A room carousel guests can scan in seconds
I rewrote the homepage content for The Chedi El Gouna, a Red Sea resort, on desktop and mobile. Each room card now leads with what makes that room different, so guests can compare six room types at a glance.
Overview
The Chedi El Gouna is a five-star resort on Egypt’s Red Sea coast, with 82 rooms and suites. Its homepage was being redesigned, and I wrote the new content for it on desktop and mobile: the introduction, the room carousel, the room details, offers, dining, facilities and the area guide.
The biggest piece was the room carousel. Each of the six room types has a card on the homepage and a detail view, and the existing copy wasn’t helping guests choose between them.
The problem
The existing room descriptions were long and atmospheric, and they told guests very little. “A perfect mood of sophisticated minimalism” appears, in almost the same words, on two different rooms. The Premium Sea View card runs to 58 words, most of them about lighting moods and a “do not disturb” button.
A guest scrolling the carousel wants to know three things fast: what makes this room different, what they’ll see from it, and whether it fits their group. The copy answered none of those first.
The introduction had the same problem at a larger scale. Three paragraphs, about 165 words, before a guest reached anything they could act on. The team had looked at heatmap and scroll-map data, which showed less engagement with longer text, especially on mobile, so we wanted to test a much shorter introduction.
My role
- Wrote the homepage content for desktop and mobile, in English.
- Restructured each room card into a fixed pattern, and rewrote every room headline and description.
- Organized the room details on mobile into short, scannable groups.
- Tightened the offers, dining, facilities, booking benefits and nearby attractions content.
- Worked through review comments with the client’s team and applied the same changes across both versions.
The approach
One pattern for every room
Every card now follows the same order: the room name, a short headline about what the room is for, one or two sentences on what makes it different, then the key facts as icons. When every card is built the same way, guests can compare rooms at a glance instead of rereading each one.
Each headline gives the room one reason to choose it: Relax & Refresh, Enjoy the Vibrant Views, Just Steps from the Water.
Lead with what sets the room apart
Each description starts with the one thing guests can’t get in the room next door: the sea view, the direct beach access, the French windows, the connecting suite. Then it adds the details that make it feel like The Chedi, such as the pearl marble and the Asprey London amenities. Phrases that could describe any hotel room were cut.
Facts as icons, not sentences
Who the room sleeps, the view, the size and the outdoor space moved out of the description and into icons. On desktop, a small information icon adds the detail that needs explaining, such as “2 adults + 1 child”.
The mobile design only had room for four icons, so I chose the four that matter most when choosing a room and kept everything else in the detail view.
Built for scanning on mobile
On mobile, each room opens into its icons, the headline and description, then the room’s features grouped under four labels: Amenities, Dining, Connectivity and Special features. A guest checking for a Nespresso machine or a connecting room can find it without reading every line.
The same idea ran through the rest of the page. Offers became three or four short lines each, for example the discount, the cancellation terms and what’s included. Dining venues and facilities became short lists of what each one offers.
Same voice, half the words
The Chedi’s voice is calm and refined, and the new copy keeps it. Words like “serenity”, “elegance” and “refined” stay, but each sentence now carries a fact as well as a feeling.
When a reviewer asked why the introduction needed rewriting if it sounded so similar, the answer was length. The new version keeps the tone and gets to the point in well under half the words, which was exactly what we wanted to test.
The work
The current copy on thechedielgouna.com, next to the copy I wrote for the redesigned homepage. Room cards are shown in their desktop version.
Homepage introduction
The first text guests read on the homepage, below the main image.
English: A REIMAGINED RED SEA LUXURY RESORT | THE CHEDI EL GOUNA Escape to a Captivating Retreat Welcome to The Chedi El Gouna — a sumptuous, eco-friendly luxury getaway nestled within Egypt’s most appealing seaside resort community. This dazzling beachfront hideaway offers guests 82 elegant rooms and suites within its timeless façade — a structure which blends seamlessly with the natural surroundings and architectural traditions of the region. Once inside, you will discover a curated collection of enticing conveniences, such as gourmet eateries, sublime tropical-style pools and beaches, fully-equipped event spaces, fitness and activity areas, and a tranquil spa. The rooms and suites here are equally impressive, providing you with your own luxurious private retreat. The hotel itself overlooks the golden shoreline of the surrounding eponymous hamlet of El Gouna — a glittering, multicultural jewel that has quickly become one of the world’s most aspired-to travel destinations. This oceanfront paradise is a pristine playground that offers something for everyone, including historical tours, tour-quality golf courses, water sports, boating and much more. Dine, drink, delight, and discover at The Chedi El Gouna, an exquisite Egyptian escape.
English: Beachfront Rooms · Private Beach · Luxury Amenities · Fine Dining Redefining Red Sea Luxury | The Chedi El Gouna Where Elegance Meets the Edge of the Sea Nestled in El Gouna’s golden shores, The Chedi is a sanctuary of refined simplicity. 82 rooms and suites crafted for those who crave stillness wrapped in sophistication. Every detail whispers balance: eco-conscious design, serene pools, gourmet dining, and a spa where time slows down. Step outside, and El Gouna unfolds; a cosmopolitan haven of sunlit lagoons, desert adventures, golf, and world-class water sports.
What changed and why
- From 165 words to 63
- Three paragraphs became one. Scroll and heatmap data showed less engagement with long text, especially on mobile, so the shorter version was written to be tested.
- The highlights come first
- Four short labels at the top tell guests what the resort offers before they read a sentence.
- Same voice
- The tone stays calm and refined. What changed is that every phrase now names something real: the pools, the dining, the spa, the lagoons, golf and water sports.
Room card: Premium Sea View
One of six cards in the homepage room carousel.
English: Premium Sea View Guests will appreciate not only the premium bedding, furnishings and amenities provided by these stunning spaces, but also the calming sea views from their private terrace. With the touch of a button, guests can select from a range of lighting moods and ambience settings, while also being able to designate a ‘do not disturb’ status to hotel staff.
English: Premium Sea View Enjoy the Vibrant Views Bask in panoramic sea views from your private terrace, surrounded by earthy tones, marble finishes, and Asprey London amenities. 2 Adults · Sea View · 35 m² · Terrace
What changed and why
- The view leads
- The sea view is why guests choose this room, so it moved from the middle of a long sentence to the headline and the first words.
- From 58 words to 19
- Lighting moods and the “do not disturb” button are useful, but they don’t help anyone choose a room. They belong in the room details, not the card.
- Facts as icons
- Who it sleeps, the view, the size and the terrace are now icons, so they can be compared across cards.
Room card: Deluxe Room
One of six cards in the homepage room carousel.
English: Deluxe Room Ethereal bamboo closet doors embellish the sleeping area in this premium space, which connects to an optional adjoining Chedi Suite for a blissful experience.
English: Deluxe Room Relax & Refresh Relax amid tranquil elegance; bamboo accents, pearl marble finishes, and the scent of Amalfi lemon and mandarin from Asprey London. 2 Adults · Garden View · Balcony · 35-44 m²
What changed and why
- A reason to choose it
- The headline frames the Deluxe Room as the place to unwind, so it has its own role in the carousel.
- Sensory, not decorative
- “Ethereal bamboo closet doors” became details guests can picture: bamboo, pearl marble and the scent of the bathroom amenities.
- Details in the right place
- The connecting Chedi Suite option moved to the room’s Special features, where guests looking for it will find it.
Room card: Premium Beachfront Rooms
One of six cards in the homepage room carousel.
English: Premium Beachfront Rooms A perfect mood of sophisticated minimalism is set via bright, spacious interiors rendered in earth tones and framed by simple ebony décor details with a breathtaking beachfront view.
English: Premium Beachfront Rooms Just Steps from the Water Step into beachfront serenity and minimalist interiors. Choose direct beach access or a private balcony; either way, the Red Sea is just within reach. 2 Adults · Beach front · 35 m² · Terrace
What changed and why
- Name the difference
- The original line was almost the same as the Junior Suite’s. The new headline says what only this room has: the beach on the doorstep.
- Answer the next question
- The description now tells guests they can choose between direct beach access on the ground floor and a balcony upstairs, a choice the old copy didn’t mention.
Where it stands
The content was delivered for the redesigned homepage, on desktop and mobile, after review rounds with the client’s team. The live site still shows the earlier copy while the redesign is in progress.