User experience, interaction, UX – are essential parts of any website, and there's no doubt about that. However, when it comes to industries like tourism and leisure, there are often far more questions about design than there are answers. It’s no secret that people around the world love to travel, go on vacations, or frequently take business trips abroad. One way or another, they often need to visit travel websites to book hotel rooms, buy tickets, choose vacation spots, and much more. Accordingly, the expectations for such websites are extremely high. Sometimes it’s even hard to say which is more challenging to design – a travel site or a corporate one.

A well-designed travel website always exceeds the expectations of its visitors while also delivering a top-class user journey from the homepage all the way to booking and paying for a trip. This applies to hotel booking websites as well. In our digital era, the main advantage and convenience for users is instant booking and direct ordering – something every brand strives for. As a brand owner, hotel chain, or service provider, you’ll always want to know whether your users feel comfortable on your website, what could be improved, what should be added or changed. In other words, how you or your web developers worked on UX. As simple as it may sound, there are more than five ways to present even a destination like the Maldives.

But to perform such an analysis, you first need to understand why travelers visit your site and not a competitor’s. What are the users’ intentions and goals? Once you find the answers to these questions, you’ll be able to meet their needs more effectively.

Today we’ll take a look at best practices from global brands and UX design solutions used in travel websites, hotel booking platforms, and similar digital projects.

What’s your behavior, traveler?

Unfortunately, web designers often need a deeper understanding of the travel industry and traveler behavior online. This knowledge allows them to craft a more thoughtful user experience.

In 2014, Google conducted an interesting study based on their search data, which revealed that about 60% of travelers first visit the hotel’s official website before turning to third-party travel planning platforms.

What does this mean for a web designer?

As a rule, such visitors are the key audience for a travel website. Let’s explore how different webmasters implement this understanding across various websites.

Easy Booking

This is our mantra. There are few questions here, no need to reflect individual tastes or user preferences, and no universal recipe for what a booking system should look like. But there are some general recommendations.

The booking window should stand out and always be visible. Don’t make users search long and hard to figure out how to place a reservation or book a room for the upcoming weekend.

Allow users to compare rooms by type and price. This will help them make quicker decisions. A designer’s job is to help travelers see the differences and similarities between services. Don’t skimp on photos, detailed descriptions, visuals — maybe even include virtual tours.

The websites for Gleneagles Hotel, Holiday Inn Birmingham Airport, and Bayerwaldhof all offer room booking in different ways. Yet, all of them are user-friendly because they clearly explain the room options and benefits. The most convenient option in our view is the Italian website Casa Angelina. True Perfection.

Create a short form that appears when a user is about to leave the site, asking: Why are you leaving without booking? Was the information unclear, or were the prices too high? This isn’t bad etiquette. Yes, users might not love it, but they subconsciously know that they’re having trouble finding what they need because designers don’t always know what they want. It’s a kind of feedback loop.

Mobile Usability

Nowadays, no one needs to be reminded how important mobile versions of travel sites are. However, we want to emphasize the mindset behind mobile design. A travel site should first look and function great on small screens — only then should it be expanded and enhanced for desktops.

This approach is especially critical for the tourism industry because bookings often happen on the go, in urgent moments. That means designers must prioritize comfort and usability — even at the expense of features. Yes, even that… still, comfort is often a result of solid functionality. Don’t forget to include a link to the full version of the site for mobile users — this alone may be the reason travelers stay on your page. It may seem minor, but it’s powerful.

The travel website GetLocal Iceland is a great example. It offers all sorts of travel options around the country. The booking form, tour information, blog, and support sections are all accessible on a smartphone, which helps users quickly book what they need.

Another responsive example is the Tradewinds Hotel. A small popup with a special offer adjusts its size and content depending on screen resolution. Moreover, inner page designs using parallax effects or layered images are simplified in the mobile version, as is the footer layout.

Visual Content

When it comes to hotels, visitors want to see loads of photos, videos, and virtual tours—every nook and cranny, including nearby gardens, courts, building exteriors, amenities, and detailed views of rooms, hallways, and floors. One of the biggest reasons people stay on or leave a site is the availability of quality visuals. Lack of such information pushes users away.

A well-designed UX can create a visually stunning website for a luxurious hotel. However, remember that high-quality visuals load slowly. Desktop users might not mind, but mobile users will be frustrated. It’s better to offer smaller previews with a note on file size and an option to load the full version separately.

The Tsushima VR project presents panoramic images and 360° videos showcasing Japan’s best sights, UNESCO heritage sites, and festivals to help travelers choose their next destination.

Other great examples include Onyx CenterSource, Pullman Hotels France (detailed service descriptions are tucked into a collapsible section), Star Travel, and Big Bus Tours.

Customer Reviews

UX and customer reviews are closely linked. In some cases, a site may rely more on guest feedback than UX design. But it’s better to offer users excellent service from their very first click. That’s why platforms like Booking and Expedia have an edge.

These aggregators provide general information suitable for everyone. If you have specific needs—like a room without a balcony or one facing east—you’ll need to contact the hotel directly. And while there are many reviews and stories, they’re often from everyday users, not verified sources.

So, if you're designing a site that only offers general hotel info, make sure there are clear ways to contact the hotel: phone numbers, Skype, booking forms, chat, callback requests, etc. No one wants to book “a pig in a poke.”

Ask the client whether any discounts apply, including those for exploring the whole website. Travelers should see the difference between booking on the site versus through the hotel or an agency.

The airline Qantas Dreamliner offers not just contact details, but 24/7 support. Meanwhile, the tour operator Greaves of India places its phone number in every corner of the site—it’s visible, but not intrusive. A small contact box even appears on the homepage, and the page is packed with ways to reach them.

Credibility & Social Proof

One of the biggest decision-making factors for travelers is trust in the brand. This can come in many forms: reviews, blogs, social media, video stories, etc.

TripAdvisor once mentioned that 80% of users read reviews before booking. But reviews only work if they come from trusted sources. Anyone can call themselves “Vasya” and write a fake review. People may not take it seriously unless it’s verified.

For example, Star Travel features quotes from their founder. QANTAS DREAMLINER shares social media follower stats, and GetLocal Iceland uses actual customer reviews.

TripAdvisor has built a strong reputation. In Russia, there are also travel forums where real people share experiences. Add links to those sites—even if not stylish, they boost credibility.

Projects like Castello Chiola (floating order panel, micro-animations), YourTravel (stats, icons, gallery), Release Wanaka, Lufthansa-Dreamscapes, and Sarntal – Heart of South Tyrol all have unique traits. Yes, it’s all photos, videos, and text—but presentation and quality matter. Their images are so crisp it feels like you're already there.

Conclusion

Creating a travel-focused website is challenging from both a marketing and UX perspective. Web designers usually build several prototypes before finalizing a user-friendly version in cooperation with marketers and clients. We’ve only covered general design aspects here—but they are the foundation, and their variations are visible on travel websites worldwide.

Designers showcase photo galleries and service lists in different ways. But if you check the sites you frequently visit, you’ll see these same core features—just styled differently. Some will feel polished, others rough, but the essentials are there. That’s why the best ideas for travel and booking websites should start with usability—even if it doesn’t look flashy. You can always enhance it later with images, colors, and effects.