Why Your Hotel Website Is Leaking Bookings (And How to Fix It)

You’ve spent money on your hotel’s website. It looks nice. It’s got all the right pages. But here’s the question: is it actually converting visitors into bookings?

If you’re still relying heavily on OTAs, or you’ve noticed website traffic rising without a clear increase in direct bookings, your site might be leaking revenue — quietly and consistently. Here’s how and what to do about it.

1. It Loads Like It’s 2005

Speed matters — a lot. Studies show that over 50% of people will leave a site if it takes more than 3 seconds to load. That’s half your potential guests gone before they’ve even seen your beautiful rooms or your offers.

Common culprits:

• Large unoptimised images

• Clunky booking widgets

• Poor mobile experience

✅ Fix it: Compress images, use modern caching tools, and test your site speed on mobile with Google PageSpeed Insights. Or better yet — let someone do it who knows what they’re doing so you can focus on running your hotel.

2. Your Booking Button Is Hard to Find

You’d be amazed how many hotel websites make it hard to actually book a room. The booking engine is buried in a menu, the call-to-action is a pale colour, or worse — there’s no sense of urgency.

Ask yourself:

• Is my booking button visible without scrolling?

• Does it work just as well on mobile?

• Is there a reason for guests to book now?

✅ Fix it: Make the booking option bold, bright, and immediate. Add real-time availability or a gentle nudge like “Only 2 rooms left for your dates.”

3. You’re Not Building Trust Fast Enough

People don’t book hotels they don’t trust. If your homepage doesn’t instantly tell someone why they should stay with you, you’ve probably lost them to Booking.com.

Trust builders:

• Recent guest reviews (ideally on-site)

• Real photography (not stock)

• Accreditations or awards

• Transparent pricing

✅ Fix it: Make reviews and recognisable ratings visible near your booking area. Sprinkle in photos of real guests enjoying your facilities — authenticity always wins.

4. No Clear Offer or Hook

It’s not enough to just “look nice” — your website needs to sell. OTAs are masterful at giving people a reason to book today. Your site should do the same.

Do you have:

• A special offer or package for direct bookings?

• A rewards programme for repeat stays?

• An easy comparison to OTA prices?

✅ Fix it: Give people an incentive to book direct. It could be a bottle of wine on arrival, early check-in, or 10% off future stays. Highlight it clearly — not just on the offers page but on every page that matters.

5. You’re Not Capturing Anyone Who Leaves

Not everyone who visits will book straight away. But that doesn’t mean you should lose them forever.

Do you have:

• Email capture for exclusive offers?

• Retargeting ads for site visitors?

• A way to follow up with people who started booking but didn’t finish?

✅ Fix it: Use a tasteful pop-up to offer a discount or guide. Follow up with email or ads when someone drops off. Don’t let warm leads go cold.

What Next?

If your website is leaking bookings, you’re not alone — we see it all the time. The good news? It’s fixable.

At Mintly Digital, we work exclusively with hotels to plug those holes, speed up websites, boost trust, and turn visits into revenue. You don’t need to overhaul your whole site — you just need the right partner to help you make it work harder.

👉 Want a free website performance review?

Let us show you exactly where the gaps are — and how to close them.