Boutique hotel website cost in Quebec City: local agencies vs Kolonell (2026)

The verdict in three sentences

For a boutique hotel website in Quebec City, agencies in the capital quote, as a 2026 order of magnitude, about 10 000 to 40 000 CAD (roughly 7 300 to 29 200 USD), and Montreal agencies more. Kolonell offers a fixed price of 2 900, 4 900 or 8 900 USD, with native French copywriting and, in Premium, a bilingual FR/EN site for American and Ontario guests. A Quebec City agency keeps the edge if you want a film shoot in the streets of Old Québec organized for you and in-person meetings: Kolonell does neither.

This version is written for the English-speaking owners and managers of boutique hotels in Quebec City.

How much do Quebec City agencies charge compared with Kolonell?

These figures are cautious orders of magnitude, drawn from public pricing pages of Quebec City and Montreal agencies, minimum project sizes on Clutch.co profiles, hourly rates published by Quebec agencies (about 85 to 150 CAD per hour, roughly 62 to 110 USD) and freelance rates visible on Upwork and Malt. The formulas are detailed on the international website offer.

Honest note: a Quebec City freelancer can deliver a hotel site for the price of Kolonell Starter, sometimes less. The difference lies in the project manager, the copy written for you, the written scope and the handover of every access.

What does an Old Québec hotel expect from its website?

In Quebec City, a boutique hotel sells a place as much as a room: a stone house in the Upper Town, a former warehouse in the Old Port, a renovated building in Saint-Roch. Guests mix Quebecers on a getaway, Ontarians, visitors from New England and New York, French travellers and cruise passengers sailing up the St. Lawrence in autumn. The peaks: Winter Carnival in February, the Festival d'été in July, autumn colours and the holiday season.

• Room pages that show the building: stone walls, beams, views of the river or the rooftops.
• Access and parking, a sensitive point inside the walls: public parking, valet, distance from the Gare du Palais.
• Seasonal packages: Carnival, Festival d'été, dinners at the hotel restaurant, spa getaways.
• An English version as polished as the French one if 30 to 40 % of your guests read English.
• Neighbourhood guides on Petit-Champlain, Montcalm, rue Saint-Jean or Limoilou.

What does each formula include for a Quebec City hotel?

The booking engine and channel manager are third-party tools, paid by the hotel through a subscription or commission depending on the vendor; Kolonell integrates the chosen engine and does not supply it. Payment goes through that PCI DSS certified engine, never through the site. OTA commissions are often 15 to 25 % depending on the contract.

What budget should you plan over three years?

Maintenance is an assumption, identical on both sides, counted after the 6 months of Premium support; Kolonell quotes it on request.

Language, Law 25 and lodging tax: what you need to know

A few facts, nothing more. The Charter of the French Language governs the use of French in business in Quebec: the commercial information on your site must be available in French, and the Office québécois de la langue française publishes guidance on websites. Law 25, phased in between 2022 and 2024, notably requires a person in charge of the protection of personal information, a privacy policy published in clear terms and consent for non-essential cookies. Newsletters fall under CASL. The lodging tax, generally 3.5 % of the nightly rate, must appear clearly in the price shown by the engine. The Act respecting tourist accommodation requires the establishment to be registered: check with the CITQ whether your number must appear on the site. This is not legal advice.

How do you compare two quotes without getting it wrong?

• Compare the build price alone, excluding any monthly marketing plan.
• Ask who writes the copy, in French and English, and how many pages are included.
• Require the domain, hosting and engine account in the hotel's name.
• Check the photo licence: web use, social media, duration.
• Beware of a vague timeline if you are aiming for a launch before Carnival or the Festival d'été.
• Ask how the site handles the cookie consent required by Law 25.

Mini case study

Illustrative example. Isabelle B. runs a 34-room hotel in two Upper Town stone houses, with a bistro. About 40 % of her guests read English. A Quebec City agency quotes 38 000 CAD (about 27 700 USD) for a bilingual site with photos and a short video. Kolonell quotes Premium at 8 900 USD, bilingual, plus a local photographer and videographer at 3 000 CAD (about 2 200 USD), so 11 100 USD.

The gap reaches about 16 600 USD, close to 22 700 CAD. At 280 CAD a night and a 20 % OTA commission, an OTA booking costs 56 CAD: the gap equals about 405 room nights. Across 34 rooms at 70 % occupancy, roughly 8 700 room nights a year, that is less than 5 % of one year.

FAQ

How much does a boutique hotel website cost in Quebec City in 2026?

About 10 000 to 40 000 CAD (7 300 to 29 200 USD) with a Quebec City agency, more in Montreal. Kolonell charges 2 900, 4 900 or 8 900 USD, at a fixed price.

Does the site have to be in French?

The Charter of the French Language applies to businesses in Quebec, and commercial information must be available in French. An English version can be added: a bilingual FR/EN site is possible from Premium, at 8 900 USD.

Can Kolonell handle our Law 25 policy?

Kolonell sets up the privacy page and the cookie consent banner, but the policy text must be approved by your person in charge of personal information. Launch remains 3 to 4 weeks for Starter and Growth.

Can you film the hotel?

No, Kolonell does no on-site shoots. Budget about 1 500 to 3 500 CAD for a half-day of photos and a short video with a Quebec City professional.

How does communication work?

The project manager holds Google Meet calls in Eastern Time and sends a written update every week. The production team works from Senegal (GMT), 4 to 5 hours ahead. Payment by bank transfer or Wise, 50 % at kickoff, 50 % at delivery.

Let's scope your project. Send us your room count, your booking engine and the share of English-speaking guests, and we will reply with a fixed-price formula and a 3 to 6 week schedule. Request your free quote or see the international offer.