Website for short-term apartment rentals: 360° tours, available dates and online booking
What an apartment rental website needs so guests book directly: 360° tours, available dates, clear rules and self check-in without handing over keys.
A person searching for a short-term apartment wants to know three things: what the apartment actually looks like, whether it is available on the dates they need, and how to check in without extra calls. A website that answers these questions before the guest talks to a manager wins bookings, not just visitors. Let’s break down what goes into such a website, using our project AllKeys as an example, a service for renting apartments by the night and for longer stays.
- Guests want to see the real apartment, available dates, and a simple way to check in.
- A 360° tour and clear rules answer most questions before the booking.
- A smart lock allows check-in without handing over keys.
- A section for owners turns the website into a platform.
Why bulletin boards and aggregators are not enough
Aggregators bring traffic, but they take a commission and keep the guest contact. Listings on bulletin boards quickly get lost among hundreds of similar ones, and photos don’t always match reality. Your own website solves this differently: guests book directly, you control prices, rules and communication, and every repeat guest comes back to you.
- a commission on every booking
- the guest contact stays with the platform
- listings get lost among hundreds of similar ones
- direct bookings
- prices, rules and communication under your control
- repeat guests come back to you
But your own website only works when it is more convenient than an aggregator. That is why at AllKeys we focused on what influences the guest’s decision the most.
A 360° tour instead of “photos don’t match reality”
The guest’s main fear is arriving and finding a completely different apartment. That is why every apartment on the website has not only photos but also a 360° tour: guests can “walk through” the rooms, look at the kitchen, bathroom and the view from the window before booking. The tour is embedded right on the page, with no redirects to third-party services and no app installation.
This format answers most questions that are usually asked over the phone and builds trust: the guest sees that nothing is being hidden. Apartments without photos don’t make it onto the website at all.
Available dates and search by what matters to the guest
The second question is whether the apartment is available. The website offers search by check-in and check-out dates, number of guests and district. In addition, guests can search near a chosen metro station, which is more convenient than street names in a city where people navigate that way.
Curated collections group apartments by amenities: with a jacuzzi, a washing machine, air conditioning or a balcony. Each such collection is also a separate page for Google search, which brings in guests for a specific query.
- apartment comparison — the guest selects several options and views them side by side;
- favorites — so the guest doesn’t lose an apartment they liked;
- nightly and long-term — two rental modes on one website.
Clear rules mean fewer questions and cancellations
Many rental conflicts arise from non-obvious rules: when check-in happens, how early check-in or late check-out works, how prepayment works. On the AllKeys website, all of this is gathered on a separate page with a visual timeline: check-in, check-out, terms for early check-in and late check-out, the prepayment procedure, payment methods and cancellation rules.
When booking rules are clear upfront, guests aren’t surprised on arrival, and the manager doesn’t have to explain the same thing dozens of times a day.
Check-in without handing over keys
AllKeys apartments are equipped with SmartphoneKEY smart locks: once the booking is confirmed, the guest unlocks the door with their smartphone. There’s no need to arrange a meeting, wait for an administrator, or hand over keys late at night. For the owner, it also means control: access is valid only for the length of the stay, and every unlock is logged.
A section for apartment owners
The website works for more than just guests. A dedicated section explains to owners how to rent out their apartment through the service and offers several cooperation formats:
- “Self-managed” — the owner adds the apartment, manages prices and the calendar, and the service brings in guests;
- turnkey daily rental — listings, bookings, check-in, cleaning, and reporting are handled by the team;
- long-term rental — tenant search, the contract, and rental support;
- smart lock installation so guests can check in without keys.
This way, the website gradually turns into a platform: the number of apartments grows not only through the owner’s own properties.
An AI assistant that answers around the clock
Questions about apartments come in both during the day and late in the evening. The website features an AI assistant: it knows the check-in rules, prepayment terms, and owner formats, helps find an apartment for specific dates and number of guests, and passes the request to a manager with all the details. Requests arrive in Telegram instantly. We explained how such assistants work in our article AI assistant for a website.
Three languages and SEO from day one
The website is available in Ukrainian, English, and Russian, for guests from other cities and countries. Every apartment, metro station, and feature-based selection has its own page with a unique description, and the useful articles section answers the questions guests search for on Google. This way, the website attracts visitors from search, not only from ads. For more on promotion, see our article SEO promotion of a website.
What to plan for if you’re building a similar website
- Content for every property — photos, a 360° tour, a short description, and amenities. Without this, the other features don’t work.
- Availability calendar — so guests can see open dates instead of calling to find out.
- Clear rules — check-in time, prepayment, cancellation.
- Fast contact — call and messenger buttons, a callback form, and an AI assistant.
- Structure for search — pages for districts, amenities, and articles.
To compare website formats, read our article landing page or multi-page website, and for turnkey development, see our website development page.
Frequently asked questions
Can such a website be connected to existing listings?
Yes. The website doesn’t interfere with aggregators: it becomes your own channel for direct bookings, and the calendar helps prevent double bookings.
Is a 360° tour mandatory?
No, but it’s the single best way to ease a guest’s doubts. If there’s no virtual tour, at minimum add high-quality photos of every room.
How does keyless check-in work?
After the booking is confirmed, the guest gets access to the smart lock via their smartphone. Access is valid only for the length of the stay, so there’s no need to hand over or collect keys.
Will this kind of website work for a mini-hotel or a holiday base?
Yes. The principles are the same: real photos and tours, available dates, clear rules, and fast communication. Only the structure of the properties will differ.
Planning a website for rentals or a hotel business? Tell us about your properties and goals, and we’ll help you figure out where to start. Call 097 400 02 22 or message us on Telegram or Viber; all contacts are on our contacts page.
