This guide is for Hostaway users whose domain (for example, www.yourbusiness.com) is currently connected to a Hostaway Booking Website and who want that domain to show their CraftedStays site instead.
If you have never used a custom domain on your Hostaway Booking Website, you can skip this article and follow How to Connect Your Custom Domain: Complete DNS Guide.
Why this extra step is needed
CraftedStays uses your Hostaway Booking Website to finish checkout. When a guest books on your CraftedStays site, the payment is completed through your Hostaway booking link, so that link needs a working address of its own.
If your Hostaway Booking Website is set to Use your own domain, your domain is its only address. Once you point that domain to CraftedStays, the Hostaway Booking Website no longer has an address that works, and checkout on your CraftedStays site stops working.
The fix is to move your Hostaway Booking Website to Hostaway's free pre-built address (yourname.holidayfuture.com) before you point your domain to CraftedStays.
Note: Hostaway now calls its Booking Engine the Booking Website. If you see older guides mention a "booking engine URL," it's the same link.
Step 1: Switch your Hostaway Booking Website to the pre-built domain
Log in to Hostaway and go to Booking Website.
Open the Settings tab and select Domain & Security.
Turn off the Use your own domain toggle.
Turn on the Use Hostaway's pre-built domain toggle.
In Subdomain name, enter the name you want (for example, yourbusiness). Your address will be yourbusiness.holidayfuture.com.
Click Save.
Hostaway Booking Website > Settings > Domain & Security, with "Use Hostaway's pre-built domain" turned on
For more on Hostaway's domain options, see Hostaway's article Booking Website: Connect Your Own Domain.
Step 2: Republish your Hostaway Booking Website
Saving isn't enough, because the new address only goes live after you publish. Click Publish (or Republish) at the top right of the Booking Website editor.
Then open https://yourbusiness.holidayfuture.com in an incognito window and make sure it loads. If it doesn't, check that the site is published and try again after a few minutes.
Step 3: Add the new booking link to CraftedStays
Copy the full address, including https://, and add it as your Booking engine URL in your CraftedStays Hostaway settings. The steps are in Enabling booking component for Hostaway.
Common trip-up: Don't use your own domain (like www.yourbusiness.com) as the Booking engine URL. That's your CraftedStays site's address, so checkout would have nowhere to send guests. Always use the holidayfuture.com address.
If you'd rather we add it for you, send the link to our team through the chat.
Step 4: Point your domain to CraftedStays
Once the steps above are done, connect your domain to CraftedStays by following How to Connect Your Custom Domain: Complete DNS Guide. Enter your domain without "www" in CraftedStays, then update the DNS records at your registrar.
DNS changes can take up to 48 hours to fully take effect. During that time, some visitors may still see your old Hostaway site.
Step 5: Test a booking
After your domain loads your CraftedStays site, open it in an incognito window, pick dates on any property, and continue to the payment screen. If it takes you to your holidayfuture.com checkout, everything is connected.
Troubleshooting
Checkout doesn't load or shows an error: Check that your Booking engine URL in CraftedStays is the holidayfuture.com address, not your own domain.
The holidayfuture.com address doesn't load: Your Hostaway Booking Website probably isn't published. Go back to Hostaway and click Publish or Republish.
I can't find my booking link in Hostaway: Your Booking Website is likely still set to Use your own domain. Repeat Step 1 to switch to the pre-built domain.
Still stuck? Send us a message in the chat with a screenshot of your Hostaway Domain & Security page, and we'll help you sort it out.