The verdict in three sentences
For a boutique hotel in Miami, a local agency earns its fee when the website rides on on-site photography and video, Spanish and Portuguese content produced in-house, and a team that can walk the property in South Beach or Little Havana the week before reopening; when the property already has good imagery and a booking engine, a remote studio builds a direct-booking site for a fraction of the cost. In 2026, Miami agencies typically quote around 15 000 to 60 000 USD for a boutique hotel site, against a fixed 2 900, 4 900 or 8 900 USD at Kolonell, with a project manager on Eastern Time calls. Pick on the criteria below, and only then on price.
Which criteria separate a Miami agency from a remote studio?
| Criterion | Miami agency | Remote studio (Kolonell) |
|---|---|---|
| Photo and video shoot at the hotel | Often in-house or through their network | Not offered: you book a Miami photographer |
| Spanish and Portuguese versions | Often native speakers on the team | Supplied by you or quoted separately; EN and FR native |
| Site visits and walk-throughs | Yes | No, video calls only |
| Build price, 2026 order of magnitude | 15 000 to 60 000 USD | 2 900 / 4 900 / 8 900 USD, fixed |
| Timeline | 8 to 16 weeks | 3 to 4 weeks, Premium usually 4 to 6 |
| Booking engine integration | Usually included | Included: your existing third-party engine |
| Ownership | Check the contract | Domain in your name, all access handed over |
| Support after launch | Monthly retainer | 3 months included, 6 in Premium |
The agency ranges are prudent orders of magnitude based on public pricing pages of South Florida agencies, minimum project sizes on Clutch.co profiles, and hourly rates those agencies publish, often 125 to 200 USD an hour. Hospitality-focused freelancers on Upwork commonly quote 4 000 to 15 000 USD for a hotel site. Some hotels also use subscription website builders bundled with their booking platform: cheap to start, but the design and the domain setup are not always yours to move. Details of each plan are on our international websites offer.
When should a Miami hotel stay with a local agency?
Honestly, in several cases.
- The imagery is the product. A design hotel in Miami Beach sells its pool deck at golden hour, the rooftop and the room details. If you have no recent photos or video, an agency that shoots and builds in one project is simpler than coordinating a photographer yourself.
- Spanish is a primary market. A large share of Miami guests and staff are Spanish speakers, and properties targeting Latin American travelers often want Spanish and Portuguese pages written natively. Kolonell writes English and French natively; other languages are supplied by the hotel or quoted separately.
- Reopening on a fixed date with events. A relaunch tied to Art Basel week or a reopening party needs someone on site coordinating signage, social content and press.
- A custom booking experience. Room packages built on the fly, membership pricing or a loyalty program are custom applications. Kolonell quotes them separately; some local agencies specialize in them.
When does a remote studio fit a boutique hotel?
When the hotel already has photos, a booking engine and a clear story, and needs a fast, credible site that pushes guests to book direct rather than through an online travel agency. Typical profiles:
- Independent properties of 20 to 80 keys in Mid-Beach, Coconut Grove, Wynwood or Coral Gables.
- Owner-operators who want a fixed price and full ownership instead of a retainer.
- Hotels with European guests, where a native French version (included from Premium) helps reach travelers from France, Belgium, Switzerland and Quebec.
What does a Miami boutique hotel website need?
Guests compare on their phones, often with an OTA listing open in another tab. The site has to answer three questions fast: what the stay feels like, what it costs on my dates, and why booking direct is better.
- Booking engine integration with the tool the hotel already uses (for example SynXis, Cloudbeds or SiteMinder), with a visible "book" button on every page.
- Room pages with real photos, sizes, bed types, views and accessibility features.
- A direct-booking reason: a perk such as late checkout or a welcome drink, stated honestly.
- Neighborhood content: the beach, Lincoln Road, the Design District, Little Havana, depending on the location.
- Dining, bar and events pages, with private event inquiry forms.
- Hurricane season and policy information in plain language, with the cancellation policy linked from booking pages.
| Feature | Starter 2 900 USD | Growth 4 900 USD | Premium 8 900 USD |
|---|---|---|---|
| Room and suite pages | Room categories | One page per room type | Full room pages with packages |
| Booking engine | Link to your engine | Integrated booking widget | Integrated widget plus offer pages |
| Dining, bar, events | One page | Separate pages and event form | Venue pages, private events, weddings |
| Neighborhood guide | Short section | Guide page | Several guide pages |
| French version | No | No | Bilingual EN/FR included |
| Timeline | 3 to 4 weeks | 3 to 4 weeks | Written plan at kickoff, usually 4 to 6 weeks |
On compliance, stay factual. The ADA rules for reservations at places of lodging (28 CFR 36.302(e)) require hotels to describe accessible features and allow accessible rooms to be reserved the same way as other rooms, which applies to online booking. Florida is one of the states where website accessibility lawsuits are frequently filed, so WCAG 2.1 AA is a sensible technical reference. Taxes and resort fees should be shown clearly before checkout; check the current federal and state rules on fee disclosure with your counsel. This is not legal advice.
What should you ask before signing with either option?
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- Who provides the photos and who holds the rights for web use?
- Which booking engine is integrated, and who fixes it if the widget breaks?
- How are Spanish and Portuguese pages produced, and who checks them?
- Is the domain in the hotel's name, and do we get all logins?
- What is the fixed price, and what counts as extra work?
- What happens to the site if we end the maintenance contract?
Mini case study
Illustrative example. Sofia M., general manager of a 42-room boutique hotel in Mid-Beach, has strong photos from a shoot last spring and uses a third-party booking engine. A Miami agency quotes 36 000 USD including a new shoot, delivered in 12 weeks. Kolonell quotes Premium at 8 900 USD for a bilingual EN/FR site, written plan at kickoff, usually 4 to 6 weeks; Sofia has her Spanish pages translated by a local translator for about 1 500 USD.
Build cost: 36 000 USD against 10 400 USD, a 25 600 USD difference. With the same maintenance assumption on both sides (250 USD a month for 30 months after Premium's 6 months of support, 7 500 USD), the three-year totals are 43 500 USD against 17 900 USD. Sofia would choose the agency if the hotel had no usable imagery.
FAQ
How much does a boutique hotel website cost in Miami in 2026?
As an order of magnitude, 15 000 to 60 000 USD with a local agency and 4 000 to 15 000 USD with a freelancer. Kolonell charges a fixed 2 900, 4 900 or 8 900 USD.
Does Kolonell organize the photo shoot?
No. You provide images or book a Miami photographer; half-day hospitality shoots are often quoted around 1 000 to 2 500 USD on public rate pages. This is a real advantage of local agencies.
Can the site be in Spanish?
Kolonell writes English and French natively, with a bilingual EN/FR site from Premium at 8 900 USD. Spanish or Portuguese pages are supplied by the hotel or quoted separately.
Will it work with our booking engine?
Yes, Growth and Premium integrate the third-party engine you already use; Starter links to it. A custom reservation system is a separate application, quoted on request.
How do we pay and how long does it take?
50 % at kickoff and 50 % at delivery, by bank transfer or Wise. Starter and Growth take 3 to 4 weeks; Premium usually 4 to 6.
Let's scope your project. Send us your room list, your booking engine and a link to your current photos, and we will propose a fixed-price plan delivered in 3 to 4 weeks. Request your free quote or see the international offer.
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.
