Is Your Accommodation Website Ready For Summer?

Over the last few years, the UK travel and hospitality sector has had to adapt quickly to changing consumer behaviour. From the post-pandemic staycation boom to rising energy costs and economic uncertainty, accommodation businesses have faced no shortage of challenges.

Now, heading into summer 2026, there are signs that traveller behaviour may be shifting again.

With continued uncertainty in parts of the Middle East, concerns over disruption and cancellations to foreign travel, and the rising cost of long-haul holidays, many UK travellers are increasingly looking closer to home for short breaks, weekend stays and family holidays.

For independent hotels, pubs with rooms, campsites, holiday cottages and glamping businesses, this could present a real opportunity — but only for businesses whose websites are ready to compete.

Traveller Expectations Have Changed

Today’s travellers expect far more from a hospitality website than they did even five years ago.

They browse on mobile while sitting on the sofa. They compare dozens of options in minutes. They expect fast-loading pages, high-quality imagery, clear booking journeys and trustworthy information immediately.

Unfortunately, many independent accommodation websites still feel stuck in another era. Common issues include:

• slow mobile performance
• cluttered navigation
• outdated page layouts
• poor quality photography
• confusing booking systems
• limited local information
• generic SEO targeting

Together, these issues can quietly reduce enquiries and bookings over time.

Direct Bookings Matter More Than Ever

Many accommodation businesses have become increasingly reliant on third-party platforms such as Booking.com and Airbnb. While these platforms can provide visibility, they also come with obvious downsides:

• commission fees
• reduced ownership of customer relationships
• increased competition on price
• limited brand differentiation

A well-structured website gives accommodation businesses greater control over their own enquiries and bookings.

This doesn’t mean abandoning third-party platforms altogether. In many cases, they remain an important part of the marketing mix. However, businesses that improve their own online visibility and direct booking experience are often in a stronger long-term position.

Local SEO Is Still Massively Undervalued

One of the biggest missed opportunities in the accommodation sector is local and experience-led search traffic.

Many hospitality websites focus almost entirely on describing rooms and facilities, while overlooking the types of searches potential guests are actually making.

For example:

• dog friendly pub with rooms Peak District
• family campsite near Whitby
• romantic weekend breaks Yorkshire
• walks near Bakewell
• glamping near Alton Towers

These are highly specific, high-intent searches — and they often convert well.

Creating genuinely useful local content not only improves visibility in search engines, but also helps build trust with potential guests before they book.

This is where a flexible content management system becomes particularly valuable. Businesses should be able to easily create and manage:

• local guides
• seasonal recommendations
• event pages
• attraction pages
• activity suggestions
• blog articles and travel inspiration

Without relying on a developer every time they want to update content.

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Performance And Mobile Experience Are No Longer Optional

Page speed and mobile usability are now fundamental parts of the customer experience.

Large, unoptimised image galleries, bloated themes and outdated plugins are still common across many hospitality websites. The result is often slow-loading pages and frustrating mobile experiences — particularly on weaker mobile connections.

Even small improvements to:

• image optimisation
• page structure
• hosting quality
• font loading
• navigation clarity

can have a noticeable impact on usability and conversions.

This is especially important in hospitality, where purchasing decisions are often emotional and visual. If a website feels slow, clunky or difficult to use, visitors can quickly move on to competitors.

The Opportunity For Independent Businesses

Larger hotel chains often have dedicated marketing teams, established booking systems and significant advertising budgets. Independent accommodation businesses rarely have those advantages.

What they can do, however, is create more personal, distinctive and locally-focused digital experiences.

Independent businesses are often far better positioned to:

• showcase personality
• highlight local knowledge
• create memorable experiences
• build repeat customers
• attract niche audiences

A modern website should support those strengths, not hold them back.

Final Thoughts

No one can predict exactly how the travel sector will evolve over the next 12 months. However, there are clear signs that UK accommodation businesses may see increased opportunities from domestic travellers seeking safer, shorter, simpler and more flexible breaks.

For businesses with outdated or underperforming websites, now may be a good time to reassess whether their current digital experience truly reflects the quality of the experience they offer in person.

A website no longer needs to simply “exist”. It needs to:

• perform well
• communicate clearly
• work beautifully on mobile
• support direct bookings
• and help businesses stand out in an increasingly competitive market

For independent accommodation businesses willing to invest in their online presence, the opportunity could be significant.

Talk to DesignKarma today

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