This article provides a high-level understanding of how CraftedStays works, connecting all the individual help articles together.
What is CraftedStays?
CraftedStays is a website builder and booking platform specifically designed for vacation rental property managers. It creates beautiful, conversion-focused websites that connect to your existing Property Management System (PMS) to display your properties and enable direct bookings.
How the Platform Works
The Three Main Components
``
┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│ YOUR CRAFTEDSTAYS SITE │
├─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┤
│ │
│ ┌─────────────┐ ┌─────────────┐ ┌─────────────┐ │
│ │ ADMIN │ │ YOUR │ │ PMS │ │
│ │ DASHBOARD │◄──►│ WEBSITE │◄──►│ INTEGRATION │ │
│ └─────────────┘ └─────────────┘ └─────────────┘ │
│ │
│ Where you What guests Connects to │
│ manage your see and use Guesty, OwnerRez, │
│ site & settings to book Hospitable, etc. │
│ │
└─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘
`
1. Admin Dashboard (app.craftedstays.co)
This is where you manage everything:
Site Settings: Company name, logo, colors, contact info
Template: Choose and customize your website design
Properties: View and manage synced properties
Domain: Connect your custom domain
Blog: Create content (Marketing Hub add-on)
Billing: Manage your subscription
2. Your Website (yoursite.com or yoursite.craftedstays.co)
This is what your guests see:
Property listings with photos, descriptions, amenities
Availability search and filtering
Booking/inquiry flow (handled by your PMS)
Blog content, local guides, FAQ pages
3. PMS Integration
Your Property Management System is the "source of truth" for:
Property details (name, description, photos, amenities)
Availability and pricing
Booking/checkout process
Guest communication
Supported PMS Systems:
Guesty (for Pros)
OwnerRez
Hospitable
Hostfully
HostAway
Key Concepts
What Syncs Automatically vs What You Control
Data | Source | How It Works |
Property details | PMS | Auto-syncs when you connect; manual sync available |
Photos | PMS | Pulls from your PMS listing photos |
Pricing | PMS | Real-time from PMS during availability search |
Availability | PMS | Real-time calendar sync |
Reviews | PMS | Auto-imports reviews marked as "show" |
Bookings | PMS | Handled entirely by your PMS checkout |
Site design | CraftedStays | You customize in admin dashboard |
Logo/branding | CraftedStays | You upload in admin dashboard |
Blog content | CraftedStays | You create in admin dashboard |
Custom pages | CraftedStays | You create in template editor |
The Booking Flow
`Guest visits your site↓Searches for dates & guests↓CraftedStays queries your PMS for availability↓Guest selects a property↓Clicks "Book Now"↓Redirected to YOUR PMS checkout↓PMS handles payment, agreements, confirmation↓PMS sends webhook to update CraftedStays calendar`` Important: CraftedStays does NOT process payments. Your PMS handles all booking transactions.
Platform Terminology
Term | Meaning |
Site | Your CraftedStays website configuration |
Template | The design theme for your website (e.g., Refined, Haven, Timber) |
Property | A vacation rental listing on your site |
Collection | A group of properties by theme (e.g., "Pet Friendly", "Beachfront") |
Featured | Properties marked with a star, displayed prominently |
Subdomain | Your temporary URL: yourname.craftedstays.co |
Custom Domain | Your own URL: yourcompany.com |
Integration | Connection to your PMS |
Sync | Process of pulling data from your PMS |
Marketing Hub | Add-on for blog and content features |
Getting Started Checklist
Create Account → Sign up at app.craftedstays.co
Choose Template → Select a design that fits your brand
Connect PMS → Link your Guesty, OwnerRez, Hospitable, etc.
Import Properties → Select which properties to display
Customize Site → Add logo, colors, company info
Connect Domain → Point your custom domain to CraftedStays
Go Live → Share your new direct booking website!