Checklist before publishing an accommodation listing

Publishing your hotel, guesthouse, or bed and breakfast online isn’t just about adding a few photos and a price. An effective listing should let travelers quickly understand what they’re booking, how much it will cost, what services are included, and how their arrival will go.

A complete presentation builds trust, limits repetitive questions, and reduces the risk of misunderstandings. Here are the main steps to follow to prepare and publish your property properly.

1. Prepare the essential information about your property

Before you start publishing, gather all the information the traveler will need to make their decision. You’ll save time and avoid leaving an incomplete listing.

In particular, prepare:

• the trade name of your establishment;
• its address and exact location;
• the type of accommodation offered;
• check-in and check-out times;
• the maximum capacity of each room or accommodation;
• the number and type of beds available;
• included amenities and services;
• any optional or paid services;
• rates and availability periods;
• The rules of the establishment and the cancellation conditions.

The published information must match reality. A room, equipment, or service should only be advertised if it is actually available for the stay in question.

2. Create a host area suited to your situation

GoMyRoof distinguishes short-term accommodations from real estate listings for annual sale or rental. Your hotel, guesthouse, cottage, or apartment intended for stays should therefore be published in the space reserved for accommodations.

When creating your host area, indicate your actual status. Payment operations depend in particular on this status:

• a professional host can offer online payment or payment on-site, depending on how their listing is set up;
• a private host offers payment for the stay directly on-site.

The trade name is used to clearly present your establishment. Legal and tax information is still required for contracts, billing, and applicable checks.

Before publishing, also make sure you are allowed to offer lodging and that you comply with administrative, tax, safety, and insurance rules applicable in your country and town.

3. Clearly present the rooms and beds

The traveler should be able to immediately identify what is actually included in their booking. If your property has several rooms or different setups, describe them separately.

For each accommodation, specify:

• the number of guests allowed;
• the number of rooms;
• the type of each bed;
• whether there is a private or shared bathroom;
• the amenities available to the guest;
• the services included in the price;
• any extra charges.

Avoid titles that are too vague like "Beautiful room" or "Great accommodation." Prefer an informative phrasing, for example: "Double room with private bathroom and breakfast included."

4. Write a useful and honest description

A good description answers the main questions without making the traveler contact you before booking.

Start by explaining in a few lines:

• what type of stay the accommodation is suitable for;
• what makes your property special;
• the main accessible spaces;
• the services offered;
• the surroundings and useful access information.

You can then provide more details about the welcome, breakfast, parking, transportation, accessibility, or the rules to follow.

Be precise and avoid promises that are impossible to verify. An accurate description attracts travelers whose expectations truly match your offer.

5. Choose photos that inspire trust

Photos are often the first thing a traveler notices. They should represent the accommodation as it will appear upon arrival.

Ideally, show:

• an exterior view of the property;
• each room offered;
• the beds clearly visible in their entirety;
• bathroom;
• common areas;
• important amenities;
• the terrace, garden, or view when they are part of the offer.

Use bright, clear, and sufficiently large images. Avoid very dark, distorted, old photos or ones loaded with advertising text.

Place first the photo that best represents the offered experience. For a guesthouse, this could be the facade, the main bedroom, or a characteristic reception area.

6. Set rates, services, and taxes

Indicate a consistent base price for each night and then check the specific pricing rules you want to apply. A future rate change does not retroactively alter an already confirmed booking.

Services must be clearly categorized:

• included in the price;
• free;
• optional and paid;
• charged per night, per stay, or per person depending on their nature.

For example, breakfast may be included in one package and optional in another. Parking, access to a spa, an extra bed, or a transfer service should also be presented with their actual price.

On GoMyRoof, the tourist tax is displayed separately from the price handled by the platform. It must still be collected from the traveler and remitted by the host according to the rules of the relevant municipality.

7. Choose the payment method

Online payment

Online payment is offered to professional hosts with a valid Stripe Connect account. Stripe processes the payment and the associated financial flows. GoMyRoof does not keep the traveler's sensitive banking information.

From their personal account, the host can track paid bookings, their earnings, commissions, refunds, Stripe payouts, and billing documents.

The timing of the bank transfer then depends on the schedule set by Stripe, account verifications, and the actual status of the funds.

Payment on site

With payment on site, the host collects the indicated amount for the stay directly from the traveler. When required, a valid credit card serves as a guarantee before the booking is confirmed.

The corresponding GoMyRoof commission is not requested immediately. It becomes due after the traveler departs and then appears in the "On-site Commissions" section.

The traveler sees the payment method and the amounts involved before confirming their booking.

8. Set up availability and sync calendars

An accurate calendar is a must. Immediately block off the periods when the accommodation isn’t available and check the stock of each room or setup.

If you’re using multiple platforms, iCalendar syncing lets you import and export availability. It reduces the risk of double bookings by sharing occupied periods across different calendars.

Syncing doesn’t replace regular checks, though. After a booking, cancellation, or a major change, make sure the relevant period shows up correctly on each platform you use.

9. Define cancellation and arrival conditions

The traveler must know the applicable conditions before making payment or confirming.

Check in particular:

• if the booking is refundable or non-refundable;
• the cancellation deadline;
• the consequences of late cancellation;
• the conditions in case of no-show;
• arrival and departure times;
• the instructions needed to access the accommodation.

A clearly stated condition protects both the traveler and the host. Before publishing, review the full preview to make sure the displayed policy matches your choice.

10. Check the listing before publishing

Before making your listing visible, do a final check as if you were the traveler yourself.

• Does the title make it clear what is being offered?
• Do the photos match the selected accommodation?
• Are the capacity and sleeping arrangements correct?
• Is the displayed price correct for the chosen dates?
• Are included and paid services easy to distinguish?
• Is the tourist tax correctly filled in?
• Are the cancellation conditions understandable?
• Are the check-in and check-out times indicated?
• Is the calendar up to date?

Also check the listing on a phone. The most important information should remain readable without having to scroll through the entire page.

11. Tracking your activity after publishing

Publishing is just the first step. From the GoMyRoof host dashboard, you can find the main information about your activity:

• your listings and their availability;
• the reservations received;
• arrivals and departures;
• online or on-site payments;
• earnings and commissions;
• Stripe payouts
• available invoices and documents.

Update your listing when you change a rate, service, equipment, or hospitality policy. Old information can cause a bad experience, even if the rest of the listing is presented correctly.

Frequently asked questions

Can you publish a guest house on GoMyRoof?

Yes. You can present the rooms, beds, breakfast, arrival times and services specific to your guest house. Also see the page GoMyRoof dedicated to guest houses.

Can you choose between online payment and payment on-site?

A professional host can offer either online payment or payment on-site depending on how their listing is set up. For a private host, the stay is paid directly on-site.

How can you avoid double bookings?

Keep your calendar up to date and use iCalendar synchronization when the same property is listed on multiple platforms. Regularly check that each reservation and blocked period has been properly synchronized.

When is a listing ready to be published?

It is ready when the photos, capacity, sleeping arrangements, prices, availability, services, taxes, and conditions have all been checked. The listing should allow the traveler to understand their stay and payment before booking.

Get your property ready to receive bookings

A good listing doesn’t try to say as much as possible: it presents the right information, in the right order. By accurately describing your property, your rooms, your rates, and your conditions, you make it easier for the traveler to decide and for you to manage your future bookings.

Check out the solutions offered on the page GoMyRoof for hosts, then create your space when you’re ready to set up your first listing.

Sources and references

1. Terms applicable to GoMyRoof hosts
2. GoMyRoof for guesthouses
3. Stripe Connect