The verdict in three sentences
In Brussels, a boutique hotel website built by a local agency costs, as a 2026 ballpark, between 8 000 and 35 000 EUR excluding VAT, and more with a video shoot and three languages written by the agency. Kolonell builds the room pages, the integration of your booking engine and the meeting packages for a fixed price of 2 700, 4 500 or 8 200 EUR, delivered in 3 to 4 weeks on Starter and Growth. The real comparison is the 3-year total cost, how languages are handled (French, English and often Dutch) and the site's ability to grow your direct bookings against the platforms.
This version is written for the English-speaking owners and general managers of boutique hotels in Brussels, many of whom came to the city through the European institutions or international hospitality groups.
What do Brussels agencies, freelancers and Kolonell charge?
The ranges below are prudent ballparks, not official figures. They draw on public rate cards of agencies in Brussels and Wallonia, minimum project sizes listed on Clutch.co profiles, hourly rates published by Belgian agencies (often 75 to 130 EUR per hour) and rates visible on Malt or Upwork. Amounts exclude VAT.
| Criterion | Brussels agency | Local freelancer | Kolonell |
|---|---|---|---|
| Build cost, 2026 ballpark | 8 000 to 35 000 EUR and up | 2 500 to 8 000 EUR | 2 700 / 4 500 / 8 200 EUR, fixed |
| Changes outside scope | Often 75 to 130 EUR per hour | Often 45 to 80 EUR per hour | Quoted before any work |
| Usual timeline | 8 to 14 weeks | 4 to 10 weeks | 3 to 4 weeks, Premium usually 4 to 6 |
| Room and space shoot | Often offered as an option | Rarely | Not included: your images or a local photographer |
| Languages | FR/NL/EN often offered, translation billed | Variable | FR/EN included on Premium; Dutch supplied or quoted separately |
| Support after launch | Separate maintenance contract | Case by case | 3 months, 6 on Premium |
| Ownership | Check the contract | Check the contract | Domain in your name, all access handed over |
Payment is by bank transfer or Wise: 50 % to start, 50 % at delivery. A project manager reachable during your hours runs the Google Meet calls and sends you a written update every week; the team is based in Senegal (GMT), one hour behind Brussels in winter, two in summer. Full details are on our international website offer.
Which 3-year total cost should you compare?
A Brussels boutique hotel almost always needs at least two languages, which points to our Premium tier (bilingual FR/EN site included). The table assumes the same monthly maintenance rate on both sides, since Kolonell maintenance after the support period is quoted on request.
| Item over 36 months | Brussels agency (mid range) | Kolonell Premium |
|---|---|---|
| Website build | 18 000 EUR | 8 200 EUR |
| Support included after launch | Depends on contract | 6 months included |
| Maintenance (same assumption, 150 EUR per month) | 33 months, 4 950 EUR | 30 months, 4 500 EUR, on quote |
| Dutch version | Professional translation, assumption 1 200 EUR | Supplied or quoted separately, assumption 1 200 EUR |
| Seasonal offers and packages over 3 years | 8 hours at 95 EUR, 760 EUR | Quoted beforehand, assumption 600 EUR |
| Professional shoot | Frequent add-on, 1 800 EUR | Brussels photographer booked separately, 1 800 EUR |
| Indicative total | 26 710 EUR | 16 300 EUR |
These figures structure the comparison; they do not predict your invoice. Have every supplier fill in this same table.
What does each Kolonell tier include for a boutique hotel?
| Item | Starter 2 700 EUR | Growth 4 500 EUR | Premium 8 200 EUR |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rooms | One page per category | One page per category with gallery and amenities | Detailed pages, suites, room comparison |
| Booking | Link to your current engine | Booking engine embedded in the pages | Polished integration, offers bookable by direct link |
| Meetings and events | Simple form | Dedicated page, capacity per room | Pages per package, qualified request |
| Neighbourhood and guide | Single page | Neighbourhood guide | Full guides, station and airport access |
| Bilingual FR/EN site | No | No | Included |
| Timeline | 3 to 4 weeks | 3 to 4 weeks | Written schedule at kickoff, usually 4 to 6 weeks |
| Support after launch | 3 months | 3 months | 6 months |
A loyalty programme, a guest account area or a purpose-built booking engine is a custom application, quoted on request, and so is ongoing search work.
What does a Brussels boutique hotel website need?
Your guests change with the week: business travellers linked to the European institutions and the trade federations of the European Quarter on weekdays, couples arriving by train from Paris, London or Amsterdam for a weekend in the Sablon, Saint-Gilles or around the Grand-Place. The site has to charm quickly and sell direct:
- Rooms presented honestly: size, bed, view, any street noise, with real photos.
- A one-tap booking engine, the one you already use with your channel manager, with the direct booking benefit clearly shown.
- Transparent prices, stating whether the regional tourist accommodation tax is included.
- A meetings page to capture corporate requests on weekdays.
- Three languages if possible: French, English and Dutch. Kolonell writes in French and English; the Dutch version is supplied by the hotel or quoted separately.
- A Google Business Profile consistent with the site.
On compliance, the facts only: GDPR applies to forms and cookies, supervised by the Belgian Data Protection Authority. The European Accessibility Act has applied since 28 June 2025 to certain digital services, including some online booking services, with an exemption for service microenterprises; WCAG 2.1 AA is the technical reference. This is not legal advice.
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How do you compare quotes, and which red flags matter?
- A price without a written scope: ask for the list of pages, languages and integrations.
- A domain in the supplier's name: it must be in yours.
- An imposed booking engine, different from the one linked to your channel manager.
- Unreviewed machine translations for Dutch or English.
- Generic stock photos instead of your rooms.
- Mandatory multi-year maintenance with no way to take back control.
Mini case study
Illustrative example. Sophie V., manager of an 18-room boutique hotel in the Sablon, compares two offers. A Brussels agency proposes a trilingual site with a shoot for 22 000 EUR, delivered in 12 weeks. Kolonell proposes Premium at 8 200 EUR, bilingual FR/EN, delivered in 5 weeks, plus a Dutch translator at 900 EUR and a local photographer at 1 500 EUR, for 10 600 EUR in total. Gap: 11 400 EUR.
She also works out the value of direct bookings. With 18 rooms, 70 % occupancy and an average rate of 160 EUR, room revenue reaches about 735 800 EUR a year. If 5 % of that amount moved from the platforms, at a 17 % commission, to the website, the saving would be about 6 250 EUR a year. This is an assumption, not a promise.
FAQ
How much does a boutique hotel website cost in Brussels in 2026?
With a local agency, expect a ballpark of 8 000 to 35 000 EUR excluding VAT, and 2 500 to 8 000 EUR with a freelancer. Kolonell charges a fixed 2 700, 4 500 or 8 200 EUR.
Do you integrate our current booking engine?
Yes: a link on Starter, embedded in the pages on Growth and Premium. A purpose-built engine is quoted on request.
Can the site be in Dutch?
The bilingual FR/EN site is included in Premium at 8 200 EUR. The Dutch version is supplied by the hotel or quoted separately, often around 800 to 1 500 EUR of professional translation depending on volume.
Do you photograph the rooms?
No. The hotel supplies its images or books a Brussels photographer, often 1 000 to 2 000 EUR per day based on published rates. A local agency can organise it on site, which is a genuine advantage.
How does payment work?
By bank transfer or Wise, 50 % at kickoff and 50 % at delivery. On Premium, that means two payments of 4 100 EUR.
Let's scope your project. Send us your room categories, your booking engine and your languages, and we come back with a fixed-price tier and a 3 to 4 week timeline (4 to 6 on Premium). Request your free quote or see the international offer.
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.
