The verdict in three sentences
In Wellington, many boutique hotel website redesigns decay within a year because nobody is named to update offers, rate messaging and seasonal pages. A Kolonell fixed-grid redesign at $2,900 to $8,900, delivered in 3 to 4 weeks, should therefore include a reusable offer template and a quarterly content check from the start. On the risk side, room, wedding and event pages that rank need a URL inventory, a 301 map and 6 weeks of Search Console monitoring.
Which signals say it is time to redesign?
Between Te Aro, Cuba Street and the waterfront, guests mix government business travellers, festival and cultural event audiences, and couples planning a wedding. Common signs of a site due for a redesign:
- a "winter" offer still visible in midsummer, because only the previous supplier knew how to remove it;
- wedding pages that link to a three-year-old PDF brochure;
- a booking engine embedded in a window that renders badly on mobile;
- restaurant menus published as images, unreadable for screen readers;
- Google Business Profile and travel listings showing different hours or services from the site.
What budget should you plan, and what are you really buying?
2026 ballpark, based on typical agency quotes and public rate pages from Wellington agencies. NZD amounts converted approximately into USD.
| Provider | 2026 range | What you usually get | Governance after launch |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wellington agency | NZD 12,000 to 40,000 (approx. USD 7,100 to 23,600) | Custom design, in-person workshops | Separate maintenance contract |
| Local freelancer | NZD 4,000 to 12,000 (approx. USD 2,400 to 7,100) | Adapted theme, little copywriting | Depends on availability |
| Kolonell Starter | $2,900 | A few pages, copy included | Offer template, 3 months of support |
| Kolonell Growth | $4,900 | Rooms, events, weddings, restaurant | Offer template, editing guide, 3 months of support |
| Kolonell Premium | $8,900 | The multilingual tier, languages set in the quote | Same, plus pages per language |
Kolonell tiers include a project manager reachable in your time zone, native English or French copywriting and 3 months of support; maintenance afterwards is on quote. Also on quote: booking engine, channel manager, PMS, gift vouchers, table booking, portals and feeds. See the international offer page.
How do you organise governance after go-live?
The redesign delivers a tool; your internal organisation keeps it accurate. A one-page responsibility table is often enough.
| Content | Who updates | Frequency | Target lead time |
|---|---|---|---|
| Offers and packages | Revenue manager or management | Each new offer | 1 day before the offer starts |
| Rate messaging (total price, fees) | Management, reviewed before publishing | Each change of terms | Same day |
| Seasonal pages (summer, winter, festivals) | Marketing | 4 times a year | 2 weeks before the season |
| Weddings and private events | Events manager | Each quarter | HTML brochure up to date |
| Menus and allergens | Head chef | Each menu change | Checked before publishing |
| Photos and alt text | Marketing | Twice a year | WebP or AVIF, alt text written |
The offer template standardises title, validity dates, conditions, total price including taxes and a direct link to the engine. An expired offer redirects to the permanent offers page, never to the home page. The quarterly check takes about 2 hours: broken links, expired offers, Search Console, consistency of external listings.
Which risks should you watch during the redesign?
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- Pages that rank: URL inventory, page-by-page 301 map, Search Console for 6 weeks.
- Re-embedded engine: test every room type, festival dates and long stays; payment stays inside the engine.
- Wedding forms: name, dates, guest count, contact, nothing more; no passport or card details. The Privacy Act 2020 applies with no size threshold, overseen by the Office of the Privacy Commissioner.
- Claims: the Fair Trading Act covers misleading statements; star ratings or classification only if officially held, harbour views described as they are. Compliance review before go-live. This is not legal advice.
- Accessibility: WCAG 2.2 AA on the pages you control, accessible rooms described with real measurements.
- Timing: go live outside major festivals and cultural events, and outside peak wedding season.
A Wellington agency remains the better option if you want weekly in-person workshops, an on-site video shoot run by the same team, or if your group mandates a local supplier. Questions to ask: who writes the editing guide? Is the offer template delivered? Who runs the quarterly check after the 3 included months?
Mini case study
Illustrative example: Harbourlight House, a 28-room hotel on the Wellington waterfront that hosts weddings and private events. Its old site publishes about 8 offers a year, each taking the previous supplier 3 hours.
- Kolonell Growth redesign: $4,900, with offer template and editing guide.
- Local freelance photographer for the function room and 4 rooms: about NZD 1,500, roughly USD 890 (third-party cost).
- Before: 8 offers x 3 h = 24 h a year, dependent on a third party.
- After: 8 offers x 1 h in-house + 4 quarterly checks x 2 h = 16 h a year, handled by the team.
Total excluding the engine: about USD 5,790. The expected gain is an up-to-date site and 8 hours saved a year, with no promise of extra bookings.
FAQ
Who should own the website after the redesign? One named person, often management or marketing, with a backup. Allow 1 to 2 hours a week in season and 2 hours a quarter for the check.
What does a quarterly check cost? In-house, about 2 hours a quarter, so 8 hours a year. After the 3 included months of support, Kolonell help is on quote.
How long does the redesign take? 3 to 4 weeks of production once content is ready, against 8 to 12 weeks at a local agency. Add 6 weeks of Search Console monitoring.
Should we keep previous years' wedding pages? Keep one permanent weddings page and redirect the old URLs to it. For a 28-room hotel, that often means 5 to 10 pages.
Which tier should we choose? Growth at $4,900 covers rooms, weddings, events and restaurant. Starter at $2,900 suits a shorter site, Premium at $8,900 is the multilingual tier.
Let's scope your project. A redesign from $2,900 to $8,900 with an offer template and ready-to-use governance, delivered in 3 to 4 weeks. 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.
