The verdict in three sentences
A group of 3 boutique hotels in Miami paying 15 to 25 % commission to OTAs hands Expedia and Booking.com several times the cost of its own website every year. Local agencies quote 30 000 to 70 000 USD for a group site with a booking engine, channel manager connection, card payments and English/Spanish content, delivered in 8 to 12 weeks. A realistic goal is to grow direct bookings by 10 points within 12 to 18 months, while keeping OTAs for discovery.
What OTAs really cost you
OTAs bring leisure travellers and international guests, but their commission applies to the room rate and rises with visibility programs. The table below gives a 2026 order of magnitude for 3 boutique hotels totalling 120 rooms.
| Parameter | 2026 assumption | Annual result |
|---|---|---|
| Rooms (3 properties) | 120 | 43 800 available room nights |
| Occupancy | 75 % | 32 850 room nights sold |
| Average daily rate | 320 USD | 10 512 000 USD room revenue |
| Share sold through OTAs | 45 % | 14 783 room nights |
| Average commission | 18 % | 851 500 USD paid |
| Current direct share | 20 % | 6 570 room nights |
| Target direct share | 30 % | 9 855 room nights |
Moving 10 points from OTAs to direct means 3 285 room nights, or 1 051 200 USD of revenue on which the 18 % commission (189 216 USD) is no longer paid. Booking engine and payment fees (about 3 %, or 31 536 USD) come off that, leaving roughly 157 700 USD a year.
Site scope and price
A boutique hotel site must convert a guest browsing on a phone, often in Spanish, and reflect the identity of each property. These components drive the budget.
| Component | Role | 2026 cost or fees | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| Miami agency, group site (market) | 3 property sites, shared brand, EN/ES | 30 000 to 70 000 USD | Higher end includes photography and copy |
| Kolonell Premium site (nearshore) | Group site, 3 languages, offers, meetings pages | 2 000 000 to 3 500 000 FCFA (3 050 to 5 340 EUR) | Fixed published grid |
| Booking engine (market) | Real-time rates and availability | 300 to 900 USD/month or 2 to 4 % per booking | Pick one natively connected to your channel manager |
| Channel manager (market) | Syncs inventory and rates with OTAs | 150 to 500 USD/month per property | Prevents overbooking |
| Card payments | Deposits, prepayment, Apple Pay | 2.6 to 3.5 % per transaction | PCI scope stays with the payment provider |
| Kolonell maintenance | Updates, fixes, new packages | 35 000 / 75 000 / 120 000 FCFA/month (50 / 110 / 180 EUR) | Standard tier usually enough |
Accessibility is not optional in Florida: the state sees a large share of US website accessibility lawsuits under ADA Title III, so target WCAG 2.1 AA from day one and budget an audit. Mobile speed matters as much: under 2.5 seconds Largest Contentful Paint on 4G.
What actually shifts bookings to direct
The site alone is not enough. You need a best rate guarantee (even 5 % under OTAs), a perk such as late checkout or a welcome drink, member rates unlocked by email signup, and a Google Business Profile that links to the booking engine. Past guests must receive the direct booking link in every confirmation and post-stay email.
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Illustrative example: Daniela, COO of a group of 3 boutique hotels in Miami Beach, sees 45 % of sales through OTAs at 18 % commission. She launches a group site with a booking engine connected to the channel manager and a member rate. After 12 months, the direct share rises from 20 % to 26 %, so 1 971 room nights shifted, 630 720 USD of revenue and about 113 530 USD of commission avoided. Minus 3 % booking and payment fees (18 920 USD) and engine subscriptions (about 21 600 USD a year), net gain is close to 73 000 USD, before reaching the 30 % goal.
FAQ
How much does a direct booking website cost for a boutique hotel group in Miami?
Local agencies typically quote 30 000 to 70 000 USD for a 3-property group site. A nearshore Kolonell Premium site is 2 000 000 to 3 500 000 FCFA (3 050 to 5 340 EUR), with engine and channel manager subscriptions on top.
Should we leave Booking.com and Expedia to grow direct bookings?
No. OTAs remain an acquisition channel for first-time guests, and the goal is to win back repeat guests. A 10-point gain within 12 to 18 months is realistic.
Do we need ADA compliance for a hotel website?
In practice yes, since Florida is one of the states with the most website accessibility lawsuits. Target WCAG 2.1 AA and keep an audit report on file.
How long does it take to launch?
Eight to twelve weeks for a group site, including one week to configure rates and the engine. Professional photography must be ready by week 4.
How do we avoid overbooking between the site and OTAs?
The channel manager syncs availability across all channels in seconds. Validate it before choosing the design.
Let's scope your project. Share your room count, current OTA share and booking engine for a line-by-line quote with a commission savings calculation and an 8 to 12 week schedule. Detailed quote within 48 h. WhatsApp +221 77 596 93 33.
Mohamed Bah
Fondateur, Kolonell
Passionate about digital and entrepreneurship in Africa, Mohamed has been helping Sénégalese businesses with their digital transformation since 2020. Founder of Kolonell, he believes every SME deserves a professional and accessible online présence.
