5 Great Hotel Websites

Five Great Hotel Websites

What makes a great hotel website?

1.Engages guests with the brand

2.Offers guests a glimpse into a

likeminded tribe of shared

values

3.Is highly usable and functional

Brands are on the increase as they tap into a need to find one’s own community

A likeminded tribe of shared values

The Finalists…

Reasons to love it

Simple, clear navigation

Sophisticated, emotive, image-rich messaging

Pivotal ‘Call To Action’ is not crowded by other

unnecessary content

One & Only uses simple messaging and evocative images to draw an online audience into its aspirational sphere without sacrificing functionality to style. Everything you need is here in straightforward navigation that takes you directly to the homepage of each hotel location, which in turn feature emotive video and image-rich content conveying the spirit of each setting. And of course, the most important element – ‘reserve your stay’ is ever-present.

Reasons to love it

Unpretentious and friendly

Priority ‘Call to Action’ stands out effectively

Engagement with the people and cultural zeitgeist

of the locale

The first words that spring to mind here are ‘unpretentious’ and ‘user-friendly’. The website is not over-complicated or over-crowded, yet it is content-rich; a micro culture-hub for its locale which cleverly positions the Hoxton as embodying the personality of its young, fashionable clientele. Its relevance to the location is its biggest asset and by engaging with local people of interest it remains relevant, authentic and offers something fresh and exciting to potential visitors.

Reasons to love it

Key functions are ever-present. The website

remains practical, clear and usable.

The strategy here is to generate ‘sticky’ content

that pulls users deeper into the website and keeps

them there.

Urbane, clean and credible, GrandLife positions

itself as cultural hub for people in-the-know and not

simply a tourist trap. GrandLife reads more like a lifestyle magazine than a hotel booking site, yet it gets points for not sacrificing functionality at the alter of style. It would be an easy mistake to make as part of a web strategy that prioritises a wide spread of editorial as its mainstay. ‘The Locals’ features insider tips from the city’s most notable names on the downtown New York Scene – an ingenious piece of content that positions GrandLife at the heart of its neighbourhood. We are being told that staying at the Soho or Tribeca Grand will be like staying with a native friend. You will have the opportunity to experience the city in the same, unique, exclusive way that a local person would, not just a tourist.

Reasons to love it

Clean, uncomplicated, modest design.

An impressive selection of information available on

the hotel’s main attractions and best rooms.

An extensive collection of images invites the user to

get to know the hotel visually

The Standard’s series of hotel websites are definitive examples of simple and cool done well. An extensive gallery of images is a key feature. Images of rooms are what users make a beeline for. Here you can browse image after image of guest rooms, the suites, the lobby, Biergarten, grill and plaza and even the shop. Additionally there are in-a-nutshell key features lists of the hotel’s main attractions and best rooms. You get a real sense of the place before you even step through the doors. A cultural portal sites The Standard as a tastemaker – from music to food and news from the Standard’s kitchens, events, video clips to watch and recommended things to do and see each week.

Reasons to love it

Ultra – simple homepage content

Brand personality conveyed instantly through

design

Personal, intimate blog invites user to join part of

their ‘tribe’Ace Hotels has played a wild card with this brand-definitive design but it’s a winning gamble. Visitors to the site are instantly drawn into the eccentric brand personality embodied in the images and style, yet it’s clear, easy to navigate and all the relevant information is accessible. The level of simplicity is almost audacious! You have 2 options – read some quirky, interesting factoids about the location, or book a room. And really what more do you need when the brand personality is being conveyed so well? A linear blog appends the website with deeply individual reviews of attractions, exhibitions and places of note in each Ace Hotel location. The overall impression is of the highly personal, intimate experience you are being invited to participate in by the Ace Hotel Tribe.