Hospitality website accessibility: EAA checklist + 12 mistakes (2026)

You have a website with your menu, reservations, or online ordering, but accessibility feels like technical hassle you do not have time for.

Since June 28, 2025, this has been under much more scrutiny (because of the European Accessibility Act), especially for websites and ordering and payment flows. Rules aside: if someone cannot read your menu or gets stuck booking or paying, you lose that guest.

In 10 minutes, you will see the most common mistakes on hospitality websites, plus which 3 quick fixes usually deliver results right away (and when it is smarter to bring in help).

What does the European Accessibility Act mean for hospitality websites? (simple explanation)

Accessibility means your website also works well for people who do not see well, have trouble reading, cannot use a mouse, or are simply trying to order on a phone with one thumb.

Since June 28, 2025, there has been extra pressure on this topic in Europe. You notice it most on reservation and ordering platforms: if things break there, it feels to guests like “the website does not work”. And guests do not compare you to the place next door; they simply tap through to the next option.

What is included: website, digital menu, reservations, online ordering, payments

For hospitality, this usually includes:

Your regular website (home, contact, opening hours, directions)
Your digital menu
Reservations (a form or embedded system)
Online ordering (pickup, delivery)
Payments (the last step is where it often goes wrong)

Those last three are the most important to check first, because that is direct revenue. If someone cannot book or pay, it is not “too bad”, it is over.

Why this is more than “a law”: more guests can order/book (especially on mobile)

Accessibility can sound like “for a small group”, but in hospitality it is broader:

An older guest who cannot read the text
Someone with reduced color vision (for example red-green)
A tourist viewing your site on a small phone in bright sunlight
A guest with a shaky hand who cannot quite tap your button

Especially heading into busy periods (full patios again, summer rush, holidays), you do not want friction in your reservation or ordering flow. Every drop-off hurts more.

What you should at least be able to show (think: basic audit + improvement plan)

You do not need a stack of reports. What is smart is:

A quick check of your most important pages (menu, reservations, ordering, contact)
A list of what is going wrong (with examples)
A plan: what you fix first, what you do later

That is also simply practical: it prevents endless back-and-forth with your website builder.

The EAA checklist for hospitality (15-minute self-check)

Grab your phone and your laptop. Run through this quickly. You do not need to understand anything technical; you are checking whether it works logically.

Navigation and controls (mouse vs keyboard)

Can you use the site with only the keyboard? (Tab key)
Can you clearly see where you are? (there should be a visible outline/marker around the button or link)
Can you open and close the menu (hamburger on mobile) without hassle?

If this does not work, some guests literally have no way to reach your menu or reservations.

Text and readability (contrast, font size, clear headings)

Is text always readable, including on mobile?
Is there no light gray text on a white background?
Is important info (opening hours, address, “reserve”) not hidden inside a busy image?
Do you use clear headings like “Menu”, “Reservations”, “Contact”?

Images and menus (alt text, no “menu as an image”)

Is your menu not a photo or scan?
If you do use photos: is the text (prices, allergens) also available as normal text on the page?
Can you search within your menu (for example “gluten-free”, “vegan”, “tapas”)?

If your menu is mostly images, you lose twice: many guests cannot read it well, and it is harder for you to update.

Forms (reservations/contact) and error messages

When booking, is it clear what you need to fill in?
Do you get a clear message if you forget something? (not just “something went wrong”)
If you make an error, is your input preserved or do you have to start over?

Ordering and payments (checkout without blockers)

Can you complete an order without getting stuck on unclear required fields?
Is the button to continue obvious (“Continue to payment”, “Place order”)?
Can you choose payment options without the screen jumping or buttons disappearing?

This is where real revenue gets lost: the guest wants to, but cannot.

Video/maps/PDFs (where it often goes wrong)

Does a video have captions?
Can you find directions via a normal address and a link?
Is important info not only in a PDF (wine list, packages)?

12 most common accessibility mistakes (and how to spot them)

These are the issues I see most often on hospitality sites. There is a good chance you will recognize a few.

1) The menu is a PDF or image (not readable/searchable)

How do you spot it quickly?

You cannot select the text.
Searching for “vegan” does not work.
On mobile you have to pinch and drag.

2) Unreadable colors (light gray on white, text over photos)

How do you spot it quickly?

Lower your screen brightness: does the text disappear?
Check your phone outside in daylight: is it still readable?

3) Buttons without clear text (“click here”, icons only)

How do you spot it quickly?

Do you see “more” or “click here” with no context?
Does your reservation button lack words like “Reserve a table”?

4) Reservation widget does not work with the keyboard

How do you spot it quickly?

Use Tab to reach date and time.
Do you get stuck in the date picker?

5) Form fields without labels (placeholder only)

How do you spot it quickly?

Click into a field: does the hint disappear immediately?
Is there no fixed text above/next to the field?

6) Error messages are only red or too vague (“something went wrong”)

How do you spot it quickly?

Intentionally enter something wrong: do you get a sentence like “Enter your email address”?
Does it also tell you where the problem is?

7) Missing focus (you cannot see where you are with the keyboard)

How do you spot it quickly?

Press Tab a few times: do you see a clear highlight moving?

8) Tap targets are too small on mobile

How do you spot it quickly?

Can you adjust quantities in a cart without mis-tapping?
On mobile, can you easily pick a time slot?

9) Pop-ups/cookie banners block everything

How do you spot it quickly?

Open your site on mobile: do you have to close multiple screens before you see the menu?
Can you dismiss the message without having to aim precisely?

10) Captcha/anti-spam blocks real guests

How do you spot it quickly?

Test contact or reservations on your phone: does it feel like hassle or uncertain?

11) Video without captions (or without an alternative)

How do you spot it quickly?

Is important information only in the video and nowhere as text?

12) “The automated tool is green, so we are done”

How do you spot it quickly?

Everything scores “good”, but guests still complain.
It works on your laptop, but not on a small phone or inside a widget.

Quick fixes with the biggest impact (high return, low hassle)

If you have to choose what to tackle first today, start here. These are usually the fastest improvements with the biggest effect on guests and revenue.

Convert your menu into a real web page (with clear headings)

The biggest win in hospitality is almost always moving away from “menu as a file” and toward a real page with normal text and headings (starters, mains, desserts).

Fix contrast and font size (solid baseline rules)

Often it is not a redesign, but:

Make text a bit darker
Use a calmer background
Increase font size (especially on mobile)
Stop placing important info “inside” a photo

Rename buttons and links to “Reserve a table”, “Order online”

Make it literal:

“Reserve a table”
“View menu”
“Order online”
“Call us”
“Directions”

If online revenue matters: make sure your order button is clearly visible and the flow does not break. That is typically where the fastest gains are.

Forms: labels and clear error messages

Put a clear label above each field (“Name”, “Phone”, “Number of guests”). And if something is wrong, say exactly what.

Good: “Enter your phone number so we can reach you if anything changes.”

Bad: “Error” or “Field required” with no context.

Test 1 order/reservation without a mouse

Open reservations or ordering on your laptop
Put your mouse aside
Use only Tab, Enter, and arrow keys

If you get stuck, guests get stuck too, except they simply leave.

Tools and a mini test plan (without a technical team)

You do not need technical knowledge to find the biggest issues. You only need to know what to write down.

2 automated checks (what they help you find)

A browser check for contrast and basic errors
An online page checker per page (menu, reservations, ordering)

Think of this like a smoke detector: if it beeps, something is wrong. If it does not beep, something can still be wrong (especially in widgets/checkout).

3 manual checks (keyboard, mobile, screen reader quick check)

Keyboard test (5 minutes): can you reach and operate everything?
Mobile test (5 minutes): can you easily read the menu, book, order, and pay?
Screen reader quick check (3 minutes): turn on the read-aloud feature on your phone and go through the menu and buttons. If you mostly hear “button, button, button” with no meaningful words, it is seriously wrong.

What to note for a developer (page + issue + screenshot)

Make a simple list:

Page: /menu Issue: menu is an image, text cannot be selected Proof: screenshot + “not readable on mobile”
Page: /reservations Issue: selecting a date does not work with the keyboard Proof: short video or screenshot showing where you get stuck

The more concrete you are, the faster (and cheaper) it is to fix.

When it is better to commission an audit (and what you gain)

Some things you can spot yourself. But if revenue runs through it, partial fixes can be more expensive than doing it properly once.

Signals that DIY becomes too risky

Have it reviewed properly if:

Online orders really matter (delivery/pickup)
You have many pages (packages, promotions, multiple locations)
Your site is multilingual
Your reservation system or payment step feels “complicated” and you cannot tell where it breaks

What a good deliverable looks like (priorities: blocking/critical/low)

A good audit is not a pile of paperwork, but a prioritized list:

Blocking: guests cannot book/order/pay
Critical: important info is not readable or controls are difficult
Low: smaller improvements for later

“Proof” and maintenance: how to keep it from coming back

Accessibility is not a one-time polish. Especially not if you frequently add promotions, change menus, or add banners.

What helps:

do a quick check for new pages
stop uploading “menu as an image”
after updates, test one reservation and one order

If you would rather handle this together (audit + fixes, without hassle), make sure there is a clear plan for what is feasible in time and cost.

Frequently asked questions

Does this apply to a small bar or small business?

For guests, small or large does not matter. If your site is used to find information, book, or order, you want it to work for as many people as possible. And the biggest mistakes (menu as PDF, unclear buttons, difficult reservations) are especially common in smaller businesses because something was put online “quickly”.

Roughly, what does it cost to fix this?

It mostly depends on:

how your menu is built today (photo/PDF or already text)
which reservation or ordering system you use
how many pages you have

Sometimes it is quick adjustments (colors, buttons, copy). Sometimes a menu or checkout needs to be rebuilt more cleanly. It makes a huge difference if you prioritize first.

How much time will it take (and do I need to take the website offline)?

Usually not. Your site can stay online. It is mostly planning: one moment to test, one moment to verify changes.

Can I solve this with my website builder/template design?

Often partly. A template is not automatically “good”. It depends on how you fill it: text, buttons, menu, forms, pop-ups. And some modules (reservations/ordering) stay tricky. That is why testing your real guest journey matters.

What if my reservation or ordering platform is the problem?

That happens a lot. Then you have two broad options:

ask the platform what they can improve
switch to something that works better

But first: be sure what is failing and where. Otherwise you switch systems and bring the same issues with you.

Action plan: from “at risk” to “in good shape” in 30 days

Week 1: quick scan + choose your top 5 issues

Do the 15-minute self-check above
Test reservations and ordering once on mobile
Write down your top 5 issues (page + screenshot)

Then decide: anything that blocks revenue (booking/ordering) always comes first.

Week 2-3: fixes for menu, forms, buttons, contrast

Turn your menu into a normal page with headings and text
Adjust colors and font sizes so everything is readable
Rename buttons to clear actions (“Reserve a table”, “Order online”)
Make forms clearer (fixed field names + clear error messages)

Week 4: test the order/payment flow + quick re-check + agree on maintenance

Do a complete test order (from cart to payment) on mobile
Test reservations without a mouse (keyboard)
Re-check your top 5: is it truly fixed?
Agree who checks this for new promotions or menu updates

Book a free advisory call of up to 30 minutes: I will walk through your website live (menu, reservations, ordering) and you will get a short prioritized “top 10 fixes” list plus a time/approach estimate.