5 standout hotel website experiences (& what you can learn from them)
The hotel industry is more competitive than ever, and in 2025 great hotel website experiences are the difference between securing a booking and losing a potential guest.
Our hotel digital cx benchmarking report evaluates the digital customer experiences of some of the UK’s top hotel brands, assessing their strengths and areas for improvement. In this blog article, we explore five hotel brands excelling in key areas of digital experience and provide insight into what others can learn from them.
1. Seamless navigation & user experience: Thistle
Why They Stand Out: Thistle Hotels’ website exemplifies an effortless browsing experience, so it is no surprise that it was the top-scoring hotel brand in our report. Its auto-dropdown menus and clear, easy-to-understand site architecture ensure customers can search for a suitable hotel and find information with minimal friction, while its sticky navigation feature causes the booking button to follow the user down the page so they can easily begin the booking process when ready.
Key Takeaway: Simplify your site navigation with clear and logical menu structures, intuitive search functionality and an easily accessible booking process. Just like Thistle, users should be able to find what they need in just a few clicks. For example, keep important hotel details (such as location and contact details) as well as all key hotel policies on one easily accessible page so that customers have everything they need to make an informed decision.
2. An effortless payment & booking process: Village Hotels
Why They Stand Out: Village Hotels offer their customers a hassle-free payment and booking process, ensuring transparency in pricing and ease of use. Exactly what is included in the room rate is made clear before booking, and it is obvious whether a customer’s card will be charged at the time of reservation, helping to ease any doubts. They support multiple payment methods to support the needs of the individual customer, and provide clear, up-front details on costs, eliminating any potential confusion or frustration during checkout.
Key Takeaway: Make the booking process as straightforward as possible. Offer customers various ways to pay, ensure price transparency and minimise the number of steps required to complete a booking. A well-designed checkout process will go a long way in reducing drop-offs and increasing conversion rates.
3. Responsive customer service options: The Pig
Why They Stand Out: The Pig Hotels deliver exceptional customer support. When contacted as part of our research for the Hotels Digital CX report, we received timely and helpful responses across both their email and Live Chat channels. The Pig demonstrates a clear understanding of the varied needs of their customers, offering a range of customer service channels to give everyone the flexibility to choose what is most suitable based on their individual needs. This allows each customer to feel catered for, while The Pig’s prompt response times ensure the journey is smooth from start to finish.
Key Takeaway: While customer service is typically a top priority when it comes to hotel stays, it’s vital that brands don’t let their digital customer service efforts fall to the wayside. Brands should be investing time and care into developing helpful, responsive customer support that feels personal to each customer, across multiple channels where possible. AI Chatbots or Live Chat can be implemented for real-time support, appealing to customers who have particularly urgent enquiries. Investing in digital customer service will go a long way in enhancing guest confidence and building a stellar brand reputation.
4. Thoughtful extras that add value: Accor Novotel
Why They Stand Out: Adding value at every step of the customer journey, Accor's Novotel was the only hotel brand in our report that scored full marks for offering every value-add feature we looked for. Accor enriches its digital experience with a variety of value-add features such as loyalty programmes, exclusive offers, price-match guarantee and more. Features such as the loyalty program help to encourage repeat customers, while exclusive offers like discounted room rates, only available to customers who shop direct, are particularly effective in attracting new customers.
Key Takeaway: By offering customers additional value through features such as loyalty programs, personalised recommendations and exclusive offers, hotel brands can set themselves above and beyond their competitors. Providing extra value beyond the standard booking process can help build customer loyalty and is an excellent way to increase direct bookings.
5. Clear room imagery & descriptions: Maybourne’s Claridge’s
Why They Stand Out: Claridge’s excels in showcasing its property with high-quality imagery and detailed room descriptions, providing a detailed breakdown of amenities specific to each room type, even going as far as providing floorplans and 360 virtual room tours to satisfy even the most curious of customers. The comprehensive and visually appealing content paints a clear picture for the guest, allowing them to make informed booking decisions and feel fully confident in their purchase.
Key Takeaway: Hotel brands - never underestimate the power of clear, high-quality images and compelling room descriptions! It is vital to not only ensure room imagery and descriptions are high-quality and accurate, but also that the customer can clearly see the differences between each room type. The customer wants to know exactly what they’re paying for (and whether they could justify splurging on the higher-priced room!), so providing a clear picture of what to expect is a great way to drive conversions and build consumer trust.
Final thoughts
By learning from these standout examples, hotel brands can enhance their digital presence, improve customer satisfaction, and ultimately drive more bookings.
Want to dive deeper? Download our full Hotel Digital Experience Benchmarking Report to see how top brands compare and discover key insights to elevate your own digital strategy.
