The verdict in three sentences
A boutique hotel website redesign in Antwerp costs a 2026 ballpark of EUR 8,000 to 25,000 at a local agency, against EUR 4,500 on Growth and EUR 8,200 on Premium with Kolonell (the multilingual tier, languages set in the quote). The existing booking engine and channel manager are kept and embedded on quote, never rebuilt. Allow 3 to 4 weeks once texts and photos are ready, and a go-live placed in your quietest weeks.
Which signals say the hotel website needs rebuilding?
- The Book button opens a new window with a different design, and guests hesitate.
- Rooms and suites have no page of their own, only a gallery.
- The restaurant or bar menu is a scanned PDF, unreadable on mobile.
- The French or English version stops at the homepage.
- Meeting and wedding enquiries arrive through a generic form with no date or guest count.
For a hotel in Het Zuid, Eilandje or the old town near the cathedral, these are the pages business travellers and leisure visitors read before comparing with booking platforms.
What does a hotel website redesign cost in Antwerp in 2026?
Ballpark figures from typical quotes and public rate pages of Belgian agencies, photography and booking engine subscriptions excluded.
| Option | Included | Not included | 2026 budget |
|---|---|---|---|
| Freelancer on a hotel theme | 8 to 12 pages, one or two languages | Redirect map, content | EUR 3,000 to 8,000 |
| Generalist Antwerp web agency | Custom design, three languages | Advanced booking engine integration | EUR 8,000 to 18,000 |
| Hospitality specialist agency | Design, content, marketing support | Software subscriptions | EUR 15,000 to 25,000+ |
| Kolonell Starter | Up to 5 pages, one language | Booking engine, channel manager | EUR 2,700 |
| Kolonell Growth | Room, offer, restaurant and events pages, analytics | Booking engine and channel manager on quote | EUR 4,500 |
| Kolonell Premium | The multilingual tier, languages set in the quote, advanced SEO | Booking engine and channel manager on quote | EUR 8,200 |
Every tier includes a project manager reachable in the Brussels time zone, native English copywriting, delivery in 3 to 4 weeks and 3 months of support. Dutch copy goes to a freelance translator, a third-party cost. See the details on the international offer page.
Which pages to migrate, and how?
A hotel site has few pages, but each one carries bookings. The URL inventory comes before the mock-up.
| Page type | Migration rule | Watch point |
|---|---|---|
| Rooms and suites | One page per category, 301 from every old URL | Current photos, size and amenities checked by the hotel |
| Offers and packages | Keep those still sold, 301 the rest to the Offers page | Terms aligned with the booking engine |
| Restaurant and bar | Menu in HTML, no more scanned PDF | Allergens checked by the kitchen before publishing |
| Meetings, events, weddings | Dedicated form: date, guest count, event type | No invented capacities |
| Neighbourhood and access | Useful page on Het Zuid, Eilandje, the station | General information, no promised travel times |
| Reviews and awards | Only real reviews, with their source | Never invented stars, ratings or reviews |
On allergens, EU Regulation (EU) No 1169/2011 requires information on 14 major allergens, so the kitchen signs off every online menu. The direct booking journey stays simple: a visible button on every page, an engine embedded in the site design, and general rate wording with no figures compared against platforms.
Which timeline, and which risks?
| Phase | Kolonell duration | Align with your season |
|---|---|---|
| URL inventory, structure, redirect map | Week 1 | Start 6 weeks before the target quiet period |
| Design, copywriting, translation | Weeks 1 to 2 | Room photos taken beforehand |
| Build, booking engine integration (on quote) | Weeks 2 to 3 | Booking tests with the engine vendor |
| Review: menus, allergens, GDPR notices | Week 3 | Kitchen and management available |
| Go-live and Search Console monitoring | Week 4, then 6 weeks | Quietest week in your calendar |
Risks to cover:
- Lost bookings during the switch: test a real booking in each language before opening DNS.
- Traffic loss on room pages: page-by-page 301s and Search Console monitoring for 6 weeks.
- Integrations: booking engine, channel manager and newsletter tool tested together; no payment data passes through the site.
- Compliance: the GDPR applies to forms and the newsletter, supervised by the Data Protection Authority (APD/GBA); minimal form, explicit consent for the newsletter. This is not legal advice.
- Heavy images: WebP or AVIF, responsive sizes, lazy loading.
Need a professional website?
Kolonell builds websites that attract clients, optimized for the Sénégalese market. Free quote in 2 minutes.
When is an Antwerp agency the better choice?
If you want an agency that also runs your campaigns, social media and on-site shoots, or a custom-built booking engine, a local specialist makes more sense. Questions to ask any provider: is the current engine kept, who tests bookings, who owns the domain, when is go-live, and what does maintenance cost after delivery.
Mini case study
Illustrative example. Hotel Scheldelicht, a fictional 18-room hotel in Het Zuid run by Ines, an English-speaking manager based in Antwerp, has a site in Dutch and English with no readable restaurant page. She keeps her booking engine and channel manager.
Budget: Kolonell Premium at EUR 8,200 (the multilingual tier, Dutch, French and English set in the quote), a freelance translator for Dutch at about EUR 700 and a local photographer for 6 room categories at about EUR 1,200, both third-party costs. Total: 8,200 + 700 + 1,200 = EUR 10,100, against a specialist agency quote of EUR 18,000 before photography. Integrating the existing engine is priced separately on quote, as is maintenance after the 3 included months. Go-live is set for the quietest week in her calendar.
FAQ
How much does a boutique hotel website redesign cost in Antwerp?
In 2026, EUR 8,000 to 25,000 at a local agency and EUR 4,500 to 8,200 on the Kolonell grid. Booking engine integration is priced on quote.
Do we need to change booking engine?
No, in most cases the existing engine is kept and embedded in the design. That avoids reconfiguring dozens of rates and 100% of the channel manager connections.
When should the new site go live?
During your quietest week, with 6 weeks of monitoring afterwards. Start the project about 6 weeks before.
How should the restaurant menu be shown?
In HTML, in each language, with the 14 major allergens checked by the kitchen. A scanned PDF stays unreadable on mobile.
Can we display guest reviews?
Yes, only real reviews with their source and date. No rating, star or award is added without evidence supplied by the hotel.
Let's scope your project. Tell us your room count, languages and target quiet week, and we will return a fixed price from EUR 2,700. See the international offer or request a free quote: detailed reply within 48 hours.
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.
