The verdict in three sentences
For a hotel group in Miami, a redesign of the existing site costs 40,000 to 70,000 USD in 2026, against 70,000 to 120,000 USD for a new multi-property website with a booking engine, delivered in 3 to 5 months. The choice depends on technical debt and existing SEO equity, not on whether the team likes the current design. Every point of direct bookings won back from OTAs, which take 15 to 25% commission, is worth hundreds of thousands of dollars a year.
Redesign or rebuild: the decision grid
A redesign keeps the technical base and site structure while modernising design, content and the booking funnel. A rebuild starts from a new architecture: a group site with a section per property, a unified booking engine and centralised offer management. Use this table to decide in one leadership meeting.
| Criterion | Lean redesign if... | Lean rebuild if... |
|---|---|---|
| Platform age | Under 5 years, maintained CMS | Over 6 years, abandoned plugins |
| Structure | Group site already in place | Separate site per hotel, unlinked |
| Mobile performance | Loads under 3 seconds on 4G | Loads in over 5 seconds |
| Booking engine | Integrated, mobile, multi-currency | Dated iframe, weak mobile checkout |
| SEO equity | Over 200 ranking keywords | Low or falling organic traffic |
| Languages | EN/ES/PT handled properly | Partial or machine translations |
| Available budget | 40,000 to 70,000 USD | 70,000 to 120,000 USD |
Rule of thumb: if three or more criteria fall in the right-hand column, a redesign will cost almost as much as a new site for a weaker result. Either way, a page-by-page 301 redirect plan protects existing rankings.
Budget and payback in USD: what direct bookings are worth
OTAs bring volume at a high price: 15 to 18% on standard contracts, up to 25% with visibility programmes in competitive markets like Miami. A direct booking also has a cost (engine, metasearch, paid campaigns), often 6 to 10% of booked revenue.
| Item | Redesign (USD) | New multi-property site (USD) | Timeline |
|---|---|---|---|
| Scoping, UX and prototypes | 7,000 to 12,000 | 12,000 to 22,000 | 3 to 5 weeks |
| Development and multilingual CMS | 20,000 to 35,000 | 35,000 to 60,000 | 6 to 10 weeks |
| Booking engine integration | 5,000 to 9,000 | 9,000 to 15,000 | 2 to 4 weeks |
| Content, photography, translations | 6,000 to 10,000 | 10,000 to 18,000 | 3 to 5 weeks |
| Technical SEO and redirects | 2,000 to 4,000 | 4,000 to 5,000 | 1 to 2 weeks |
| Total | 40,000 to 70,000 | 70,000 to 120,000 | 2 to 5 months |
| Booking engine subscription | 2 to 4% of sales | 2 to 4% of sales | Recurring |
These amounts are 2026 market estimates from US hospitality agencies and booking vendors. For comparison, at Kolonell a Premium site falls between 2,000,000 and 3,500,000 FCFA (3,050 to 5,340 EUR), and a project with a booking engine and back office falls under the custom application grid, 4,000,000 to 7,000,000 FCFA (6,100 to 10,670 EUR) for medium complexity, with maintenance from 35,000 to 120,000 FCFA a month (50 to 180 EUR).
Mini case study
Illustrative scenario: Laura, VP of sales for a group of 4 hotels in Miami Beach, Brickell and Coral Gables, generates 60,000,000 USD in room revenue. Direct share is 18% and the target is 30%. Moving 12 points from OTAs to direct represents 7,200,000 USD of bookings.
Gross saving: 18% average commission, i.e. 1,296,000 USD. Direct channel cost (engine, metasearch, campaigns): 8%, i.e. 576,000 USD. Net annual gain: 720,000 USD. With a new site at 100,000 USD, payback comes in under 2 months once the target is reached. Even halfway (24% direct), the net gain of 360,000 USD repays the project in under 3.5 months.
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FAQ
How long does a new multi-property website take?
Allow 3 to 5 months. Content production (photography, descriptions in several languages) is usually what pushes the schedule, so start it during scoping.
Will we lose rankings when we switch sites?
Not if every old URL is 301-redirected to its equivalent. A temporary 10 to 20% traffic dip for 4 to 8 weeks is common, then traffic recovers if speed and content improve.
Should we leave the OTAs?
No, they remain useful for visibility, especially for international and last-minute demand. The realistic goal is to rebalance the mix, for example from 82/18 to 70/30, with a better rate or perk reserved for the website.
Which booking engine should we choose?
Pick an engine connected to your PMS and channel manager, mobile-first, multi-currency and billed at 2 to 4% of sales. Check that it supports Apple Pay and Google Pay, which lift mobile conversion.
How do we handle rate parity with OTAs?
Some contracts still include parity clauses. Offer non-rate perks on the website (breakfast, upgrade, flexible cancellation, loyalty points) to stay compliant while making direct booking more attractive.
Let's scope your project. Send us your current sites, direct booking share and booking engine, and we will tell you whether a redesign is enough or a rebuild is needed, with a budget and a 3 to 5 month plan. 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.
