WordPress Booking System

We are looking for a WordPress developer to install and set up a simple, reliable booking system on our existing website.

Our website is built with WordPress and Elementor. We previously used Little Hotelier, but have cancelled that service. We would now like a more affordable and straightforward solution.

We would strongly prefer to use a free WordPress booking plugin, avoiding annual licence fees or expensive subscriptions wherever possible. We are open to a paid option if it offers considerably better value and functionality.

1. Accommodation
Villa Bluu has four individual guest rooms, plus the option to book the entire villa exclusively.

We need five booking options:
Room 1
Room 2
Room 3
Room 4
Exclusive use of the entire villa

Each option should have its own description, photographs, availability and prices.

We do not need automatic linking between the rooms and the whole villa. I am happy to manage availability and close rooms manually when necessary.

2. Booking requests
We prefer guests to submit a booking request rather than receive an automatic confirmation.

The process should be simple:
Guests select their dates and accommodation.
They submit a booking request.
We receive an email notification.
We approve or decline the request.
We send payment instructions to the guest.
We need to be able to manage all bookings, prices and availability ourselves.

3. Prices and payments
We would like to display prices in both USD and EUR.
We prefer to set our own prices in each currency rather than have them automatically converted.
Initially, we would like to use PayPal for payments, subject to its availability for our business in Tanzania.
Ideally, guests should be able to pay in either USD or EUR.
We would also like to offer bank transfer as an alternative.
Payment should only be requested after we have approved the booking.
We would like the option of adding another payment provider in the future if we find a more economical solution.

4. Booking platform synchronisation
We currently advertise on:
Booking.com
Airbnb
Expedia

We would like availability to synchronise with these platforms if possible, preferably through iCal.
Please let us know what is possible, how frequently calendars update and whether an additional channel manager is necessary.
I am happy to manage some availability manually if this keeps the system simple and affordable.

5. Website integration
We would like the booking system integrated into our existing WordPress website without changing the overall design.
It should include:
A simple availability calendar.
A straightforward booking form.
Room descriptions and photographs.
Guest numbers and date selection.
Automatic email notifications.
An easy administration area.
It must work well on both computers and mobile phones.

6. What we need from you
Please let us know:
Which booking system or plugin you recommend.
Whether a free plugin can meet our requirements.
The total cost of installation and setup.
Any annual plugin, payment gateway or subscription fees.
Whether PayPal and USD/EUR payments can be integrated.
How Booking.com, Airbnb and Expedia synchronisation would work.
How long the setup would take.

We have previously installed and tested Host Domination and Pandao Booking, but neither has been configured or published. We are open to using another system if it is more suitable.

Our aim is to have a simple, professional and affordable booking system that we can manage ourselves without needing technical assistance for everyday bookings.

Thank you.

Our website: villabluu.com