Bookster is built around direct rentals. It has features for property management across OTA platforms, but independent hosts are a priority. The platform also offers marketing tools to help you promote rentals and increase revenue. So, if you want to launch and get direct bookings, Bookster is a sure option.
Of course, the choice of a property management system (PMS) depends on your ongoing needs, and you must consider every detail before subscribing. That’s why we compiled this Bookster review.
Read on to learn who Bookster is best for, its core functionality, website builder tools, pros and cons, pricing, and real user reviews.
What is Bookster?
Bookster is marketing software for holiday rentals with property management features. It’s not a standard PMS system for large hotels or corporate property managers running hundreds of listings.
Bookster is more suitable for smaller property portfolios that want to reach people directly through an SEO-optimized website and emails.
It does, however, integrate with OTA platforms such as Airbnb, Vrbo, and Booking.com. Bookster also supports cleaning & maintenance tools, market data analytics, dynamic pricing, and other features, turning it into an all-inclusive property management platform.
Bookster is based in Edinburgh, Scotland, and, therefore, is more EU-centric in terms of integrations and payment provider support. Other than that, the platform is universal.
Who uses Bookster?
Judging by Bookster reviews and functionality, the platform may be a great match for small to medium-sized owners and direct bookings. It is also a popular choice for individual hosts who prefer to have complete control over everything. Let’s see what makes Bookster a decent option in each of these cases.
Independent hosts
Bookster is an affordable platform with a $35 Lite plan for owners of one to three properties. It features intuitive marketing tools, enabling hosts who have never done short-term rentals to manage their properties independently without a property manager. They can reach potential guests through different channels, create a direct booking website, and manage rentals within a single platform.
Direct bookings and personal brand
Airbnb and platforms alike are not for everyone. They put many limitations, charge booking fees, and create an overly competitive environment. That’s why many hosts and property managers view direct rentals as one of the key channels. With tools like Bookster, they can launch direct rentals with ease, dispelling one of the direct booking myths that having your own website costs a fortune.
Small to mid-sized property managers
Property managers who run multiple rentals can use Bookster for its dedicated owner portal, PMS tools, and performance tracking. It allows both — interacting with guests for booking management and making the property management process transparent for hosts.
You should also note that Bookster is a UK-based company that focuses on local laws, taxes, and business practices support. It may not be an obstacle in your case, but we recommend double-checking all potential restrictions in your location (if there are any).
Overview of Bookster features
Bookster is committed to helping hosts be seen and get booked. It has a lot to offer for property managers who view direct as the main channel to drive rentals.
Customizable website for direct bookings
The Bookster team promises “beautiful and fast” websites, and we believe them. Their website builder allows users to create desktop-, tablet- and mobile-friendly designs. All websites are SEO-optimized and come with an integrated Bookster booking engine. You also get:
- Quick setup in less than 10 minutes
- Fully customizable branding
- Synchronization of property details across channels
- Your own domain
- Unlimited properties
- Unlimited employees and team members
- Secure payments
- Guest access to arrival, departure, and booking details
- Google Analytics support
- Properties displayed on Google location map
- Guestbook reviews upload and display
“Bookster offered a good, easy to use product with different levels of functionality depending on size. Our bookster site was a real strength (Nick L.).”
WordPress appointment booking plugin
If you already have a WordPress-based website and want to add appointment scheduling, Bookster has a plugin for that. It allows you to design custom booking forms, show availability, and accept payments within your WordPress dashboard.
“It’s easy to use & efficient. Hence, a must-have for anyone serious about improving their service availability. On admin view, the dashboard provides real-time analysis of WordPress appointments and agent rosters, helping admins and members to gain actionable insights and suggestions for improvement (headhills).”
Property management
Get a dashboard displaying all the latest activity, including bookings, reviews, payments, and internal notes. You can also view guest messages from different channels, inquiries, booking statistics, and money held in deposit. Bookster allows you to automate routine property management tasks like calendar management, set booking rules, and manage multiple properties from one place.
Built-in marketing toolkit
The Bookster team defines the platform as marketing software. That’s why the marketing features here are quite impressive. In particular, Bookster allows you to:
- Automatically send branded personal emails across the guest journey
- Promote and track your website in search
- Access live bookings and competitor data for more relevant offers
- Encourage guests to leave reviews
- Promote property with social sharing tools
- Automatically analyze the completeness of your property listings
Owner portal with customizable access
Owner tools are perfect for property managers who want to build trust and long-term relationships with hosts. They also help optimize resources and increase profit with relevant booking statistics and monthly statements. This feature has a dedicated Owners area to provide secure access to property management insights.
Booking calendar for guests
The Calendar widget is another add-on for direct booking website owners. It allows you to add property availability and prices. The JavaScript calendar widget also supports the “Book Now” button, enabling visitors to check availability across all properties. You can integrate it with any website, including Wix, Squarespace, or WordPress.
Guest management
With Bookster, you can deliver seamless post-sales services to your guests. They get a secure online area to view check-in and check-out details, parking information, and access directions and maps. You can also share house rules, emergency contacts, Wi-Fi, how-to guides, and other relevant details. It’s easy to collect payments and damage deposits to ensure a pleasant and trouble-free stay.
Extra services to boost income
Increase profits by offering additional services like places for additional guests, optional complimentary items (e.g., champagne), local tours, airport collection, cleaning services, etc. You can apply these offerings to all or specific channels and configure specific periods with Bookster Pro & Max packages.
Pros and cons of the Bookster platform
Bookster is a nice option for small to medium property managers who want to make rentals more efficient. It’s an all-in-one platform with intuitive functionality and tiered pricing. We have analyzed Bookster reviews and features to detect the gaps and strengths you should mind when choosing a property management system.
Pros
- Advanced website builder
- Plugins for existing booking websites
- Cross-channel marketing functionality
- User-friendly design
- Reliable support team
- Affordable pricing
Cons
- Limited customer relationship management
- Limited functionality in the basic plan
- Not suitable for hotels
- Unexpected fee increases
- No mobile app
Bookster reviews: What users think
The number of Bookster reviews online is limited. Many of them may be outdated as the platform continuously changes and improves. Here are the most recent and relevant Bookster reviews we have found.
Most users compliment Bookster’s ease of use, support team, and website-building functionality.
“The platform is incredibly user-friendly. The integration with our website and various booking channels has been seamless, saving us loads of time. The support team is also fantastic – responsive, helpful, and genuinely interested in our success. There are automation tools for guest communication and the customisable booking settings (Daisy C.).
“I am very fortunate to have found Bookster as my chosen booking system software. They consistently deliver excellent service. I would highly recommend Bookster to any potential business looking to use their software. They also designed my website to a very high standard. The team involved in Bookster are exceptionally helpful, friendly and always there to assist your needs in any way they can (Linda).”
“A great team with a really good product. An easy to use channel manager, as well as nicely designed websites that are functional and look great too (Joni. S.)!”
Some Bookster reviews include complaints about the limited functionality of the platform.
“We felt the booking calendar and pricing setup could have done with improvements (Nick).”
Besides, Bookster may not be the best choice for hotel managers that run multiple rooms and need a more comprehensive solution.
“It’s missing a multi room system as you would need for hotels. So, with channels like Booking.com, if a property is busy but you have another nearby (or on the same site), it won’t show up as an alternative. Also a simple CRM (customer DB would be useful. Using our own domain name for system emails (but without buying the website package) would be nice also (Capterra Verified Reviewer).”
Users like Laura Martyn also warn about billing issues. The app notifies you about the changes, but these notifications may get lost if you are not attentive enough.
“I agreed to pay a small fee monthly to have my listing on standby. I wasn’t currently using the service and this would keep the listing on the system until I was ready to use it. Bookster increased the charge by x28 per month without my permission. When I asked about this they said they had emailed me and so it was ok for them to dramatically increase the charge if they wanted to. I had since changed my email and so I missed the notification. At the time there was no mention that this may happen.”
Pricing options and bolt-ons
Bookster has three pricing plans: Lite, Pro, and Max. The main currency is the pound, as the company is UK-based, but you can also pay in USD and EUR. The prices in USD and EUR depend on the exchange rate, so double-check before transaction. An annual subscription comes with a 15% discount.
Lite plan
- Basic features, including self sign‑up, dashboard, booking calendars & buttons, instant website, marketing tools, automatic guest payments, and rates management.
- Price: 35$/month
- Channel manager fee: 2.00% + VAT
Pro plan
- Lite plan features + analytics and market data, automated damage deposits, promos & discounts, yield management, and unified inbox.
- Price: 60$/month
- Channel manager fee: 1.00% + VAT channel manager fee
Max plan
- Pro plan features + owner statements, advanced SEO and marketing tools for direct bookings, dynamic pricing, accounting data export, rates guide, and universal rates applied across multiple properties in a single click.
- Price: 112$/month
- Channel manager fee: 0.83% + VAT channel manager fee
If you need a feature not included in a more basic plan, you can add it for an additional charge. It allows you to optimize expenses and pay only for what you need.
Free trial
Yes, Bookster offers a free trial for all plans, but not all features are available. You can undergo onboarding training and test how different features work. The duration of the trial period is not specified.
Bookster integrations
Bookster supports enough integrations to cover standard property management needs. It connects with multiple marketing channels and has an extensive network of partnerships. You can integrate third-party tools for deeper market analytics, more advanced marketing, smooth guest registration, surveys, and more. Truvi is one of the top integrations to implement for property damage protection.
Bookster and Truvi for secure direct bookings
Bookster and Truvi partnership enables managers and hosts to better protect the properties they rent. Truvi’s damage protection service includes built-in guest screening, which automatically checks applicants and flags suspicious accounts. By integrating Bookster and Truvi, you can minimize property damage, reduce bad guests, save money, and protect your rentals.
Bookster vs. other platforms with direct website builders
The direct website builder is one of the most powerful features of Bookster. That’s why, comparing Bookster vs. Hospitable vs. Lodgify reviews, we will focus on website creation functionality. For more detailed information on each tool, read the overviews of these property management systems in our blog.
