=== Host Domination Welcome Book: Free Digital Guest Guide for Vacation Rentals, B&Bs & Hotels ===
Contributors: ilithio
Tags: welcome book, digital guest book, vacation rental, guest guide
Requires at least: 6.0
Tested up to: 7.1
Stable tag: 0.2.51
Requires PHP: 7.4
License: GPLv2 or later
License URI: https://www.gnu.org/licenses/gpl-2.0.html

The First Free Digital Welcome Book WordPress Plugin for Vacation Rentals, B&Bs, Hotels & Holiday Homes

== Description ==

= #1 Wordpress plugin Free Digital Welcome Book for Vacation Rentals, B&Bs, Hotels & Holiday Homes =

**Host Domination Welcome Book** is a **#1 free WordPress digital welcome book plugin** that helps vacation rental owners, Airbnb hosts, bed and breakfasts, hotels, holiday apartments and other hospitality businesses share essential information with guests in one beautiful, mobile-friendly place.

Create your own **online guest guide**, personalize it with your property's branding, and share a single link with guests before or during their stay. No printed instruction booklet is required.

**Start free. Customize your guest experience. Expand with optional PRO features and dedicated add-ons.**

== Demo Free/Pro Edition ==

* [Front-end Welcome Book Demo + Add-ons](https://hostdomination.com/welcome/)
* [Back-end Welcome Book Demo + Add-ons](https://hostdomination.com/demo-back-end-welcome-book-pro/)

Whether you manage a single holiday home, a short-term rental apartment, a B&B or multiple accommodations, Host Domination Welcome Book provides an easy way to organize practical guest information directly on your WordPress website.

= What's Included in the FREE Welcome Book? =

* **100% free core plugin** - the Free version does not expire.
* **Custom Welcome Link** - Share a professional link with your guests: yoursite.com/welcome
* **Digital guest guide** - publish a dedicated, shareable Welcome Book page.
* **9 essential guest information sections** - ready to fill with your own content.
* **Editable section titles and content** - tailor instructions to your property and guests.
* **Gutenberg and Elementor Blocks**.
* **Show or hide sections** - display only the information relevant to each stay.
* **Property name and welcome message** - introduce your accommodation and greet your guests.
* **Custom cover image and logo** - present your property with its own branding.
* **Mobile-friendly design** - guests can consult their Welcome Book on a smartphone, tablet or desktop.
* **Simple WordPress dashboard** - manage everything from your own website.
* **Shareable public URL** - send the guest guide by email, WhatsApp or your preferred channel.
* **WordPress shortcodes** - embed the Welcome Book within a page.
* **Self-hosted on WordPress** - no mandatory external cloud account for the core guest guide.
* **No mandatory public 'Powered by' branding** - keep the focus on your property.
* **Expandable architecture** - install separate optional PRO features or specialized add-ons as your needs grow.

= 9 Ready-to-Use Guest Guide Sections =

The Free version includes a practical set of guest information categories:

* **Check-in** - explain arrival times, key collection and entry instructions.
* **Check-out** - share departure times and check-out procedures.
* **Wi-Fi** - provide network names and connection details.
* **House Rules** - communicate property guidelines and important instructions.
* **Where We Are** - help guests find the property.
* **How to Get Here** - provide directions and arrival information.
* **Parking** - clarify parking arrangements and nearby options.
* **Contacts** - make host or property-management contact information easy to find.
* **Useful Numbers** - share emergency numbers and other helpful contacts.

Each section has editable content and can be enabled or disabled. The Free version keeps the default section order; advanced ordering and icon controls are provided separately in PRO.

= Designed for Hosts, Property Managers and Hospitality Businesses =

**Holiday homes and vacation rentals:** organize check-in instructions, Wi-Fi passwords, local directions and property rules in one accessible online guide.

**Airbnb and short-term rental hosts:** give guests a link to the information they need before arrival and during their stay. This is an independent WordPress guest guide; no official Airbnb integration is required or implied.

**Bed & breakfasts and guesthouses:** provide guest contacts, house information, parking details and local practical guidance.

**Hotels and serviced apartments:** create a branded digital information page that guests can open on their own devices.

= Make It Yours with Welcome Book PRO =

The Free plugin delivers the essentials. **Host Domination Welcome Book PRO** is a separate optional plugin that extends the experience with advanced customization and management features, including:

* **Drag-and-drop section ordering** to organize information your way.
* **Custom sections** for additional property-specific content.
* **Advanced visibility and icon controls** for your guide sections.
* **More layout choices**, including grid and list-style presentations.
* **Advanced appearance customization** for the guest-facing interface.
* **Multiple-property Welcome Books** for hosts managing more than one accommodation.
* **Custom public-page slug options** for greater control over your guide URL.

PRO features require the separately distributed premium plugin. Availability of individual controls may depend on the installed PRO version.

= Expand Your Welcome Book with Add-ons =

Need more than basic guest information? The Host Domination ecosystem supports **optional, separately distributed add-ons** that can extend the Welcome Book for specialized hospitality workflows.

Examples include **Local Guide** features for property recommendations and local points of interest, and **Services & Upsell** features for presenting optional services to guests. These extensions are not included in the Free plugin and may require PRO or a separate license.

Explore available products and their requirements at https://hostdomination.com/.

= A Digital Welcome Book on Your Own WordPress Website =

Host Domination Welcome Book runs on your WordPress installation. Create a guest-facing Welcome Book at the default `/welcome/` URL, or embed it in an existing WordPress page with a shortcode.

Use:

`[hd_welcome_book]`

The alternative shortcode `[host_domination_welcome_book]` is also supported.

**Why use a digital guest book?** Guests can refer back to arrival details and property instructions whenever needed, while hosts can update information from WordPress without reprinting physical documents.

= Why Choose Host Domination Welcome Book? =

* **Free to start** - a practical guest guide with no expiration date.
* **Built for hospitality** - essential information tailored to stays and accommodation management.
* **Personalized guest experience** - present your logo, cover and property details.
* **Easy to share** - one link for your guests.
* **Works within WordPress** - manage content directly from your site's dashboard.
* **Flexible growth** - optional PRO tools and extensions without loading the Free plugin with disabled premium code.

**Create a professional digital Welcome Book for your vacation rental, Airbnb property, B&B, hotel or holiday home - and expand it as your business grows.**

= Add-on Store External Service =

The Add-on Store includes an optional manual "Refresh Add-on Store" action. Only when an administrator explicitly clicks that button, the plugin requests descriptive catalog data from `https://hostdomination.com/`. The response contains add-on names, descriptions, prices and product links. The Free plugin does not download, install or execute plugin code from that service and does not send guest data.

Service website: https://hostdomination.com/

== Installation ==

1. Install **Host Domination Welcome Book** from the WordPress Plugin Directory, or upload its ZIP file in **Plugins > Add New Plugin**.
2. Activate the plugin.
3. Open **Host Domination > Welcome Book** in the WordPress dashboard.
4. Enter your property name and welcome message; optionally select a logo and cover image.
5. Edit the included sections and enable or disable them as needed.
6. Save your Welcome Book and share its public URL (normally `/welcome/`).
7. Alternatively, add `[hd_welcome_book]` to a WordPress page.

== Frequently Asked Questions ==

= Is Host Domination Welcome Book really free? =

Yes. The core digital Welcome Book is free and does not expire. PRO features and optional add-ons are distributed separately.

= Is this suitable for Airbnb, vacation rentals, B&Bs and hotels? =

Yes. The guest guide is designed for vacation rentals, holiday apartments, Airbnb hosts, bed and breakfasts, guesthouses, hotels and other accommodation businesses.

= Can guests open the Welcome Book on a smartphone? =

Yes. The public-facing guide is mobile-friendly and can be shared through a normal web link.

= Can I customize the cover image, logo and welcome message? =

Yes. The Free plugin supports your property name, welcome message, logo and cover image, plus editable titles and content for the core sections.

= Can I change the order of sections? =

Drag-and-drop section ordering is a PRO feature. In the Free plugin, the core sections retain their default order, but they can be enabled, disabled and edited.

= Can I create additional custom sections? =

Custom sections require separately distributed PRO functionality. The Free version includes nine built-in guest information sections.

= Can I create Welcome Books for multiple properties? =

Multiple-property management is available through separately distributed PRO functionality. The Free plugin provides the core Welcome Book.

= Does it require an external hosting platform or cloud account? =

No mandatory external cloud account is needed to create and display the core Welcome Book on your own WordPress installation. Optional Add-on Store refreshes contact the Host Domination website only when manually requested by an administrator.

= Can I use a shortcode on an existing page? =

Yes. Add `[hd_welcome_book]` or `[host_domination_welcome_book]` to a WordPress page.

= Does it add a mandatory 'Powered by' credit to the guest page? =

No. The plugin does not add mandatory public Welcome Book branding.

= Does the Free plugin include PRO code that is simply disabled? =

No. Optional premium functionality and specialized extensions are distributed separately rather than being shipped as disabled code inside the Free plugin.

= Where can I find optional add-ons and PRO features? =

Visit https://hostdomination.com/ or open the corresponding sections in the plugin's WordPress dashboard.

== Screenshots ==

1. **Mobile Welcome Book – Guest View.** A branded, mobile-friendly digital guest guide with a cover image, welcome message and quick-access grid for essential property information.
2. **Welcome Book Settings and Branding.** Customize the property name, welcome message, logo and cover image directly from the WordPress dashboard.
3. **Edit Check-in and Guest Information.** Expand the built-in sections to edit their titles and detailed instructions, including check-in times and arrival information.
4. **Manage Welcome Book Sections.** Enable or disable predefined guest information sections such as Check-in, Check-out, Wi-Fi, House Rules, Parking and Contacts.

== Changelog ==

= 0.2.51 =
* Retrieve the real add-on catalog on the first store visit instead of showing placeholder products.
* Keep cached published products when a manual refresh fails; retry later after an initial connection failure.
* Add four annotated screenshots to the WordPress.org readme.


= 0.2.0 =
* New Suite-inspired admin interface.
* Free core sections with optional PRO ordering, visibility and icon controls.
* WordPress admin menu branded as Host Domination > Welcome Book.

= 0.1.1 =
* Added localized add-on public-page links supplied by the Welcome Book Monitor.
* The Add-on Store selects public pages based on the current WordPress user locale, with English fallback.

= 0.1.0 =
* Initial release.
* Added the core Welcome Book editor and built-in basic sections.
* Added section display controls, standalone public URL and shortcodes.
* Added optional descriptive Add-on Store refresh.
