core plan or above. Squarespace says code-based customisations fall outside its support, so the booking engine vendor supports that part.
Squarespace's US plans are $19, $29, $49 and $99 a month billed annually. The engine is a separate subscription; our guide to booking engines for small hotels compares published prices.
How do Wix, Squarespace and a custom site compare for a hotel?
| Feature | Wix + Wix Hotels | Squarespace + booking engine | Custom website + booking engine |
|---|---|---|---|
| Booking engine | Built in (HotelRunner) | Third-party, embedded | Your choice, integrated into the design |
| Channel manager | $15 a month extra | From your engine vendor | From your engine vendor |
| Website cost | From $29 a month (Core) | From $29 a month (Core) for code blocks | From $5,000 one-off, plus hosting |
| Who builds it | You | You | Us, to a fixed written quote |
| Suits | A few rooms, simple rates | Design-led small properties with an existing engine | Hotels with several room types, OTAs, languages or properties |
These are approximate figures based on published pricing and industry reports at the time of writing. Your actual cost depends on your scope and will be confirmed after a free discovery call with us.
What does each option cost over three years?
| Option | How it adds up | Three years |
|---|---|---|
| Wix Core + channel manager | 36 × $29 + 36 × $15 | $1,584 |
| Squarespace Core (website only) | 36 × $29, plus your engine | $1,044 + engine |
| Custom Business Website | From $5,000, plus hosting and your engine | From $5,000 + hosting + engine |
Hosting for a small business website typically costs about $5–$50 a month: roughly $3–$15 for shared hosting and $15–$50 for managed hosting. Introductory prices are often much lower than renewal prices. We'll recommend the right option for your site in the discovery call. The builders cost less in cash; the difference is the time you spend building and the booking experience guests get. Our guide to hotel website costs covers the full comparison.
When does a custom hotel website make sense?
- You sell on several OTAs and need a reliable channel manager.
- You want your direct rate on Google through free booking links, supported by your engine.
- You have several room types, packages or properties, or guests in several languages.
- The booking path needs to look and feel like your hotel all the way to payment.
With us, a custom hotel website starts at $5,000 (Custom Business Website), or $7,500 with a booking system built in, with a fixed written quote after a free discovery call. You own the website, code and domain once paid.
See it in action. Our demo hotel website shows room pages and an availability request on a phone. It's a demo we built, not a client project. Check your current site with our free hotel website grader.
Frequently asked questions
Summary
Wix can work for a very small property: Wix Hotels by HotelRunner adds booking, and a channel manager costs $15 a month, though its few hotelier reviews are poor. Squarespace needs a third-party engine, and a custom site with a dedicated engine suits hotels with several room types, OTAs or languages.
Check your current site with our free hotel website grader.
Sources checked
Information checked on . Prices, fees and policies change, so confirm details with the source before relying on them. This article is general information, not legal or tax advice.
- Wix Help Center: Wix Hotels by HotelRunner, adding and setting up your hotel
- Wix Help Center: Wix Hotels channel manager fees
- Website Builder Expert: Wix pricing (US, updated 15 September 2026)
- Website Builder Expert: Squarespace pricing (US, updated 28 August 2026)
- Squarespace Help: adding online booking to your site
- Hotel Tech Report: Wix Hotels reviews (5 reviews, Q2 2026)
- Google Hotel Center Help: free booking links
- Prestige Technologies: website hosting cost for small business (2026)
- Hostinger: how much does website hosting cost (updated 9 September 2026)