Hotel Website Design for Melbourne Accommodation

Traveller planning a Melbourne trip. They search "boutique hotel Melbourne CBD" on Google. Ten hotels show up. Five have beautiful websites with easy booking. Five have dated sites forcing you to third-party booking platforms.

The hotels with direct booking systems capture more revenue. The ones relying on Booking.com and Expedia pay 15-25% commission on every reservation.

Why hotels lose direct bookings

OTAs (online travel agencies) are convenient for discovery. But if your website doesn't make direct booking easy — or worse, if it actively pushes people to Booking.com — you're giving away margin on every room night.

Common website problems that cost hotels direct bookings:

• No direct booking system — have to call or email (most travellers won't bother)
• Booking system clunky or slow — easier to just book via Booking.com
• Room types and rates unclear — what's the difference between Deluxe and Superior?
• Poor photography — stock photos or low-res images don't sell rooms
• Location info missing — where are you exactly? What's nearby?

The hotels winning direct bookings have seamless websites. Clear room descriptions. Professional photography. Easy booking flow. No friction.

What a hotel website needs

Hotel websites should make booking easy and showcase why travellers should stay with you instead of your competitors.

Direct booking engine integration. Essential. Integrate with your PMS (Opera, Protel, RoomRaccoon, whatever you use). Real-time availability, instant confirmation, secure payment. Make it as easy as Booking.com — ideally easier.

Room types with detailed descriptions. Don't just list "Standard Room $180." Explain bed configuration (1 queen or 2 singles?), size (20sqm?), amenities (minibar, desk, balcony?), view (courtyard or street?). Photos for each room type. Help guests choose the right room.

Location information with context. "Melbourne CBD" isn't enough. Specific street. Distance to key attractions (Federation Square 500m, MCG 1.5km). Nearest tram stop. Parking options. Airport transfer details. Travellers want to know exactly where you are and how to get there.

Professional photography throughout. Invest in proper photos. Rooms, common areas, restaurant, rooftop, exterior. Natural light, styled shots, high resolution. Photography sells rooms more than copy ever will.

Guest reviews integrated. Google reviews, TripAdvisor widget, testimonials. Social proof matters. If you've got 4.5 stars across 200 reviews, show it prominently.

Special offers and packages. Romantic package. Extended stay rates. Breakfast included deals. Give people a reason to book direct instead of checking OTA prices.

SEO for Melbourne hotels

Hotel searches are competitive in Melbourne. Someone searching "hotel Melbourne CBD" or "boutique hotel Southbank" sees OTAs dominating page one. You need strong SEO to appear alongside them.

Hotel SEO requires:

• Location-specific pages (Hotel Melbourne CBD, Hotel Southbank, Hotel Docklands)
• Attraction-based pages (Hotels near MCG, Hotels near Crown Casino)
• Blog content targeting travel queries ("Best areas to stay in Melbourne," "Melbourne CBD accommodation guide")
• Google Business Profile fully optimised (accurate location, hours, amenities, reviews)
• High-quality images (Google ranks visual content higher)

We built a site for a boutique hotel in Fitzroy. Within three months they were ranking first page for "boutique hotel Fitzroy," "Melbourne CBD boutique accommodation," "hotels near Melbourne Museum." Direct bookings increased 35% year-on-year. Less reliance on OTAs.

How we build hotel websites

Hotel websites need to look stunning and handle bookings seamlessly. We build them with Next.js — fast, secure, and integrates with modern booking engines.

What's included:

• Direct booking engine integration (Opera, Protel, RoomRaccoon, Mews, etc.)
• Room type pages with detailed descriptions, amenities, and photo galleries
• Location and getting here page (maps, transport, parking)
• Things to do page (attractions, restaurants, events — helps with SEO)
• Special offers and packages page
• Reviews integration (Google, TripAdvisor, or testimonials section)
• Blog setup for local area guides (great for SEO and guest resources)
• Google Business Profile setup and optimisation
• Mobile-responsive design (most hotel searches are mobile)
• Hosting and support for the first year

Starter package ($1,995) suits small hotels or B&Bs with basic booking needs. Professional package ($4,995) includes full booking integration, multiple room types, packages system, and comprehensive SEO.

Premium package ($7,995) adds brand design, professional copywriting, and an ongoing content strategy to build organic traffic and reduce OTA dependency.

If you're a quality hotel losing 20% margin to OTAs on every booking, invest in your direct booking website. Better site, seamless booking, proper SEO. That's how you win back revenue.