LodgeWP is a WordPress theme for lodges, villas, cabins, guesthouses and other holiday rentals. Pages are built from ready-made modules, accommodations get their own page with photos, amenities and a booking form, and the theme works hand in hand with WP Booking System for calendars, booking forms and availability search.
These are the basic steps for setting up a website with LodgeWP. Each step links to the article with the details.
1. Install the theme
Upload and activate the theme from WP Admin → Appearance → Themes. The plugins the theme needs (Secure Custom Fields, Classic Editor and SVG Support) are already included, so there’s nothing else to install. See Installing the Theme.
2. Register your website
Enter your license key under WP Admin → Lodge WP Settings → Updates to receive automatic updates and to use the demo import. See Registering your website.
3. Import a demo (optional)
The quickest way to start is to import one of the demos (Cabin or Ocean) and replace the texts and images with your own. The import adds pages, accommodations, galleries, testimonials, FAQs, menus and the theme settings. See Demo Import.
4. Configure the theme options
Under WP Admin → Lodge WP Settings you set your colors and fonts, upload your logo, choose the header button and fill in the footer. See General Options and the other articles in the Settings category.
5. Add your content
- Pages are built by stacking modules: a hero banner, text, galleries, testimonials, FAQs and so on. See First steps and Generic Pages.
- Accommodations are your rooms, cabins or villas, each with its own page. See Booking Pages.
- Galleries, Testimonials, FAQs and Reusable Sections are added once and displayed on any page with a module.
- Posts make up the blog. See Blog Pages.
When your pages are ready, choose the homepage and the blog page under WP Admin → Settings → Reading, and build your menus under WP Admin → Site Menus.
6. Configure WP Booking System (if installed)
LodgeWP works on its own, but the booking features come from the WP Booking System plugin. Create your calendars, legend items and booking forms in the plugin, then show them on your website:
- on an accommodation page, in the Booking tab (Booking Pages);
- on any page, with the WP Booking System Embed module;
- in the hero, with the availability search box of the Hero Banner module.
For everything about calendars, forms, pricing, payments and emails, see the WP Booking System documentation.
WP Booking System’s scripts and styles only load on the pages that show a calendar, a booking form or the search, so the rest of your website stays fast.
