Hotel Website Design: High End Hotels With Low End Websites
An example of a hotel website that violates so many web design rules, that it makes the site almost unusable, is Wynn Las Vegas. Don't go there yet. The website has one entry point and is all multimedia. You get sound and video. If you don't have the right browser and the latest version of Flash on your computer, you won't get anywhere. You'll get a blank screen with no option to get any more information.
You don't have a newer computer? You are not on a high-speed connection? You are in a library? You have pop-ups blocked or disabled? You work at an office that doesn't have all the bells and whistles in the budget for their computers? You don't want your computer speakers betraying what you are doing on company time? You are listening to your own music or video and don't want to hear Steve Wynn, the owner of this particular hotel, talking to you? Don't go to the official website. This is one of those cases where you get more readable information at a third party travel website like us or others.
Whether it is the ego of website designers or the hotel owners, this kind of hotel website makes it difficult for you to be a customer. You shouldn't have to hunt for phone numbers. You can't find a phone number on Expedia, Hotels.com, or Orbitz, so you should be able to easily find it on the official website. Having a website come up as a blank page on millions of computers is like a business having an unlisted phone number and locked doors. You shouldn't have to upgrade your computer to check out a hotel. You shouldn't have to mute your computer or wake up your family (or boss) to check out a hotel.
There are many hotel websites that are like this so Wynn Las Vegas is not unique. We are just picking an example that you may have heard of before.
You don't have a newer computer? You are not on a high-speed connection? You are in a library? You have pop-ups blocked or disabled? You work at an office that doesn't have all the bells and whistles in the budget for their computers? You don't want your computer speakers betraying what you are doing on company time? You are listening to your own music or video and don't want to hear Steve Wynn, the owner of this particular hotel, talking to you? Don't go to the official website. This is one of those cases where you get more readable information at a third party travel website like us or others.
Whether it is the ego of website designers or the hotel owners, this kind of hotel website makes it difficult for you to be a customer. You shouldn't have to hunt for phone numbers. You can't find a phone number on Expedia, Hotels.com, or Orbitz, so you should be able to easily find it on the official website. Having a website come up as a blank page on millions of computers is like a business having an unlisted phone number and locked doors. You shouldn't have to upgrade your computer to check out a hotel. You shouldn't have to mute your computer or wake up your family (or boss) to check out a hotel.
There are many hotel websites that are like this so Wynn Las Vegas is not unique. We are just picking an example that you may have heard of before.
Labels: hotel website design, hotels, seo, technical, travel websites