Creation of website for hotel and riad
· by the Agence Web Premium team, Guéliz Marrakech
Direct answer: booking platforms charge 15 to 20% on each night. A site with direct booking brings this commission back into your pocket. Complete formula 5,400 MAD, delivered in 14 days, in three languages.
We are based in Marrakech, in the middle of the highest concentration of riads in Morocco. This is the sector we know best.
Why have a site when you are already on the platforms?
In short: Because the commission often represents more than an annual salary, and because some travelers search for your name before booking.
Let’s do the math without exaggerating. An eight-room riad, average night 800 MAD, occupancy rate 55%: approximately 1,285,000 MAD annual turnover. At an average commission of 17%, this represents more than 200,000 MAD per year paid to the platforms.
Recovering only 20% of these direct reservations represents around 40,000 MAD per year. The site pays for itself in a few weeks.
Second effect, well documented: a significant proportion of travelers discover an establishment on a platform, then search its name on Google to book directly. Without a site, this traffic is lost.
We're not saying leave platforms — they provide visibility. We say don't depend on them alone.
What should the website of a riad or hotel contain?
In short: Six elements: professional photos, booking engine, multilingual, reviews, location page, and transparent prices.
- Professional photos. This is the first item of expenditure to plan for, before the site itself. In the hotel industry, photography sells.
- Booking engine with real-time availability and calendar synchronization to avoid double bookings.
- Minimum three languages : French, English, and depending on your clientele, Spanish, German or Arabic.
- Notices posted on the site, taken from platforms where you are well rated.
- Detailed location page : access from the airport, from the train station, in the medina on foot, transfer offered.
- Clear prices per season, with what is included — breakfast, transfer, tourist tax.
How to avoid double bookings?
In short: By synchronizing calendars between your site and platforms, via a channel manager.
This is the main fear of riad owners, and it is legitimate. The solution is technical and proven: a channel manager synchronizes availability between your booking engine and all platforms.
When a room is reserved somewhere, it becomes unavailable everywhere, within minutes.
We integrate common channel managers. For an establishment of less than six rooms with little turnover, manual management remains possible, and we say so when it is the case — this avoids an unnecessary monthly subscription.
How to bring travelers to the site?
In short: By the name of the establishment, neighborhood searches, and the Google page with direct reservation link.
Three realistic traffic sources:
- Your name. Travelers who have spotted you elsewhere are searching for your establishment on Google. You must be the first result on your own name - this seems obvious, and yet many riads are preceded by the platforms.
- Neighborhood and experience searches : “riad with swimming pool medina Marrakech”, “guest house near Jemaa el-Fna”. Each deserves its own page.
- The Google sheet, with a booking link pointing to your site rather than to a platform.
Add a visible direct booking argument: slightly lower rate, free transfer, upgrade subject to availability. The traveler needs a reason to leave the platform.
How much does it cost and what does the package include?
In short: 5,400 MAD for the complete package in 14 days, three languages and booking engine included.
Included: custom design, three languages, booking engine, optimized gallery, configured Google listing, domain name and hosting for the first year, and twelve months of follow-up.
Not included: the professional photo report, which we strongly recommend and for which we can direct you to photographers in Marrakech. Subscription to the channel manager, if applicable, is also separate.
Payment in two installments: 50% after validation of the mockup within 48 hours, 50% on delivery.
Direct booking against platforms
| Criteria | Platforms | Site with direct reservation |
|---|---|---|
| Commission | 15 to 20% | 0 % |
| Cost of implementation | 0 | 5,400 MAD once |
| Customer relations | via the platform | direct |
| Customer database | not accessible | to you |
| Initial visibility | forte | to build |
| Price control | constraint | total |
| Loyalty | difficult | possible |
The two channels are complementary. Prices as of October 4, 2026.
Frequently asked questions
How much does a site cost for a riad in Morocco?
5,400 MAD for the complete package with booking engine and three languages, delivered in 14 days.
Does a site replace reservation platforms?
No, he completes them. The objective is to recover a share of direct reservations, not to leave the platforms.
How much can you save on commissions?
An eight-room riad often pays more than 200,000 MAD per year in commissions. Recovering 20% of direct reservations represents around 40,000 MAD.
How to avoid double bookings?
Through a channel manager that synchronizes availability between your site and all platforms.
How many languages are needed?
Three at least: French, English, and a third depending on your clientele — Spanish, German or Arabic.
Are photos included?
No, the professional photo report is separate. This is the most profitable position of the project and we direct you to photographers.
How to encourage people to book directly?
By a visible advantage: slightly lower price, free transfer or upgrade depending on availability.
Do you work with riads in the medina?
Yes, this is our territory: we are based in Guéliz, Marrakech, in the heart of the riad market.
Take back your commissions
Tell us how many rooms you have. We calculate what the platforms cost you per year, and we send you a free model.
