The verdict in three sentences
For a hospitality interiors studio in Wellington, a local agency and a remote studio end up almost level on a simple scoring grid, so the decision comes down to the two or three criteria that matter most to you. If your venue clients supply photography and you mostly need clear case studies and a qualifying brief form, a remote studio delivers faster for less. If you rely on walk-throughs, art-directed shoots on Cuba Street or Courtenay Place and a team you can call into a meeting the same afternoon, a Wellington agency is the better fit.
What do hospitality clients check before they call?
A restaurateur in Te Aro, a hotel operator near Lambton Quay or a winery opening a tasting room in Martinborough all start the same way: they scroll your projects on a phone, often late at night after service. In practice they look for four things.
- Venues like theirs: case studies filtered by restaurant, bar, hotel, wellness space or cellar door, each with scope, covers or room count band, and programme in weeks.
- Proof you can work in an older building: many central Wellington buildings have gone through seismic strengthening, and refits often follow. A short page on how you coordinate with engineers, builders and landlords answers that worry without technical claims you cannot back.
- Atmosphere at night: hospitality is judged in evening light. Ask your photographer for dusk and service-time shots, and keep each gallery in WebP or AVIF with lazy loading so it stays fast on mobile.
- A clear next step: a brief form asking venue type, opening target, lease status and budget band. Six to eight fields are enough, which also keeps you close to data minimisation under the Privacy Act 2020.
Discretion still matters. Venues under confidentiality before opening get an "unnamed venue" entry without location details, and photo licences from the venue's photographer must cover your website, Instagram, Pinterest and Houzz, with credits. A press page lists real coverage only.
Wellington agency or remote studio: how do they score?
Scores run from 1 to 5, unweighted, for a 12-page case study site.
| Criterion | Wellington agency | Remote studio | What it depends on |
|---|---|---|---|
| Time-zone overlap and availability | 5 | 4 | Remote score assumes a named project manager in your hours, which Kolonell provides |
| Workshops and venue walk-throughs | 5 | 2 | How often you really need them |
| Photo and video coordination on site | 4 | 2 | Whether venues supply their own photographer |
| Price for the scope | 2 | 5 | Wellington agencies quote about NZD 9,000 to 25,000 (about USD 5,400 to 15,000) |
| Delivery speed | 2 | 5 | 8 to 12 weeks locally against 3 to 4 weeks |
| Native English copywriting | 4 | 4 | Included at Kolonell, sometimes extra locally |
| Ownership of domain and code, exit terms | 3 | 4 | Always set in the contract, whoever you hire |
| Total out of 35 | 25 | 26 |
Local prices are a 2026 ballpark based on typical agency quotes and public rate pages of Wellington agencies; freelancers sit around NZD 3,000 to 7,000 (about USD 1,800 to 4,200). Conversion is approximate, at USD 0.60 per NZD 1. Kolonell's fixed grid is USD 2,900 for Starter, USD 4,900 for Growth and USD 8,900 for Premium, with native copywriting, delivery in 3 to 4 weeks and 3 months of support. Details are on the international website offer.
When is the Wellington agency the honest answer?
Go local if the brand identity still has to be built in workshops, if a hotel group expects your web team at its brand sessions, or if you plan regular campaigns that need someone on site at short notice. Go remote if the visual identity exists, the photography is sorted and you want case studies online before the next pitch season. If you also work on venues in Queenstown, where openings tend to be timed before the winter and summer peaks, a fast build can matter more than proximity.
Ask both providers: who answers during Wellington business hours, will the domain and code be in the studio's name, how are photo licences stored, what does handover look like if you leave, and which accessibility level is tested. On titles, interior design is not a regulated profession in New Zealand, while the title registered architect is protected under the Registered Architects Act 2005, so the studio presents itself as an interior design studio. The Fair Trading Act prohibits misleading claims, so describe your role on each venue precisely. WCAG 2.2 AA is a sensible accessibility target. This is not legal advice.
What do the options cost over three years?
| Line (USD, 2026 ballpark) | Freelancer | Wellington agency | Kolonell Starter | Kolonell Growth |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Build | 3,000 (about NZD 5,000) | 9,000 (about NZD 15,000) | 2,900 | 4,900 |
| Venue photography, third-party cost | 1,500 | 1,500 | 1,500 | 1,500 |
| Hosting and care, market assumption 36 months at USD 80 | 2,880 | 2,880 | 2,880 | 2,880 |
| New case studies, market assumption 12 at USD 250 | 3,000 | 3,000 | 3,000 | 3,000 |
| Three-year total | 10,380 | 16,380 | 10,280 | 12,280 |
Need a professional website?
Kolonell builds websites that attract clients, optimized for the Sénégalese market. Free quote in 2 minutes.
The care and case study lines are market assumptions applied to every column, not Kolonell prices: after the 3 included months, Kolonell maintenance is on quote. The freelancer and Starter totals look close, yet the freelancer option rarely includes copywriting or a project manager.
Mini case study
Illustrative example. Tom co-runs a hospitality interiors studio in Te Aro. For about 8 pitches a year he prints and couriers lookbooks, roughly USD 150 each, so USD 1,200 a year in third-party costs and USD 3,600 over three years. Replacing them with filtered case study links on a Starter site at USD 2,900 covers the build within about 29 months, and the pages also work for inbound inquiries in between.
FAQ
Can a remote studio photograph my Wellington venues?
No, the shoot stays with a local photographer, often the venue's own. Budget a 2026 ballpark of USD 300 to 600 per venue if you commission it yourself.
How many case studies do I need at launch?
Six to eight venues across at least 2 types usually give a credible portfolio. Add 3 or 4 a year as projects open.
Is the Privacy Act 2020 relevant to a small studio?
Yes, it applies to organisations of every size in New Zealand. Keep the brief form to 6 to 8 fields and state where submissions are stored.
Starter or Growth for a hospitality studio?
Starter at USD 2,900 suits a compact portfolio of up to about 8 venues. Growth at USD 4,900 fits studios that want filters by venue type and more case study depth.
How long until the site is live?
About 3 to 4 weeks with a remote studio once images and notes are ready, against 8 to 12 weeks for most Wellington agencies.
Let's scope your project. A hospitality case study site with a qualifying brief form, from USD 2,900 to 8,900, live in 3 to 4 weeks. See the international offer or request a free quote: detailed reply within 48 hours.
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.