Best Vacation Rental WordPress Themes Compared (Build Your Own Airbnb or Booking.com)
Looking for the best vacation rental WordPress theme to build your own Airbnb or Booking.com clone? Whether you’re launching a property booking website or creating a full rental marketplace like Booking.com, the right theme makes all the difference.
What Makes a Great Vacation Rental Theme?
- Built-in booking system that handles reservations natively
- Calendar sync with Airbnb and Booking.com to prevent double bookings
- Flexible pricing options like seasonal rates, weekend pricing, and minimum stays
- Payment processing with deposits and automatic owner payouts
- Guest communication tools for messaging and notifications
Now let’s look at the best options available. Here’s my comparison of the top vacation rental themes for WordPress.
Quick Comparison Table
| Feature | Listeo | WP Rentals | Homey |
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | $79 | $79 | $69 |
| Built-in booking | ✅ Yes | ✅ Yes | ✅ Yes |
| Airbnb/Booking.com sync | ✅ Yes | ✅ Yes | ✅ Yes |
| AI-powered search | ✅ Yes | ❌ No | ❌ No |
| OpenStreet Maps (Free) | ✅ Yes | ❌ No | ✅ Yes |
| 40+ Ready Translations | ✅ Yes | ❌ No | ❌No |
| Rating | 5.0/5 (440 reviews) | 4.84/5 (590 reviews) | 4.58/5 (380 reviews) |
1. Listeo – Best Overall Vacation Rental Theme
Price: $79
Listeo stands out because everything you need comes built-in. No hunting for extra plugins, no surprise costs down the road.
Why Listeo works for vacation rentals:
The booking system supports three modes: rentals (daily/nightly/hourly), services (time slots), and events. For vacation rentals, you get all the pricing flexibility you’d expect from platforms like Airbnb. Set different rates for weekends, create seasonal pricing periods, add cleaning fees, security deposits, and extra guest charges.
What really sets Listeo apart is the 2-way calendar synchronization with Airbnb and Booking.com. List your property everywhere without worrying about double bookings. The calendars stay in sync automatically.
The theme also includes AI-powered search using Gemini/OpenAI integration. Guests can search using natural language like “beachfront cabin with hot tub near hiking trails” instead of clicking through endless filter combinations. It’s a genuine competitive advantage over other rental platforms.
Other features that matter:
- Automatic payment splitting via Stripe (you set your commission, owners get paid automatically)
- OpenStreetMap support (skip expensive Google Maps API costs)
- QR code verification for check-ins
- Built-in wallet system for property owners
- 40+ languages pre-installed
- Companion mobile app available
Best for: Anyone building a multi-vendor vacation rental marketplace or property management platform.
2. WP Rentals
Price: $79
WP Rentals focuses exclusively on vacation rentals and accommodation booking. If you don’t need directory features and just want a rock-solid rental platform, this theme delivers.
Strengths:
The pricing system here is incredibly detailed. You get daily rates, hourly options, early-bird discounts, weekly and monthly bulk rates, weekend pricing, and custom seasonal periods. For property managers juggling complex pricing strategies, WP Rentals handles it all.
iCal synchronization works with Airbnb, Booking.com, and HomeAway. The theme includes 22 pre-built demos specifically designed for vacation rental use cases.
Limitations:
WP Rentals requires Google Maps (no free alternative). It’s not optimized for Gutenberg, relying on the classic editor instead. There’s no AI search functionality, and the heavy feature set can overwhelm beginners setting up a simple single-property site.
Best for: Property managers who need maximum pricing flexibility and focus only on accommodation rentals.
3. Homey
Price: $69
Homey delivers the closest visual experience to Airbnb itself. Clean, modern, photography-focused layouts that guests will find familiar and trustworthy.
Strengths:
The design aesthetic really shines here. Homey also includes an “Experiences” feature for tours and activities, similar to Airbnb Experiences. If you’re planning to offer both accommodation and local tours, this matters.
Booking supports nightly, daily, weekly, monthly, and hourly intervals. iCal calendar sync keeps availability updated across platforms.
Limitations:
Performance can suffer without proper optimization due to heavy scripts. The theme depends heavily on bundled plugins. No AI-powered search, and the lower rating (4.58) suggests some users hit friction points.
Best for: Operators who want to replicate Airbnb’s exact look and feel, or those planning to offer experiences alongside rentals.
FAQ
Can I sync my WordPress rental site with Airbnb?
Yes, but only certain themes support this natively. Listeo, WP Rentals, and Homey all include iCal calendar synchronization with Airbnb and Booking.com. Listeo offers 2-way sync, meaning changes on either platform update automatically.
How much does it cost to build an Airbnb clone with WordPress?
The theme itself runs $69-$79. Add hosting ($10-30/month), a domain ($15/year), and an SSL certificate (often free). You can launch a functional vacation rental platform for under $150 upfront.
Do I need coding skills to set up a vacation rental website?
No. These themes come with demo importers that replicate the preview sites. You’ll customize through visual editors like Elementor. Basic WordPress knowledge helps, but coding isn’t required.
Which theme is best for a single property?
For one property, Listeo or Homey work well without overwhelming you with marketplace features. WP Rentals can feel like overkill for a single listing.
Can guests book and pay directly on my site?
Yes. All themes except Listify include integrated payment processing. Listeo and WP Rentals support Stripe, PayPal, and other gateways. You can accept deposits, full payments, or pay-on-arrival options.
Looking for more directory options? See our Best 5 Directory WordPress Themes for 2025
