How To Create A Hotel Website: A Step-By-Step Guide

With the hospitality sector evolving at a rapid pace, hotel owners must adapt to meet the emerging challenges and compete for bookings.

Learning how to create a hotel booking website is vital to this process, attracting high-quality guests by showcasing your attractions.

In this guide, we’ve outlined everything you need to know to create a hotel booking website that captures the essence of your brand identity.

How To Create A Hotel Website: A Step-By-Step Guide

Whether you’re a small bed and breakfast or a glamorous hotel in the Caribbean, a compelling online presence is a must for repeat bookings.

To help you create the best booking website for your hotel, we’ve outlined the key considerations, from presenting your brand to website functionality.

So, now that you know our criteria, here’s our step-by-step guide exploring how to create a hotel booking website in 2024:

Importance Of An Online Hotel Booking Website

The international hotels and resort industry’s market size continues to expand worldwide, offering new opportunities for hotels to drive revenue.

Consequently, it’s never been more important to ensure your hotel’s online presence is up to date and shows your hotel in the best possible light.

Creating a user-friendly and informative website showcasing your amenities can help you draw in potential guests and assist with bookings.

A great hotel website can also be used to highlight local attractions and other facilities outside of your complex that vacationers may find appealing.

Online booking systems are also vital to any comprehensive hotel booking website, allowing people to check availability and book their stays.

With 24/7 booking availability and access to customer support, these tools bring additional convenience and responsiveness to holidaymakers.

A great hotel booking website is also vital for promoting your hotel trademark and establishing your brand in the industry.

Combined with powerful feedback demonstrating customer satisfaction, it can significantly increase direct bookings and repeat visitors.

Through effective search engine optimization, setting up your own hotel booking website can also increase your online visibility through search engine results.

How To Create A Hotel Website: Step-By-Step

We’ve broken down the various factors that make building a hotel booking website important for driving customers and processing direct bookings.

Now, let’s explore the process for creating a hotel booking website, from choosing a website template to keeping your data up to date.

Step 1: Choose A Template

Setting up a new business website from scratch can be daunting, with many different factors to consider to get things right.

Everything from selecting and displaying relevant content to fine-tuning the user experience and functionality needs to be addressed.

Fortunately, you can use plenty of great website templates to perform much of the hard work and get a site launched to your satisfaction.

You don’t need any web development experience to work with these templates, and website builder companies often help with industry-based templates.

All you have to do is browse through their collection of templates and find one that matches your hotel branding and covers the content you need.

This gives you a starting point for bringing in visually stunning assets that showcase your hotel and the amenities you offer guests.

It will also fast-track the creation of an online booking system where potential guests can check for room availability and make hotel reservations.

To help you find the best template for your hotel booking website, here are some of the key features to look for:

• Drag-and-drop user interface. The best website templates use a simple yet effective drag-and-drop user interface that allows you to build up your hotel website’s content with ease quickly. Import your assets and text descriptions, then slide them onto the area of the relevant page where you want them to be displayed.
• Integrated booking system. Website templates are available for all types of businesses, with e-commerce and booking systems integrated into the core architecture. When choosing a template with a booking system included in the package, you can simply tweak it according to your hotel’s rates and availability.
• Media asset presentation. Website builder templates also include pre-designed layouts and pages for presenting powerful visual assets for your potential guests, from high-quality photographs of the rooms to videos showcasing the pool and other amenities. These also work with the drag-and-drop user interface for a speedy workflow.
• Search engine optimization tools. The best hotel booking websites make the most of SEO to ensure they reach the highest possible position in search engines. By using content marketing such as blog posts, you can help rank in Google for search terms your guests are most likely to be looking for.

Using a website builder template for your hotel booking website has other advantages, including plenty of customization options.

Make sure you take advantage of all the available resources to create a hotel website that provides a smooth booking process for your customers.

Step 2: Integrate Booking & Payment Solution

Perhaps the most important component of a hotel booking website is the booking and payment processing services included in the site.

These need to be seamlessly integrated into the site, with strict adherence to online privacy and security measures when handling payment details.

Here are some of the key considerations to bear in mind when you create a hotel booking website booking and payment system:

Manage Reservations

Whenever a visitor checks out your hotel online, the process for making a reservation should be immediately clear.

This means including buttons to click through to the booking process from relevant pages, with a neat and intuitive interface for making reservations.

Potential customers should be able to select the room availability and choose a specific room on the platform based on the images and videos they’ve seen.

Online reservation management and booking should be passed through a secure payment gateway that protects the user from fraud.

Accept Payments

As with a good e-commerce website builder, an online hotel booking form should include SSL security protection to give users peace of mind.

It also means researching the data payment method and industry trends to capitalize on new revenue opportunities.

Your online hotel booking form should also be capable of adjusting to different global currencies and accepting payments in various denominations.

Credit and debit cards and online payment processing through PayPal, Wise, and other similar services should also be included.

If you’re allowing visitors to pay for their stay in installments, your booking form should include all the relevant details on this process.

Offer Flexible Pricing Options

Just as it’s important to allow your customers to select their payment method, so too should you factor in variable rates when setting up the system.

You should also use a booking system that allows for flexible changes to payments and rates, allowing for special offers and discounts.

Whether this is matched to seasonal vacation patterns or in tandem with celebrations, it needs to be easy to alter to meet consumer demand.

These dynamic pricing strategies are crucial for staying ahead of the competition and delivering maximum hotel occupancy out of season.

Enable Different Languages

Your hotel booking website payment gateway should also be fully capable of working across all languages to satisfy an international customer base.

Localized text and currency conversion tools should be integrated into the system so it works for all geographical users.

A great website builder will include localization tools in the package, so you won’t have to outsource localization to third-party providers.

Automate Confirmation Emails

Creating clear and consistent communication with your customers begins the moment they book a room at your hotel.

Your website should also send instant confirmation emails whenever visitors make a booking so they are clear on the dates and other protocols.

These emails should clearly outline details about flights, transfers, meals, and other services included in their package.

They should also include a point of contact for any queries that remove any unnecessary friction from their vacation experience.

Step 3: Add Relevant Content

A compelling hotel booking website is far more likely to draw in regular bookings if it provides the necessary content potential customers are looking for.

By using a website builder, the core pages needed to achieve this goal are already set up, and just need filling out with content.

Here are the main pages commonly included in hotel booking websites and how you can add relevant content to engage and retain site visitors.

Home Page

A self-explanatory page that all websites use is the home page, typically the first page visitors will see and one that can leave a powerful first impression.

The home page should include all the core essentials in a visually stunning manner, with your best photos and videos instantly viewable.

Any current special offers should be visible without having to scroll down the page, with prominent calls to action such as “Book Now” text.

If you have high-profile testimonials from celebrities or public figures who’ve stayed at your resort, include these close to the top of the page.

Descriptions

When booking hotels, the first thing people check out is the rooms and amenities to assess them for their quality and degree of luxury.

This means having a dedicated page for hotel rooms and amenity descriptions is vital for showcasing these resources in their best possible light.

If your research brings up outstanding examples of getting this right, you can find out who designed a website and take notes on their process.

This section should also include any local attractions, other day trips, and nearby resources that might further attract guests to your hotel.

About Us

Successful businesses often use a personal touch to help their potential guests identify with the brand and connect on an emotional level.

If you’re a smaller hotel, such as a family-run bed and breakfast, you can use your About page to create this connection and share your journey.

Introduce your potential customers to the team and outline how you became a hotel owner to help create a more personalized experience for visitors.

FAQ

One of the biggest mistakes website owners make is not including a comprehensive section to answer customers’ frequently asked questions.

Failing to do so can lead to endless hours of customer support headaches and repetitious conversations that could have been avoided.

Setting up an FAQ page is easy and can be put together based on past queries from guests, with clear and concise answers available online.

It can also be regularly updated to include any new questions that arise, improving your hotel’s customer engagement in the process.

Reviews

The success of platforms such as Trip Advisor has demonstrated the importance of gathering and presenting customer reviews online.

Positive reviews from satisfied guests help to build your hotel’s credibility and demonstrate past customers’ trust in your services.

You can also use these reviews to present your adaptability to the changing demands of guests, responding to criticisms in a timely manner.

Engaging with negative reviews and showing your ability to resolve their concerns will also improve your credibility and reputation.

Contact

A contact page is another feature common to all types of business websites and should include multiple points of contact for customers.

These contact details include basic email information, a phone number, and a user-friendly contact form that can be completed online.

You can also consider including a press page in the event journalists wish to get in touch to review your hotel for their media outlet.

Privacy Policy

Last but not least, your hotel booking website should include a page covering your privacy policy for visitors to read through at their leisure.

This page will cover how your website collects and protects their data and any other data usage practices they need to be aware of.

Step 4: Use High-Quality Visual Assets

We’ve touched briefly on the importance of giving a strong first impression through the use of high-quality visual assets on your website.

This means presenting your hotel in the best possible light through the liberal use of professional photographs, videos, and other visual assets.

The ambiance and space offered in the rooms and the appealing nature of your swimming pool and other amenities should be evident throughout.

Here are the main types of visual assets you should feature on your hotel booking website to get the attention of potential guests.

Professional Photographs

Visit any hotel booking website, and the first thing you’ll notice is extensive galleries showcasing each room’s decor and other amenities.

You don’t have to pay a fortune for these images, with many photography side hustles making it easy to get these photos for a reasonable fee.

Make sure these photographs showcase the rooms and amenities from all angles, using bright and vivid light to bring out the colorful details.

4K Resolution Videos

Creating short but visually appealing videos is another great way to share your hotel with potential customers who may be interested in booking.

These videos can also be used for promotional campaigns on social media platforms or through more traditional media outlets.

4K video cameras are affordable, so if you’re running a small family-run bed and breakfast, you can get great results on a low budget.

3D Virtual Tours

3D virtual tours are becoming increasingly popular ways to present hotels to guests and deliver a more immersive viewing experience than traditional videos.

They give a greater impression of the sense of space than other visual media and can be created using relatively affordable 360-degree cameras.

Step 5: Establish Consistent Branding

Researching and creating a clear and consistent brand identity is another important aspect of business promotion and delivering a compelling online presence.

This is as relevant for small hotels as it is for large chains such as Marriott and should be included across your entire website.

Your branding will help to clearly establish the type of vacation experience guests can expect, from the style of accommodation to the local activities.

Follow these steps to ensure you establish consistent branding when creating your own hotel website:

Secure A Custom Domain

Securing your customized domain name is the first step to setting up a hotel website and building a consistent online brand.

Like the best real estate business names, it should reflect the core branding and target audience of your hotel’s name and location.

Choose a custom domain name that is easy to remember and use it throughout your site’s banners and other logos.

Design A Professional Logo

Including a well-designed and memorable logo that accurately represents the tone of your hotel is another great way to enhance brand recognition.

If you don’t know how to design a logo, you can outsource this to a designer who will deliver logo ideas based on your brief.

Keep it clean and simple, and check to see it is clear across all devices and doesn’t appear too small or obscure when viewed on smartphones.

Select A Visual Style

Compelling online hotel booking websites succeed by using consistent and clear visual styles throughout their pages.

This means selecting a bold color palette with legible fonts and other visual elements that pop out from the screen.

The overall approach should be built around developing a cohesive brand experience that reflects the essence of your hotel business to customers.

Step 6: Leverage Social Media

Promoting your hotel website brand on social media platforms is fundamental to successful digital marketing strategies.

In addition to advertising on your own social media pages, you can work with affiliate programs on platforms such as Instagram and TikTok.

These affiliate deals will help you significantly increase your online reach to an audience looking for your hotel’s services.

While some may require payment for their promotional efforts, others can be partnered with by arranging a free stay at your hotel.

In the long term, this has the potential to pay off big time, significantly increasing your bookings and online exposure.

Step 7: Ensure Mobile-Friendliness

With millions of people browsing the internet on their smartphones and tablets, cross-platform support is essential when developing a hotel website.

This means including full testing across devices as part of your website design timeline to ensure everything is presented as intended.

Check to see if the booking form works correctly and if your visual assets are clear and sharp when loaded onto small-screen smartphones.

If you experience any issues, you can go back to the drawing board and optimize these assets so potential guests can view them clearly.

You can also use the website builder tools to instantly check mobile-friendliness during the development process and fix problems early on.

Step 8: Implement SEO Best Practices

Another core step in setting up an online presence is getting your hotel website to rank high in search engines.

This means ensuring your pages are all fully optimized for search engines, both through the use of keywords and optimal metadata.

Many businesses use blogs to help drive traffic through SEO and keywords, which also provide additional value for site visitors.

If you’re considering this approach, put together a blog post checklist to help with keyword research and other promotional considerations.

Likewise, you should stay abreast of the latest artificial intelligence trends revolutionizing the hospitality industry and how they might impact your SEO.

Dominating the competitive hospitality industry also means continually updating your SEO strategy and using data analytics to drive traffic further.

Step 9: Integrate Third-Party Widgets

Professional business websites can also be enhanced through the use of high-quality third-party widgets to improve their functionality.

Just as the best architecture websites can benefit from integrating platforms such as Google My Business, hotel sites should also use these tools.

One of the most popular add-ons for hotel websites is the Trip Advisor widget, which allows previous guests to leave reviews of your hotel.

These can be used to highlight any positive experiences and boost your hotel’s reputation and authority in the eyes of potential guests.

Spend some time researching how competitor hotel websites use these widgets to see what works well and what should be avoided.

Step 10: Maintain Your Hotel Booking Website

Maintaining and updating your hotel website is important for a range of reasons, from optimizing SEO to showing off new amenities and features.

Like the best consulting websites, it should be updated to include new positive feedback from customers and retain visitor interest.

Here are some of the website elements you should consider updating regularly to keep your hotel website visible to potential customers.

Frequently Add New Content

We’ve discussed how you can use blog posts to drive traffic by optimizing your website for search engines using keywords.

For this to be consistently successful, it requires continually adding new blogs covering timely and relevant topics.

Upcoming local events and special offers, as well as posts that showcase your expertise in the hospitality industry, are good areas to cover.

Update Photos & Videos Regularly

Updating your visual assets is another great way to keep your hotel website fresh for visitors, particularly if your initial assets aren’t the greatest.

Any updates to your hotel’s amenities should be added to the site as and when they’re completed to give visitors a positive first impression.

You should also consider 3D photography, which is increasingly popular for hotel websites that seek to dominate the online space.

Display Live Rates & Availability

With the price of staying in hotels subject to change at a moment’s notice, you should ensure your own website displays live rates and room availability.

This will help to prevent any booking discrepancies and establish trust with your guests by mitigating potential confusion or misunderstandings.

Costs Of Making Hotel Websites

Now that we’ve broken down the complete process for creating hotel booking websites, let’s explore some of the costs you’ll need to consider.

Hotel Website Builder

Setting up a hotel is one of the best international business ideas, but the chances of succeeding are slim without a strong online presence.

This means choosing a hotel website builder that delivers all the features and functionality needed for a smooth and streamlined user experience.

This will ensure that your user-friendly website is cost-effective, saving valuable time and money through drag-and-drop functionality and templates.

While some website builders have additional expenses for specific tools, others offer a single monthly subscription that includes everything you need.

Custom Website Development

Hiring a professional website developer to build a website can cost thousands of dollars, with high hourly rates and project-based fees.

Likewise, professional designers for assets such as logos, banners, and other branding elements can skyrocket your budget.

Fortunately, some of the best freelancer tools can help you perform these tasks without the need for high-priced outsourcing.

Consider using services such as Canva for logo design and using platforms such as Fivver and Upwork to find competitively priced freelancers.

Additional Costs

Lastly, when setting up a hotel website, you should be mindful of any other potential additional costs that may increase your overall budget.

Domain registration and paying for a website hosting provider are two potential expenses that should be on your list.

With that said, you can opt for a website builder that covers these expenses in their package, so you’re clear on how they impact your budget.

Visual assets, such as stock photos that showcase the surrounding natural landscape, can also drive up the price of your hotel website.

These can be a great short-term solution for helping you build up your website before you take high-quality photos of your own.

If you don’t have the writing skills to create your own blog posts, hiring a freelance writer will also add to your overall setup and running costs.

Summary

Building a strong online presence through a well-designed and informative hotel website can make the difference between success and failure.

By following the information in this article, you can be sure your hotel booking website will deliver the user experience that leads to online bookings.

As your business grows, you can seek professional help to improve your content and further drive traffic from potential customers to your hotel.