A company managing premium villa rentals in Cyprus reached out to us with the task of redesigning their website.

The previous solution was built “out of the box”: minimal functionality, basic design, and all bookings and payments processed through Hostaway. It worked in the beginning, but as the brand grew, limitations started to show: the site looked outdated and didn’t reflect the sense of luxury.

The project goal was to keep the familiar Hostaway infrastructure while lifting the website to the next level — so that customers would associate Coastalbliss with a high‑class vacation.

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Introduction

A company managing premium villa rentals in Cyprus reached out to us with the task of redesigning their website.
The previous solution was built “out of the box”: minimal functionality, basic design, and all bookings and payments processed through Hostaway. It worked in the beginning, but as the brand grew, limitations started to show: the site looked outdated and didn’t reflect the sense of luxury.

The project goal was to keep the familiar Hostaway infrastructure while lifting the website to the next level — so that customers would associate Coastalbliss with a high‑class vacation.

A New User Experience

After the redesign, the company received a website that gives customers the impression of a truly premium brand.

• Villas are now displayed in large, full‑screen visual blocks with an emphasis on emotion and aesthetics.
• The homepage immerses visitors in the atmosphere of Cyprus from above: the sea, villas, and the natural landscape.
• The booking process is based on patterns familiar to users (for example, Airbnb), making the experience intuitive “from the very first click.”

What the employer gained: the site stopped being just a practical tool and became a driver of brand image. Coastalbliss is now perceived as a premium villa rental company, not just another generic rental platform.

Booking and Search Made Simple

For the employer, a simple process was critical: users needed to easily find and book the right villa.

• A universal date search was implemented: users select a date range, and the system immediately displays available villas.
• When moving to a specific villa page, the selected dates are automatically saved — no need to re‑enter them.
• All pricing calculations are handled server‑side to prevent errors or fraudulent manipulation.

What the employer gained: a fast, logical booking path from selected dates to a confirmed reservation. This reduces drop‑offs and increases the number of successful bookings.

Secure Stripe Payments

With premium villas, payments often involve large amounts. During early testing, the default Stripe integration wasn’t enough: transactions would fail without two‑factor authentication.

We built a full Stripe integration with 3D Secure support (confirmation via SMS).

What the employer gained: the ability to accept high‑value payments without issues for their customers, compliance with European security standards, and confidence that each transfer is safe and transparent.

Hostaway Integration Without Losing Brand Value

Hostaway was kept as the backbone for property management. To overcome platform limitations, we developed a microservice that:

• automatically retrieves data,
• structures and passes it into the CMS,
• eliminates manual duplication,
• ensures accuracy of pricing and property information.

What the employer gained: all core property management remained in Hostaway, while data was automatically transferred to the website — saving time and reducing errors. The new site works as a custom front‑end without forcing the employer to change internal business processes.

Diagram: Hostaway → Microservice → CMS → Website.

Mobile Experience and Premium Details

The site was designed with advanced adaptive layouts, where sections look and work differently on desktop and mobile.

What the employer gained: a modern, convenient website across all devices. This is especially important for travelers who research and plan vacations directly from their phones.

Challenges and How They Were Solved

1. Scope and Unexpected Workload

The project was initially estimated at 250 hours, but due to hidden Hostaway limitations and necessary adjustments, it expanded to 520.

Solution: the team took on the extra work and completed the project without cutting back.


For the employer: the project was delivered in full without altering the original agreements.

2. Hostaway Limitations

The API turned out to be restrictive: there was no way to directly pass selected dates or properly display them on each villa’s calendar.

Solution: a microservice was built to preserve a seamless booking flow.


For the employer: the booking path remained smooth, with no need for users to re‑enter dates.

3. Stripe Payments

In live use, payments were blocked without two‑factor authentication.

Solution: a fully reworked Stripe integration with 3D Secure.


For the employer: the ability to safely handle expensive bookings without payment failures.

4. Custom Front‑End and Mobile Adaptation

Some sections changed drastically when viewed on mobile, which made implementation more complex.

Solution: fully responsive layouts without losing quality.


For the employer: a modern, consistent user experience across devices.

5. Testing Payments and Bookings

Payment and booking flows could only be tested “live” with the employer, and the first test sessions revealed issues.

Solution: collaborative testing and thorough refinements until everything ran stably.


For the employer: confidence that the site works reliably for real customers.

Results for Coastalbliss

After the redesign, Coastalbliss gained:

• a website that matches the standards of a premium brand,
• a seamless customer journey: villa selection → calendar → booking → secure payment,
• automated property and pricing data flow from Hostaway with no manual duplication,
• secure Stripe payments with 3D Secure protection for large transactions,
• a modern responsive interface that enhances the employer’s brand image.