Direct booking website for a hotel group in Miami: 2026 cost vs OTA fees

The verdict in three sentences

For a Miami hotel group where 70% of room nights come through OTAs, every point of direct booking recovered is worth thousands of dollars a year, because Expedia or Booking.com commission sits around 15 to 18%. A high-performing site with a booking engine costs 9,000 to 22,000 USD with an agency, plus an engine billed at 1.5 to 3% or 150 to 450 USD a month. Targeting 30% direct bookings within 12 months is realistic when the site, a best-rate promise and Google Hotel Ads work together.

What a direct booking website costs in 2026

The site alone is not enough: you need a booking engine connected to the channel manager, pages per property and per room type, and a clear reason to book direct (best rate, free breakfast, flexible cancellation). The amounts below are 2026 market estimates for Miami and South Florida.

At Kolonell, this type of project sits in Premium: 2,000,000 to 3,500,000 FCFA, i.e. 3,050 to 5,340 EUR, integration of the engine of your choice included. The engine and channel manager remain third-party subscriptions.

12-month payback: the numbers that matter

Take a group of 3 hotels with 150 rooms in total, 72% occupancy and an average daily rate of 135 USD. Annual room revenue is about 5.3 M USD, of which 3.7 M USD comes through OTAs. The table compares today (20% direct) with the 30% target.

The gross net saving is around 37,000 USD, more than twice the cost of the site in year one. In year two, with no build cost, the gain stays above 30,000 USD on the same scope.

The levers that move guests to book direct

A guest who discovers your hotel on Expedia almost always checks the official site. Three things decide the conversion: an equal or lower price visible immediately, a tangible perk reserved for direct guests, and a booking flow of under 3 steps on mobile. In the US, OTA contracts often include rate parity clauses, so the usual workaround is member rates and packages (parking, breakfast, late checkout) rather than a lower public rate. Add a price comparison widget and a simple loyalty perk for corporate travellers, often 35% of weekday nights in Brickell and Downtown. For visibility, the Kolonell SEO Growth plan at 200,000 FCFA per month (about 300 EUR) targets queries such as 'hotel Brickell' or 'hotel near PortMiami'. Details on the SEO page.

Mini case study

*Illustrative example.* Marcus, sales director of a 3-hotel group in Miami, currently pays 633,000 USD a year in OTA commission. He invests 16,000 USD in a multi-property site and takes a subscription engine at 320 USD a month. By lifting direct bookings from 20% to 26% in 9 months, he moves about 320,000 USD of revenue away from OTAs: 54,000 USD in avoided commission, minus 32,000 USD of Hotel Ads and engine fees. The 22,000 USD net gain pays back the site in under 9 months.

FAQ

How long does a direct booking website take to launch?

Allow 6 to 8 weeks for 3 properties, photography included. Connecting the channel manager usually takes 1 to 2 weeks in parallel.

Commission or subscription booking engine?

Commission while direct revenue stays below about 160,000 USD a year. Above that, a 150 to 450 USD monthly subscription becomes cheaper.

Can we show a lower price than Expedia?

It depends on your OTA contract, as US agreements often include parity clauses. Member-only rates 5 to 10% lower are the common, compliant workaround.

Is Google Hotel Ads profitable?

At 8 to 15% per booking it remains cheaper than a 15 to 18% OTA commission. You need a compatible engine and synchronised rates.

How much does maintenance cost?

Plan 110 to 330 USD a month with an agency. At Kolonell, Standard maintenance is 75,000 FCFA a month, about 110 EUR.

Let's scope your project. Tell us how many hotels you run, your current engine and your OTA share, and we will price a Premium site within the Kolonell grid with a launch timeline. Detailed quote within 48 h. WhatsApp +221 77 596 93 33.