The verdict in three sentences
For a group of three hotels in Miami, a website redesign with a booking engine costs 30,000 to 60,000 USD, plus 1.5 to 3 % per booking for the engine, delivered in 10 weeks. Every point of share won back from OTAs charging 15 to 25 % turns almost entirely into margin. A target of 35 % direct bookings is realistic within 18 months if the site guarantees the best rate and keeps the mobile journey under four screens.
What the redesign costs, line by line
The budget depends on the number of properties, languages and depth of PMS integration. A Miami group needs at least English and Spanish, with Portuguese often worth adding for Brazilian travellers.
| Item | 2026 ballpark | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Art direction and multi-property UX | 7,000 to 12,000 USD | One group identity, one variant per hotel |
| Build and CMS | 12,000 to 24,000 USD | Rooms, offers, restaurant, spa, events |
| Booking engine and channel manager integration | 3,000 to 8,000 USD | Rate and availability sync |
| English / Spanish (/ Portuguese) | 3,000 to 6,000 USD | Professional translation, hreflang |
| Technical SEO and URL migration | 3,000 to 5,000 USD | 301 redirects, Hotel structured data |
| Photo and video | 2,000 to 5,000 USD | Per property, shared shoots |
| Total redesign | 30,000 to 60,000 USD | Excluding engine and hosting |
Choosing a booking engine
The engine drives conversion. Vendors charge by commission, subscription or both. A good engine shows the total price including resort fees from the first step, accepts Apple Pay and Google Pay, and supports site-only offers.
| Criterion | Commission engine | Subscription engine | OTA (Expedia, Booking) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cost per booking | 1.5 to 3 % | 0 % | 15 to 25 % |
| Monthly fee | 0 to 60 USD per hotel | 100 to 300 USD per hotel | 0 USD |
| Guest data ownership | Yes | Yes | No |
| Mobile wallets (Apple Pay) | Depends on vendor | Depends on vendor | Yes |
| Exclusive offers and promo codes | Yes | Yes | Limited |
| PMS integration | Standard | Advanced | Through channel manager |
| Best for | 3 mid-size hotels | Groups above 5 hotels | Reach and new guests |
OTAs remain useful for international reach. The goal is not to drop them but to win back guests who already know the hotel: repeat guests, people searching the hotel's name on Google, groups and events.
Levers that raise the direct share
A best-rate guarantee on every page, site-only perks (free breakfast, upgrade on availability, late check-out), Google Hotel Ads on brand terms, abandoned-booking emails and a simple loyalty scheme. On mobile, the booking flow should not exceed four screens and pages should load in under 2.5 seconds. The typical plan runs 10 weeks: two of scoping and audit, three of design, four of build and integration, one of testing and migration.
Mini case study
Carlos, e-commerce director of a three-hotel group in Miami (120 rooms in total), generates 6,500,000 USD in room revenue at 72 % occupancy. Today 55 % of room nights come through OTAs at an average 18 % commission and 20 % through the website. After a 50,000 USD redesign, the goal is to shift 15 points from OTAs to direct, i.e. 975,000 USD of revenue. The net saving is 18 % minus 2.5 % for the engine, so 15.5 % of 975,000 USD, about 151,000 USD a year. Even at half the target, the redesign pays for itself in under eight months.
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FAQ
How much does a hotel group website redesign cost in Miami?
Between 30,000 and 60,000 USD in 2026 for three properties, bilingual, with engine integration. The engine then costs 1.5 to 3 % per booking.
What direct booking share should we target?
A 35 % target is realistic within 18 months for a well-positioned independent group. The best urban hotels exceed 45 %.
Should we leave Expedia or Booking.com?
No, OTAs bring new guests. The aim is to win back guests who already know your hotels and save 15 to 25 % on those stays.
Will the redesign hurt our search rankings?
Not if old URLs are 301-redirected and structured data is preserved. SEO migration accounts for 3,000 to 5,000 USD of the budget.
What is the timeline?
Ten weeks on average. Avoid launching during peak season, from December to April in Miami.
Let's scope your project. Tell us your number of hotels, rooms and OTA share, and we will price a redesign between 30,000 and 60,000 USD with a projection of commissions saved, delivered in 10 weeks. 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.
