GlampingHub
$30k+/month in marketplace transactions
Took over a Bubble marketplace stuck for four months and rebuilt search, booking and host payouts into a production platform.
- $0k+
- monthly volume
- 0+
- properties
- 0 wk
- to production
What was blocking progress
- Broken search with no filtering or map
- Payments not working
- Hosts unable to manage their own listings
- Stuck for 4 months with no path to launch
The situation
GlampingHub had a half-built Bubble marketplace with broken search, payments that didn't work, and hosts who couldn't manage their own listings. The project had been stuck for four months with the previous developer.
The founder needed a Bubble developer who could take over a messy codebase, understand what was salvageable, and rebuild the rest. The database had no proper relationships — property data, booking data and user data were tangled together in ways that made search impossible and payments unreliable.
Bubble was the right platform for a two-sided marketplace like this. The visual database and workflow engine let us rebuild the data architecture and test the full booking flow without long development cycles. The challenge was the state of the existing Bubble app, not the platform itself.
What we built
We rebuilt the Bubble database from scratch with proper relationships, then layered on the search, booking and payment features the marketplace needed.
Database restructure
The original Bubble database had properties, bookings and users stored with no relational structure. We created clean data types for Properties, Availability, Bookings, Reviews and Payouts with proper relational links. Privacy rules ensure hosts see only their own properties and booking data, while guests only see confirmed bookings and their own reviews.
Search and filtering
Built a performant search page using Bubble's "Do a search for" with layered constraints — location, dates, property type, amenities and price range. Each filter narrows the search at the database level instead of filtering client-side. Map integration shows results geographically with Mapbox, updating dynamically as filters change.
Stripe Connect for host payouts
Full Stripe Connect integration built with the API Connector plugin. Hosts onboard through Stripe Connect Express without leaving the Bubble app. Booking payments split automatically between the platform and the host. Bubble API workflows handle webhook events for payment confirmations, refund requests and payout schedules.
Host and guest dashboards
Separate dashboard experiences built in Bubble for hosts and guests. Hosts manage properties, view bookings, track earnings and respond to reviews. Guests browse history, manage upcoming bookings and leave reviews. Role-based conditional visibility in Bubble keeps each dashboard clean.
Booking workflow
The booking flow handles availability checks, date selection, guest count validation and payment in a single Bubble workflow chain. Scheduled API workflows handle booking confirmations, reminder emails through SendGrid, and automatic review prompts after checkout.
- Rebuilt database with proper relational data types and privacy rules
- Filtered search with map integration using Bubble's native constraints
- Stripe Connect host payouts via the API Connector plugin
- Host and guest dashboards with role-based visibility
- End-to-end booking workflow with automated email triggers
Technical challenge
The two-sided payment flow required Stripe Connect with split payouts, platform fees and proper accounting for host earnings — all on a marketplace that had to work for both first-time guests and returning hosts.
The result
GlampingHub launched with 200+ properties in month one. Hosts earned first bookings within 48 hours of going live. The marketplace now processes $30k+ per month in transactions.
The Stripe Connect integration handles every payment split automatically. The Bubble database supports thousands of property listings with sub-3-second search results. The founder manages the marketplace day-to-day without needing a developer.
Got a Bubble marketplace that's almost finished but still stuck?
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