How can I check that my colors have good contrast?

Why check color contrast

Key points • Good contrast ensures readability for all your visitors • Contrast influences accessibility and user experience • Simple tools allow you to test your colors according to WCAG standards

Color contrast is essential for the readability and accessibility of your hotel website. Text that is too light on a pale background, or buttons that are difficult to see, makes navigation difficult for visitors, especially those with visual impairments or those using a bright screen. Good contrast improves the user experience and even contributes to your SEO.

Use reliable tools to test your contrast ratios

1. Lighthouse (Chrome)

In Google Chrome: • Right-click → Inspect • Lighthouse tab • Run an “Accessibility” audit

Lighthouse automatically analyzes: • insufficient contrast • difficult-to-read text • poorly visible interactive elements

💡 Tip: Test it on several pages, including the homepage, rooms and offers.

2. WAVE Accessibility Tool

Paste your URL into WAVE to get a full report. The tool highlights: • non-compliant contrasts • text that is too faint • critical areas such as buttons and menus

It is one of the most widely used tools for validating sites that comply with WCAG standards.

3. WebAIM Contrast Checker

If you want to test two specific colors (background + text), use WebAIM Contrast Checker. It instantly tells you: • the exact ratio (e.g., 4.5:1) • WCAG compliance (AA or AAA) • whether the color is suitable for small text, large headings, or interactive elements

4. Figma / Eyedropper Plugins

If your design comes from a mockup, test your colors directly in Figma via dedicated plugins, or use an eyedropper tool on your browser to check the colors already online.

Identify the critical elements on your hotel site

The areas most sensitive to contrast are: • text on images (e.g., banners, room photos) • buttons (CTAs: Book Now, View Room…) • menus, navigation bars and links • labels and form fields • prices, descriptions, terms and conditions and footnotes

💡 Tip: avoid white text on photos unless you add a semi-transparent background to enhance contrast.

WCAG recommendations to follow

The international WCAG standards recommend: • 4.5:1 minimum for small text • 3:1 minimum for headings and large text • 3:1 for interactive elements (buttons, links)

For a hotel, aiming for AA compliance is generally sufficient and ensures excellent readability.

Check the contrast in the CMS pages

Automatically generated pages (offers, rooms, news) should also be tested: • dynamic titles • long texts • repeated buttons • different background images

A clear visual in one room may be too pale in another: hence the importance of testing several items from your collection.

Conclusion

To ensure your colors adhere to best practices, use Lighthouse, WAVE, or WebAIM to analyze your contrast and correct any text or elements that are too faint. By improving contrast, you provide better readability, improved accessibility, and a more comfortable experience for travelers.