The verdict in three sentences
For a hotel group, every point of direct booking recovered from Booking or Expedia saves 15 to 20% in commission. A serious redesign costs 45,000 to 120,000 TND excl. VAT (about 14,500 to 38,500 USD) in a market like Tunisia, and somewhat more in Dubai, and should target 25 to 35% direct bookings within 18 months, versus 8 to 15% on average today. With a well-integrated engine and a fast mobile journey, payback comes in 9 to 14 months.
Choosing the booking engine: D-Edge, Hotelrunner or Cloudbeds
The engine determines conversion rate, rate parity and PMS connection. Here are 2026 orders of magnitude for a group of 5 properties.
| Criterion | D-Edge | Hotelrunner | Cloudbeds |
|---|---|---|---|
| Positioning | 4 and 5-star hotels, groups | Independents and small groups, strong MENA presence | Independents, all-in-one PMS |
| Monthly cost per hotel | 900 to 2,000 TND (290 to 640 USD) | 300 to 900 TND (95 to 290 USD) | 600 to 1,500 TND (190 to 480 USD) |
| Commission per booking | 0 to 3% depending on contract | 0 to 2% | 0% on the standard plan |
| Channel manager included | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Local online payment | Via integration | Yes, native | Via third-party gateway |
| Multi-hotel management | Excellent | Good | Fair |
| Website integration time | 3 to 5 weeks | 2 to 4 weeks | 2 to 4 weeks |
For a group serving mainly international guests, the ability to show prices in several currencies (TND, EUR, AED, USD) and accept both international and local cards matters more than a few dollars of subscription.
Redesign budget
| Item | 2026 range (excl. VAT) | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Audit, UX and booking journey | 5,000 to 12,000 TND (1,600 to 3,850 USD) | Drop-off analysis, OTA benchmark |
| Custom multi-hotel design | 10,000 to 25,000 TND (3,200 to 8,000 USD) | Group branding, per-property variants |
| Development and CMS | 15,000 to 40,000 TND (4,800 to 12,800 USD) | Fast site, trilingual FR, EN, AR |
| Engine and tracking integration | 5,000 to 15,000 TND (1,600 to 4,800 USD) | GA4 and Meta conversion tracking |
| Professional photos and video | 6,000 to 18,000 TND (1,900 to 5,800 USD) | 1 to 2 days per hotel |
| Launch content and SEO | 4,000 to 10,000 TND (1,300 to 3,200 USD) | Room, offer and destination pages |
| Total | 45,000 to 120,000 TND (14,500 to 38,500 USD) | Timeline 10 to 16 weeks |
In Dubai, agency day rates run roughly 30 to 60% higher, so the same scope typically lands between 20,000 and 60,000 USD. The levers that raise direct bookings are well known: best-rate guarantee on the site, member perks (breakfast, upgrade), abandoned-booking recovery, Google Hotel Ads at 8 to 12% acquisition cost.
Acquisition cost: OTA versus direct booking
| Channel | Cost per booking | Guest data captured |
|---|---|---|
| Booking.com | 15 to 18% of the amount | Partial |
| Expedia | 17 to 20% | Partial |
| Tour operators | 20 to 30% discount | None |
| Direct site, organic traffic | 2 to 4% (engine and payment) | Full |
| Direct site via Google Hotel Ads | 8 to 12% | Full |
| Direct site via loyalty emails | 1 to 3% | Full |
Mini case study
Sami, e-commerce director of a group of 5 hotels in Tunis, Hammamet and Djerba, generates 8,000,000 TND (about 2.56 million USD) in online room revenue. The direct share is 12%.
Goal: reach 27% within 18 months, i.e. 15 points, or 1,200,000 TND shifted from OTAs to the site. Net saving: 17% commission avoided minus 6% direct costs (engine, advertising), i.e. 11%, or 132,000 TND per year (about 42,000 USD), roughly 11,000 TND per month.
Need a professional website?
Kolonell builds websites that attract clients, optimized for the Sénégalese market. Free quote in 2 minutes.
Investment: redesign at 95,000 TND excl. VAT, plus Hotelrunner for 5 hotels at 3,000 TND per month. Payback: about 11 months, allowing for the gradual ramp-up. A Dubai group with the same mix and higher room rates usually pays back faster despite the higher build cost.
FAQ
Can we show a lower price than Booking on our own site?
OTA contracts often include parity clauses. The common practice is to offer non-price perks (breakfast, flexible cancellation, 5 to 10% off for logged-in members).
How long to reach 25% direct bookings?
Plan on 12 to 18 months. The first 6 months usually bring 5 to 8 points thanks to the new mobile journey.
One site per hotel or one group site?
A group site with a section per hotel costs 30 to 40% less and concentrates SEO authority. Separate sites are justified for very distinct brands.
Which online payment for local guests?
Local gateways (Clictopay in Tunisia, Network International in the UAE) cover local cards, Stripe or Adyen cover international guests. Fees range from 1.5% to 3% per transaction.
What does maintenance cost after the redesign?
Budget 1,500 to 4,000 TND (480 to 1,300 USD) per month for hosting, updates and ongoing conversion optimisation.
Let's scope your project. Share your number of hotels, current direct share and booking engine, and we will price the redesign, the integration and the expected payback. Detailed quote within 48 h. WhatsApp +221 77 596 93 33.
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.
