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 simple editor 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