How a Niche Hotel Pool Affiliate Site Earns $13K+ Monthly

Introduction

Hotels-with-pool.com launched in mid-2021 as a lean affiliate side project aiming at one clear goal: surface every hotel in the world with a pool. Instead of covering every travel angle, it zeroed in on one search intent: “hotel + pool + city.” That focus paid off fast. Today the site attracts 90,000 organic visits each month and turns that traffic into more than $13,500 in passive revenue.

Traffic Strategy

Rather than chase paid ads, the founder invested in keyword research around pool amenities. Using tools like Semrush and Ahrefs, they mapped top city keywords—“NYC hotel pool,” “London hotel pool,” “Bangkok pool hotel”—and built dedicated pages. Every July sees a spike in visitors as summer travel peaks, while winter months dip. That seasonality matches real-world booking patterns, so content and internal linking are adjusted each quarter to capitalize on emerging hotspots.

Affiliate Integration

Instead of plastering raw affiliate links, the site integrates Booking.com’s search boxes, map widgets, banners and deals finder. The brand colors mirror Booking.com’s palette so users feel they’re on a single platform. Each hotel listing includes a “Book Now” button that routes visitors through the affiliate program. That seamless experience drives a higher click-through rate than a text-only link would deliver.

Revenue Model

Bookings generate a cut of whatever commission Booking.com charges hosts—typically 15–20%. If the average nightly room rate is $135, Booking.com pockets $20.25 (15%) and affiliates get roughly $5 per night. With 90,000 visits and a conservative 3% conversion rate, that works out to about $13,500 every month. Better design and higher commission tiers can push that number even higher.

Growth & Backlinks

Link building came via guest posts on travel blogs and outreach to pool-centric travel groups. The site currently enjoys over 60 referring domains and 500 backlinks. That authority boost helps pages rank on page one for dozens of “hotel pool” phrases, cementing the organic traffic stream.

Lessons Learned

Focusing on a narrow niche reduced competition and simplified content production. Leveraging affiliate tools for a smooth UX lifted click-through rates. And seasonal trends dictated review and refresh cycles, so traffic dips were anticipated and prepared for, not panicked over.