How to Use the WP Travel Engine Accommodation Add-on

If you run a travel booking site with WP Travel Engine, you’ve probably had customers ask about accommodations. Maybe they’re booking a multi-day trek in Nepal or a week-long tour in Thailand, and they want to know where they’ll stay. The Accommodation Add-on helps you answer that question directly on your booking page.

Here’s what you need to know about setting it up and using it.

What This Add-on Actually Does

The Accommodation Add-on lets you add lodging options to your tour packages. Instead of telling customers to book hotels separately, you can show them room choices right in your booking form. They pick a room type, it gets added to their total, and everyone knows what to expect.

You can set it up a few ways:

• Include a basic room in the package price (like “Standard Room included”)
• Let customers pay extra for better rooms
• Offer premium upgrades (like moving from a standard room to a suite)

The add-on handles the pricing calculations automatically and includes accommodation details in booking confirmations.

Why You’d Want This

When people book tours that last more than a day, they need a place to stay overnight. If you don’t offer accommodation, they have to figure it out on their own. That’s extra work for them, and you miss out on the revenue.

With this add-on, you become a one-stop booking solution. Customers can book their tour and accommodation in one transaction. And you can earn more per booking by offering room upgrades or partnering with local hotels.

But there are practical benefits too. You can manage all your accommodation options from one dashboard instead of juggling spreadsheets or separate systems. And if a hotel changes its rates, you update it once, and it applies everywhere.

Before You Start

You need three things before installing this add-on:

1. WordPress is installed and running
2. WP Travel Engine plugin is active on your site
3. At least one trip is created in WP Travel Engine

If you don’t have trips set up yet, create at least one basic trip first. You’ll need something to attach the accommodations to.

Installing the Add-on

This part is straightforward:

1. Buy the add-on from your WP Travel Engine account
2. Download the plugin file
3. Go to your WordPress admin dashboard
4. Click Plugins, then Add New, then Upload Plugin
5. Choose the file you downloaded and click Install Now
6. After it installs, click Activate
7. Enter your license key when prompted (you need this for updates)

Once activated, you’ll see a new Accommodation section in your WP Travel Engine settings.

Setting Up Global Settings

Go to WP Travel Engine → Settings → Extensions → Accommodation. This is where you control how accommodation works across your entire site.

Turn It On

First, toggle the Enable switch. Nothing works until you do this.

Add a Title and Description

These show up on your booking form. Keep them simple:

• Title: “Accommodation” or “Choose Your Room”
• Description: “Select accommodation for your trip” or “Pick where you’ll stay”

Customers see these when they’re booking, so write them clearly.

Choose Your Pricing Format

This is important. You have two options:

Per Traveler: Each person pays for the room individually. If a standard room costs $50 per traveler and two people book it, that’s $100 total.

Per Room: The room has one price regardless of how many people stay in it. A double room costs $100 whether one person or two people book it.

Which should you choose? It depends on how hotels price their rooms and how you want to charge customers. Most hotels charge per room, so that’s usually the simpler option. But if you’re including accommodation in package prices that scale with group size, per traveler might make more sense.

You can’t mix both formats on the same site. Pick one and stick with it.

Make It Mandatory (Or Don’t)

You can require customers to select accommodation before they can book. This is useful for multi-day trips where lodging isn’t optional.

Check the box next to traveler categories (Adults, Children) if you want to force selection for those groups. If you leave it unchecked, accommodation becomes optional.

Creating Room Types

Room types are the actual accommodation options you offer. Think of them as templates you can reuse across different trips.

Go to the Room Types section and click Add New Room Type.

Basic Information

Room Type Name: Be specific. “Standard Room,” “Deluxe Suite,” “Ocean View Villa.” Whatever makes sense for your business.

Number of Guests: How many people can stay in this room? Enter it as “2 Adults” or “2 Adults, 1 Child.” This helps customers know if the room fits their group.

Short Description: One sentence explaining what’s included. Examples:

• “Twin sharing included in package”
• “Double bed with private bathroom”
• “Shared dormitory-style accommodation”

This shows up on the booking form, so keep it brief.

Detailed Information

Click the Details section to add more:

Images: Upload photos of the room. Use good-quality images that show what the room actually looks like. Don’t oversell it; customers get annoyed when reality doesn’t match the photos.

Long Description: Here you can go into detail. List amenities like air conditioning, WiFi, balcony, view, bed type, and bathroom situation. If the room has quirks (like a shared bathroom or no elevator), mention those too.

Price per Room: Enter the base price if this room costs extra. Leave it blank if it’s included in the package.

Enable or Disable Per Trip

At the bottom, you’ll see an enable/disable toggle. This controls whether the room type shows up on individual trips. We’ll cover this more when we talk about trip-specific settings.

Setting Up Room Upgrades

Upgrades are premium options that let customers pay extra for a better experience. This is where you can increase your revenue if you do it right.

Go to Room Upgrades and click Add New Upgrade.

Upgrade Details

Upgrade Name: Make it appealing but honest. “Upgrade to 5-Star Hotel,” or “Ocean View Upgrade,” or “Premium Bedding Package.”

Hotel Name: If you’re partnering with specific hotels, put the hotel name here. “Grand Palace Hotel” or “Sunset Resort.” This adds credibility and lets customers know exactly where they’re upgrading to.

Upgrade Price: How much extra does this cost? This gets added to the booking total when customers select it.

Images and Description: Upload photos of the upgraded accommodation and explain what makes it better. More space? Better view? Nicer amenities? Be specific.

Enable/Disable Control

Same as room types, you can turn upgrades on or off for specific trips.

Adding Accommodation to Individual Trips

Now comes the practical part. You’ve created room types and upgrades globally. But you need to attach them to specific trips and customize the details for each one.

Let’s say you’re creating a 5-day Everest Base Camp trek. Here’s how you’d add accommodation:

Navigate to the Trip

Go to Trips in your WordPress dashboard, find your trip, and click Edit. Look for the Accommodation tab in the trip editor.

Enable Accommodation

Toggle the switch to turn on accommodation for this trip. Until you do this, none of your room options will show up on the booking page.

Select Which Rooms to Offer

You’ll see a list of all the room types you created earlier. Not every room makes sense for every trip. If you have beach resort rooms in your global settings, you probably don’t want those showing up for a mountain trek.

For each room type, you can:

Add a Short Description: Customize this for the trip. For the Everest trek, you might write “Basic tea house accommodation in twin-sharing rooms” even if the global description says something different.

Set Trip-Specific Pricing: The global room type might have a base price, but you can override it here. Maybe accommodation costs more in peak season or in remote areas. Enter the price that makes sense for this specific trip.

Enable or Disable: Use the toggle to show or hide this room type for the trip. If a room doesn’t fit the trip, turn it off.

Configure Room Details

Click the Details button for each room to access more options:

Upload Trip-Specific Images: If you have photos from the actual hotels or tea houses used on this trip, upload those here. Real photos work better than generic stock images.

Write Detailed Descriptions: Explain what customers should expect on this specific trip. For a trek, you might mention that rooms are basic, hot showers may not always be available, and heating is limited.

Include in Package: Check this box if the room is already included in the trip price. If you check it, customers won’t pay extra for that room type. It just clarifies what they’re getting. If you leave it unchecked, the room shows up as an additional cost.

Setting Up Upgrades for the Trip

In the same Accommodation tab, scroll to the Room Upgrade section.

Add Available Upgrades

Click the Add Upgrades dropdown. You’ll see the upgrade options you created in global settings. Select the ones that make sense for this trip.

Once added, you can configure each upgrade:

Price Per Room: Enter what this upgrade costs for this specific trip. Maybe the 5-star upgrade costs $80 in Kathmandu but $120 in Pokhara because there are fewer luxury options. Set the price that reflects reality.

Room Types Selector: Choose which base room types can use this upgrade. Maybe customers who book the “Standard Room” can upgrade to “Deluxe Suite,” but customers who already booked the “Premium Room” can’t.

This prevents weird combinations like upgrading from a premium room to a worse option.

Enable/Disable: Turn the upgrade on or off for this trip.

Testing Your Setup

Before you launch this to real customers, test it yourself:

1. Open your trip booking page in a new browser window (or use incognito mode)
2. Go through the booking process as a customer would
3. Check if accommodation options appear correctly
4. Select different room types and watch the price change
5. Try selecting an upgrade and verify the cost gets added
6. Complete a test booking and check the confirmation email

Make sure:

• All room types show up when they should
• Prices calculate correctly
• Images load properly
• Descriptions make sense
• The total price updates in real-time
• Confirmation emails include accommodation details

Test on mobile too. A lot of travel bookings happen on phones, so the accommodation selector needs to work smoothly on small screens.

Pricing Strategies That Actually Work

Now that you know how to set it up, here’s how to use it effectively.

Three-Tier Structure

Offer three accommodation levels:

Basic: Budget-friendly option included in the package price or priced low. This attracts price-conscious travelers and gets people in the door.

Standard: Mid-range option with better amenities. Price it reasonably. Most customers pick this.

Premium: High-end option with maximum comfort. Price it with good margins. Not everyone picks this, but the customers who do make it worthwhile.

This structure works because it gives customers choices without overwhelming them.

Seasonal Pricing

Adjust your room prices based on demand:

• Peak season (like autumn in Nepal): Charge more because hotels charge more
• Off-season: Lower prices to maintain bookings when demand drops
• Special events: Increase prices during festivals or holidays when rooms are scarce

You can update prices in the trip settings without changing the global room types. So you might have one base price that you adjust up or down depending on when the trip runs.

Bundling Strategy

Instead of listing everything separately, bundle accommodation into the package price at the basic level. Then offer upgrades as paid add-ons.

For example:

• Base package includes “Standard Tea House Accommodation”
• Customers can upgrade to “Deluxe Lodge with Attached Bathroom” for $30/night
• Or upgrade to “Luxury Hotel in Namche Bazaar” for $60/night

This makes the base package price look more complete while still giving you room to upsell.

Making Room Descriptions Work

Good descriptions help customers make decisions. Bad descriptions create confusion and support requests.

Be Honest About Conditions

If accommodation is basic, say so. “Simple mountain lodge with shared bathrooms and limited hot water” is better than “cozy mountain retreat” if the lodge is actually a cold building with questionable plumbing.

Customers appreciate honesty. They’ll be happier with the basic accommodation they expected than with nice accommodation that falls short of inflated descriptions.

List Specific Amenities

Instead of “comfortable room with modern amenities,” write:

• Private bathroom with a hot shower
• Free WiFi
• Air conditioning
• Double bed with mountain view
• Complimentary breakfast

Specific details help customers know exactly what they’re getting.

Mention Important Limitations

If there are issues that might bother customers, mention them upfront:

• No elevator (rooms on the third floor)
• Shared bathroom facilities
• Limited electricity hours
• No heating in rooms
• Basic meal options only

This reduces complaints and refund requests later.

Common Problems and Fixes

Accommodation Not Showing on Booking Form

Check these things:

1. Is the add-on enabled in WP Travel Engine → Settings → Extensions?
2. Did you toggle on accommodation for that specific trip?
3. Are any room types actually enabled for the trip?

All three need to be yes for accommodation to appear.

Prices Not Calculating Correctly

Go back to your pricing format setting. If you chose “per traveler” but prices aren’t multiplying by the number of travelers, maybe you meant to choose “per room” instead.

Also, check if you have pricing set at both the global level andthe trip level. Trip-level pricing overrides global pricing, which can cause confusion.

Images Not Uploading

WordPress has file size limits. If your images won’t upload:

1. Check Settings → Media to see your max upload size
2. Resize images to under that limit (1MB is usually plenty for web images)
3. Convert images to JPG format if they’re in weird formats
4. Make sure your image file names don’t have special characters

Upgrades Not Appearing

Make sure:

1. You created the upgrade in global settings
2. You added it to the specific trip in the Room Upgrades section
3. You enabled it with the toggle
4. You connected it to at least one room type using the Room Types Selector

Slow Page Loading

If your booking pages load slowly after adding accommodation:

1. Compress your images before uploading (use something like TinyPNG)
2. Don’t upload massive high-resolution photos
3. Enable caching on your WordPress site
4. Consider using a CDN if you have many images

Real-World Usage Examples

Example 1: Simple Trek Accommodation

You run 10-day treks to Everest Base Camp. Here’s how you might set it up:

Global Room Types:

• Standard Tea House (included in package)
• Deluxe Lodge ($25/night upgrade)

Trip-Specific Details:

• Enable both room types
• Set “Standard Tea House” as included in the package
• Price “Deluxe Lodge” at $25 per room
• Add photos from actual lodges on the route
• Description mentions altitude, basic facilities, and shared dining

Upgrade Options:

• Add “Luxury Hotel in Namche Bazaar” for rest day ($60/night)
• Only available as an upgrade from the Standard Tea House

Most customers take the included option. Some upgrade to deluxe lodges for the whole trek. A few just upgrade for the Namche rest day.

Example 2: City Tour with Hotel Options

You offer a 5-day Kathmandu and Pokhara tour. Here’s the setup:

Global Room Types:

• 3-Star Hotel
• 4-Star Hotel
• 5-Star Hotel

Trip-Specific Details:

• All three enabled
• 3-Star priced at $40/night
• 4-Star priced at $80/night
• 5-Star priced at $150/night
• Include actual hotel names in descriptions
• Upload photos from partner hotels

Upgrade Options:

• Suite Upgrade ($50 extra per night)
• Available for 4-Star and 5-Star only

This gives budget travelers, mid-range travelers, and luxury travelers clear options. The suite upgrade adds revenue from customers who want extra space.

Example 3: Beach Resort Package

You book beach resort stays in Thailand:

Global Room Types:

• Standard Room (sea view)
• Beachfront Villa
• Private Pool Villa

Trip-Specific Details:

• Include the Standard Room in the package price
• Beachfront Villa costs $80 extra per night
• Private Pool Villa costs $150 extra per night
• Detailed descriptions of villa amenities
• Photos showing beach access and pool areas

Upgrade Options:

• All-Inclusive Meal Plan ($40/day)
• Spa Package ($100)
• Private Yacht Tour ($200)

The upgrades here go beyond just rooms. You can use the upgrade feature for add-on experiences, too.

Integration with the Rest of WP Travel Engine

The accommodation add-on works with other parts of your booking system:

Email Confirmations

Accommodation details automatically appear in booking confirmation emails. Customers see what room they selected and the price breakdown.

If accommodation isn’t showing in emails, your email template might need updating. Check with WP Travel Engine support about template compatibility.

Payment Gateway

Room prices get added to the total before payment. The payment gateway sees the complete amount, including accommodation costs.

Make sure your currency settings match between WP Travel Engine and your payment gateway. Mismatched currencies cause failed transactions.

Calendar and Availability

If you use the WP Travel Engine availability calendar, accommodation choices appear in your booking records. You can see which rooms customers selected for which trips.

This helps with hotel booking coordination on your end.

Growing Your Accommodation Offerings

Start simple. Don’t create 20 room types right away. Start with 2-3 basic options, see how customers use them, then expand.

Naming Conventions

Use consistent names across trips:

• “Standard Room” always means the same level of accommodation
• “Deluxe Suite” has similar standards everywhere
• “Budget Dorm” indicates shared accommodation

Inconsistent naming confuses customers and makes your site look unprofessional.

Template Approach

Create standard room types that apply to most trips. Then customize only when needed. This saves time and keeps things organized.

For example, you might have:

• Mountain Trek Standard (tea houses)
• Mountain Trek Deluxe (better lodges)
• City Tour 3-Star
• City Tour 4-Star
• Beach Resort Standard
• Beach Resort Premium

Build these as your baseline, then adjust descriptions and prices per trip.

Partnership Management

If you partner with specific hotels, keep a document tracking:

• Hotel names and contact info
• Room rates and how they change seasonally
• Commission arrangements
• Which trips use which hotels

This helps when you need to update prices or communicate with hotel partners.

Maintenance and Updates

Keep Your License Active

The add-on needs an active license for updates and support. Updates fix bugs and add features, so don’t skip them.

Check for updates regularly in your WordPress dashboard.

Monitor Booking Data

Look at which room types customers choose:

• If everyone picks the cheapest option, your other rooms might be overpriced
• If nobody picks basic rooms, you might be underpricing them
• If upgrades never sell, they might not be worth promoting

Use this data to adjust your pricing and offerings.

Update Descriptions

As hotels change or you get better photos, update your room descriptions and images. Keep everything current.

If a hotel you partner with renovates its rooms, get new photos and update the description to mention the improvements.

Seasonal Adjustments

Before each travel season, review your accommodation prices. Hotel rates change, so your prices should too.

Some travel businesses update prices quarterly. Others do it twice a year for peak and off-peak seasons.

What This Add-on Won’t Do

Let’s be realistic about limitations:

It won’t automatically sync with hotel booking systems. You still need to coordinate with hotels separately. The add-on just shows options and collects customer choices.

It won’t solve the bad accommodation. If your partner hotels are of poor quality, the add-on can’t fix that. It just makes booking easier.

It won’t guarantee customers pick upgrades. You can offer premium rooms, but customers have to want them. Pricing and descriptions matter.

It won’t replace hotel contracts. You still need agreements with hotels about rates, availability, and commission.

Think of this add-on as a booking interface tool. It improves your website’s functionality and makes accommodation selection easier. But the business side of accommodation management still requires your attention.

Is This Add-on Worth Getting?

That depends on your business.

Get it if:

• You offer multi-day tours where accommodation is part of the trip
• Customers regularly ask about where they’ll stay
• You want to earn revenue from accommodation instead of just referring customers elsewhere
• You partner with hotels and want to showcase those partnerships
• You want one system that handles both tour booking and accommodation

Skip it if:

• You only offer day trips where lodging isn’t relevant
• Your trips are completely customizable, and accommodation is always arranged separately
• You prefer keeping accommodation vague and flexible
• You don’t have reliable hotel partnerships to offer

For most travel businesses running multi-day tours, this add-on makes sense. It turns a common customer question (“Where will I stay?”) into a revenue opportunity.

Final Thoughts

The WP Travel Engine – Accommodation Add-on isn’t complicated once you understand the structure: global settings control how accommodation works site-wide, room types are the options you offer, and trip-specific settings let you customize everything per tour.

Take time to set it up properly. Test thoroughly before going live. Be honest in your descriptions. Price things reasonably based on actual hotel costs plus your markup.

And remember, the add-on is a tool. It works well if you use it thoughtfully. It won’t work if you throw up random room types with generic descriptions and expect customers to figure it out.

Start with one or two trips, see how it goes, learn what works, then expand to more tours. That’s better than trying to configure everything at once and getting overwhelmed.

If you get stuck, check the WP Travel Engine documentation or contact their support. They’re usually helpful with setup questions.

That’s pretty much everything you need to know. Set it up, test it, launch it, and adjust based on what your customers actually do.