The verdict in three sentences
For a hotel group, a website with a direct booking engine connected to the PMS and card payment costs 4,000,000 to 7,500,000 FCFA (about EUR 6,100 to 11,400) in Lomé in 2026, and USD 35,000 to 70,000 in Dubai. With OTA commissions of 15 to 18%, moving direct bookings from 10 to 15% towards 30% frees 12 to 20 million FCFA of margin a year for a three-hotel group in Lomé. The investment pays back in 4 to 7 months, provided rate parity and a real benefit for direct guests are guaranteed.
What the website costs, item by item
A hotel group website is not a brochure: it is a sales channel that must show live availability, take payment and push the booking to the PMS without re-keying. Here are the 2026 ranges seen in Lomé for a three-property group, with the Dubai equivalent.
| Item | Essential (Lomé) | Full (Lomé) | Dubai equivalent |
|---|---|---|---|
| Design and pages (group + 3 hotels) | 1,500,000 FCFA | 2,500,000 FCFA | USD 12,000 to 22,000 |
| Booking engine and PMS connection | 1,200,000 FCFA | 2,200,000 FCFA | USD 8,000 to 15,000 |
| Card and mobile money payment | 500,000 FCFA | 900,000 FCFA | USD 3,000 to 6,000 |
| Bilingual (or Arabic RTL in Dubai) | 300,000 FCFA | 600,000 FCFA | USD 4,000 to 9,000 |
| Local SEO and Google profiles for 3 hotels | 300,000 FCFA | 700,000 FCFA | USD 3,000 to 8,000 |
| Corporate area (negotiated rates) | 200,000 FCFA | 600,000 FCFA | USD 5,000 to 10,000 |
| Total project | 4,000,000 FCFA | 7,500,000 FCFA | USD 35,000 to 70,000 |
Recurring costs come on top: booking engine subscription (often 1 to 3% of bookings or 60,000 to 150,000 FCFA per month per hotel, USD 300 to 800 in Dubai), card processing fees of 2.5 to 3.5% and maintenance of 75,000 to 120,000 FCFA per month.
The OTA versus direct booking calculation
Business travellers in Lomé (NGOs, financial institutions, port authority missions, conferences) book heavily through Booking.com and Expedia out of habit. The lever is not to drop OTAs but to win back repeat guests and long stays.
| Indicator | Current situation | 12-month target |
|---|---|---|
| Annual room revenue | 800,000,000 FCFA | 800,000,000 FCFA |
| OTA share of bookings | 60% | 45% |
| Direct online share | 12% | 30% |
| Average OTA commission | 16% | 16% |
| OTA commissions paid | 76,800,000 FCFA | 57,600,000 FCFA |
| Direct channel costs (cards, engine) | 2,900,000 FCFA | 7,200,000 FCFA |
| Net annual gain | about 15,000,000 FCFA |
Depending on group size and seasonality, the gain lies between 12 and 20 million FCFA a year. In Dubai, where a three-hotel business group often turns over USD 15 to 30 million in rooms, the same shift is worth USD 400,000 or more a year, which explains the bigger budgets. The best results come from groups that give direct guests a visible benefit: breakfast included, late checkout, airport shuttle, or a corporate rate 5 to 8% below public parity for negotiated accounts.
Conditions for reaching 30% direct
Three things make the difference. First speed: on an average mobile connection, a booking page must load in under 3 seconds, or the guest goes back to the OTA. Then parity and trust: show the same price or better, with secure payment and an instant email and WhatsApp confirmation. Finally remarketing: capture the email of OTA guests during their stay and invite them to book direct next time, which converts on average 20 to 30% of repeat business travellers.
Mini case study
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Mr Agbeko, sales director of a group of three business hotels in Lomé (210 rooms), generates 800 million FCFA in room revenue. He invests 6,200,000 FCFA in a website with a PMS-connected engine, card and Flooz payment, and a corporate area. Recurring costs (engine, maintenance, bank fees) reach 7,200,000 FCFA a year. By moving direct bookings from 12% to 30%, he saves 19,200,000 FCFA in OTA commissions, a net gain of about 15,000,000 FCFA in year one after costs. The initial investment is covered in about 5 months.
FAQ
How much does a direct booking site cost for a single hotel?
Plan 2,500,000 to 4,000,000 FCFA in Lomé for an independent hotel with a booking engine and card payment, or USD 15,000 to 30,000 in Dubai. The group model costs more but shares design and maintenance.
Do we need to leave Booking.com?
No. OTAs remain useful for international visibility, with 40 to 50% of sales. The aim is to win back 15 to 20 points of share on repeat guests and corporate accounts.
Is mobile money payment essential?
For local and regional guests in Togo, yes: Flooz and T-Money cover a large share of group and corporate bookings. Integration costs 300,000 to 500,000 FCFA.
How long until the site is live?
Between 8 and 12 weeks, including 2 to 3 weeks for the PMS and channel manager connection, the most technical phase.
What return should we expect?
With room revenue of 500 million to 1 billion FCFA, the net gain is 12 to 20 million FCFA a year, a payback of 4 to 7 months.
Let's scope your project. Tell us your number of hotels, your PMS and your current OTA share, and we will price the site and the expected gain. 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.
