Building a Website for a Gettysburg Bed & Breakfast and Event Venue
The Gettysburg Academy is a Bed & Breakfast and event venue located just two blocks from downtown Gettysburg, Pennsylvania. With amenities including multiple guest rooms, on-site parking, and space for events such as family gatherings and bridal showers, the business needed a website that could both showcase the property and help manage bookings.
Developing a Custom WordPress Website with Booking Functionality
Referred by a trusted partner, the owners came to MAjor Designs looking for a website that was easy to manage and flexible enough to support their operations. I developed a custom WordPress website along with a custom post type designed to function as a booking and event management system.
This allowed the owners to:
- Create and manage bookings directly in WordPress
- Display availability and events on the front-end
- Separate public and private reservations
The goal was to give them a system they could control without relying on third-party platforms.
Adapting the Website to Evolving Business Needs
As the business evolved, so did how bookings were handled. The owners later transitioned to using a third-party booking system for room reservations, which was integrated into the website via iframe. At the same time, the custom WordPress system continues to be used as an internal event manager, demonstrating the flexibility of the original build.
Supporting Event Growth with a Flexible Website Structure
One example of this flexibility is the introduction of new offerings such as the “Tea Room” experience, which has become a popular event and revenue driver.
The website structure allows these types of offerings to be promoted and managed without requiring a full rebuild.
Providing Ongoing Hosting, Security, and Monitoring
The Gettysburg Academy website is hosted through MAjor Designs and includes:
- Daily website backups
- Enhanced WordPress security through SolidWP
- 24/7 uptime monitoring using in-house tools
This ensures the site remains stable and secure, even as the business adapts its operations.
Building Websites That Adapt to Real-World Business Changes
This project highlights the importance of building flexible systems that can evolve over time. Even as the business adjusted its booking process and introduced new offerings, the website continues to support those changes—demonstrating the value of a well-built foundation.