What Matters Most in Boutique Hotel Website Design (With Examples)
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What’s the best boutique hotel website design to get inspired by for creating a proper online presence for your hospitality business? With a wide variety of well-designed hotel booking websites, it may seem tricky to find something unique. Still, if you are looking for something that blends a stunning design with diverse functionality, today’s article can help you pick the right starting point for your creative inspiration.
Before we begin, let’s look at the top 3 website examples we recommend to check out if you’re planning to build a boutique hotel website.
| Name | Platform | Rating |
|---|---|---|
| The Hoxton | WordPress | 4.5 |
| The LINE Hotels | WordPress | 4.0 |
| 21c Museum Hotels | Proprietary CMS | 4.7 |
What is a Boutique Hotel and Its Key Elements?
When building a boutique hotel website, it is necessary to understand what exactly this type of hotel represents. This is especially true if you’re trying to find out what a boutique hotel vs hotel is.
Firstly, a boutique hotel is a small, stylish, and independently operated accommodation provider. It focuses on distinctive design and tailored experiences that can’t be found anywhere else. Such establishments are usually built around local culture and character. Thus, they provide a more memorable stay than large-chain hotels.
Now that you know what is a boutique hotel, it’s time to take a closer look at how its website needs to look. When it comes to creating a successful boutique hotel website, it must represent not just style and local art but also functionality. From elegant visuals and intuitive navigation to compelling website content, various elements must be considered when creating a proper boutique hotel website design. Additionally, you need to take care of website optimization, accessibility, and other parts that can make the web browsing experience enjoyable and informative for your potential guests. Here’s what you need to feature on such a website:
- Captivating homepage;
- Accommodation pages;
- Online booking system;
- About page;
- Gallery.
While there’s more you can add to the boutique hotel website, these parts are recommended to start with. Let’s look at each of them in slightly more detail.
Homepage
One of the first elements of a boutique hotel design concept that your visitors will notice is the website homepage. Its design should immediately capture attention and convey the hotel’s brand message. A well-designed homepage not just welcomes guests but also tells a story of your hotel and its location. Besides, it can promote key offers and accommodations provided by your hotel chain or a single hotel. Use high-quality photography, elegant typography, and informative but concise texts to reflect your brand identity. Here are some suggestions for what your hotel’s homepage may include:
- Slider or full-screen image;
- “Book Now” button or search form;
- Accommodation preview;
- Special offers section;
- Gallery & blog.
Accommodation Pages
Dedicated accommodation pages are just as important to a boutique hotel website design as homepages. We recommend presenting each room or suite with beautiful images and detailed descriptions of what the room includes. Also, don’t forget about listing amenities and adding guest reviews. This is easy to do if you use WordPress plugins like Hotel Booking by MotoPress. With structured accommodation pages, you can help guests imagine their stay before booking and make informed decisions using the best hotel website design.
Online Booking System
This is arguably one of the most vital functional elements for any hotel or vacation rental website to include. A user-friendly online booking engine ensures a smooth, secure reservation process that allows anyone to check availability easily. Additionally, your potential guests can view pricing, confirm their reservation as well, and pay for them securely on your website. Moreover, you can integrate other OTAs with your site’s channel manager to receive reservations from:
About Page
Aside from sharing information about your accommodation, it is also necessary to include pages that tell the story of your hotel and its team. This is why an About page needs to be added to your site. It connects with your soon-to-be guests and shares your vision and values. By writing a captivating story of establishing your hospitality business and using a proper boutique hotel website design, you can appeal to those guests who are interested in more than just booking a room.
Gallery & Visual Media
Finally, adding a gallery should also be considered if you aim to create a long-lasting impression on your site visitors. By using top-notch photos and videos of your hotel rooms, facilities, and team, you can help guests visualize the experience they are about to receive. Some hotels feature such content right at the top of the home page, offering a full-screen video or multiple photos added as a slider. All this conveys atmosphere and style in the best possible way, providing:
- Trust & transparency through realistic visual means;
- Strong brand identity with a memorable tone and style;
- High conversion rates for motivating your visitors;
- Great storytelling and connection with your guests.
Booklium – The Best Choice for WordPress Boutique Hotel Website
In case you need to create a noticeable boutique hotel website design without investing in web development from scratch, then one of the best options is to get a WordPress theme for that. A recommended solution that you can get started with in no time is Booklium. Designed with hotels in mind, it combines modern design with cutting-edge hotel booking functionality.
Being one of the top-rated hotel website design templates, Booklium offers 5 diverse homepage layouts, allowing you to choose the right design for your boutique hotel. Built for the Gutenberg page builder, the theme also comes with a variety of blocks and sections for customization. The built-in accommodation management system allows you to set up dynamic pricing and sync OTA bookings from platforms like Airbnb and Booking.com. This solution also comes with payment gateway integrations, providing your guests with an easy and secure way of paying for accommodation and extra services.
Key features:
- Multiple pre-designed page layouts;
- 3+ ready-made accommodation pages;
- Getwid plugin for Gutenberg included;
- Powered by MotoPress Hotel Booking;
- Real-time availability calendar and property search form.
| Name | Developer | Price | Installations |
|---|---|---|---|
| Booklium | MotoPress | From $89/year | 2.4k+ |
Top 10 Boutique Hotel Website Design Examples
For those who are just starting to build their own boutique hotel website concept, we have prepared a selection of 10 website examples for inspiration. These online experiences of small but impressive accommodation providers can serve not just as a reference but also as guidance towards creating a site that captures the attention of your potential visitors. Whether you look for better usability, stunning typography, or useful functional advantages, these websites have it all.
The Hoxton
One of the first mentions on our boutique hotel website design list is The Hoxton. Designed as an open-house hotel rooted in neighborhood culture, the website of this hotel reflects its essence through a modern full-width design with light colors. From showcasing hotel locations to providing an easy-to-use accommodation search system, the site shows only what guests may look for – opening offers, newsletter signup form, specials, etc.
Key features:
- Easy-to-use forms for newsletter signup and room booking;
- Light color scheme;
- Responsive full-width design;
- HoxShop – an integrated online store;
- 6 supported interface languages.
| Name | Platform | Booking integration | Vibe & aesthetic |
|---|---|---|---|
| The Hoxton | Modified WordPress framework | Integrated direct booking bar | Urban & casual luxury |
Hotel Indigo
Hotel Indigo approaches the web design with ideas similar to the previously mentioned The Hoxton. The welcome screen lets visitors see the full-width image of a hotel room design, a header with a navigation menu, and an accommodation search form. Other than these, the site puts an accent on special offers and image gallery, while also adding several content sections. As a result, visitors get a quick but correct understanding of what to expect from this boutique hotel.
Key features:
- Multiple hotel locations;
- Reward system;
- Gallery with photo submission;
- Dedicated brand page.
| Name | Platform | Booking integration | Vibe & aesthetic |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hotel Indigo | Custom IHG platform | IHG direct booking engine | Local-inspired and vibrant |
Ace Hotel
The next boutique hotel website design example is Ace Hotel. Its site reflects the hotel’s visuals and strong typography, creating a unique design layout. Unlike other websites, it features a blog on its homepage, with the booking form being a part of the site’s header. One more section showcases hotel events alongside offers and locations, all part of the same home page. By concentrating on these key parts of any hotel website, the design remains functional while being memorable and offering engaging content and a simple way to book a room.
Key features:
- Content-rich event & blog sections;
- Sticky accommodation booking bar;
- Newsletter with a discount for new members;
- Built-in shop with hotel accessories.
| Name | Platform | Booking integration | Vibe & aesthetic |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ace Hotel | WordPress | Bespoke booking engine | Artsy & minimalist |
The LINE Hotels
The LINE Hotels‘ website is one of the best hotel website design inspirations that uses WordPress. Being a site for multiple hotels of the same network, it provides more content than other hotel websites, showing the style of their boutique hotels first. However, the online presence of this hotel chain also gives space for specials, a blog, and a functional availability checking form. The layout is spacious and filled with not just text but also images, making sure to get your attention to the core elements.
Key features:
- Image-rich design;
- Content-oriented homepage;
- Online magazine (blog);
- Location-based availability check;
- Instagram gallery.
| Name | Platform | Booking integration | Vibe & aesthetic |
|---|---|---|---|
| The LINE Hotels | WordPress | Built-in booking bar with calendar | Contemporary & lifestyle-focused |
Lungarno Collection
One more boutique hotel website design you can get inspired by is Lungarno Collection. It mirrors the refined Italian heritage and advertises the key points of all establishments in this hotel chain. Due to a wide variety of pages, the website uses a collapsible menu and a full-screen gallery slider to get the potential guests’ attention. Moreover, the website turns your sight not just to its hotels in Florence, Rome, and Milan but also to the dining options these locations provide. By emphasizing the key values of the hotel, the website also takes care of a smooth booking experience.
Key features:
- Pages for events & specials;
- Awards & blog sections;
- Hamburger menu;
- Flexible booking engine.
| Name | Platform | Booking integration | Vibe & aesthetic |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lungarno Collection | Custom CMS | Direct booking system | Italian luxury |
21c Museum Hotels
The website of 21c Museum Hotels mixes key elements of hospitality with contemporary art. By highlighting various exhibitions, the restaurant experience, and the locations of hotels, this site can inspire any boutique hotel website concept in the making. As the hotel chain is all about art, its website also puts a heavy accent on it, offering image-rich sections and striking typography. From a video banner section to minimalist accommodation search and a dedicated museum section, the site delivers a unique user experience.
Key features:
- Dedicated museum page;
- Minimalist navigation menu;
- Neighborhood information;
- Noticeable typography and color scheme.
| Name | Platform | Booking integration | Vibe & aesthetic |
|---|---|---|---|
| 21c Museum Hotels | Proprietary CMS | Booking widget | Art-centric |
art’otel
Moving to the next element of our boutique hotel website design examples, we need to mention art’otel. Situated all across Europe, this hotel chain takes care not just of dining and accommodation but also of your cultural expereince you receive at any of its multiple hotels. As one of the best hotel website design options, it puts various benefits of these boutique hotels on display, ranging from dog-friendly accommodations to a roster of exhibitions, restaurants, and meeting spaces.
Key features:
- Location selector;
- Sticky menu;
- Rich image gallery;
- Wonderpass – a mobile app for hotel guests;
- Informative footer with social links.
| Name | Platform | Booking integration | Vibe & aesthetic |
|---|---|---|---|
| art’otel | Custom (Radisson platform) | Direct booking + rewards system | Artistic & creative |
Hôtel Nomad
Situated in Quebec, Canada, Hôtel Nomad is all about the historic neighborhood and the experience travelers get when staying at the hotel. The website reflects the various positive sides of not just the hotel but also its various advantages and amenities. Even as a boutique hotel design concept, its sections are quite varied and easy to interact with. The online presence of Hôtel Nomad includes a gallery, an informative footer with social links, and an easy-to-use menu suited for fast and efficient navigation.
Key features:
- Fullscreen design;
- 2 supported site languages (English & French);
- Multiple pricing packages;
- External booking system;
- Gallery with videos and photos.
| Name | Platform | Booking integration | Vibe & aesthetic |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hôtel Nomad | WordPress | Third-party booking engine | Historic & traditional |
Hotel Liberty
One of the more varied boutique hotel website design examples belongs to Hotel Liberty, situated in Offenburg. Combining dark and light content sections, the site grabs your attention by being concise and media-rich, while also offering content in multiple languages – English, German, and French. While it doesn’t display reviews right on its home page, the site shares a lot of useful facts about the hotel and diverse ways to spend your time at the hotel and its neighborhood.
Key features:
- Fullscreen slider;
- 3 site languages;
- Smooth typography;
- Contrasting color scheme;
- Counters for displaying hotel facts.
| Name | Platform | Booking integration | Vibe & aesthetic |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hotel Liberty | Custom CMS | Embeddable booking widget | Urban and artistic |
The Bankers Alley Nashville Hotel
Lastly, we need to mention the hotel website design of The Bankers Alley Nashville Hotel. Being a part of Hilton, its website follows the set standards of designing online experiences for the hospitality industry. High-quality images mixed with a section dedicated to accommodation, interior, and amenities show even a random visitor why this hotel is worth staying at. Like many modern hotel websites, it uses a Google Maps section to show its exact location, but also shares details about places nearby. All this makes its site not just visually appealing but also informative, especially to new visitors, who don’t want to get lost and just find the way to book a room fast.
Key features:
- Detailed and categorized accommodation page;
- Amenities homepage section with tabs;
- Top-centered booking form;
- Google Maps for showcasing hotel location.
| Name | Platform | Booking integration | Vibe & aesthetic |
|---|---|---|---|
| The Bankers Alley Nashville Hotel | Hilton Curio CMS | Hilton booking engine with loyalty program | Classic boutique vibe |
Conclusion
We hope this overview of boutique hotel website design examples has helped find the right path for making your creative ideas a reality. Whether you need something immersive and spectacular or feature-rich but still stunning, the range of modern hotel websites can easily guide you towards the right design concept. Note that by having the right balance between functionality and design, you’ll be able to not only attract attention but also satisfy the needs of your guests when they visit your site. Here are some key points you need to take care of when choosing hotel website design templates for your boutique hospitality establishment:
- Visual identity: Show your hotel’s unique brand through colors, typography, and images that align with your personality and the hotel website design.
- User experience: Create a flexible and memorable yet smooth and intuitive browsing experience. It can be achieved by using clear menus and ensuring fast loading times, while adding simple booking processes.
- Mobile optimization: Due to many travelers using smartphones and mobiles to book online, it is vital for any hotel website to provide a smooth and responsive web browsing experience on these devices. This means your site needs to look good on any screen resolution.
- Integrated booking & SEO: Finally, we recommend including a functional and configurable booking system that can be adapted to your needs and perfectly fit the site you’re working on. Additionally, don’t neglect SEO if you want your site to be displayed higher in search results.
