Bonham Hotel

A relatively recent design for this boutique hotel site and it tries to strike a balance between search engine optimisation and overall brand impact. The black, purple and grey works well together - classic boutique colours. Geometric design and natty little pictures as well. The site is pretty big as well as befits a site trying hard to achieve some impact with searche engine positioning. Frankly, I admire hotels that after the business and understand that is what the site is all about.
How do we know this: giveaways are the text at the top of the page, the use of lists as texts (a good thing) and the repeated use of single key phrases.
The design is fine: it lacks a little finesse and finishing. There are lots of small little issues which could be cleaned up. Mostly it is to do with spacing and just achieveing a greater sense of refinement. For example I would not have used verdana as a typeface and in bold.
Strange question about hotels: why are never any people in their pictures? I wish somebody would tell me.

VisitScotland.com Redesign

VisitScotland.com have redesigned their website and it gives some interesting clues about where their business is going.
The problem with the redesign is that they are trying to get more onto the homepage. I call this the portal problem which is that most business is conducted from the homepage. The new design has lost a lot of whitespace and is now packed with tons of offers as they try to drive business off the homepage.
Where do problems arise? Well I think takes quite a bit of skill to find accommodation which is a key driver for their many stakeholders in the industry. It is in the centre of the page, but the eye is not drawn to it.
The problem the site still has is that it generally lacks information about the travel products and lacks bite, stemming from its tourist board credentials. There are tons of products but very little to help me choose what I should be reserving.

Bovey Castle in Dartmoor, England

Bovey Castle Website

Interesting site as it exudes class and captures much of the spirit of this posh coubtry club come hotel set in England's beautiful Dartmoor. Where it goes wrong is the uncomfortable navigation which is counter intuitive and confusing. I kept going in circles and the little next page folds on the bottom left and right are out of sight and certainly uncommon design syntax online. I like the red wine and grey colours, but not the embossing on the grey which seemed a little fake.
I prefer the real photos of the place and not the stock photography which are not classy and somehow give the game away.
The Online booking is rubbish and like so many hotel websites suggests that there are no rooms available on any night and then gives instructions I cannot follow without backing up the process.... um!
So nice site, I want to stay there, but the site is not perfect (and I hope I don't meet the guys in the boat rowing - he looks psycho.)