Is Your Hotel Website Really Welcoming Everyone?

You’ve got a gorgeous lobby, comfy beds, and great service—but what about your website?

If it’s hard to use for someone with a visual, hearing, or motor disability, you could be turning people away without even knowing it. Accessibility it’s part of true hospitality.

What is Website Accessibility?

It means your site works for everyone—including folks using screen readers, keyboard navigation, or voice control. Think:

Clear text that’s easy to read
Alt text on images
Forms that don’t make people guess what to do
Videos with captions
Buttons and links that work without a mouse

Why It Matters

It’s the right thing to do. Hospitality means everyone feels welcome—including online.
You reach more potential guests. Over 1 billion people live with a disability. Making your site accessible helps you serve a wider audience—and stand out.
It protects your business. Accessibility lawsuits are on the rise. Having an inclusive site can help you avoid legal trouble and negative press.
It reflects your values. A thoughtful, inclusive website shows that you care about your guests—not just their money.

Quick Fixes You Can Do Today

Add alt text to every image. Describe the photo so screen readers can read it out loud. Keep it simple and useful.
Use strong color contrast. Make sure text really pops off the background.
Make everything keyboard-friendly. Some people can’t use a mouse. Can you tab through your site and still navigate? If not—time for a fix.
Add captions and transcripts to videos. Great for guests with hearing loss, and also for anyone watching on mute.
Keep text clear and readable. Avoid hotel industry jargon. Short paragraphs, simple language, and big fonts go a long way.
Label your forms clearly. “Your Name” is better than “Your details.” Help users know exactly what you’re asking for.

Our Accessibility Partner: Digiaccess

We are now working with digiaccess to offer a tailored and straightforward solution to this challenge.
Digiaccess is a website accessibility specialist that ensures your website meets legal standards, with no hassle for you!

Through our partnership, we offer an affordable and simple package that gets your website compliant in no time.

This all-in-one service covers all the key aspects of accessibility, from setup to ongoing compliance, so you can keep your website accessible with no extra effort.

Accessibility Will Soon Be the Law

Starting June 28, 2025, website accessibility will be legally required across the EU under the European Accessibility Act.

That means your hotel website needs to work for everyone—including people using screen readers, keyboard-only navigation, or other assistive tech.

Not being compliant could mean lost bookings—or worse, legal trouble.

Now’s the time to get ahead of it and make your site fully inclusive.

Final thoughts

Making your site accessible isn’t about checking a box—it’s about showing every guest they matter.

You’ve already built a great hotel. Let’s make sure your online experience is just as welcoming.

Want help making it happen? We’d love to support you.

About opensmjle

Everything starts with an opensmjle.

opensmjle, Cologne-based digital agency, stands for all things digital and has been looking for new and innovative approaches to the requirements of the hospitality industry since 2013, specializing not only in the hotel and catering industry, but also in the associated technology providers.

In addition to our digital agents, we offer website design and programming in monthly packages so that companies can invest more budget in their customers’ stay experience. To perfect the customer journey, we take care of the storytelling – as a holistic concept or for specific topics.

Ready to take your guests’ stay experience and your customers’ customer journey to the next level?

Then let’s get to know each other better now:

www.opensmjle.com
hej@opensmjle.com
+4922198867761