Web design for boutique hotels and lodges
I design and build websites for boutique hotels and lodges that turn lookers into direct bookings, so fewer of your stays pay a commission to an online travel agency.
Free homepage teardown for your property
Send me your site. I’ll record a short video on what works, what doesn’t, and what I’d change first.
How clients choose
Guests often find a boutique property on Booking.com or Expedia, then search for its own site to compare. That visit is the chance to win the booking directly. They want room details, real photos, rates and a reason to book with you instead. The site has to feel like the place and make booking as easy as on the big platforms.
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What people type before they choose. Each of these deserves a clear answer somewhere on your site, usually its own page.
Pages your site needs
The pages I plan for almost every property website, and why each one earns its place.
Rooms and suites
A page per room type with photos, beds, size, views and amenities.
Book direct
The booking engine with a clear note on what booking direct includes.
The place
The building, the history, the design and the neighbourhood.
Dining and amenities
Restaurant, breakfast, spa or bar, each with hours and reservations.
Things to do
A local guide written by your team, not a list of chains.
Weddings, groups and events
Room blocks, buyouts and event spaces with an enquiry form.
What builds trust
The signals that move someone from browsing to choosing a property.
Professional photography
Every room type shot well and honestly. Guests compare closely.
Rate transparency
Taxes and any mandatory fees shown clearly with the rate, not added at the final step.
Clear policies
Check-in, cancellation, pets and parking stated plainly.
Genuine recognition
Real press or travel awards, linked, where you have them.
The conversion path
Primary action: Check availability and book direct.
Fallback: Call or email the front desk.
A date picker sits at the top of every page and opens straight into your booking engine with dates prefilled. Direct-booking benefits, such as flexible cancellation or breakfast, are stated near it so guests have a reason to stay on your site.
Common mistakes
What I see most often when I review sites in this field.
A clunky booking hand-off
Sending guests to an unstyled engine that looks like another site sends them back to the OTA.
No reason to book direct
If the price and perks match the OTA, guests book where they have an account.
Slow image-heavy pages
Large unoptimized galleries make room pages crawl on hotel wifi and mobile data.
Features worth building
Booking engine integration
Cloudbeds, SiteMinder, Little Hotelier or your current engine, styled and connected with dates prefilled.
Packages and offers
Seasonal packages and direct-booking offers you can edit yourself.
Multilingual pages
Key pages in French or other languages your guests use.
Websites for boutique hotels and lodges: common questions
Make booking direct as easy as the platforms and give guests a reason. A visible date picker, a booking engine that matches your site, rates with taxes shown honestly, and a benefit like flexible cancellation, breakfast or a better room. Many guests visit your own site after finding you on an OTA. That visit is where the commission is won or lost.
Usually the one connected to your property management system and channel manager, so availability stays in sync. Cloudbeds, SiteMinder and Little Hotelier are common for smaller properties. I integrate with what you run, style the hand-off so it feels like the same site and pass dates through so guests do not re-enter them.
Hire an architectural or hospitality photographer and shoot every room type, in natural light, at accurate angles. Show the bathroom, the view and the details. Guests compare closely, and photos that oversell lead to disappointment. I display the images large and fast, with a clear gallery per room so guests can see exactly what they are booking.
Yes, written by people who know it. A guide to restaurants, walks, galleries and day trips near you helps guests plan, ranks for searches about the area and positions the property as part of the place. It also gives your team something useful to send to booked guests before they arrive.
Keep reading
- nick@tavro.ca
- 587-439-9994
- Calgary, Alberta