The verdict in three sentences
For a 4-property hotel group in Dubai, a group website with an integrated booking engine costs AED 150,000 to 400,000 excluding VAT in 2026, delivered in 10 to 14 weeks. The real issue is not the website price but the commission gap: 15 to 18% with OTAs versus 1.5 to 3% for a direct booking engine. Reaching 25% direct bookings within 18 months usually pays back the project within the year.
What you actually pay for: three project levels
A group website is not four hotel websites stacked together. It must carry a parent brand, consistent property pages, a single booking engine and analytics per hotel. Here are typical UAE ranges in 2026 (estimates, booking engine excluded).
| Level | Scope | Languages | Budget excl. VAT | Timeline |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Essential | Group page + 4 property pages, gallery, widget engine | EN, AR | AED 150,000 to 190,000 | 10 weeks |
| Standard | + room pages, offers, MICE, blog | EN, AR, RU | AED 210,000 to 290,000 | 12 weeks |
| Advanced | + loyalty area, dynamic offers, CRM, design system | EN, AR, RU | AED 310,000 to 400,000 | 14 weeks |
| Option | Chinese or German version | +1 language | AED 15,000 to 30,000 | +2 weeks |
| Option | Photo shoot for 4 hotels | 1 day per hotel | AED 35,000 to 55,000 | +3 weeks |
| Recurring | Maintenance, hosting, security | : | AED 3,000 to 7,000/month | : |
Arabic requires a full RTL layout: plan 10 to 15% extra on design and front-end. Russian and Chinese versions pay off quickly in Dubai given the share of guests from those markets.
Booking engine: OTA commission versus direct cost
The booking engine (D-Edge, Mews, Cloudbeds, SiteMinder, SynXis) connects to your PMS and channel manager. It is billed either as a subscription or as a percentage of direct revenue. Comparison on an average room night of AED 900.
| Channel | Commission or cost | Cost on AED 900 | Guest data |
|---|---|---|---|
| Booking.com | 15 to 18% | AED 135 to 162 | Partly hidden |
| Expedia | 15 to 20% | AED 135 to 180 | Partly hidden |
| Direct engine (percentage) | 1.5 to 3% | AED 14 to 27 | Full |
| Direct engine (subscription) | AED 2,000 to 4,500/month/hotel | Variable | Full |
| Card processing fees | 2 to 2.9% | AED 18 to 26 | Full |
| Google Hotel Ads (CPC) | 5 to 12% of generated revenue | AED 45 to 108 | Full |
Even after payment fees and a Google Hotel Ads budget, a direct booking costs 2 to 4 times less than an OTA booking. The site must clearly display a best rate guarantee, a direct-only perk (breakfast, late check-out) and a booking flow of 3 steps maximum on mobile.
Technical choices that make the difference
Need a professional website?
Kolonell builds websites that attract clients, optimized for the Sénégalese market. Free quote in 2 minutes.
Three factors drive conversion. Speed first: a room page must load in under 2.5 seconds on 4G, with AVIF images. Rate consistency next: the engine must reflect channel manager rates in real time, otherwise rate parity breaks. Tracking last: each hotel needs isolated conversions in Google Analytics 4 and in the engine, so the direct booking target can be managed property by property.
On content, plan dedicated MICE and events pages: for a Dubai group, corporate and event business often accounts for 20 to 35% of weekday room revenue, and it rarely books through Booking.com.
Mini case study
Layla, commercial director of a 4-hotel group in Dubai Marina and Downtown, generates AED 60 million in room revenue, 70% through OTAs at an average 16% commission, roughly AED 6.7 million in commissions per year. She picks the Standard level at AED 270,000 with a 2.5% engine. Target: grow direct share from 12% to 25% in 18 months. That 13-point shift moves AED 7.8 million of revenue from OTAs to direct. Net saving: 7,800,000 × (16% minus 2.5%) = AED 1,053,000 per year, so the project pays back in about 3 months once the target is reached, maintenance included.
FAQ
How much does a hotel group website cost in Dubai in 2026? Plan AED 150,000 to 400,000 excluding VAT depending on languages, pages and features. The booking engine is extra, usually 1.5 to 3% of direct revenue.
One website per hotel or one group website? A group website with a strong page per property costs 30 to 40% less than four separate sites and pools SEO authority. Sub-sites remain possible for a property with a very different positioning.
What direct booking share is realistic? Moving from 10 to 15% to 25% direct within 12 to 18 months is a common target, provided you also invest in Google Hotel Ads and remarketing. Beyond 35%, you need a loyalty program.
How long does the launch take? Between 10 and 14 weeks, including 2 weeks of scoping and 3 weeks of design. Photo shoots and Arabic translation are the two most frequent causes of delay.
Does prepayment reduce no-shows? Yes, partial prepayment at booking typically cuts no-shows by 20 to 40%. Card fees stay around 2 to 2.9%, far below OTA commissions.
Let's scope your project. Send us your number of properties, target languages and current direct booking share: we will price the website, the engine and the commission 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.
