My name is Denise Franklin, and two years ago, I took a bold step — I left my position as a hotel manager in Miami to launch my own property rental service on the West Coast. I had just two small beachside cottages, a tight budget, and a vision to create a direct booking platform that didn’t rely on third-party commission-heavy booking engines. I was confident in hospitality, but completely unprepared for the technical side of things. I began researching CMS solutions that could help me create a booking website without hiring a full-time developer. After weeks of comparisons, I discovered JoomlaHBS.com and it turned out to be the answer to all my struggles.

At first, I was intimidated by the idea of setting up a content management system. But Joomla’s layout and flexibility were much easier to learn than I expected. Once I had Joomla installed, integrating the HBS (Hotel Booking System) extension was simple and seamless. I didn’t need to write a single line of code. The HBS component practically walked me through the setup process — room types, pricing models, seasonal rates, and guest account management were all built into it. Within a couple of days, I had a functional, professional-looking website with live booking features that worked better than many high-end platforms I had used in the past.

What really impressed me was how comprehensive the toolset is. I could define closeout dates for maintenance, create last-minute discount codes to fill empty rooms, and allow guests to leave public reviews directly on the site. I loved the fact that I could create individual logins for partners and agents with customized permissions — that feature alone saved me hundreds of emails and coordination hours. The dashboard felt intuitive, and even though I wasn’t trained in Website Development, I was able to configure everything to fit the branding and workflow of my business. The Edit Hotel Descriptions and Room Facility modules gave me full creative control, and it felt empowering to be managing a complete system on my own.

Six months in, my online presence had drastically improved. My website started ranking better on Google thanks to the clean structure and metadata options available in the HBS system. I no longer had to compete as heavily on Airbnb or Booking.com because people found my site directly, booked their stays without middlemen, and left glowing feedback that fueled even more direct bookings. The Joomla HBS platform had turned my humble operation into a professional booking engine that inspired trust and increased my conversion rate noticeably.

The flexibility to manage different countries, states, and cities became especially valuable when I started onboarding other properties to expand my portfolio. I now list six unique vacation homes from three different cities, all under the same booking system. Guests can filter based on location, amenities, and availability in just a few clicks. I’ve also used the Top Destination and Global Search components to highlight trending areas — especially during holiday seasons — which helps drive traffic toward specific listings.

The real game changer, however, came when I hired a part-time assistant. Training her on the platform took less than an hour because the backend interface is that user-friendly. Unlike other complex booking tools, Joomla HBS doesn’t bury key features in hidden menus. It’s clean, organized, and powerful. And because it’s based on open-source PHP and MySQL, I’ve even started working with a freelancer to fine-tune a few custom features — a milestone that felt unthinkable when I first started. Slowly but surely, I’ve grown more confident in Website Development principles, enough to contribute ideas and changes based on customer feedback.

Today, I have an operation I’m proud of. I no longer rely on massive platforms to attract bookings. My guests get a smooth experience, my calendar syncs without issue, and I have full control over how I run my business. Joomla HBS has not only helped me grow but also helped me learn. I never expected to go from a nervous non-techie to someone managing a full-scale, multi-property online booking platform — but that’s exactly what happened. If you're in the hospitality industry and want something powerful, affordable, and scalable, look no further. JoomlaHBS.com will give you all the tools to bring your vision to life.