The challenge
Bayview Cottage is a three-room garden bed and breakfast on Salt Spring Island, steps from the warmest beach on the island, with an in-house spa run by the same owner: Lisa of Figs & Honey. The business had no shortage of happy guests; the problem was where they booked. The old site’s footer still said 2018, so most bookings came through repeat guests and Airbnb, and every Airbnb booking pays the platform first.
The new site had one job: give guests a reason and a way to book direct.
What I built
A site that sells the stay, not just the rooms. Each of the three rooms gets real photography and its own details, breakfast gets its due, and a Retreat & Restore section cross-sells the in-house spa: stay here, book a treatment downstairs.
The signature section is an Explore Salt Spring guide: the beach, the Saturday Market, wineries, studios, and trails, written from a local’s knowledge. It positions Lisa as the host who knows the island, gives guests a reason to stay an extra night, and gives the site something to rank for beyond its own name.
Booking stayed deliberately simple: a “Check availability” form sends the guest’s dates straight to Lisa’s inbox. No new system to learn, no commission to anyone. Rates, rooms, FAQs, and every photo are fields in a dashboard Lisa updates herself.
The result
bayviewcottagesaltspring.com is live with a direct-booking path that costs Lisa nothing per stay. Together with the spa site, the two businesses now point guests at each other (a stay sells a treatment, a treatment sells a stay), and both are in Lisa’s hands to run.
“Owen was brilliant. He held my hand and was incredibly patient and helpful. I can trust him completely as he’s shown to be a super chap and super smart. Highly recommend. He built two wonderful websites for me with a shop on and booking system too. Thanks Owen.”
Lisa Sliwowska, Bayview Cottages & Figs & Honey
