Hotel and Restaurant Websites: Turning Visitors into Direct Bookings

For hotels, villas and restaurants, the website is often both the first impression and the deciding factor. Guests compare photos, read the menu, check the location and want to book in a few taps, usually from a phone.

Every booking that comes through an online travel agency carries a commission. A well designed website with a clear booking engine or reservation form lets you keep more of that revenue and build a direct relationship with your guests.

What works: large, high quality photos of the rooms or the dishes, prices and availability that are easy to find, the menu as a fast web page rather than a PDF, the location on a map, reviews from real guests and a booking button that stays visible on every page. For tourism businesses, content in more than one language is essential.

Speed and mobile usability are critical, since many guests browse on mobile data while travelling. Invest in a site that loads quickly and makes booking effortless, and the direct reservations will follow.