The verdict in three sentences
For a group of 4 properties, a multilingual EN/FR/AR website with an integrated booking engine typically costs USD 17,000 to 41,000 (about EUR 15,000 to 35,000, or MAD 160,000 to 380,000 for a comparable build in Marrakech), delivered in around 12 weeks. The Arabic RTL version alone accounts for roughly 20% of the budget, because it affects layout, typography and testing. The real return comes from direct bookings: moving from 10% to 30% of non-OTA sales sharply cuts a commission bill of 15 to 22%.
What you actually pay: the 2026 price grid
Price depends less on page count than on three structural choices: the number of languages, how deeply the booking engine is integrated, and multi-property management (one group brand, four property sections with rooms, offers and galleries).
| Item | 2026 range (USD, excl. VAT) | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Design and group architecture + 4 properties | 4,900 - 9,800 | Shared brand, variations per hotel |
| EN/FR development (Next.js + headless CMS) | 6,000 - 13,000 | Rooms, offers, restaurant, spa pages |
| Arabic RTL version | 3,300 - 8,200 | About +20% of total budget |
| Booking engine integration | 1,300 - 3,800 | Widget, deep links, conversion tracking |
| Multilingual SEO (hreflang, content, Hotel schema) | 1,600 - 4,300 | 3 languages, 4 property pages |
| Photos, drone video, copywriting | 1,100 - 3,300 | Often underestimated |
| Total project | 17,000 - 41,000 | 2026 order of magnitude |
Recurring costs come on top: a booking engine subscription of USD 220 to 650 per month depending on the vendor and room count, plus hosting and maintenance of USD 160 to 430 per month.
Booking engine and OTA commissions: the math that justifies the project
Booking.com and Expedia usually take 15 to 22% per room night sold. An engine built into your site costs a fixed subscription or a 2 to 5% fee. The lever is the share of direct sales.
| Metric | Before redesign | 12-month target |
|---|---|---|
| Share of direct bookings | 8 - 12% | 30% |
| Average OTA commission | 18% | 18% |
| Direct engine cost | 0 | USD 220 - 650/month |
| Site conversion rate (mobile) | 0.6% | 1.8 - 2.5% |
| Mobile load time (LCP) | 4 - 6 s | < 2.5 s |
| Active languages | EN only or EN/FR | EN/FR/AR |
Three conditions make direct bookings take off: a price at least equal to the OTAs (rate parity plus a perk such as breakfast or airport transfer), a mobile booking flow in fewer than 4 screens, and Arabic content for Gulf guests, who often book direct when the site speaks their language.
Arabic RTL: why +20% and how to control it
RTL is not a simple translation. Grids, directional icons, carousels and forms must be mirrored, a readable Arabic typeface chosen, and every template tested. In practice, you control the extra cost by building the design system with CSS logical properties from day one, rather than flipping a finished site. Groups that add Arabic afterwards often pay 35 to 40% more.
For SEO, each language gets its own URLs (/en, /fr, /ar), hreflang tags and schema.org Hotel markup per property. Allow 3 to 6 months for rankings to settle on queries such as "boutique hotel Dubai creek pool".
Mini case study
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Yasmine, marketing director of a group of 4 hotels (120 rooms in total), generates USD 1,950,000 in room revenue per year, 88% of it through OTAs at an average 18% commission, or about USD 309,000 in commissions.
She invests USD 31,500 in an EN/FR/AR site, plus USD 490 per month for the booking engine (USD 5,900 per year). If the direct share rises from 12% to 30%, USD 351,000 of sales shift from OTAs to direct. Commission savings: 351,000 x 18% = USD 63,200 per year. After the engine cost, the net gain is about USD 57,300 in year one: the project pays back in 6 to 7 months, before counting the impact of Arabic on Gulf guests.
FAQ
How long does a trilingual hotel website take?
Allow about 12 weeks for a group of 4 properties: 3 weeks of design, 6 of development, 3 of content, translation and testing. Arabic RTL adds 1 to 2 weeks if it is not planned from the design stage.
One site per hotel or one group site?
A group site with one section per property concentrates SEO authority and cuts costs by 30 to 40% compared with 4 separate sites. Legacy domains can be 301-redirected to the property pages.
Which booking engine should we choose?
Pick an engine with a channel manager connected to the OTAs to avoid overbooking, and fixed fees between USD 220 and 650 per month. Check local and international card payments and guest data export.
Can the Arabic translation be automated?
Machine translation is a good starting point, but native proofreading remains essential: USD 0.06 to 0.13 per word in 2026. For 15,000 words, budget USD 1,000 to 2,000.
Is 30% direct bookings really achievable?
It is a realistic 12 to 18-month target for a group with loyal guests, provided you combine rate parity, direct-booking perks and remarketing campaigns (USD 550 to 1,600 per month).
Let's scope your project. Send us your number of properties, target languages and current booking engine: we will price the scope, give an indicative budget and a 12-week 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.
